Courier Exchange

'White van man' gets bad rap in the press

The "white van man", including the courier driver, is typically in his thirties, married, likes to sing along to Classic FM, plays football, goes fishing, watches a lot of TV, eats fairly unhealthy food and goes on holiday to Greece, Spain or the Canaries.

That's according to Oxford's Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC), a not-for-profit organisation that researches various social topics.

The white van man (the courier included) often gets a bad rap in the press, and the group has put together a profile of the driver to give a rounded view.

"In the media, white van man is variously described as 'aggressive', 'tattooed', and a 'tailgater'," SIRC says.

"He is the 'white male' and a 'mad bastard' who 'never signals', 'cuts up' other drivers and uses the kind of vocabulary that has to be represented by asterisks in newspapers."

However, the group points out that these images "are not always founded on facts, and false stereotypes are not only unjust, they can be dangerous".

So while many courier drivers may enjoy a 'heart attack on a plate' for breakfast at the local greasy spoon, there are many others who may bring healthy lunchboxes from home and snack on fruit.

Interestingly, the group found that van drivers often have a relationship with their vehicle - either loving it or hating it. Fleet delivery drivers will typically loathe their vans, because they often drive a different one every day.

However, some couriers are positively in love with their vans, give them pet names and even drive them when they're not working, just for fun.

Unsurprisingly, couriers and other white van men believe they are good, careful drivers, and feel territorial about their local vicinity - but then, most male motorists "make overly complimentary self-assessments", SIRC believes.

The group suggests several steps that can taken to improve the lot of the white van man. These include regulating schedules for fleet and courier drivers, so that trips can be completed safely and without a need for excessive speed; and couriers volunteering for advanced driving courses.

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