"Freelance courier" is likely to be an horrendous job. I gather, the amounts of drop-offs are huge, for very little money, using one's own vehicle, which will need business insurance and so on, so not a quick or necessarily cheap option.
Interestingly, we had a delivery a couple of weeks ago, brought by a young man. As he turned and left, I though,... "I know you", but couldn't quite work out where from.
When he delivered to us again (yes, we're like everyone else - have been buying online), I asked him where I recognised him from. It transpired, he used to live up the road, but had moved to a house better suited to their requirements a few years ago.
He told me he was doing deliveries to keep sane in lockdown, and on furlough (so he is one on furlough support, plus additional income). He reckoned the work is brutal (by comparison to his usual Programme Manager role), but they would use the money to do some home improvements when the dust settles and hopefully he is back in his old job.
I wish anyone doing that job the best of luck.
Delivery jobs can be savage depending on who you work for. In the past I worked for one of the supermarkets as a driver and it was ok to be honest although I had to quit after injuring myself at work, that was the main problem. Tried lifting a crate of, what I didn't know was milk, from a height I couldn't see, and ripped all the ligaments in my shoulder and elbow. Then I worked for an Electrical Company as a driver for two years and again it was fine bar the hanging around at the end of the day. Problem with both Covid wise is you tick off and load your own van which means you have to go indoors with others, if it is the same set up now of course. Companies may now have pickers, loaders and drivers rather than just drivers who do the picking!
However both had their own van and insurance and as DCUKMod says if you have to use your own car and insurance that's expense straight off although not sure if you get your petrol expenses back. You are then spending pretty much more than you make. I looked into working for one of the national carriers at one point and that was the case and it just wasn't worth it. With a bit of luck now home delivery is a real earner for companies "hopefully" they will stop cutting corners and purchase fleets of van's and cover insurances or they need to be regulated but wouldn't hold my breath.
RE post above talking about modes of travel to and from work that's what worries me about the school where I work. It's in the middle of nowhere so whilst staff can use their own cars to go in all students generally use taxis. It isn't going to be that taxi drivers only pick up and drop off so those kids are going to be sitting in an enclosed space where 20,30, 40 people a day may have sit so whilst they could be in a clean environment at home and at school the travel they sue is a possible mode of transmission.