The profession of hiker can be a nice side job for students. Moreover, the pay is not bad and there are plenty of vacancies. A hiker drives in a car from point A to B and then travels back by public transport. A student can easily do this because he or she has the OV student card. This means he or she can travel for free. The salary of a hiker is not bad either. This person will also continue to be paid during both the outward and return journey. You have more and more students who work as hikers. In times of crisis, there is less and less work in sectors such as the catering industry and retail. These are traditionally sectors where many students are employed. Many companies that are looking for hikers specifically ask for students because they can travel for free with the help of the public transport annual pass. A hiker is someone who transports an empty car from location A to location B. These cars belong, for example, to leasing companies, car rental companies and car importers. The hiker can usually pick up the car at a nearby location. It must then be delivered somewhere else in the country. The student drives there by car and then travels back home on his own.
Working as a hiker
Most of the work takes place on weekdays. This is because the companies where the car must be delivered are usually open at that time. The enjoyable thing about the work is that it provides great freedom. For example, the hiker can listen to a CD in the car and read a book on the train on the way back. On the way there, the hiker is often bound to a certain time by which the car must be delivered. There are some requirements that are imposed on the hiker. For example, companies usually require that someone has had a B driving license for at least six months or a year and has gained some driving experience during that period. Sometimes they also require proof that you have driven without any damage. Another requirement is that you are in possession of a weekly public transport ticket. Otherwise the costs for the different companies would increase very quickly.
Hiker’s salary
Companies often also offer the opportunity to progress to the position of private driver if someone does his job well and proves to be representative enough. This often means longer waiting times. Someone also usually has to walk around in a suit. The advantage is that it often pays well, a lot better than a hiker. The salary of a hiker is also not bad. For example, an eighteen-year-old earns more than 5.50 euros. In 2013, a twenty-three year old earned almost ten euros. That is a lot above the minimum wage. The hiker is usually paid the salary for the entire travel time, both the car journey and the return journey by public transport. Three major companies that employ many hikers are Easyway, Autoreset and SuperStaff. It is often also possible to apply for these positions through employment agencies.
The hiker may disappear together with the public transport student card
The hiking profession is under pressure. This is because there is a discussion going on in politics whether the public transport student card should remain in place in the future. The government pays almost four hundred million euros annually to allow students to travel for free. At a time when cuts are needed everywhere, this is an attractive option to cut back on. At the same time, students are resisting the measures. Public transport companies have also objected because it would cost them a lot of travelers. The damage would also be great for companies that employ hikers, because they would have to pay students much more, something that may then no longer be possible. They are therefore following the discussion with great attention, because the consequences for their industry could be significant.