Delivery drivers play a vital role in the UK's supply chain, ensuring goods, parcels, and food reach customers safely and on time. The job involves collecting items from warehouses or shops and transporting them to homes, businesses, or other locations. Delivery drivers may use vans, cars, motorcycles, or bicycles, depending on the employer and type of delivery. Key skills include safe driving, good time management, customer service, and often basic paperwork or use of handheld electronic devices for tracking deliveries. The role can be physically demanding, requiring lifting and carrying packages, and sometimes navigating tight schedules or urban traffic.
Delivery drivers in the UK typically earn between £18,000 and £28,000 per year, with experienced drivers or those working for premium services earning up to £35,000.
As of 2023, there are over 80,000 delivery driver positions across the UK, with demand increasing due to the growth of online shopping.
Delivery drivers often work between 35 and 48 hours per week, with some weekend and evening shifts required, especially for parcel and food delivery roles.
Responsible for delivering multiple parcels or goods to different locations in a single shift, often for courier or e-commerce companies.
Delivers food shopping from supermarkets or local stores directly to customers' homes, sometimes requiring handling of chilled or frozen products.
Transports hot meals from restaurants or takeaways to customers, often working for fast food outlets or delivery platforms.
Apply for and pass your driving test to get a full (category B) driving licence, which is essential for most delivery driver jobs.
You can begin learning to drive from age 17 and will need to pass both a theory and practical driving test. Consider taking extra lessons or courses if you want to specialise in larger vehicles, such as vans or lorries, which may require a different licence category.
Ensure you are physically fit and meet any health requirements specified for driving.
Some employers may require a medical examination, especially if you are applying for roles involving larger vehicles. Good eyesight and general physical health are important for this career.
Learn how to plan routes efficiently and use navigation tools or apps to find the quickest and safest routes.
Familiarise yourself with popular navigation systems such as Google Maps, Waze, or a Sat Nav. Being able to adapt quickly to traffic changes and road closures is a valuable skill for delivery drivers.
Practice clear communication and courteous behaviour, as you will often interact with customers during deliveries.
Delivery drivers are often the face of a company, so being polite, helpful, and able to deal with customer queries or complaints professionally is important. Good communication can also help prevent delivery errors.
Look for job openings at courier companies, supermarkets, restaurants, or logistics firms.
Check job boards, company websites, and local adverts for opportunities. Many employers offer part-time, full-time, and flexible hour contracts. Some roles may require you to use your own vehicle, while others provide one.
Start working as a delivery driver and build your experience, which can lead to better routes, higher pay, or supervisory roles.
With experience, you may progress to roles such as lead driver, supervisor, or even move into logistics planning and management. Some companies offer additional training or opportunities for career progression.
Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Delivery Driver. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.
A Delivery Driver and a Delivery van driver both involve operating a van or similar vehicle to transport goods or packages to various locations. The primary responsibilities, skills, and qualifications are very similar, making them closely aligned in terms of career requirements.
You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by applying directly.
You could do an Express Delivery Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship or an Urban Driver Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
These apprenticeships take at least 1 year to complete.
You'll usually need:
You could apply directly to work as a delivery driver.
Employers will expect you to have:
You'll find it useful to have experience in storage, working in a warehouse or other driving work.
You can find out more about working in logistics from Generation Logistics.
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