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Delivery Driver Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Last updated: September 27, 2023

A Delivery Driver, or Carrier, is responsible for transporting packages and other goods from a mail facility to a personal or business address. Their duties include loading goods, using navigation tools to arrive at the right address and delivering parcels to the correct address.

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Delivery Driver duties and responsibilities

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Delivery drivers have a variety of duties in addition to driving their routes and making their deliveries. Other important responsibilities include:

  • Following the best practices for safety, both on the road and while loading or unloading a truck
  • Communicating with dispatchers, drivers and other team members to make deliveries
  • Meeting delivery deadlines
  • Performing basic truck maintenance
  • Loading and unloading cargo
  • Tracking shipments and deliveries
  • Obtaining client or customer signatures when needed
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Delivery Driver Job Description Examples

What does a Delivery Driver do?

Delivery Drivers are typically employed by corporations, food service companies, delivery service companies or warehouses. They drive cars or delivery trucks to ensure that recipients receive their packages and other items in a timely manner. Their job is to drive safely, deliver goods and collect payment if necessary. They may also need to communicate directly with homeowners or business owners to get signatures to verify the arrival of a package.

Delivery Driver skills and qualifications

Skills and qualifications that are important for Delivery Drivers to have include:

  • A valid driver’s license, and in some cases a commercial driver’s license
  • Knowledge of how to handle materials safely, such as food or chemicals
  • Familiarity with using navigation systems
  • Time management to ensure deliveries are made on schedule
  • Excellent vision and hand-eye coordination to stay safe while driving
  • Physical ability to load and unload heavy cargo

Delivery Driver salary expectations

A Delivery Driver makes an average salary of $12.52 per hour. Pay rate may depend on level of experience, education and the geographical location.

Delivery Driver education and training requirements

Delivery Drivers usually only need a high school diploma or GED and a driver’s license. Education and training requirements vary depending on what they transport. For example, if delivering food or chemicals, drivers need to comply with safety laws and best practices for transporting those materials.

Delivery Driver experience requirements

Many Delivery Driver jobs require no experience, which makes these roles appealing for people coming from other industries or those who need additional part-time work. Of course, you may ask that candidates have three to five years of experience or more if you’re hiring for a senior delivery role or are looking for a delivery manager.

Job description samples for similar positions

If you’re not finding quite what you’re looking for with the Delivery Driver description, check out our job description samples for a few similar roles:

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Frequently asked questions about Delivery Drivers

What is the difference between a Delivery Driver and a Courier?

Delivery Drivers and Couriers both provide delivery services for packages and other goods to businesses and personal households. The difference between a Delivery Driver and a Courier is that Delivery Drivers tend to drop off packages. In contrast, Couriers can both drop off packages and pickup packages from the same location. For example, a Courier delivers a package to a household and gets another parcel to send out from their mail facility.

What are the daily duties of a Delivery Driver?

A Delivery Driver begins their day by arriving at their designated packaging facility. They park their delivery truck at the loading dock and load parcels assigned to their particular route. Throughout the day, they drive around their local area, using their GPS navigation to find addresses and delivery packages. They may also return one or more times to the packaging facility to pick up more packages for delivery. For Delivery Drivers in the foodservice industry they spend their day collecting takeout food from a restaurant and delivering it to businesses and households in an efficient time frame.

What makes a good Delivery Driver?

A good Delivery Driver is someone who values customer service. This enables them to provide timely delivery while also handling packages with care. They should also be physically fit to a degree so they can lift and maneuver heavy parcels without difficulty or injury. Further, a good Delivery Driver should have an excellent driving record and should prioritize safety when driving to and from delivery locations. They should also be well-organized to ensure that they deliver all of the parcels designated for a particular location.

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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