Delivery Driver
Also advertised as: Class 2 Driver, Courier, Delivery Driver, Home Delivery Driver, Multi-Drop Driver, Trainee HGV Driver
Delivers parcels or goods to homes and businesses on a planned route.
What the job involves
Delivery drivers handle multi-drop routes, load and check goods, use handheld devices and deal with customers at the door. Many use it as a stepping stone to HGV work with employer-funded licence training.
Typical responsibilities
- Load and check vehicle stock
- Complete multi-drop delivery routes
- Obtain proof of delivery
- Handle customer queries at the door
- Carry out vehicle checks and report defects
Common employers
- Parcel networks
- Supermarkets
- Builders merchants
- Wholesalers
- Self-employed courier work
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£22,000 – £27,000 a year
With experience
£28,000 – £34,000 a year
Typical hours
Early starts, typically 45 hours
Working environment
On the road
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Safe driving
- Route planning
- Time management
- Customer service
- Manual handling
Transferable skills you may already have
- Driving experience
- Working to timings
- Customer facing work
Requirements employers ask for
- Safe driving
- Route planning
- Time management
- Customer service
- Manual handling
- Full UK driving licence
- Driving licence
- Driver CPC for commercial vehicles
Useful but not essential
- Driving experience
- Working to timings
- Customer facing work
- Category C licence for larger vehicles
- Driver CPC
Helpful qualifications
- Category C licence for larger vehicles
- Driver CPC
Licences and checks
- Driving licence
- Driver CPC for commercial vehicles
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Urban Driver (Level 2)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Any
Where this career can lead
next
HGV Driver
next
Transport Coordinator
next
Depot Supervisor
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Easy entry with a standard licence
- Independence during the day
- Employers often fund HGV training
What people find hard
- Physically demanding multi-drop rounds
- Tight delivery targets
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a delivery driver?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a delivery driver earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £22,000 to £27,000 a year, rising towards £34,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Driving experience, Working to timings, Customer facing work.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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