Stay Local: Become a Delivery Driver

Delivery drivers usually work the same route on the same shift every workday. If you enjoy getting to know your customers and like predictable work schedules, you might enjoy working as a delivery driver. This job is usually very busy around the holidays, when companies might hire extra workers or offer overtime pay to handle gift deliveries.

This job is very physical and usually involves loading the truck and then moving heavy loads several times a day. You will experience all kinds of weather: rain, sleet, snow and extreme heat.

Types of Delivery Drivers

Pickup and delivery (P&D) drivers are familiar sights in offices. They drive from place to place, picking up packages for customers and taking them back to the main office to be sorted for delivery.

P&D drivers also do a bit of sales - trying to find ways they can offer more services to their clients. P&D drivers often face fierce deadline pressure, and since they operate in cities, have to find ways to work around traffic tie-ups.

Some drivers pick up items like furniture at a warehouse and deliver them directly to several clients throughout the day. In this type of job, drivers often work with a couple of helpers who assist in loading and unloading the truck and assembling furniture. Some people enjoy having coworkers to talk to during the day. Delivery drivers do a lot of heavy lifting; they may have to do some assembly, and they work directly with customers all day long, so it's important to be able to communicate effectively in the predominant language of your city.

Delivery drivers may also pick up freight from a local distribution center and take it to businesses in the area for resale. One example of this type of delivery driver is a local gas truck delivering fuel to the gas stations in one city.

Groceries travel many thousands of miles on their way to the store, and although there is plenty of long-haul grocery driving, there are also local grocery driving jobs. For example, you might take fresh bread from a bakery to the store, make sure it is attractively arranged and keep tabs on how the stock is selling. As a store delivery driver, you also try to convince store managers to sell more of your product.

Did you know:

• Delivery trucks are usually small because they carry smaller loads and need to navigate crowded city streets.
• Many delivery drivers can work with a regular driver's license or Class-B CDL.

Sales

Many delivery jobs include some aspect of salesmanship. Since you interact directly with customers every day, you are in a perfect position to suggest new products and services. For this reason, hiring companies often prefer to hire sociable and gregarious people as delivery drivers. A clean-cut and non-frightening appearance is usually seen as a positive, too.

If you despise selling and really don't enjoy interacting with people, then working as a delivery driver is probably not the best job for you. However, if you like the idea of working fairly independently, not having to be on the road all the time and still working with the big trucks, you might be interested in a job as a diesel mechanic.

Key Points:

• Local drivers are usually home every night.
• As a delivery driver, you get to know the people on your route.
• Customer service skills help delivery drivers excel.

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