Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors
Career Overview
Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors drive cars, vans, light trucks, scooters and/or bicycles to pick up and deliver products and food to residences and businesses.
They work for dairies, drug stores, newspaper distributors, restaurants, dry cleaners, mobile caterers and other companies. Some may work a set number of hours per week; others work on an on-call basis, depending on the business. People in this group may be self-employed.
Job Titles
Duties
In general, delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors:
- Operate and drive cars, vans, light trucks, scooters or bicycles to pick up and deliver items such as food, bakery and dairy products, parcels and general merchandise
- Perform pre-trip and post-trip inspection of vehicle
- Plan delivery schedules and service routes
- Load and unload cargo, goods or merchandise
- Accept or make payments for goods
- Record information and keep track of invoices and receipts on pick-ups and deliveries, vehicle mileage and fuel costs, and report any incidents or problems encountered
- May scan and sort freight or cargo for delivery
- May assemble, install or set up delivered goods or merchandise
- May communicate with central dispatch using mobile communications equipment, visual dispatch display systems or apps
- May take phone orders for delivery
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
15,430% Employed Full Time
34%Work involves driving vehicles or riding bicycles.
Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors use technology to map out deliveries, get directions (GPS) and provide customers with proof of delivery. They must have good customer service skills and be comfortable using technology to document any issues that may arise.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions or to non-driving occupations, such as driver trainer or dispatcher, is possible with training and/or experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors must have a driver's licence appropriate to the class of vehicle being driven. Employers provide on-the-job training.
They must have good customer service skills and be comfortable using technology to document any issues that may arise.
They may also need:
- A secondary (high) school graduation certificate
- Eligibility for bonding
- Transportation of dangerous goods (TGD) certification
At least one year of safe driving experience is usually needed.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
15,430Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 420 | 2.7% |
| Kootenay | 270 | 1.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 9,995 | 64.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 145 | 0.9% |
| Northeast | 165 | 1.1% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,750 | 11.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,685 | 17.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
5,420Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 80 | 0.2% |
| Kootenay | 40 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 3,840 | 1.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 100 | 3.3% |
| Northeast | 50 | 1.8% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 500 | 0.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 810 | 0.9% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,260 |
| Retail Trade | 980 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 710 |
| Wholesale Trade | 490 |
| Manufacturing | 240 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
