Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors
Career Overview
Delivery service drivers:
- Drive cars, vans and light trucks to pick up and deliver various products
Door-to-door distributors:
- Deliver items to residences and businesses
They work for dairies, drug stores, newspaper distributors, take-out food establishments, dry cleaners, mobile caterers and many other establishments. They may be self-employed.
Job Titles
Duties
Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors perform some or all of the following duties:
- Operate and drive cars, vans and light trucks to pick up and deliver various products, such as fast food, newspapers, magazines, bakery and dairy products, and items such as dry cleaning
- Perform pre-trip and post-trip inspection of vehicle
- Plan delivery travel schedules and service routes
- Load and unload cargo, goods or merchandise
- Provide customer service by selling products, delivering over established routes and accepting or making payments for goods
- Record information on pick-ups and deliveries, vehicle mileage and fuel costs and report any incidents or problems encountered
- May ride a bicycle
- 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
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.
Door-to-door distributors use technology for administrative tasks, such as mapping out deliveries, using GPS for directions and providing customers with proof of delivery. People with these careers must be comfortable using technology to record deliveries and document issues that may arise.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions or to non-driving occupations, such as driver trainer or dispatcher, is possible with additional training 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
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- A driver's licence appropriate to the class of vehicle being driven is required
- One year of safe driving experience is usually required
- On-the-job training is provided
- Eligibility for bonding and transportation of dangerous goods (TGD) certification may be required for delivery service drivers
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.
