How to Become a Delivery Driver (and earn money!)

So, you’re someone who wants to know how to become a delivery driver. And that’s for good reason – it can be quite a lucrative career!

In this blog post, you’ll discover the steps to starting working on deliveries for money. We’ll go over everything from what’s required to setting up your account with delivery companies and finding gigs.

So, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been doing deliveries for a while and haven’t reached the income goals you want, keep reading for our top tips on how to make it big on the road!

What Is a Delivery Driver?

A delivery driver is somebody who uses their vehicle to transport goods from one location to another. In most cases, this involves working with a company or service that provides the customer with the goods they need to be delivered.

There are many different types of deliveries that drivers can make, ranging from food and drinks to parcels and packages containing items like clothes or books.

What Is Required to Be a Delivery Driver?

To become a delivery driver, you’ll need your own vehicle and a clean driving record in most cases. You’ll also need to be over the age of 18 and have a valid driver’s license. In some instances, you may also need to have commercial insurance.

As you can see, you don’t need special education or a degree to get paid for delivering stuff. Mostly, your driving skills matter more. You may also need skills like:

• Great communication: You’ll need to be able to communicate with the customer when you arrive at their door. This involves being able to understand and follow instructions, as well as providing excellent customer service.
• Time management: In order to make sure that you can deliver all of your packages on time, you’ll need to be good at managing your time. This means being able to plan your route in advance and making sure that you don’t get lost along the way.
• Organization: You’ll need to be able to keep track of all of your deliveries, as well as the items that you need to deliver. This means being organized and having a system in place so that you can quickly find what you’re looking for when you need it.
• Able to work under pressure: There will be times when you’re under a lot of pressure to get a delivery done on time. This could be because the customer is waiting for their package or because you have a lot of deliveries to make in a short period of time. Either way, you’ll need to be able to stay calm and focused so that you can get the job done.
• Problem-solving ability: Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. You may get lost, or the customer may not be home when you arrive. When this happens, you’ll need to be able to think on your feet and come up with a solution so that you can still complete the delivery.

Steps to Become a Delivery Driver

If you’re interested in becoming a delivery driver, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Choose the right vehicle

Not all vehicles are suitable for deliveries. You’ll need to choose one that’s the right size and has enough space to store everything you need to transport. In case you don’t have a suitable car or any for that matter, you may have to buy or hire one.

Also, you’ll want to ensure that your car is in good condition. This is something you need to do if you drive frequently.

But not all deliveries require a vehicle. That’s the good thing!

You could be a delivery rider and work with your bike or scooter. In some locations, you could even do it on foot!

2. Get commercial insurance

If you’re going to be using your vehicle for business purposes, you might need to get commercial insurance. You could as well get a rideshare insurance endorsement. This will protect you in case of any accidents or damage to your vehicle.

Insurance is still a good investment if you plan to use other modes of transport like bikes or scooters. But you can do without them depending on your location.

3. Acquire the proper licenses and permits

Depending on what you’ll be delivering and where you’ll be doing it, you may need to get a special license or permit. For example, if you’re delivering food, you’ll need to get a food handler’s license.

If you’re unsure of what licenses and permits you need, you can check with your local government office or the company you plan to work for. It would be great to get everything you need to be on the right side legally.

4. Set up a delivery driver account

Once you’ve chosen your vehicle and obtained insurance, you’ll need to set up a delivery account with a company or service. This will involve providing them with your personal information, as well as your vehicle’s make, model, and insurance information.

You’ll also need to agree to their terms and conditions, which will likely include things like not being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while working.

Most companies will require you to complete a background check before they allow you to start working for them. This is to ensure that you’re trustworthy and reliable. The background check will likely include things like a criminal record check and a driving history check.

5. Start delivering!

Once you’ve completed all of the steps above, you’ll be ready to start delivering! You can begin by accepting delivery requests through the app or website of the company you’re working for.

You’ll need to follow their instructions carefully so that you can get the delivery right. This may include things like picking up the package from a specific location and delivering it to another within a certain time frame. If you have any questions, be sure to ask before you start the delivery.

Completing deliveries successfully will help you build up a good reputation with the company you’re working for. And as you become more experienced, you may be able to start taking on more challenging deliveries easily.

Where to Find Delivery Driver Jobs Online

Below are some popular companies that offer delivery driver jobs:

DoorDash

Doordash is a food delivery service that operates in the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan. It works in over 7,000 cities in these regions at the moment.

The delivery platform is known for helping customers get food from restaurants and stores. The app offers flexible hours and the ability to choose your own schedule. You can deliver by car, bike, or scooter.

Instacart

Instacart is a same-day grocery delivery service that’s popular in the US and Canada. It partners with over 900 retailers across over 75,000 retail locations in these regions.

You can work as an in-store shopper or full-service shopper with Instacart. The latter lets you shop and deliver groceries to customers. You can work flexible hours and choose your own schedule with this grocery delivery platform.

Grubhub

Grubhub is a food delivery platform in the US. It partners with over 300,000 restaurants across over 4,000 US cities. It also works in other countries like the UK Netherlands, and Germany.

The platform is known for its easy-to-use app that makes ordering food easier for both customers and restaurants. It’s possible to work as a delivery driver with Grubhub at the time of your choice.

Amazon Flex

If you need a place that allows you to pick up and deliver a variety of items, Amazon Flex may interest you. Amazon Flex is a part-time job that delivers items for Amazon. It’s a good platform to make money with your truck, van, or car.

Uber Eats

Uber Eats is a food delivery platform that’s available in over 6,000 cities across the globe. It’s easy to get started with Uber Eats as you only need a smartphone to sign up. You become your own boss and choose your own hours and how many deliveries you want to make each day. If you don’t own a car, there are options to use a motorbike or bicycle.

Note: Besides these apps that are specific to deliveries, you could also find delivery driving jobs on numerous employment sites like Indeed and Craigslist. Just check the requirements and read all instructions before applying.

How Much Do Delivery Drivers Make?

How much you make as a delivery driver will vary depending on the company you work for, your location, and how many deliveries you make.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for a delivery driver is around $16. However, this may differ based on your country and city of residence. It could be more or less.

You could earn more if you work in busy locations where a significant number of people use delivery platforms to order stuff. To boost your earnings, you can work more hours, especially during the busy ones. It’s not a surprise to get $500 fast in a week as a delivery driver.

Wrapping It up

Delivery driving is a great way to earn money on the side or even full-time. It’s a relatively easy job and you can work according to your schedule. If you have a car, bike, or scooter, you can sign up with one of the many delivery platforms out there and start earning money today.

When you start working, be sure to do your best to deliver the items on time and in good condition. With a little effort, you can soon become a top-rated delivery driver on any platform. Good luck!