How to hire a Courier Delivery Driver

How to hire a courier delivery driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step courier delivery driver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a courier delivery driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new courier delivery driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Courier Delivery Driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The courier delivery driver hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A courier delivery driver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, courier delivery drivers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of courier delivery drivers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Courier Delivery Driver	Description	Hourly Rate
   Courier Delivery Driver	Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers pick up, transport, and drop off packages and small shipments within a local region or urban area. They drive trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW)—the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—of 26,000 pounds or less... Show More	$14-21
   Driver	Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal... Show More	$10-25
   Warehouse/Driver	A warehouse driver is responsible for transporting packages and other merchandise from the warehouse to different locations. Warehouse drivers strictly follow route sheets to avoid delays in the delivery... Show More	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • FedEx
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Safety Policies
   • Dependability
   • Customer Service
   • CDL
   • Customer Orders
   • Traffic Laws
   • Delivery Service
   • GPS
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Customer Packages
   • Dangerous Goods
   • Medical Equipment

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Hire and manage drivers who run the routes.
   • Acquire extensive TSA training while doing this.
   • Maintain CDL and drive multiple types of vehicles.
   • Assist in cross-country load planning of LTL freight.
   • Deliver various products to customers including restaurant food and groceries.
   • Hook and unhook trailers from the tractor and converter dollies.

   More Courier Delivery Driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your courier delivery driver job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A courier delivery driver salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a courier delivery driver in Louisiana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level courier delivery driver usually earns less than a senior-level courier delivery driver. Additionally, a courier delivery driver with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average courier delivery driver salary

   $37,495yearly

   $18.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level courier delivery driver salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2025

   Average courier delivery driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$44,239	$21
   2	Massachusetts	$42,630	$21
   3	Illinois	$42,428	$20
   4	Washington	$42,322	$20
   5	Colorado	$41,379	$20
   6	Oregon	$40,910	$20
   7	Texas	$40,510	$19
   8	Virginia	$40,236	$19
   9	Utah	$39,953	$19
   10	New York	$39,725	$19
   11	Arizona	$39,185	$19
   12	Minnesota	$39,125	$19
   13	North Dakota	$38,612	$19
   14	Nevada	$38,366	$18
   15	Nebraska	$38,297	$18
   16	Wyoming	$38,188	$18
   17	Oklahoma	$37,525	$18
   18	Missouri	$37,281	$18
   19	South Dakota	$37,256	$18
   20	Tennessee	$37,139	$18

   Average courier delivery driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Postmates	$40,520	$19.48
   2	Mayo Clinic	$40,001	$19.23	1
   3	DoorDash	$39,777	$19.12	511
   4	FedEx	$38,276	$18.40	126
   5	DHL	$37,670	$18.11	3
   6	All Terrain	$36,987	$17.78
   7	Ricoh	$36,668	$17.63	20
   8	1st Choice Aerospace	$36,152	$17.38
   9	New England Tech	$35,513	$17.07
   10	Veho	$35,341	$16.99
   11	The Atlantic	$35,289	$16.97
   12	Springfield Clinic	$34,969	$16.81
   13	OnTime Delivery	$34,939	$16.80
   14	Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice	$34,739	$16.70
   15	Gopuff	$34,620	$16.64	3
   16	Roadie	$34,436	$16.56
   17	Express Employment Indy South	$33,433	$16.07	1
   18	Bite Squad	$33,139	$15.93
   19	Asante	$32,816	$15.78
   20	Foxtrot International	$32,427	$15.59

4. Writing a Courier Delivery Driver Job Description

   A job description for a courier delivery driver role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a courier delivery driver job description:

   Courier Delivery Driver job description example

   Foxtrot is the digitally native evolution of the corner store – a one-stop shop for those seeking thoughtful curation that’s a reflection of themselves and their city – offering a curated collection of daily essentials in-store and delivered in as little 30 minutes via our app and website.

   
   

   About the Role

   Foxtrot is looking for professional, courteous and speedy couriers to join our delivery team. We partner with the best of the best - those with a great attitude & deliver a top-notch customer experience, in as little as 30 minutes.

   
   

   You'll pick up orders from our select store locations and deliver them directly to customers within our delivery zones (deliveries are on average are about 1.2 miles distance).

   
   

   If you enjoy your flexibility, navigating the city and interacting with people, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. We also offer great perks via our Courier Rewards Program .

   Requirements

   • Must be 21+ to handle alcohol deliveries
   • Must own car or bike to complete deliveries, along with a mobile device for dispatching
   • Valid Driver’s License with proof of insurance and clean driving record (if delivering via car)
   • Familiarity with and comfort navigating around the city
   • Provide punctual and reliable courier service
   • Flexible availability

   Compensation

   • $100 start bonus after your first 50 orders (effective through 3/31/22)
   • Market-competitive hourly rate +
   • Tips +
   • Other milestone delivery incentives

   And we couldn’t round this out without mentioning some of the perks of working here, right? We offer discounts on Foxtrot goods + free coffee and Foxtrot meals, a robust Health Program for our most engaged couriers, weekly bonuses and incentives, and more via our Courier Rewards Program !

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right courier delivery driver for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with courier delivery drivers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit courier delivery drivers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your courier delivery driver job on Zippia to find and recruit courier delivery driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with courier delivery driver candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new courier delivery driver

   Once you've found the courier delivery driver candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new courier delivery driver first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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