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What does a Courier Delivery Driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
What does a Courier Delivery Driver do

A courier delivery driver is responsible for distributing parcels and packages from the warehouse to various recipients according to the area of designation. Courier delivery drivers verify the delivery details to ensure the efficient and timely delivery of parcels to prevent delays and possible customer complaints. They also operate the delivery vehicle, requiring them to have comprehensive knowledge of engine maintenance and repairs. A courier delivery driver must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in taking care of the parcels properly to avoid any damage upon delivery.

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Courier delivery driver responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real courier delivery driver resumes:

  • 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.
  • Cover on call phone and dispatch drivers on stat calls.
  • Load DHL vehicle and deliver customers merchandise in a timely manner.
  • Deliver medication to long term care facilities via stat and rout service.
  • Purchase groceries, supplies, equipment and deliver to facilities on a daily basis.
  • Drive to clients location in a timely, and safe manner, using GPS when need.
  • Provide courier service for local bank branches as well as payroll services and retail office supply companies.
  • Warehouse duties consist of using pallet jacks and dollies to load the van for the days work.
  • Answer customer questions on FedEx features of service while keeping customers inform about the company and its services.
  • Specialize deliveries include; payroll checks, court funds, nuclear medicines, narcotics for hospitals, etc.

Courier delivery driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 30% of Courier Delivery Drivers are proficient in FedEx, Excellent Interpersonal, and Safety Policies. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Hand-eye coordination, and Math skills.

We break down the percentage of Courier Delivery Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • FedEx, 30%

    Provided package pickup/delivery for FedEx Ground and Home Delivery to commercial and residential customers in a safe and timely manner.

  • Excellent Interpersonal, 18%

    Provide exceptional customer service through the use of excellent interpersonal communication skills.

  • Safety Policies, 8%

    Provided efficient pickup and delivery service Exceed service commitments and comply with all operational, security and safety policies

  • Dependability, 8%

    Delivered products on time with efficiency and dependability utilizing strategic driving skills and map/ address orientation.

  • Customer Service, 6%

    Delivered and picked up packages for an assigned courier route while providing exceptional face-to-face customer service.

  • CDL, 5%

    Obtained CDL and became familiar with DOT regulations during extensive driver training modules.

Most courier delivery drivers use their skills in "fedex," "excellent interpersonal," and "safety policies" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential courier delivery driver responsibilities here:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a courier delivery driver to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "when completing deliveries, drivers often interact with customers and should make a good impression to ensure repeat business." Courier delivery drivers often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "communicated customer complaints, requests and feedback to company management. "

Hand-eye coordination. Another essential skill to perform courier delivery driver duties is hand-eye coordination. Courier delivery drivers responsibilities require that "drivers need to observe their surroundings at all times while operating a vehicle." Courier delivery drivers also use hand-eye coordination in their role according to a real resume snippet: "order coordination food prep cash handling customer service order delivery"

Math skills. This is an important skill for courier delivery drivers to perform their duties. For an example of how courier delivery driver responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "because delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers sometimes take payment, they must be able to count cash and make change quickly and accurately." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a courier delivery driver: "perform daily cleaning duties throughout restaurant skills used - great communication skills - basic math - ability to memorize orders/deliveries made".

Patience. courier delivery driver responsibilities often require "patience." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "when driving through heavy traffic congestion, delivery drivers must remain calm and composed." This resume example shows what courier delivery drivers do with patience on a typical day: "utilize good customer service skills such as courtesy, patience, active listening, and service with a smile. "

Sales skills. Another crucial skill for a courier delivery driver to carry out their responsibilities is "sales skills." A big part of what courier delivery drivers relies on this skill, since "driver/sales workers are expected to persuade customers to purchase new or different products." How this skill relates to courier delivery driver duties can be seen in an example from a courier delivery driver resume snippet: "address all customer service issues to best of ability, find sales leads for customers in need of our services. "

Visual ability. Lastly, "visual ability" is an important element of what a courier delivery driver does. Courier delivery driver responsibilities require this skill because "to have a driver’s license, delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers must be able to pass a state vision test." This resume example highlights how courier delivery driver duties rely on this skill: "load delivery vehicle and visually check items for damage. "

Most common courier delivery driver skills

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Compare different courier delivery drivers

Courier delivery driver vs. Driver assistant

A driver assistant is responsible for helping the lead driver transport people, goods, and services from one place to various destinations as required with utmost safety and security. Driver assistants respond to the customers' delivery inquiries and concerns, update delivery receipts, inspect the quality of the merchandise before loading and unloading, report replacements to the distribution centers, and assist with the road navigation to prevent delivery delays. A driver assistant must have excellent organizational and time-management skills, ensuring smooth delivery operations professionally and efficiently.

We looked at the average courier delivery driver salary and compared it with the wages of a driver assistant. Generally speaking, driver assistants are paid $300 higher than courier delivery drivers per year.Even though courier delivery drivers and driver assistants are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, cdl, and customer orders in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a courier delivery driver are more likely to require skills like "fedex," "excellent interpersonal," "safety policies," and "dependability." On the other hand, a job as a driver assistant requires skills like "cpr," "package delivery," "load trucks," and "pallet jack." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Driver assistants tend to make the most money working in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $50,189. In contrast, courier delivery drivers make the biggest average salary, $38,085, in the transportation industry.On average, driver assistants reach similar levels of education than courier delivery drivers. Driver assistants are 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Courier delivery driver vs. 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. They should be expert navigators and may use navigation apps to help them along the way. They should also be familiar with the basic mechanics of the vehicle they are using and the proper maintenance and cleaning needed to ensure that the car is running well. Drivers are expected to have excellent customer relation skills, a strong sense of direction, and superb organizations.

On average, drivers earn a $2,724 lower salary than courier delivery drivers a year.A few skills overlap for courier delivery drivers and drivers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "fedex," "customer service," and "cdl. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that courier delivery driver responsibilities requires skills like "excellent interpersonal," "safety policies," "dependability," and "delivery service." But a driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "math," "basic math," "safety rules," and "cleanliness."

On average, drivers earn a lower salary than courier delivery drivers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, drivers earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $39,688. Whereas courier delivery drivers have higher pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $38,085.In general, drivers achieve similar levels of education than courier delivery drivers. They're 0.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Courier delivery driver vs. 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. They check all the loaded items to ensure that the orders are correct, return defective items, and update the inventory sheet. A warehouse driver must operate the delivery vehicle, perform engine repairs, and follow safety practices and procedures. A warehouse driver also responds to the customers' inquiries and concerns and escalates complaints of incorrect merchandise and defective items to management.

On average scale, warehouse/drivers bring in lower salaries than courier delivery drivers. In fact, they earn a $3,495 lower salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on courier delivery drivers and warehouse/drivers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "fedex," "customer service," and "cdl.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a courier delivery driver is likely to be skilled in "excellent interpersonal," "safety policies," "dependability," and "delivery service," while a typical warehouse/driver is skilled in "math," "basic math," "cleanliness," and "pallets."

Warehouse/drivers make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $34,924. On the other hand, courier delivery drivers are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $38,085.warehouse/drivers typically earn similar educational levels compared to courier delivery drivers. Specifically, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Courier delivery driver vs. Courier

A courier, also known as a messenger, is an individual who delivers goods to consumers or businesses. Those could be important documents, special packages, items, and even messages from one person to another. Their means of transportation vary from roller skates, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, trucks, and airplanes. Some even travel by foot or any public transportation depending on the target location. Some are employees dedicated to companies, while others are freelancers who provide delivery services.

Couriers tend to earn a lower pay than courier delivery drivers by an average of $1,267 per year.According to resumes from courier delivery drivers and couriers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "fedex," "safety policies," and "customer service. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between courier delivery drivers and couriers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a courier delivery driver might have more use for skills like "excellent interpersonal," "dependability," "customer orders," and "courier services." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of couriers require skills like "rehabilitation," "demonstrates proficiency," "alertness," and "routine maintenance. "

Couriers enjoy the best pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $37,078. For comparison, courier delivery drivers earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.couriers reach similar levels of education compared to courier delivery drivers, in general. The difference is that they're 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of courier delivery driver

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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