How to hire a delivery driver

How to hire a delivery driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step 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 delivery driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new delivery driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a delivery driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a delivery driver, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A delivery driver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, 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 delivery drivers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Delivery Driver	Description	Hourly rate
   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	$12-26
   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
   Route Driver	A Route Driver is responsible for delivering and transporting supplies or goods within an allotted time. The tasks will vary upon the organization or industry that a Route Driver works for, however, most of the time, the duties will revolve around picking up and dropping off packages at particular destinations ranging from homes to establishments, and communicating with customers... Show more	$14-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Math
   • Basic Math
   • CDL
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Customer Service
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Cleanliness
   • Delivery Vehicle
   • Cash Handling
   • Customer Orders
   • Tractor Trailer
   • Traffic Laws
   • Dependability
   • Multitasking

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Foster strong customer bonds with all clients on route by providing the best possible customer service.
   • Perform daily pre and post trip inspections on the delivery vehicle in accordance to safety and compliance standards.
   • Provide AAA roadside assistance to customers, including jump starts, lock-outs, tire changes, gasoline service.
   • Deliver groceries to clients while executing exceptional customer service.
   • Work in high pace environment often multitasking and establishing customer orders
   • Deliver drugs and assemble medical equipment upon delivery to pharmacy patients daily.

   More delivery driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the delivery driver job description is a good way to get more applicants. A delivery driver salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a delivery driver in Montana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level delivery driver. Additionally, a delivery driver with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average delivery driver salary

   $38,785yearly

   $18.65 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level delivery driver salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average delivery driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$46,026	$22
   2	Minnesota	$44,809	$22
   3	Illinois	$44,512	$21
   4	California	$43,720	$21
   5	New York	$42,685	$21
   6	Virginia	$42,483	$20
   7	Washington	$41,837	$20
   8	Wisconsin	$39,728	$19
   9	Ohio	$39,597	$19
   10	Maine	$39,407	$19
   11	Nevada	$39,374	$19
   12	Oregon	$39,181	$19
   13	Indiana	$38,733	$19
   14	Colorado	$38,633	$19
   15	Nebraska	$38,236	$18
   16	Kentucky	$38,212	$18
   17	Arizona	$38,074	$18
   18	Kansas	$37,453	$18
   19	Texas	$36,709	$18
   20	Missouri	$36,604	$18

   Average delivery driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Trifecta Technologies	$60,305	$28.99
   2	GPAC	$59,892	$28.79
   3	Egen	$59,639	$28.67
   4	A. Duie Pyle	$59,296	$28.51	47
   5	Midwest Motor Express	$58,643	$28.19	8
   6	Pella	$58,144	$27.95	10
   7	Clearwater Paper	$57,692	$27.74
   8	Peninsula Truck Lines	$56,943	$27.38	3
   9	PepsiCo	$56,731	$27.27	4
   10	Airgas	$56,303	$27.07	1
   11	Halliburton	$55,988	$26.92	5
   12	Bamboo Solutions	$55,549	$26.71
   13	E.W. Grobbel Sons	$55,463	$26.66
   14	Amuse Restaurant	$55,326	$26.60
   15	Culligan	$55,027	$26.46	8
   16	Darigold	$54,883	$26.39
   17	Knapheide	$54,637	$26.27	4
   18	IPC Systems	$54,147	$26.03
   19	Road Runners Club of America	$54,008	$25.97
   20	Hearthside Food Solutions	$53,865	$25.90

4. Writing a delivery driver job description

   A job description for a 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 delivery driver job description:

   Delivery driver job description example

   Class A Delivery Driver - Over the Road FULL-TIME
   $75,000.00 is the Annual Target Pay
   
   Position drives a tractor/trailer truck to make local regional deliveries (up to 275 mile radius) of predominantly finished products or raw materials/supplies to company distribution and manufacturing centers. Obtains proper authorization for all deliveries/pick-ups. Inspects vehicle for proper and safe operating conditions before and after each trip. Must maintain a DOT driver's log and adhere to all DOT regulations. Position requires working tractor/trailer components, including bending and cranking landing gear as well as climbing in and out of cabs and sitting for extended periods of time. This is no touch freight work and driver will be home daily.
   
   PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
   Deliver finished products or raw materials to assigned destination
   Ensure safety and compliance of load
   Maintain DOT driver log and other required transport documentation
   Regular, reliable, predictable attendance
   Pre/Post Inspections IND-02 WS-02
   Schedule
   Shift start:
   Shift length:
   
   Benefits
   Health, dental, vision insurance Paid time off 401(k) plan
   Qualifications
   Must pass drug screen (cannabis included) Must pass background check Can lift 45 lbs Must be at least 21+ years old 21 years or older Pass DOT physical and DOT Road Test Valid Class A CDL license Follow DOT Regulations Minimum 6 months Tractor Trailer driving experience
   
   About PepsiCo
   PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo has interests in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo is made up of six divisions: North America Beverages; Frito-Lay North America; Quaker Foods North America; Latin America; Europe Sub-Saharan Africa; and Asia, Middle East, and North Africa. Each of these divisions has its own unique history and way of doing business.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right delivery driver for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit delivery drivers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 delivery driver

   Once you've found the 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new 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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How much does it cost to hire a delivery driver?