What does a parts driver do?
Parts delivery drivers work for a machine parts distributor or an auto parts outlet. Usually, delivery drivers deliver to repair shops and local dealerships for inventory replenishment. A lot of car repair shops maintain lower quantities of less common parts. Oftentimes, they complete their other duties in times of slow periods. Other than that, they unload inventory upon arrival from distribution centers and manufacturers. They also learn efficient delivery routes and become respectful to customers.
Parts driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real parts driver resumes:
- Manage DIY services including battery installation, testing, wiper installs, etc.
- Used various resources such as GPS and maps to plan routes efficiently.
- Assemble and service a variety of off road vehicles and other Honda brand tools and prepare them for customers.
- Look up aftermarket and OEM parts for Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, Honda, and BRP products.
- Maintain warehouse organization and cleanliness.
- Maintain warehouse inventory and cleanliness.
- Develop relationships with personnel from other Chrysler dealerships to participate in a mutually beneficial parts purchase and delivery co op.
- Last year working primarily for Kia dealership, order parts on dailey and weekly stock.
- Return damaged parts and warranty parts to KIa on dailey, weekly or monthly basis.
- Deliver items to customers, whether they are a dealership, bodyshop or regular customer.
Parts driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 33% of Parts Drivers are proficient in Customer Service, Cleanliness, and Parts Inventory. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Visual ability, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Parts Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 33%
Illustrated time management, customer service and responsibility while representing the shop across several area dealerships
- Cleanliness, 12%
Maintained warehouse inventory and cleanliness.
- Parts Inventory, 7%
Checked parts inventory on a daily basis, marked items that needed to ordered and restocked items that came in.
- Customer Orders, 7%
Managed and delivered customer orders, managed inventory every quarter.
- Wholesale Accounts, 5%
Pick up and deliver parts to customers, wholesale accounts, and suppliers.
- Delivery Vehicle, 5%
Sold/delivered Auto Parts to Automotive Dealerships Maintained fleet of delivery vehicles.
"customer service," "cleanliness," and "parts inventory" are among the most common skills that parts drivers use at work. You can find even more parts driver responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. parts drivers are also known for customer-service skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to parts driver responsibilities, because "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." A parts driver resume example shows how customer-service skills is used in the workplace: "delivered auto parts to local businesses and built a customer relationship. "
Math skills. A big part of what parts drivers do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to parts driver responsibilities because "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical parts driver tasks: "analyzed and evaluated, quantitatively and qualitatively, the effectiveness of training programs in meeting established goals and objectives. "
Interpersonal skills. A commonly-found skill in parts driver job descriptions, "interpersonal skills" is essential to what parts drivers do. Parts driver responsibilities rely on this skill because "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." You can also see how parts driver duties rely on interpersonal skills in this resume example: "acquired skills: referencing part numbers, use of basic office equipment and interpersonal communications"
Selling skills. Lastly, "selling skills" is an important element of what a parts driver does. Parts driver responsibilities require this skill because "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." This resume example highlights how parts driver duties rely on this skill: "supplied parts to other dealers and independent shops, inventory in parts room. "
The three companies that hire the most parts drivers are:
- Rush Enterprises17 parts drivers jobs
- AutoNation13 parts drivers jobs
- Asbury Automotive Group12 parts drivers jobs
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Compare different parts drivers
Parts driver vs. Delivery driver/warehouse
A warehouse delivery driver is responsible for transporting goods and services from the warehouse to different assigned locations. Warehouse delivery drivers record the inventory materials receipt before and after delivery to ensure the merchandise's correct quantity and quality. They also maintain the condition of the engine and immediately detect inconsistencies to avoid delays in deliveries. A warehouse delivery driver assists customers with their inquiries and concerns and escalates complaints to management for resolution.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between parts drivers and delivery driver/warehouse. For instance, parts driver responsibilities require skills such as "cleanliness," "parts inventory," "wholesale accounts," and "parts counter." Whereas a delivery driver/warehouse is skilled in "cdl," "warehouse operations," "load trucks," and "cycle counts." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Delivery driver/warehouses tend to make the most money working in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $34,891. In contrast, parts drivers make the biggest average salary, $33,434, in the transportation industry.delivery driver/warehouses tend to reach similar levels of education than parts drivers. In fact, delivery driver/warehouses are 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Parts driver vs. Parts-counter sales
Parts specialists are responsible for the sale and maintenance of inventory at a dealership, an automotive care center, or other businesses providing automotive parts and supplies. Their duties and responsibilities include maintaining detailed inventory records, purchasing automotive parts, and ensuring that parts are delivered promptly. They are responsible for answering customer questions about various machine parts and equipment. Qualifications for this position vary, which include relevant work experience, experience in a supervisory or managerial job, and professional training through a vocational school.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real parts driver resumes. While parts driver responsibilities can utilize skills like "cleanliness," "math," "delivery vehicle," and "parts counter," parts-counter sales use skills like "taking care," "phone calls," "invoice," and "parts counter sales."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Parts-counter sales tend to reach similar levels of education than parts drivers. In fact, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Parts driver vs. Parts sales associate
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a parts driver is likely to be skilled in "delivery vehicle," "invoice matches," "delivery truck," and "toyota," while a typical parts sales associate is skilled in "phone calls," "parts sales," "cycle counts," and "sales floor."
Most parts sales associates achieve a similar degree level compared to parts drivers. For example, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Parts driver vs. Parts specialist
Types of parts driver
Updated January 8, 2025
