What does a Route Driver do?

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. Furthermore, Route Drivers must keep their vehicles in clean and sound condition, report to supervisors should there be any issue, and adhere to the company policies and regulations at all times.
Route driver responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real route driver resumes:
- Manage 100 stores as a DSD vendor, entailing presales, delivery and basic account management.
- Inspect vehicle and load for safety and HazMat regulations being meet.
- DOT, local, state (provincial) and federal requirements.
- Train new employees to read and follow route sheets, as well as prepare them for CDL testing.
- Travel to and from designate areas to pickup and deliver parcels and packages to and from FedEx customers.
- Record routes in the delivery vehicle GPS system to facilitate weekly route planning and to assist share route drivers.
- Utilize route planning and GPS data to perform in depth analysis and develop performance improvement plans on existing and new routes.
- Deliver and properly loaded/unload merchandise utilizing handcarts and/or pallet jacks.
- Deliver groceries and household product to customers with superb customer service
- Conduct daily inspection of vehicle and ensure container cleanliness and sanitation.
- Report safety issues to supervisor regarding vehicle used and maintain cleanliness.
- Obtain and maintain proper delivery authorization and pickup documentation for delivery vans per shift.
- Deliver products on time with efficiency and dependability utilizing strategic driving skills and map/ address orientation.
- Make sure all DSD paperwork is in order after del.
- Answer phones and enter customer order information into POS computer application.
Route driver skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of Route Drivers are proficient in CDL, DOT, and Pickup. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Math skills, and Patience.
We break down the percentage of Route Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 25%
Obtained CDL Class B with Air brakes + Recycle line worker + Consistency of organization + Early shifts + Route driver
- DOT, 18%
Subject to DOT Law, safety sensitive position requiring professionalism and awareness.
- Pickup, 4%
Obtained and maintained proper delivery authorization and pickup documentation for delivery vans per shift.
- Customer Locations, 4%
Developed driving routes to maximize economical use of equipment and time.-Deliver products safely to customer locations.-Record D.O.T.
- Cleanliness, 3%
Maintained cleanliness of equipment and accurate service records of truck inventory.
- Necessary Paperwork, 3%
Maintained documentation and necessary paperwork for adherence to relevant regulatory agencies as required.
Most route drivers use their skills in "cdl," "dot," and "pickup" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential route driver responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a route driver to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "when completing deliveries, drivers often interact with customers and should make a good impression to ensure repeat business." Additionally, a route driver resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "answered customer questions regarding shipments.handled merchandise in accordance with product handling standards. "
Math skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling route driver duties is math skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "because delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers sometimes take payment, they must be able to count cash and make change quickly and accurately." According to a route driver resume, here's how route drivers can utilize math skills in their job responsibilities: "fast and efficient use of math and handling money. "
Patience. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of route drivers is patience. This skill is critical to many everyday route driver duties, as "when driving through heavy traffic congestion, delivery drivers must remain calm and composed." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "delivered customers' orders safely and swiftly dealt with customer complaints with respect and patience"
Sales skills. For certain route driver responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "sales skills." The day-to-day duties of a route driver rely on this skill, as "driver/sales workers are expected to persuade customers to purchase new or different products." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what route drivers do: "used hand held computer to record inventory, sales, and delivery schedule. "
Hand-eye coordination. Another common skill required for route driver responsibilities is "hand-eye coordination." This skill comes up in the duties of route drivers all the time, as "drivers need to observe their surroundings at all times while operating a vehicle." An excerpt from a real route driver resume shows how this skill is central to what a route driver does: "conduct pre- and post-route coordination with supervisor regarding route changes and customer service. "
Visual ability. Lastly, "visual ability" is an important element of what a route driver does. Route 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 route driver duties rely on this skill: "expanded visual presentations in my accounts by selling in product displays and assembling them. "
The three companies that hire the most route drivers are:
- Compass Group USA158 route drivers jobs
- Safety-Kleen116 route drivers jobs
- Pomp's Tire77 route drivers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable route driver resume templates
Build a professional route driver resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your route driver resume.Compare different route drivers
Route 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, route driver responsibilities require skills like "dot," "pickup," "cleanliness," and "necessary paperwork." Meanwhile a typical delivery driver/warehouse has skills in areas such as "warehouse operations," "cycle counts," "safety regulations," and "hvac." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Delivery driver/warehouses earn the highest salaries when working in the transportation industry, with an average yearly salary of $34,891. On the other hand, route drivers are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $47,349.delivery driver/warehouses tend to reach similar levels of education than route drivers. In fact, delivery driver/warehouses are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Route driver vs. Customer service and driver
A customer service and driver is responsible for providing transport or technical assistance to customers. Their job usually focuses on answering calls or correspondence from clients to identify their needs, responding to inquiries, explaining service and product specifications, discussing price details, troubleshooting issues, providing clear instructions, or referring other services when necessary. It is also their duty to keep logs of all transactions, produce reports, and coordinate with managers. Additionally, as a customer service and driver, it is essential to be proactive at dealing with issues to ensure client satisfaction.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that route driver responsibilities requires skills like "cleanliness," "necessary paperwork," "tractor trailer," and "working independently." But a customer service and driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "strong customer service," "data entry," and "medical equipment."
Customer service and drivers earn a lower average salary than route drivers. But customer service and drivers earn the highest pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $37,823. Additionally, route drivers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $47,349 annually.In general, customer service and drivers achieve similar levels of education than route drivers. They're 0.6% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Route driver vs. Truck driver/warehouse
A delivery truck driver is primarily responsible for transporting and delivering products to clients, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. They are also responsible for coordinating with logistics staff, loading and unloading packages, handling and managing documentation, following designated schedules and routes, and maintaining records of deliveries, including the missed ones. There are also instances when a delivery truck driver must accept and process payments, respond to customer calls and inquiries, and prepare progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to perform maintenance checks on vehicles and abide by all traffic laws for a safe and efficient work environment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, route drivers are more likely to have skills like "cleanliness," "necessary paperwork," "customer satisfaction," and "customer service." But a truck driver/warehouse is more likely to have skills like "otr," "safety regulations," "pallet jack," and "traffic violations."
Truck driver/warehouses earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $35,339. Route drivers earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $47,349.truck driver/warehouses typically earn similar educational levels compared to route drivers. Specifically, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Route driver vs. Delivery truck driver
Types of route driver
Updated January 8, 2025