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Job Outlook for:
Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers

SOC: 53-3031        OOH: U314

Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers
Quick Stats
Total Jobs in 2016 1,421,400
Expected Growth 4%    (Slower than average)
New Jobs To Be Added
from 2016 to 2026
59,300
Median Pay $25,000 to $34,999

 

 

Employment Outlook for Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers

Overall employment of delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2016 to 2026, slower than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will vary by occupation.

Employment of light truck or delivery services drivers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Continued e-commerce growth should increase demand for package delivery services, especially for the large and regional shipping companies. More light truck and delivery drivers will be needed to fulfill the growing number of e-commerce transactions.

Employment of driver/sales workers is projected to show little or no change from 2016 to 2026. Self-employed or independent contractors, who sign up with smartphone-based food delivery companies, may be needed to deliver food from restaurants that previously only provided takeout services.

Job Prospects

Job opportunities for delivery truck drivers and drivers/sales workers are expected to be good. Job applicants with experience and a clean driving record, or who work for a company in another occupation, should have the best job prospects.

 

 


 

Typical Pay for Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers

The median annual wage for driver/sales workers was $22,830 in May 2016. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,500, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,400.

The median annual wage for light truck or delivery services drivers was $30,580 in May 2016. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,200, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $60,630.

In May 2016, the median annual wages for driver/sales workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Wholesale trade $33,360
Retail trade 25,760
Restaurants and other eating places 19,210

In May 2016, the median annual wages for light truck or delivery services drivers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Couriers and messengers $46,610
Wholesale trade 29,950
Retail trade 24,170

Some drivers/sales workers, such as pizza delivery workers, receive tips in addition to hourly wages. Sales workers can also receive commissions from the products they sell.

Most drivers work full time, and many work additional hours. Those who work on regular routes sometimes must begin work very early in the morning or work late at night. For example, a driver who delivers bread to a deli every day must be there before the deli opens. Drivers often work weekends and holidays.



 

What Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers Do All Day

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 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity or less. Most of the time, they transport merchandise from a distribution center to businesses and households.

Duties

Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically do the following:

  • Load and unload their cargo
  • Communicate with customers to determine pickup and delivery needs
  • Report any incidents they encounter on the road to a dispatcher
  • Follow all applicable traffic laws
  • Report serious mechanical problems to the appropriate personnel
  • Keep their truck and associated equipment clean and in good working order
  • Accept payments for the shipment
  • Handle paperwork, such as receipts or delivery confirmation notices

Most drivers generally receive instructions to go to a delivery location at a particular time, and it is up to them to determine the best route. Other drivers have a regular daily or weekly delivery schedule. All drivers must have a thorough understanding of an area’s street grid and know which roads allow trucks and which do not.

The following examples are types of delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers:

Light truck drivers, often called pickup and delivery or P&D drivers, are the most common type of delivery driver. They drive small trucks or vans from distribution centers to delivery locations. Drivers make deliveries based on a set schedule. Some drivers stop at the distribution center once only, in the morning, and make many stops throughout the day. Others make multiple trips between the distribution center and delivery locations. Some drivers make deliveries from a retail location to customers.

Driver/sales workers are delivery drivers who have additional sales responsibilities. They recommend new products to businesses and solicit new customers. These drivers may have a regular delivery route and be responsible for adding new clients located along their route. For example, they may make regular deliveries to a hardware store and encourage the store’s manager to offer a new type of product.

Some driver/sales workers use their own vehicles to deliver goods to customers, such as takeout food, and accept payment for those goods. Freelance or independent driver/sales workers may use smartphone apps to find specific delivery jobs.

 



 

Work Environment for Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers

Driver/sales workers held about 467,900 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of driver/sales workers were as follows:

Restaurants and other eating places 40%
Wholesale trade 25
Retail trade 12
Self-employed workers 8

Light truck or delivery services drivers held about 953,500 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of light truck or delivery services drivers were as follows:

Retail trade 22%
Couriers and messengers 21
Wholesale trade 18
Self-employed workers 8

Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers have physically demanding jobs. When loading and unloading cargo, drivers do a lot of lifting, carrying, and walking. Driving in congested traffic or adhering to strict delivery timelines can also be stressful.

Injuries and Illnesses

Light truck or delivery service drivers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Injuries can result from workers lifting and moving heavy objects, as well as from automobile accidents.

Work Schedules

Most drivers work full time, and many work additional hours. Those who work on regular routes sometimes must begin work very early in the morning or work late at night. For example, a driver who delivers bread to a deli every day must be there before the deli opens. Drivers often work weekends and holidays.

 


 

How To Become a Delivery Truck Driver or Driver/Sales Worker

Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically enter their occupations with a high school diploma or equivalent. However, some opportunities exist for those without a high school diploma. Workers undergo 1 month or less of on-the-job training. They must have a driver’s license from the state in which they work and possess a clean driving record.

Education

Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically enter their occupations with a high school diploma or equivalent.

Training

Companies train new delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers on the job. This may include training from a driver-mentor who rides along with a new employee to ensure that a new driver is able to operate a truck safely on crowded streets.

New drivers also get training to learn company policies about package dropoffs and returns, taking payment, and what to do with damaged goods.

Driver/sales workers must learn detailed information about the products they offer. Their company also may teach them proper sales techniques, such as how to approach potential new customers.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

All delivery drivers need a driver’s license.

Other Experience

Some delivery drivers begin as package loaders at warehouse facilities, especially if the driver works for a large company. For more information, see the profile on hand laborers and material movers.

Important Qualities

Customer-service skills. When completing deliveries, drivers often interact with customers and should make a good impression to ensure repeat business.

Hand–eye coordination. When driving, delivery drivers need to observe their surroundings while simultaneously operating a complex machine.

Math skills. Because delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers sometimes take payment, they must be able to count cash and make change quickly and accurately.

Patience. When driving through heavy traffic congestion, delivery drivers must remain calm and composed.

Sales skills. Driver/sales workers are expected to persuade customers to purchase new or different products from them.

Visual ability. To have a driver’s license, delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers must be able to pass a state vision test.

 

 

 

 

 

"Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers"   SOC:  53-3031     OOH Code: U314

Thank you BLS.gov.