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 weighing less than 26,001 pounds total for vehicle, passengers, and cargo. Delivery truck drivers usually transport merchandise from a distribution center to businesses and households.
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically do the following:
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 understand 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:
Driver/sales workers are delivery drivers who also have sales responsibilities. They recommend products to businesses and solicit new customers. These drivers may have a regular delivery route and may be responsible for adding clients who are 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 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.
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 held about 531,000 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of driver/sales workers were as follows:
| Restaurants and other eating places | 47% |
| Wholesale trade | 20 |
| Retail trade | 10 |
| Self-employed workers | 7 |
Light truck drivers held about 1.1 million jobs in 2021. The largest employers of light truck drivers were as follows:
| Couriers and messengers | 36% |
| Retail trade | 17 |
| Wholesale trade | 14 |
| Self-employed workers | 7 |
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.
Light truck 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.
Most drivers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Those who have 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 arrive before the deli opens. Drivers often work weekends and holidays, and their schedules may vary.
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter these occupations. 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 have a clean driving record.
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers typically enter the occupation with a high school diploma or equivalent.
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 make sure that the driver is able to operate a truck safely on crowded streets.
New-driver training also covers 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 new customers.
All delivery drivers need a driver’s license.
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.
Customer-service skills. When completing deliveries, drivers often interact with customers and should make a good impression to ensure repeat business.
Hand–eye coordination. Drivers need to observe their surroundings at all times while operating a vehicle.
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.
Visual ability. To have a driver’s license, delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers must be able to pass a state vision test.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for driver/sales workers was $29,280 in May 2021. 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 $18,360, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $47,850.
The median annual wage for light truck drivers was $38,280 in May 2021. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,380, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $65,500.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for driver/sales workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Wholesale trade | $38,640 |
| Retail trade | 29,940 |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 23,400 |
In May 2021, the median annual wages for light truck drivers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Couriers and messengers | $47,670 |
| Wholesale trade | 37,390 |
| Retail trade | 29,520 |
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 some work more than 40 hour per week. Those who have 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 arrive before the deli opens. Drivers often work weekends and holidays, and their schedules may vary.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Overall employment of delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 219,900 openings for delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers varies by occupation (see table).
Continued growth of e-commerce should increase demand for package delivery services, especially for large and regional shipping companies. More light truck drivers will be needed to fulfill the growing number of e-commerce transactions. Drone delivery services also may be used for some deliveries over the projections decade. However, this technology is expected to complement rather than fully replace these workers, so the downward employment effect is expected to be modest.
The general demand for in-house and food delivery options is expected to increase. These workers may be needed to deliver food from grocery stores and from restaurants that previously provided only takeout services.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
|||||||
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers |
— | 1,640,600 | 1,814,800 | 11 | 174,200 | — | |
Driver/sales workers |
53-3031 | 531,000 | 594,500 | 12 | 63,500 | Get data | |
Light truck drivers |
53-3033 | 1,109,700 | 1,220,400 | 10 | 110,700 | Get data | |
For more information about truck drivers, including delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers, visit
American Trucking Associations