Delivery work splits into three very different jobs that outsiders often lump together: employed parcel driving, contracted route driving, and app-based gig delivery. They have different entry requirements, different pay structures and very different levels of security. Choosing the wrong one is the most common mistake new drivers make. This guide walks through each path, what you need to start, and what the money genuinely looks like once costs are subtracted. ## The three paths ### 1. Employed carrier driver You are on payroll with a national carrier or postal operator. You get a company vehicle, fuel, insurance, holiday pay and, in many countries, pension contributions. - **Entry requirements:** a clean standard driving licence, usually held for one to two years; a background check; a medical or eyesight check for larger vehicles. - **Vehicle:** provided. - **Pay structure:** hourly or salaried, with overtime during peak season. - **Reality:** the most secure option and the hardest to get into. Vacancies cluster around autumn peak hiring. ### 2. Contracted route driver You drive for a delivery service partner or franchise that holds the contract with a large carrier. Common in parcel networks that outsource last mile. - **Entry requirements:** licence plus, in many cases, self-employed registration. - **Vehicle:** sometimes provided by the partner, sometimes leased to you. - **Pay structure:** per stop or per parcel, occasionally a day rate. - **Reality:** earnings can be strong on a dense urban route and poor on a rural one. The route you are assigned matters more than the rate. ### 3. App-based gig driver Food, grocery and same-day platforms. You choose when to work. - **Entry requirements:** age minimum (typically 18-21 depending on platform and vehicle), licence for car or moped, background check, smartphone. - **Vehicle:** yours - car, moped, bicycle or on foot in dense cities. - **Pay structure:** per delivery plus distance, plus tips, plus occasional surge bonuses. - **Reality:** fastest to start, least predictable to earn from. ## What you need before applying - **A licence appropriate to the vehicle.** Standard car licences cover most vans up to a common weight threshold; heavier vehicles need a commercial licence category. - **Right-to-work documentation** for your country. - **A background check.** Most platforms and carriers run one covering driving record and criminal history. Recent serious motoring offences are the usual disqualifier. - **Insurance that actually covers delivery.** This is the single most-missed requirement. A standard personal motor policy typically excludes carriage of goods for hire and reward. If you use your own vehicle you need hire-and-reward or business-use cover. Driving without it can void your policy entirely after an accident. - **A phone that survives a shift.** Route apps drain batteries fast. A car mount and a high-output charger are not optional. ## The money, honestly Gross figures quoted in recruitment adverts are almost always before costs. Model it yourself: - **Fuel or charging.** Urban stop-start driving destroys fuel economy. Assume worse than your usual mileage figures. - **Maintenance.** Brakes, tyres and clutches wear at multiples of normal rates on a stop-heavy route. - **Depreciation.** High-mileage delivery use reduces resale value sharply. - **Insurance uplift.** Hire-and-reward cover typically costs substantially more than personal cover. - **Tax and self-employment contributions.** Set aside a fixed percentage of every payout from day one. A simple test: track your first two weeks in a spreadsheet with three columns - gross earnings, distance driven, and hours online including waiting. Divide gross by hours online, not by hours delivering. Most drivers discover their real hourly rate is 20-40 percent below the headline number once idle time and vehicle costs are counted. ## Which path suits which person | You want | Best fit | Watch out for | | --- | --- | --- | | Stable income and benefits | Employed carrier | Long waiting lists, fixed shifts | | Higher ceiling, more autonomy | Contracted route | Route quality varies enormously | | Flexible hours around study or another job | App gig work | Costs and idle time eat margins | | No car | Bicycle or moped food delivery | Weather, safety, smaller radius | ## How to be good at it - and earn more - **Learn your zone, not your app.** Drivers who know which buildings have loading bays, which streets are one-way and which receptions close at five outperform drivers who follow the satnav blindly. - **Work the peaks.** In food delivery, lunch and evening windows carry the bulk of demand. Four well-chosen hours can beat eight scattered ones. - **Batch smartly.** Accept stacked orders only when the drop points are genuinely close. A poorly stacked pair costs you the next good offer. - **Protect your ratings.** Communication - a quick note when you are delayed - prevents most negative ratings. - **Photograph every drop.** Proof-of-delivery photos are your defence against non-receipt claims. - **Look after your back.** Correct lifting technique matters more than fitness. Heavy parcels are the leading cause of avoidable injury in this job. ## Safety and rights Know your local rules on driving hours, rest breaks and load limits, and do not accept a route that requires you to break them. If you are classified as self-employed, several jurisdictions have introduced minimum-pay and holiday-entitlement rulings for platform couriers - check the current position where you live rather than relying on what the platform tells you. ## Bottom line Delivery driving is genuinely accessible work with a low barrier to entry, but the three paths pay and protect you very differently. Get the right insurance before your first shift, track your true hourly rate for two weeks, and treat vehicle costs as real money rather than an afterthought. Drivers who do that either build a decent living from it or quit early with their savings intact - both are better outcomes than grinding on a route that never made sense.