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- Work independently travelling around the country delivering parcels
- You'll need to be a good driver and well organised
- Opportunities to transfer into driving bigger vehicles or into team management
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Collecting goods from a depot, warehouse or pick-up point
- Loading the vehicle in an order that matches the deliveries that you'll make
- Planning the route
- Getting signatures and giving invoices when you deliver
- Recording mileage and the fuel that you buy
- Updating delivery records
- Returning undelivered items
Your vehicle could vary in size, depending on the load and your licence. Many vans are 3.5 tonnes or less, but you might also drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes.
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
Overtime may be available in the evenings and at weekends. For safety reasons, there are legal limits on drivers' hours, depending on the type of vehicle. For some jobs you'll be given a uniform and specialist clothing. For example, for security deliveries you may be provided with body armour and a helmet.
You'll need
This role would be ideal for someone with excellent practical driving skills and road safety awareness, the ability to work alone and concentrate, the ability to complete record sheets and paperwork.
There are no set qualifications but you'll usually need basic English and maths skills, good eyesight and colour-normal vision, a reasonable level of fitness, a good driving record and have a full UK or EU driving licence, held for at least 12 months.
You may be able to start in this job through an intermediate apprenticeship as an express delivery operative with a delivery company. This apprenticeship will take a minimum of 12 months to complete.
Having experience in storage or warehousing could be useful.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could complete training for your large goods vehicle (LGV) licence for opportunities in freight transport and tanker driving.
If you take specialist training, like defensive driving and personal security, you could drive vehicles containing cash and valuable items. You'd also usually need a Security Industry Association (SIA) licence for this.