Parcels and courier drivers and staff
Van and 7.5 tonne drivers for multi-drop rounds, hub trunking, parcel sorting and same-day courier runs.
The work
Parcel and courier work has three parts. Trunking moves parcels in bulk between sorting hubs, usually overnight, in artics and large rigids. Sorting hubs take the trunk in, sort by destination and load the delivery vans. Delivery rounds take parcels from the depot to homes and businesses, one drop after another.
A van driver on a round works from a list on a handheld scanner. The driver loads in delivery order, scans each parcel out, gets a signature or a photo at the door, and brings back what could not be delivered. Couriers on same-day work collect and deliver single items or small loads with a fixed deadline, often for one customer after another through the day.
Operators hire agency drivers to cover sickness, holiday and the peak before Christmas, and to fill a new round while a permanent driver is recruited. A driver who knows the area and the handheld device gets going quickest, and a clean licence matters because the work is done in a van on public roads all day.
Vehicles and loads
- Panel vans up to 3.5 tonnes, and Luton and box vans for bigger loads
- 7.5 tonne box vehicles on larger rounds and inter-hub runs
- Artics and large rigids for overnight trunking between hubs
- Handheld scanners for scanning parcels out and capturing delivery proof
Licences, cards and tickets
- Category B for vehicles up to 3,500 kg, which covers most vans.
- Category C1 for vehicles from 3,500 kg up to 7,500 kg, and C or C+E for trunking.
- Driver CPC only for drivers of lorries over 3.5 tonnes. Van drivers do not need it.
- A current licence. The DVLA check shows endorsements and penalty points, and a booking can set limits on them.
- Hours awareness, because drivers’ hours rules cover van work as well as lorry work.
Shift patterns
- Days
- Delivery rounds from the depot through the day, with the round and the start time set by the operator.
- Nights
- Trunking between hubs and overnight sorting shifts. The working time rules on night work apply.
- Tramping
- Some long-distance trunk work takes a driver away for a night or two, agreed in the booking.
- Weekends
- Online orders arrive every day, so weekend rounds and sorting shifts are part of the pattern, and busier at peak.
Checks we run for parcels and courier
Licence check
The DVLA check shows categories and endorsements, which matter on van rounds because the driver is on the road all day.
Right to work
Checked before the first shift on every booking, with a record kept.
References
We ask referees about reliability and handling of customers and goods, which count on door-to-door work.
Hours awareness
We ask what the driver has worked in the days before, and what vehicle, so that the new rounds sit inside the rules.
The full list of checks is on the compliance checks page.
Roles in parcels and courier
Where we cover it
Questions about parcels and courier work
- Do I need a Driver CPC for van work?
No. The Driver CPC covers lorry drivers, and drivers of vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes do not need it. A 7.5 tonne box vehicle is a lorry, so that work does need it.
- Do I need a digi card in a van?
GOV.UK says a driver needs a digital tachograph card if the vehicle has a digital or smart tachograph. Under the GB domestic rules, which cover goods vehicles under 3.5 tonnes, hours can be recorded on a weekly record sheet or on a tachograph. The booking says which the vehicle has.
- Can I do parcel sorting without a driving licence?
Yes. Sorting shifts are warehouse work and need no driving licence. The licence is for delivery rounds and trunking.
- What does a sorting shift involve?
Sorting is warehouse work at a hub: unloading trunk vehicles, scanning and sorting parcels by destination, and loading the vans. It is on foot, in a busy building, often overnight.
Book a van or courier driver
Give us the depot, the round or route, the vehicle, the licence category and the start time. We come back on who can cover it.