Retail distribution drivers and staff
Drivers for store deliveries from regional distribution centres: multi-drop rounds, roll cages, tail lifts, early starts and peak cover.
The work
Retail distribution feeds shops from regional distribution centres, known as RDCs. A driver loads at the RDC, delivers to a run of stores, brings back empty cages, pallets and returns, and repeats the pattern the next day. The loads are mixed: ambient goods, chilled and frozen, clothing on hangers, and general merchandise.
Store delivery is booked into windows, and the store decides when it can receive. A driver who is late can miss a window, and a driver who arrives early can wait. The planner builds the round around the windows, and the driver reports in at each store, hands over the load and gets the delivery note signed.
Peak periods change the work. Before Christmas and other busy weeks, retailers add runs and extra shifts, and operators book agency cover to fill them. Drivers who can start at short notice and work the extra hours are in demand, inside the driving time rules.
Vehicles and loads
- Articulated lorries with double-deck and single-deck box trailers
- Rigid lorries with tail lifts for store deliveries
- Roll cages, pallets and cage trolleys moved by hand or with a pallet truck
- Multi-temperature trailers where a round carries chilled and ambient goods together
Licences, cards and tickets
- Category C+E (Class 1) for artic rounds, and category C (Class 2) for rigid rounds.
- Driver CPC and a digital tachograph driver card for lorries over 3.5 tonnes.
- Category B for vans on smaller store and click-and-collect deliveries.
- Manual handling awareness, because drivers move cages and pallets at the store.
- Site induction at the RDC, set by the client.
Shift patterns
- Days
- Store deliveries through the working day, with windows agreed between the retailer and the store.
- Nights
- Overnight and early-morning rounds, so that stock is on the shelves before the store opens. The working time rules on night work apply.
- Tramping
- Long links between RDCs and far-off stores can take a driver away for part of the week, where the booking says so.
- Weekends
- Stores trade at weekends and need restocking, so operators book Saturday and Sunday cover, and more of it at peak.
Checks we run for retail distribution
Licence and cards
Licence, Driver CPC and digi card are checked before the first shift, as on every booking.
Hours awareness
Retail rounds are built on tight windows. We ask about recent hours so that an early start does not clash with the previous day’s rest.
Handling
We tell drivers that the job includes moving cages or pallets at the store, so the booking is accepted with that in mind.
Induction
The client inducts the driver at the RDC. We pass on the start time, gate rules and PPE requirements beforehand.
The full list of checks is on the compliance checks page.
Roles in retail distribution
Where we cover it
Questions about retail distribution work
- What is an RDC?
RDC stands for regional distribution centre, a warehouse where a retailer receives stock from suppliers and sends it on to stores in its region.
- Do retail drivers unload the vehicle?
On store deliveries, usually yes. The driver wheels the cages or pallets in, hands them over and gets the delivery note signed. The booking details tell you whether a tail lift or a pallet truck is part of the job.
- How much extra cover is there at peak?
We do not quote volumes. Retailers add runs and shifts at busy times, and operators book agency cover in advance where they can. Ring the office with the dates you need.
- Can a van driver move to a lorry?
Yes, once the lorry licence is held. A category B licence covers vans up to 3,500 kg. Lorries need category C1, C or C+E, and then the Driver CPC on top.
Book a retail driver
Give us the RDC, the store run, the vehicle, the licence category and the start time. We come back on who can cover it.