How to Hire Delivery Drivers: Tips To Find & Keep The Best

‍Delivery services are in high demand, and that means delivery drivers are too. In fact, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts that:

Overall employment of delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

In 2022 there were already more than 1.7 million delivery truck drivers in the US. As workers retire, quit, or move to other jobs, the Bureau predicts there will be over 200,000 job openings every year.

The annual Job Openings and Labor Data Survey shows the scale of the staffing problem that delivery businesses face:

Some things to notice about this graph:

• Turnover for couriers and messengers (the closest the survey gets to counting delivery drivers) is often over 50%.  That means that on average, companies lose more than half their workers every year!
• Total turnover is a combination of quits, layoffs, and discharges. Quits are the biggest component by far, suggesting that retention issues like compensation and  working conditions are a big deal. 
• The quit rate for drivers is roughly DOUBLE the national average.

The bottom line? Delivery companies have to hire a lot of new drivers every year — and then work hard to keep them. 

In the first part of this article we’ll look at six ways to boost your driver hiring process. Then we’ll tackle the retention problem. 

6 tips for hiring delivery drivers

Your delivery drivers are key employees — even if they don’t often meet customers face to face, you can’t provide excellent customer service without them. A good hiring process will help you find the best delivery driver candidates, and is the first step to keeping them. Here’s a a step by step guide, with six actionable tips you can implement when you need to fill a delivery driver position, that will help your whole team succeed.

1. Research the market

Researching your local market will help you identify the skills and experience needed for the job, as well as any certifications or licenses required in the industry. For example, do you want to hire someone with their own vehicle, or to drive a vehicle that you own? Do you need someone with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or will a regular license do? 

For example:

• If you need a full-time food delivery driver, you’ll want candidates who are familiar with the delivery process and have driven delivery routes before.
• If you want a truck driver for a short-term project, find a job seeker who is an independent contractor. 
• Do you have company vehicles, or do you want drivers who have their own transportation?

You should also research the salary range and benefits packages your competitors are offering (a CDL driver might draw a higher wage, for example). The median US wage for delivery drivers was $40,000 in May 2023 — but there are huge regional differences. Indeed.com has a great tool where you can check driver wages in your state and city.

Decide what perks to offer as well, to help attract the best talent. These could include:

• Competitive pay
• Performance bonuses
• Employee discounts. 
• Health benefits
• Flexible work schedules
• Plenty of time off
• Training and career advancement

2. Create an attractive job description

Next, create a job posting that will help attract the best talent. Your delivery driver job description should reflect the duties and responsibilities of the position. Include unique qualities that make the job attractive, such as flexible hours or competitive pay. Here’s a rough template for an attractive job description:

• Introduce your company: “We are XYZ Delivery Services, looking for a delivery driver to be a part of our growing business! Here at XYZ we make sure each person is able to grow as an individual and contribute to our success.”
• List the responsibilities of the delivery driver. “We are looking for someone who can: some text
  • Deliver to each customer safely, on time, and in good condition.
  • Treat each customer and team member with respect.
  • Inspect delivery vehicles during the loading and unloading process.
  • Work well with a team.
  • Record delivery logs in a timely manner.”
• Highlight the benefits you offer: “We offer a competitive compensation package that is on par with the best companies in the industry. We will give you paid time off, family and emergency leaves, paid overtime, and awesome training opportunities so you can move up the ranks and grow with us.”
• List the qualifications and requirements you are looking for in your delivery driver: “We are looking for someone with:some text
  • High school diploma or GED.
  • Valid driver's license and a clean driving record.
  • Experience working as a delivery driver.
  • Communication and customer service skills.
  • Familiarity with local routes and highways.”
• End your job description with a brief call to action: “Send in your resume today so we can have a chat about why you are the best fit for the position. You may contact us at (enter your phone number and email here). We look forward to speaking with you soon!”

3. Advertise available delivery driver jobs in the right places

Nowadays, most job ads are placed online. You can use social media websites, job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed, and other delivery service-related websites. 

But there’s still room for old-school methods! Try job ads in local newspapers, or distributing flyers around town in places like libraries, local retail stores and community centres.

You should also ask your network for referrals, especially if you are looking for more seasoned drivers. This will give you more visibility and allow you to hire from within the community.

4. Screen driver candidates

Once you have identified potential candidates, use screening tools to assess them. These can include:

• Background checks
• Reference checks
• Testing for drug and alcohol use — although check your local laws!

Don’t forget to check that the applicant has a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record!

Even though you may be in a rush to hire someone, be sure that you don't skip the screening process. Or else, you may end up with an unsuitable candidate who will only stay with your company for a few weeks.

5. Conduct interviews

Use structured interview questions. These will help you get a good sense of the candidate's experience, skills, and personality, and also make it easier to compare candidates. You can do your interviews in-person, or do an online or phone interview. Whichever you choose, be sure that it adheres to your hiring process and the standards you have set.

There are a few ways to get more information during the interview process:

• Ask open-ended questions to get more detailed responses. 
• Use role-playing scenarios to test their problem-solving skills. For instance, what would the candidate do if the vehicle suddenly malfunctions in the middle of a trip? 
• Ask about challenges they’ve encountered and how they overcame those challenges. 

Remember that delivery drivers often deal with difficult customer situations. Their communication and customer service skills are important.

6. Onboard new drivers

Onboarding is an important part of hiring and retaining employees. Once you send a job offer letter to your new hire, the next step is to ensure they understand your policies and procedures so they can hit the ground running.

Answer all FAQs that come with the job. Common questions include the number of hours, dress code, benefits, and career advancement opportunities. This will ensure your drivers are well-equipped to handle every aspect of their roles. If you onboard your employee well, they will be more likely to stay with your company for longer. This is because they know what you expect from them, as well as the potential rewards they can earn.

By taking the time to hire and onboard delivery drivers, you can ensure that your team is productive and successful. With these strategies in place, you should be able to reduce turnover rates and retain your best employees for the long term.

So now you’ve hired a new delivery driver – great! The next step is to keep them. In the next section, we’ll look at why employee retention is so important, and what you can do to beat the averages.

Driver retention in delivery services: Why it’s a big deal

So why is it so important to try and keep drivers once you’ve hired them? There are several reasons:

1. It's expensive: Between advertising, interviewing, background checks, onboarding, and training, the average cost to hire a new employee is around $4,700. some people estimate it’s way higher — half the cost of an annual salary or more! 
2. You lose productivity: It often takes new employees one to two years to reach the productivity levels of existing staff.
3. It hurts morale: High turnover can lead to decreased morale among remaining employees, potentially leading to further turnover.
4. It harms the customer experience: Constant staff turnover makes it very hard to deliver consistent, excellent customer service.

The better your driver retention rate, the more profitable your delivery business can be. 

As well as avoiding all the costs we’ve mentioned above, there are two big advantages to keeping your drivers for longer:

• Better delivery performance: Delivery drivers who know their routes and delivery points well, including tricks like where to find parking, can deliver faster.
• More stability: If delivery managers aren’t constantly being distracted by having to hire and onboard new drivers, they can spend more time figuring out ways to improve the business.  

Why is it hard to retain delivery drivers?

The delivery services industry is a highly competitive field. It’s often difficult to keep the best employees, for several reasons:

• Long working hours
• Low pay
• Industry dependence on part-time and contract drivers
• Limited opportunities for career development or personal growth

Under these conditions, it’s no wonder many delivery drivers will move the moment they find a better opportunity in terms of pay, hours or both. That means it’s up to employers to come up with ways to better support their drivers.

How to improve driver retention

There are no magic solutions! But delivery services can do a lot to improve their driver retention rate:

1. Offer competitive compensation and benefits 

Companies looking to stay ahead of HR trends should prioritize retention. You can attract and retain delivery drivers through competitive compensation and other incentives. Include health insurance, paid time off, bonuses and incentives, and other types of benefits.

Hiring drivers is already a challenging task. So, being able to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package can help you attract and retain the best workers.

2. Provide opportunities for career development and advancement

The lack of job security and career development opportunities is a big problem in the delivery services industry, but there’s no reason for delivery driving to be a dead-end job! Here are some ways to upskill your drivers, and to make them more valuable to your business in the process:

• Cross-training and job rotation: Enhance drivers' skill sets by training them in various other aspects of the delivery business to increase their versatility and value. This could include fleet maintenance and management, route planning and dispatch, or warehouse operations.
• Leadership development programs: Prepare drivers for supervisory or managerial roles through workshops, seminars, or online courses focused on leadership skills.
• Certification programs: Encourage drivers to pursue industry-specific certifications to increase their knowledge and value. Here’s a list of relevant certifications offered in the United States by the National Safety Council, the National Traffic Safety Institute, and the National American Transportation Management Institute.
• Mentorship programs: Pair experienced drivers with newer employees for guidance, support, and knowledge sharing.
• Recognize achievements: Publicly acknowledge the accomplishments of drivers, creating a sense of pride and motivation.
• Encourage participation in industry events: Sponsor drivers to attend conferences, workshops, or networking events to stay updated on industry trends and gain new insights.

3. Foster a supportive work environment and company culture

A positive work environment can help encourage employee loyalty and reduce turnover rates. Create a supportive work environment and company culture. Acknowledge your employees' efforts, and provide feedback and recognition. Promote collaboration and team-building activities to build team unity – anything from sports outings to sharing playlist ideas. And last but not least, provide a safe space for employees to voice their concerns.

4. Recognize and reward high-performing drivers

Recognizing and rewarding high-performing employees is another best practice for improving employee retention. This can include bonuses, promotions, public recognition, or other perks that show your appreciation for a job well done! By recognizing their efforts, you are showing your employees that you value their contributions. 

5. Encourage effective communication and feedback

Effective communication and feedback can be key to improving employee retention. Your delivery managers must provide direct feedback on performance. They must also request feedback from employees about their experiences. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and that you maintain open lines of communication with your team. 

How to implement a driver retention strategy

Once you’ve decided you want to improve employee retention in your delivery services business, you might still face some trouble implementing your new strategy. Here are some tips to make it easier:

• Analyze your current employee retention rate and identify areas that need improvement.
• Listen to the feedback from your employees and use it as a basis for developing change. 
• Plan your implementation.
• Allocate resources to the project so it has a fair chance of success.
• Regularly measure the impact of your strategies. 

How to measure the success of your driver retention strategy

Once you have implemented your retention strategies, it is important to measure their success. You can do this by tracking changes in employee engagement, turnover rates, and productivity levels over time. This will help you identify areas where the strategies work or need improvement. Additionally, use employee feedback to determine how satisfied they are with the changes that have been made. 

By taking the time to measure the success of your strategies, you can make adjustments as needed. This will ensure that your retention efforts are paying off in the long run. Improving employee retention is a process, but with regular assessment and commitment, you can help your delivery services business become even more successful.