Multi-drop is the biggest entry point into professional delivery driving in the UK: parcel volumes keep growing and most operators will take on drivers with no commercial experience. Here's how it works and how to start.
What you need
- A full UK driving licence - most operators want no more than 6 points and no recent bans. A standard category B licence covers vans up to 3.5t.
- Right to work in the UK and typically age 21+ for insurance reasons (some fleets accept 19+).
- A basic DBS check - many carriers require one; it costs around £21.50 and takes a few days.
- A smartphone - routing and proof-of-delivery apps run on your own device with some operators.
Three ways in
Employed driver
PAYE with holiday pay and a pension, driving the company's van. Lowest risk, lowest ceiling - a sensible first six months while you learn the trade.
Self-employed with a provided van
The most common model with parcel carrier delivery partners: you invoice a day rate, the van is provided or rented through the operator. Understand what's deducted before you sign - van rental, insurance and damage excess can take £200+ off a week's invoice.
Owner-driver
Your van, your hire-and-reward insurance, higher rates. Only worth it once you know your numbers - see our courier pay breakdown for the full cost picture.
What a typical route involves
- 60-120 stops a day on residential routes; commercial routes have fewer, heavier drops.
- A morning load and sort at the depot - doing this well is the difference between finishing at 4pm and 7pm.
- Proof of delivery photos and safe-place rules that vary by carrier - failed drops often mean unpaid redelivery.
- Physical work: expect 15,000+ steps and hundreds of van entries a day.
First-week tips from working drivers
- Sort your van by street order, not parcel size - the load plan is your route.
- Learn your postcode area before chasing speed; familiarity is worth 20 stops a day.
- Photograph everything - the parcel in the safe place, the closed gate. Disputes are won with photos.
- Track your own numbers (stops, hours, fuel) from day one so you can tell a good route from a bad one.
Finding your first route
Browse live multi-drop driver jobs and van driver jobs across the UK on Delivery Driver HQ - it's free for drivers, and your profile is reused across every application. If you don't have a van yet, flexible van hire with hire-and-reward cover lets you start without buying.