Inspect the van before leaving
You check the tires, lights and fluids and report any mechanical problem before you start the route.
Career profile
Light Truck Driver
Light truck drivers take packages and goods to homes and businesses by van or truck.
Your day swings between the driver's seat and customers' doors. Every stop means grabbing the right package and getting it to the right place.
A day in the life
Match the load to paperwork
Compare the packages on board with the shipping papers so you carry exactly what your planned deliveries need.
Walk each package to the door
Follow the delivery device, then carry the package up the stairs or driveway to the recipient.
Get a signature, log returns
On some parts routes you collect the customer's signature on a handheld and list returns on a slip.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$44,860/year
United States · May 2025
6.3% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingA high school diploma or equivalent is typical, followed by short-term training on the job.
Pay
$44,860/yearNational median for light truck drivers; about $21.57 an hour.
Outlook
6.3% projected growthLight truck driver employment is projected to grow nationally over the decade.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like working independently while staying in contact with coworkers.
- You can keep similar-looking numbers and items straight.
- You are comfortable speaking with customers when something needs sorting out.
Things to weigh
- Repeated trips out of the van, stairs, and moving boxes make this physical work in all kinds of weather.
- Traffic and deadlines can be stressful. Early, late, weekend, or holiday shifts may affect your plans.
Where AI may help
Amazon has developed cameras and lights that identify which packages belong at a stop. Tools like these can reduce searching inside a crowded van.
What people still lead
You still move the parcel from the vehicle to the customer and pay attention to the surroundings along the way.
What we can’t predict yet
How much package sorting and checking these tools will take over—and how that changes the pace of a route—remains unsettled.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national employee wages exclude self-employed earnings.
The median and spread
The median was $44,860 a year, or $21.57 an hour. The lowest 10% earned below $30,800; the highest 10% earned above $80,310. Those are wage percentiles, not beginner and experienced pay rates.
Workplace type matters
Annual medians were $47,700 in couriers and messengers, $44,740 in wholesale trade, and $34,350 in retail trade.
Openings include replacement hiring
About 107,200 openings are projected per year, on average, alongside 6.3% employment growth. Openings include replacing workers who leave the occupation, not just added positions.
Getting started
Join a delivery company that trains new drivers
Paid
- What the route involves
- Learn the company van and delivery routine through paid training; some employers pair you with an experienced driver.
- What it can lead to
- This can take you into parcel delivery without previous delivery-job experience.
- What to check
- No delivery experience does not mean no driving experience. Some employers require applicants to be at least 21 and have two years of driving experience.
Start by loading packages
- What the route involves
- Work as a package loader at a warehouse before pursuing a driving opening.
- What it can lead to
- This is an established route into driving at some large companies, though a move into a driver job is not guaranteed.
You need a driver's license and a clean driving record. Check each job's age, driving-experience, and vehicle requirements before applying.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Use mentor feedback to make vehicle checks, trip planning, and safe delivery habits consistent from one shift to the next.
Handle changes on the route
Get better at handling returns and changing delivery situations. When a customer has a problem you cannot resolve, give the store manager clear details.
Help other drivers learn
Driver-trainer roles can be a next step: lead classes, ride along, and give practical feedback. Build teaching and communication skills as well as driving experience.
Where you can work
Parcel-delivery contractors
You may work for a local contractor delivering Amazon packages, using its van and delivery device. Much of the shift is out on the route, with repeated walks to homes and businesses.
- Vehicle
- Outdoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Auto-parts stores
You deliver parts to repair businesses and bring returns back. Between trips, the job may include stocking shelves or helping customers inside the store.
- Vehicle
- Indoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Label six empty boxes with fictional addresses and draw a small street map. Plan the delivery order and arrange the boxes for it. Then mark one street closed and revise your plan. Notice whether you enjoy matching details while keeping the next stop in mind.
Stay safe: Keep this a tabletop exercise; no driving or heavy lifting is needed.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 53-3033.00 — Light Truck Drivers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- A1 Shipping LLC. Delivery driver careers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Touchdown Logistics, Inc.. Delivery Driver. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- O'Reilly Auto Parts. Delivery Specialist — Kansas City, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Amazon. New AI tech in Amazon vans spotlights packages to save drivers effort and time. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Amazon. Delivery Trainer — Job ID 10489364. Accessed 2026-10-02.