Delivery truck driver

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I’m a delivery truck driver, which means I deliver various types of consignments. For example, I can deliver flowers or a TV to your doorstep, take food deliveries to a school or deliver a wedding cake to a party venue. Nowadays, you can order just about anything to your home.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

My grandfather was a truck driver and I thought I too would become a driver of some kind. I first considered becoming a bus driver, but ended up driving a delivery truck because it requires a lot more to transport people than goods. You don't necessarily need a qualification to enter this profession, but I did nine months of training at Tampere Adult Education Centre. This included two months of training with an experienced driver.

Describe your typical working day or week.

First thing in the morning, I go to pick up the company's vehicle. After that, I usually collect all the day's deliveries at once. The dispatchers plan the number of packages and the route, and it's my job to get to all the places on time.

Usually, the maximum weight of a parcel is around 20 kg. Sometimes the destination may seem challenging, for example because of the condition of the road or its narrowness. Then I might call the customer and asked if it is actually possible to drive all the way to the destination. Sometimes, I leave the truck at the end of the road and walk the rest of the way carrying the consignment. At the end of the day, I return the truck to our centre.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

The truck is really my office, and that's where I very often eat. I've been driving quite a lot in the same areas for nine years, so I already know very well where I can take breaks. The weather has a big impact on my work. Heat is fine as the truck has good air conditioning, but in winter slipperiness is a challenge.

I work from 8 am to 4 pm on weekdays as I want to work during the day because my child.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

No training is necessarily required but you must have a class B driving licence. The job requires reasoning skills, an understanding of logistics and, of course, an interest in customer service. The work is very independent as I usually only see customers for a few minutes at a time.

What is the best thing about your profession?

I love routines. I always know where I will be driving to the next day and the working hours are always the same. I also like the fact that I can do my work very independently, and I like being alone in the truck. It's also lovely to see how happy customers are to receive a delivery of flowers to their door, for example.

When I started in this job, I had to use GPS quite a lot At first it took a bit longer to find my way, but I drive a lot in the same city so I started to learn the routes.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The weather conditions are sometimes challenging, but then you just have to drive more slowly. Sometimes in a food delivery, something may get spilt or the sauce may leak. We drivers don't pack the deliveries ourselves, but we're the ones who get it in the neck about that.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a delivery truck driver?

I would recommend this profession, especially if you like to work alone. It's a very male-dominated sector, but women can do very well in this job. On many occasions, I've received help from customers to carry large consignments.

How do you see the future of your profession?

I think that there’s plenty of work to do. Goods need to be moved, and people are increasingly ordering online. You can order everything to your home from food to medicines, so I think there'll be no end to the work in this sector.

In the future, the fleet of vehicles may change. We already have some electric vehicles on the road, but I haven't driven one yet.

Photo: Katja Lehtinen