What does a Delivery Courier actually do?

The short version

Delivery couriers run the last mile — employed van drivers on fixed rounds for Royal Mail, DPD or supermarket fleets, or self-employed gig couriers paid per parcel through apps like Evri and Amazon Flex. All you need is a licence and, for gig work, a vehicle.

The pitch: instant entry, constant hiring, and multi-drop experience that genuinely steps up into 7.5-tonne, HGV and depot work. The catch: employed and self-employed versions are different jobs financially — per-parcel rates can fall below minimum wage once fuel, insurance and vehicle costs come out, and the app manages your day to the stop.

Entry routes that actually work

• Employed van driver roles — the van, fuel and wage are real; the safe start.
• Self-employed gig platforms — fast and flexible, but run the after-costs maths first.
• Multi-drop as a stepping stone — a year or two opens better-paid driving and depot roles.