Shift work for delivery drivers & couriers
Delivery work covers employed van and HGV drivers, agency drivers covering routes, and self-employed couriers paid per drop or per hour. Many drivers combine two or three of these, which makes it hard to see your real hourly pay once fuel and vehicle costs come off.
How your pay works
- Your rights depend on your status. Employees and workers are entitled to the minimum wage, holiday pay and rest breaks. Genuinely self-employed couriers aren't, but they can claim business expenses.
- Mileage: if you use your own vehicle for work, HMRC's approved rates are 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles in a year (25p after that), 24p for motorbikes and 20p for bicycles.
- Waiting time at depots or for loads, when you're required to be there, is working time for employees and workers.
- If you're self-employed, keep records of your income and expenses for your Self Assessment tax return.
- Professional drivers may also be covered by separate drivers' hours rules, which set limits on driving time and breaks.
What to keep a record of
- Each shift or route: start, finish, company
- Miles driven for work
- Drops or deliveries, if you're paid per drop
- Expenses such as fuel, parking and tolls
- What each company has paid
Get started
Not sure what the legal minimum is for your age? See the current minimum wage rates. Keep a dated record of every shift on your phone with Shiftaan. It's the evidence you'll want if your pay is ever wrong. Try it.
Common questions
Do self-employed couriers get the minimum wage?
No, the minimum wage applies to employees and workers. If a company controls your hours and how you work, you may actually be a worker, which would give you minimum wage and holiday rights.
How much can I claim for mileage?
HMRC's approved rates are 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles in a tax year and 25p after that for cars and vans, 24p for motorbikes and 20p for bicycles.
How do I work out my real hourly pay as a courier?
Add up what you were paid for a period, take off your costs (fuel, parking, vehicle), and divide by the hours you were working, including waiting time.