Drivers
Playing our part
While posties make sure the letters reach every letter box, it’s our drivers who make sure they’ve got the letters and parcels in their bag in the first place. They pick up and drop off large amounts of deliveries at different distribution centres and ensure that everything arrives safely and on-time. Together, the 5,000 drivers form a network that not everyone can see but is vital in keeping communities across the UK connected.
Day to day life
Drivers visit a distribution centre and are given their instructions and deliveries which they’ll then make at another distribution centre. They also make customer collections where they pick up larger deliveries from a place of the customer’s choosing. While a lot of time they’re working solo, their manager, other drivers and distribution centre colleagues all stay in touch and support each other so they always have someone looking out for them. There is plenty of weekend and evening driving but our policy is to run a schedule that means no drivers stay overnight, so their last delivery will always be somewhere that allows them to make it home.
Meet Andy
Andy joined Royal Mail as a cadet in 1988. But he’s not the only one who has enjoyed a long career here. He thinks it’s because the pay and conditions are second to none and that he and his colleagues are rightfully proud of the work they do for the UK. Watch his film to find out more.
Meet John
John joined us in 2003 and has worked in a lot of different roles since. But he enjoys being a driver largely because of the variety of work he gets and how well structured the day is. He does a mixture of national and local jobs but no matter which he’s on, he always knows exactly when he’s going to start, finish and have his breaks. Watch his film to find out more about the day-to-day life of a driver.
Meet Ozzy
Good pay and benefits? Managers he respects? Ozzy has both in his role as a driver but that’s not the first thing he thinks of when asked about his job. He likes that he gets to drive up and down the country meeting new people every day. Hear more about his role.
Meet John Drake
For John, the pay and conditions are what make Royal Mail a great place to work. He thinks the money is great compared with other HGV roles and the HGVs are much better maintained. He’s encouraged to flag every single issue from even the smallest defect to the maintenance team, which means he doesn’t ever have to worry about the vehicle and can focus on doing his job.