Since the pandemic, the demands on delivery drivers have gone beyond being safe on the roads and punctual with their work. With the volumes of deliveries skyrocketing and consumers shifting towards more internet shopping, expectations on delivery drivers have increased. Not only do they need to be physically stronger to cope with the increased loads, but they also need to demonstrate a level of customer service that wasn’t required previously.
Many customers now enjoy a chat with their delivery drivers as they go about their work. People are more isolated these days and many enjoy those micro-moments of connection, so a pleasant delivery driver with a friendly attitude can do wonders for a brand. Such personality is impossible to convey in a one-page factual resume, so the narrative structure of the cover letter needs to tell the story of the person at the door.
The advice for writing a delivery driver cover letter is not so different for many other careers. You may not be sitting in an office, but many of the normal rules apply. If you are working with customers, there are certain expectations. Our library of cover letter examples is filled with excellent examples of customer-oriented careers. Have a good think before you sit down to write your delivery driver cover letter. Looking at different examples may help.
In this writing guide, with corresponding delivery driver cover letter example, we cover:
- Creating a format that will allow you to frame your career story
- Which parts of your delivery driver experience to share
- Writing a delivery driver cover letter with no experience
- Mistakes to avoid if you want to be invited to an interview
Examples of other transportation cover letters may assist you:
Best format for a delivery driver cover letter
Delivery drivers should have an appreciation for structure and rules. A cover letter needs to tell their story, but there are certain conventions that should be followed. This is not just any letter. Your hopes of an interview and an eventual job rest on its content. Make sure that you share the right information in the right way. The typical format of every delivery driver cover letter should look like this:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting/salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
While you might not be used to writing for your job, take care to be clear about the messages that you wish to share. Make sure that every sentence adds to your story and don’t repeat what you have already shared in your resume. A cover letter is for sharing your personality and passion for the role – don’t be scared to tell a couple of stories that may be relevant to the future role.
There is more to a cover letter than words. How you present your information is important. Our comprehensive cover letter guide details some more subtle considerations about cover letter writing such as which fonts to choose and how visuals can make a difference.
Our delivery driver cover letter may offer food for thought.
Dear Mrs. Atkins,
As an experienced supermarket delivery driver with a background in impeccable customer service and reliable punctuality, I am looking for an opportunity to join a leader in the field.
While my three years at my previous employer were enjoyable, your focus on technology and systems excellence will make my job more meaningful. I embrace tech in the role and was part of a focus group to road-test the new stock-picking process with my previous employer. I will do anything to ensure that customers receive everything that they have ordered.
I have a blemish-free safety record with zero traffic violations and a track record of 99.8% positive feedback. I leave any reckless driving on the weekend stock car track. My approach to customers is polite and respectful, allowing those who want to get on with their days to do so, but always having a quick chat with those who welcome it. You can always tell who they are. I am an extension of the in-store customer service team, so always oblige when a customer needs something.
In my last role, I averaged 28 deliveries a day in my largely rural area, maintaining a 98% on-time delivery rate. I took charge of route planning and managed an average petrol saving of 12% over the year. Local knowledge is better than any software navigation system when you are a delivery driver working out of town.
I hope to understand more about the requirements of the role during an interview and enclose a list of 65 customer references from my local area.
Sincerely,
Bruce Watters
Cover letter header
The cover letter header should contain an attractive and professional design that ideally doesn’t detract from your core messages. You won’t be hired because it looks pretty, but you may not be hired if it is over the top and garish.
Share your full name, email address, and telephone number on the cover letter as well as on the resume. You never know when the hiring manager may want to get in contact with you. This shows a thoughtful and practical approach to your search. There is no need to share your full home address at this stage – there are data protection issues here and it may count against you if you live further from where you may be working.
Cover letter greeting
Courtesy is an essential quality for any delivery driver. You never know what sort of a day your customers are having, so a courteous and polite approach is required at all times. The greeting on your cover letter should reflect this courtesy. Starting with a polite “Dear Surname” is the safest way to go. Do not start the letter with an informal “hi” or a cold “to whom it may concern.”
If the name of the hiring manager is not on the job description, do your best to find out. You can ask the HR contact or recruiter – this initiative may well pay off for you if no one else has made the extra effort. Attention to detail is vital for a delivery driver.
Cover letter introduction
The introduction of a delivery driver cover letter should get straight into the numbers. What sort of volume of work are you used to doing, what types of products, and over what area? Try to match your past experiences with the demands of the individual role. If the job involves a lot of rural driving, share your specific experiences. No one delivery driver is the same, so explain why you enjoy your particular type of activity.
The introduction should ideally contain some concrete delivery data such as customer satisfaction figures or delivery accuracy. Hiring managers in this industry will be used to managing their remote workforces by figures, so show that you are target oriented. You are happy to be measured because you know that you do a fantastic job.
Dear Mrs. Atkins
As an experienced supermarket delivery driver with a background in impeccable customer service and reliable punctuality, I am looking for an opportunity to join a leader in the field.
Cover letter middle part (body)
When you are a delivery driver, you might consider that your job is somewhat more straightforward than others. Drive to a house, deliver the right boxes, and have a quick chat with the customer if they welcome it. Well, the job may be simple, but the cost of a mistake could be huge. Customers are relying on you for all sorts of reasons, so just one mishap can have real-life consequences.
That is what you write about in the middle of the delivery driver cover letter. You should show that you can put yourself in your customers’ position and show that you understand the importance of your role. You are not just delivering boxes; you are delivering hope and joy. You may have something in your van that may save someone’s life. Tell your hiring manager that you get it – this is why you come to work.
Your delivery driver cover letter should therefore not just be about the numbers. If you do have a story about a particularly grateful customer, tell it. It might not be the most unique story, but it will show that you value what you do. You don’t have to go into great detail – starting the story will be enough. You will have plenty of opportunities to tell it properly during a potential interview.
While my three years at my previous employer were enjoyable, your focus on technology and systems excellence will make my job more meaningful. I embrace tech in the role and was part of a focus group to road-test the new stock-picking process with my previous employer. I will do anything to ensure that customers receive everything that they have ordered.
I have a blemish-free safety record with zero traffic violations and a track record of 99.8% positive feedback. I leave any reckless driving on the weekend stock car track. My approach to customers is polite and respectful, allowing those who want to get on with their days to do so, but always having a quick chat with those who welcome it. You can always tell who they are. I am an extension of the in-store customer service team, so always oblige when a customer needs something.
In my last role, I averaged 28 deliveries a day in my largely rural area, maintaining a 98% on-time delivery rate. I took charge of route planning and managed an average petrol saving of 12% over the year. Local knowledge is better than any software navigation system when you are a delivery driver working out of town.
There will be a lot of delivery driver applications, so you should be aware of the demands of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This software helps employers to collect and organize candidate resumes and cover letters. When you have a lot of applicants, hiring managers can perform searches by keywords to whittle down the field. Your cover letter will likely be read anyway, but make sure that you have enough keywords in your cover letter from the job description just in case.
How to close a delivery driver cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The conclusion of a delivery driver cover letter should fall back on what really matters. Mention one more of your KPIs to finish on a results-driven note. You can be the loveliest person, but if you do not deliver the right stuff, customers won’t be so friendly.
End the letter with a call to action. You are obviously keen to find out more about the role, so it is customary to say that you are looking forward to an interview. Don’t be presumptuous – you will never quite know whom you are up against, but add a sense of urgency to prompt the hiring manager to invite you to an interview sooner rather than later.
I hope to understand more about the requirements of the role during an interview and enclose a list of 65 customer references from my local area.
Sincerely,
Bruce Watters
Delivery driver cover letter with no experience
If you can drive and have a fantastic work ethic, you have what it takes to be a delivery driver - in theory. The reality of the role is far tougher. You must have what it takes to do your work reliably, in all kinds of weather, no matter how you are feeling. If you have no experience, these personal qualities should be at the forefront of your cover letter. Grit and determination are essential for the role. If you can demonstrate this from a previous position, it is not the end of the world if you have no previous delivery driver experience.
Many delivery drivers may have started working for big companies such as Amazon in their own cars, got a bug for the job, and then graduated to bigger vans and even larger vehicles. Do not worry if you do not have experience, the turnover of delivery drivers is significant, so there will always be opportunities for newcomers to the industry.
Basic mistakes in a delivery driver application letter (and how to avoid them)
Delivery drivers need an acute sense of detail and the drive to get everything right the first time, no matter how tired they might be. Checking a delivery driver cover letter for mistakes is simple in comparison, so make sure that you give the hiring manager no reason to doubt your attention to detail.
- Check your spelling and grammar with an online checker such as Grammarly. It doesn’t take much effort to check.
- Don’t forget to show some personality in the cover letter. Delivery companies enhance their brands by employing friendly and personable staff.
- Don’t be too conversational. Maintain a formal edge to the cover letter – much as you wouldn’t be overly informal with a customer that you do not know.
Key takeaways
- Share a mix of quantifiable achievements and personal stories in the cover letter.
- Read the job description and only share the most relevant career accomplishments.
- Make it crystal clear how much you care about doing a good job for the customer.
- Select a professional design from our cover letter templates.
