Career Advice: Delivery Driver Job Description and Duties
Delivery drivers may drive trucks or vans depending on the nature of their job.
Delivery Driver Job Description and Duties
Drivers spend a lot of time on the roads as the nature of their work demands it. Delivery Driver responsibilities include transporting goods from one place to another by driving a delivery vehicle. Delivery drivers may drive trucks, motorbikes, or vans depending on the nature of their job. Companies that need to transport bigger items usually use trucks while smaller vehicles are used to deliver items that are not too big. To drive on a public road in South Africa transporting goods, dangerous goods, or passengers for an income you must have a professional driving permit (PrDP).
Apply for delivery driver jobs at freerecruit.co.za
PROFESSIONAL DRIVING PERMIT
To drive certain types of vehicles, you are required to have a professional driving permit in addition to your driving license. A professional driving permit is required if you drive any of the following:
- A goods vehicle weighing over 3 500 kg.
- A breakdown vehicle.
- A bus.
- A minibus weighing more than 3 500 kg and which is designed to carry 12 or more people including the driver.
- A vehicle used to transport people for payment
- A goods vehicle carrying dangerous goods which weighs more than 3 500 kg.
- A road tank vehicle for petroleum-based flammable liquids.
- A motor vehicle conveying 12 or more people, including the driver.
- A professional driving permit is not required to drive a hearse or a tractor.
You can only get a professional driving permit if you:
- have a valid driving license for the type of vehicle in question;
- are over the required age limit (this depends on the type of vehicle in question);
- have been certified as medically fit by a doctor;
- have been certified by an approved training body (only required for certain types of vehicle);
- have not been convicted of driving under the influence, of reckless or negligent driving, or of a violent offense; and
- have never had your driving license suspended.
You must apply at a driving license testing center for a professional driving permit and you will need to do the following:
- Complete form PD1.
- Pay the required fee.
- Produce your ID document.
- Provide two photographs of yourself.
- Produce your driving license.
- Produce your training certificate (if applicable).
- Produce your medical certificate.
- Produce any other professional driving permit or public driving permit that you already hold.
Have your fingerprints taken
Once the application has been processed, a credit-card-format driving license showing the professional driving permit will be ordered. You need to produce your ID document when you collect the license card. Licenses not collected within 120 days are destroyed. Your professional driving permit may be suspended or canceled if you become medically unfit or if you are convicted of driving under the influence, reckless or negligent driving, or of a violent offense.
DRIVER’S LICENSE TYPES IN SOUTH AFRICA
- A1 – Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125 cubic centimeters or less
A – Motorcycles with an engine capacity greater than 125 cc - Code A1 -Light motor vehicles
- B – Vehicles (except motorcycles) with a tare weight of 3 500 kilograms or less; and minibusses, busses and goods vehicles with gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3 500 kg or less. A trailer with a GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached.
- EB – Articulated with gross combination mass (GCM) of 3 500 kg or less; and vehicles allowed by Code B but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg.
- C1 – Vehicles with tare weight between 3 500 kg and 16 000 kg; minibusses, busses, and goods vehicles with GVM between 3 500 kg and 16 000 kg. A trailer with GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached.
- C – Buses and goods vehicles with GVM greater than 16 000 kg. A trailer with a GVM of 750 kg or less may be attached.
- EC1 – Articulated vehicles with GCM between 3 500 kg and 16 000 kg; and vehicles allowed by Code C1 but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg.
- EC – Articulated vehicles with GCM greater than 18 000 kg; and vehicles allowed by Code C but with a trailer with GVM greater than 750 kg.
To work as a driver, you must possess a clean driving record. Since you are responsible for the safety and timely delivery of items, you must be careful and diligent. Many delivery drivers work for courier companies that are on top of the list of employers who hire delivery drivers. Other companies may include manufacturing firms, logistics, and transport companies, distribution companies, and large retail stores that require large or bulk items to be delivered to their customers.
It is important for delivery drivers to be able to use technology to plot routes so that timely deliveries can be made. Knowledge of local and national routes are also a prerequisite for this position.
Some more duties of a deliver drive include:
- Assist in loading and unloading vehicle with items to be delivered,
- Ensure that items are properly stacked and secured inside the delivery vehicle,
- Take delivery instructions from supervisors,
- Chart out an appropriate route for delivery on the map or GPS,
- Maintain proper knowledge of loaded items,
- Ensure that appropriate and complete documentation is available at the time of loading,
- Drive vehicle to the point of delivery by using the best possible route,
- Make sure that speed limits are adhered to in order to ward off possible misadventures,
- Ensure that the vehicle’s paperwork is in order,
- Assist in unloading items off the vehicle in a safe manner,
- Ensure that delivery receipts are signed,
- Collect payments for deliveries made and tend to change,
- Fill in pertinent information such as mileage and delivery time in company provided logbooks,
- Check vehicle for possible wear and tear,
- Ensure that both general and preventative maintenance measures are performed on the vehicle,
- Change vehicle fluids on a regular basis,
- Clean vehicle from the inside and the outside,
- Perform diagnosis and troubleshooting activities on the vehicle when needed,
- Ensure that the delivery schedule is followed,
- Handle invoice discrepancies by informing superiors of problems and complaints,
For more detailed information on requirements and how to apply for licenses visit http://www.enatis.com/
For a full list of all our current driver job vacancies please go here