Delivery Driver interview questions for the first round

What this first round has to settle

A delivery driver first round has to confirm the applicant holds what the role vehicle requires, has driven that type of vehicle for work, and can plan a route and handle a failed delivery sensibly. It also settles delivery hours, pay and start date before anyone books a driving test.

Check these before anything else

• Do you hold a valid driving licence for the vehicle this role uses?
• Can you work the delivery hours this role runs, including weekends?
• Do you have your own vehicle, if this role asks you to use one?
• Are you comfortable loading and unloading goods yourself?
• Do you use a smartphone with a navigation app every day?

A candidate’s notice period decides their real start date. The notice period calculator works out the minimum under the Employment Act 1955 when a contract is silent.

Delivery Driver interview questions for the first round

1. 1. “What delivery or driving work have you done, and what were you delivering: parcels, food orders, furniture or goods to businesses?”

   Why ask it. Parcel runs, food orders and business deliveries each need different habits, from speed to careful handling and signed paperwork.

   A good answer. Describes the goods, the type of customer, and how deliveries were assigned to them each day.

   Red flag. Has only driven for personal use but describes it as delivery experience.

2. 2. “Which vehicle types have you driven for work: motorcycle, car, van or lorry? Which are you most confident in?”

   Why ask it. A confident motorcycle rider may never have reversed a van into a loading bay, so the vehicle they know has to match the role.

   A good answer. Lists vehicles honestly with where they drove them, and says which ones they would need time to get used to.

   Red flag. Claims every vehicle type but cannot describe driving any of them for work.

3. 3. “You have a full day of drops across different areas. How do you plan your route?”

   Why ask it. Route planning decides how many drops fit into a shift and how much time is lost in traffic.

   A good answer. Groups drops by area, checks delivery time windows and traffic, uses a navigation app but adjusts for known congestion and loading access.

   Red flag. Follows the list in order regardless of location, or relies on memory with no plan.

4. 4. “The customer is not at the address and is not answering the phone. What do you do?”

   Why ask it. A failed delivery costs a second trip, and the answer shows whether the driver follows a process or improvises.

   A good answer. Tries the contact number again, waits a reasonable time, follows the company process for leaving or returning the item, and records proof such as a photo or note.

   Red flag. Leaves the parcel at the gate without telling anyone, or marks it as delivered anyway.

5. 5. “Deliveries start early and can run into the evening, including weekends and big sale periods. Which days and hours can you work?”

   Why ask it. Delivery volume peaks around weekends and promotions, and a driver who is unavailable then leaves parcels waiting.

   A good answer. Confirms the hours and peak periods, or names specific days they cannot drive.

   Red flag. Is keen on the role but wants to stop before the evening drops.

6. 6. “What basic salary are you expecting, and separately, what fixed allowance do you expect, for example for fuel or phone use? Please keep per-trip or incentive pay out of both.”

   Why ask it. Driver pay often mixes basic salary, allowances and trip-based incentives, and only a separate basic and fixed allowance can be compared with your package.

   A good answer. Gives a basic figure and any fixed allowance separately, and describes incentive pay as variable.

   Red flag. Quotes their total earnings from a platform that paid per trip, as if it were a monthly salary.

7. 7. “Are you driving for anyone at the moment? What notice do you need to give, and when could you start?”

   Why ask it. Many drivers work for more than one company or platform, so the start date depends on what they are leaving and how.

   A good answer. Explains their current work plainly, their notice period if they have one, and a realistic start date.

   Red flag. Intends to keep driving for another company during your delivery hours without mentioning it.

8. 8. “Are you still looking at other driving jobs, and are any close to an offer?”

   Why ask it. Drivers are in demand across delivery companies, and the answer tells you how quickly to book the driving test.

   A good answer. Is open about other applications and says what matters to them, such as routes or hours.

   Red flag. Has accepted another role and is applying here in case the first one does not work out.

Questions to leave out of the first round

“Do you know every road in the area?” A navigation app covers most of that; how they plan a route and handle a failed drop matters more.

“Why do you enjoy driving?” Enjoying driving tells you nothing about safety, reliability or how they treat customers at the door.

Why a first round should stay this short is in the questions a first round actually has to answer.

Delivery Driver job description template

Deliver goods to customers on schedule, handle proof of delivery and look after the vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Load the vehicle and check goods against the delivery list
• Plan the route and deliver to customers on schedule
• Collect signatures or proof of delivery, and payment where required
• Report delivery problems, damage or failed deliveries straight away
• Carry out basic vehicle checks and report faults
• Keep delivery records accurate

Requirements

• A valid driving licence for the vehicle used
• A good driving record
• Knows the delivery area, or can find the way around it confidently
• Able to lift and carry goods and keep to the delivery schedule

A starting point to edit, not a description of your company. Add the pay, working hours and location, and copy the result, with the free job description generator.

Running this first round with Agentic Blue

Agentic Blue is an applicant tracking system. Applications arrive by themselves from Jobstreet application emails and the job’s own apply page, or as CVs you upload, in one list. AI reads every CV against the job’s must-haves and shows the CV line behind each one, the shortlist goes to the hiring manager as one link they answer, and everyone who applied stays in your talent pool for the next job.

Where a workspace switches on the AI Interviewer module, Blue runs the first-round interview in a typed chat by default, or by voice or video if the job is set that way. Each candidate gets a link: there is no account to create and no app to install, a phone is enough, and a candidate who closes the tab can reopen the link and carry on. Before the first question they are told they are talking to an AI, and they have to agree.

Blue asks about relevant experience, salary expectations, notice period and availability, and follows up when an answer is too vague to use. You get a scored profile with the reasoning and the full transcript underneath it. Blue does not reject anyone: the recruiter decides who moves forward.

What the candidate sees is on the page for candidates, what an AI interviewer is and is not allowed to decide is in what is an AI interviewer, and how Agentic Blue is priced is on the pricing page.

For software that screens delivery driver applicants at volume, see candidate screening tools for high-volume roles.

What the hiring team reads afterwards is set out in a complete example screening report.

Questions people ask