Job Description
Lithe People is delighted to have teamed up with DPD, the UK's favourite parcel delivery company. We're working with them to support them in their engagement with drivers who want to establish their own business as Owner-Driver Franchisees. Our director is a former driver and trainer for DPD and has a great knowledge of what's involved, so we will guide you through the process and help you assess whether the opportunity is right for you.
As an ODF, your daily duties will include:
- Fuelling your van (leased as part of the franchise) or charging it, if the van is electric
- Preparing your route on the phone app
- Scanning and loading parcels onto your van
- Delivering your parcels on an agreed route in a small set area within a 1 hour window for each delivery
- Making collections from residential addresses and small businesses
- Making your deliveries and collection strictly according to DPD processes
- Returning to the depot to unload your collected parcels and sign out
Since these opportunities are self-employed franchises, you will run your own business (either as a sole trader or Ltd company - DPD are open to either). Franchises can be either for "light vans" (eg Peugeot Partner, VW Caddy etc), or for 3.5t vehicles like the Mercedes Sprinter or Ford Transit.
You will be paid per delivery, and DPD have automated that process so it happens without any input from you and the money clears into your account every 4 weeks. Expected earnings after paying all costs (eg van lease/insurance, diesel etc) can be in the region of £35k-45k for the 3.5t franchise, or £27k-£35k for the light van. However, as your expertise develops you will have the opportunity to build your business by taking on more routes and engaging drivers yourself to work them. These Multi-Route Franchisees with (for example) 10 routes can earn £70k+, or more, with more routes. As mentioned...it's your business and is only limited by your ambition! But if you want to remain as a single-route franchisee, that's perfectly fine, too!
You will need some level of fitness, have a full UK driving licence (ideally with max 6 points), and be able to prove you can legally work in the UK.
This is an outstanding career opportunity for anyone looking to change careers, or else if you're a specialist in other fields where jobs opportunities are restricted at the moment - you can always go back to your specialism when the market changes.
At the moment we're focusing on drivers working our of DPD's depots in Burgess Hill, Maidstone, and Sittingbourne. We hope to open this up to other locations soon, so please apply even if these are not local to you.
Job Type: Freelance
Benefits:
* Company car
Work Location: On the road