Long Hours on the Road: The Reality of Being a Self-Employed Multi-Stop Driver in the UK

The_CourierGazette · 26 August 2025 · 151 views · 0 replies

If you’re delivering parcels for companies like Amazon, Yodel, DPD, FedEx, DHL or Evri, you’ll know what it feels like to be out on the road from morning until night. For many self-employed drivers, the day doesn’t finish when the route does — because by the time you add fuelling up, sorting parcels, handling returns, and paying for costs, it can feel like there’s not much left in your pocket. So what’s really happening in the courier industry? Why are standards slipping? And is being self-employed in this sector still worth it? ⸻ Employed vs. Self-Employed: The Big Divide The biggest issue is the gap between employed and self-employed drivers. • Employed drivers (directly hired by DHL, FedEx etc.) get guaranteed wages, holiday pay, sick pay and legal protections like the minimum wage (£11.44/hr for over 21s in 2024). • Self-employed drivers get none of that. If you’re sick, you don’t earn. If the van breaks, you don’t earn. If the depot is delayed, you don’t earn. And yet, both groups often do almost exactly the same job. ⸻ Management: Respect vs. Pressure One of the biggest frustrations drivers share is the way management treat employed and self-employed drivers differe