Education · 1 of 5

The path

There is no school for this. You need a license, a record and a hiring season.

1. 1

   Get a regular driver's license

   Age 16 to 18

   Your ordinary state license is enough for a van. Keep the record clean from day one, because it is the whole hiring test.

2. 2

   Wait until employers will insure you

   Up to a few years

   Many delivery companies set a minimum age of 21, and some want a year of licensed driving behind you.

3. 3

   Apply in hiring season

   Weeks

   Parcel carriers hire heavily from September for the holiday peak. Seasonal work is the normal way in.

4. 4

   Learn the route

   1 to 2 weeks

   A few days riding with an experienced driver, then your own route with a scanner and a stop list.

5. 5

   Move up if you want to

   1 to 5 years

   Seasonal to permanent, then to a union route, a bigger truck with a commercial driver's license, or a dispatch job.