How to Screen Delivery Drivers: 8 Questions and What to Listen For Screening Interview Template

Do you hold a current, unrestricted driver's license, and what state issued it? Are there any suspensions, restrictions, or pending violations on it right now?

What this assesses: Insurance underwriting, not your preference, decides who can drive a company vehicle, so this has to be settled first. Strong answers state the issuing state, confirm the license is active and unrestricted, and volunteer anything pending without being pushed. Treat vagueness as a signal: a candidate who is unsure whether a suspension has been cleared usually knows it has not.

What moving violations, at-fault accidents, or DUI history would show up if we pulled your MVR for the last three years?

What this assesses: Most fleet policies disqualify on a DUI or on three-plus moving violations in three years, and finding that out at the background check stage wastes two weeks. Strong answers name specific incidents with rough dates and context. Weak answers claim a perfect record in a tone that invites no follow-up, then the MVR comes back with two speeding tickets.

What vehicles have you driven for work? Cargo van, 16-foot box truck, 26-foot box truck, or your own car? Which are you comfortable backing into a tight dock or alley?

What this assesses: Backing is the single most common source of delivery damage claims, and comfort with a 26-foot box truck is not the same skill as driving a Sprinter. Strong answers name the vehicle classes by size, say how long they drove each, and are honest about the limit of what they will back up unassisted. Someone who says they can drive anything but cannot describe a dock approach has usually only driven a van.

How many stops did you complete on a typical day in your last delivery job, and what routing or scanning app did you use? How did you handle a route you were falling behind on?

What this assesses: Stop count is the fastest proxy for whether a candidate has run real route density. Strong answers give a number, 80 to 150 for last-mile, 15 to 30 for heavier distribution, name an actual system such as a handheld scanner or a routing app, and describe calling dispatch early rather than silently running late. A candidate who cannot estimate stops per day either did very low volume or is describing a job they did not hold.

What is the heaviest item you regularly lifted on your last route, and how many times a day? Were you loading and unloading the truck yourself, and did you use a hand truck, liftgate, or dolly?

What this assesses: This is where delivery hires quit in week two, so make the physical demand explicit while the candidate can still self-select out. Strong answers give a real weight and frequency, 50-pound cases roughly 60 times a day, and name the equipment they used. Be cautious with 'I can lift whatever' from someone whose last driving job was passenger transport or a car-based courier gig.

Tell me about a delivery that went wrong. A wrong address, a refused shipment, damaged goods, or an angry customer at the door. What did you do?

What this assesses: Your driver is often the only employee a customer ever meets, and the door is where the brand gets made or lost. Strong answers describe a specific incident, a decision made on the spot, and the fact that they notified dispatch or the customer rather than leaving the package and driving off. Vague answers, or blame aimed entirely at the customer or the warehouse, predict the complaints you will be fielding later.

What days and start times can you work? Are you available for early dispatch, weekends, or peak-season overtime? Are there days you absolutely cannot work?

What this assesses: Route coverage fails on availability, not on skill. Strong answers give concrete days and a start time they can genuinely make, and name their hard constraints, a school pickup at 3 p.m. or no Sundays, without being asked twice. Blanket 'fully flexible' with no constraints at all is worth a follow-up, since almost everyone has one, and the ones that surface after hire are the ones that break the schedule.

Are you comfortable with a DOT physical if the role requires one, a drug screen, and a background check? How soon could you start, and what pay range are you targeting?

What this assesses: Compliance and money are the two things that kill an otherwise good delivery hire at the offer stage. Strong answers consent to screening without hedging, give a realistic start date that accounts for notice, and name a pay number in the market range for your route type. Score this the same way for every applicant using a [structured interview](/glossary/structured-interview) rubric, and see the [warehouse hiring guide](/for/warehouse-hiring) and the [warehouse associate template](/templates/warehouse-associate) if you are staffing the dock as well as the road.