For drivers
Courier work that fits your van — and your week.
Multi-drop rounds, locker loops, parcelshop runs and same-day work across the UK. Choose the jobs you want, deliver, send your end-of-day report from your phone and get paid every week.
DropDash never charges drivers a fee to find work.
The work
What you could be doing
Every job shows the depot, start time, vehicle needed and the rate before you request it.
- Door-to-door multi-drop
- Locker route
- ParcelShop / pickup point
- Collections & returns
- Same-day dedicated
- Next-day route
- Sorting / warehouse
- Loading / yard marshal
- Long-haul / trunking
Vehicles we place
From cars and small vans to 7.5-tonne trucks for C1 licence holders.
- Car / estate
- Small van (Berlingo, Caddy)
- SWB van (Transit Custom)
- MWB van
- LWB van (Sprinter, Transit)
- Luton / box van
- 7.5t truck (C1)
- Cargo e-bike
Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes need the right licence category, a tachograph card and Driver CPC.
Pay
Know the rate before you accept.
Clients pay in different ways depending on the work. The pay model and rate are shown on every job, and your weekly statement shows exactly how each payment was worked out.
Per parcel
A rate for each parcel delivered, sometimes banded by size.
e.g. 110 parcels × £0.85 = £93.50
Per drop
A rate for each stop, however many parcels go to that address.
e.g. 90 drops × £1.10 = £99.00
Day rate
A fixed amount for completing an agreed route or block.
e.g. 1 route = £150.00
Per hour
Used for warehouse, sorting and some block-based work.
e.g. 8 hours × £14.50 = £116.00
Per mile
Common for same-day and dedicated runs.
e.g. 180 miles × £0.60 = £108.00
Weekly self-billed pay
Once the client approves your end-of-day report, the job goes onto your next weekly statement. We raise the invoice for you (self-billing), so there's no paperwork to chase, and pay it by bank transfer.
Your choice, every time
You're self-employed: request the jobs you want, accept or decline offers with no penalty, send a vetted substitute, and work for other companies too.
Earnings you can export
See every job, statement and payment in the app, and download them for your tax return or Making Tax Digital software.
Step by step
How to enrol as a courier in the UK
Everything you need, in the order most people get it. Have these ready and enrolment takes about 10 minutes.
Missing something?
Start anyway. You can save your progress and upload the rest later — we only review your application once it’s complete.
Start enrolling- 01
Prove your right to work in the UK
RequiredEveryone must pass a right to work check before their first job — self-employed couriers included, under the rules in force from 1 October 2026.
- eVisa or settled/pre-settled status: get a 9-character share code at gov.uk/prove-right-to-work (opens in a new tab) (choose “work” as the reason). Codes last 90 days. Biometric residence permits are no longer accepted.
- British or Irish citizen: no share code needed — upload your valid passport (or Irish passport card) and we verify it through a certified digital ID check.
- 02
Get a DVLA licence check code
RequiredSign in at gov.uk/view-driving-licence (opens in a new tab) with your licence number, NI number and postcode, then choose “Share your licence information”. The code is valid for 21 days, so create it when you are ready to enrol. You will also upload photos of the front and back of your photocard. A full UK (or EU/EEA) category B licence covers vans up to 3.5 tonnes.
- 03
Proof of address
RequiredA utility bill, bank or credit card statement, or council tax bill in your name, dated within the last 3 months. A screenshot of an online statement is fine if it shows your name, address and the date.
- 04
National Insurance number
RequiredFind it on payslips, a P60 or in your HMRC app. If you have lost it, use gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number (opens in a new tab); if you have never had one, apply here (opens in a new tab). We store it encrypted.
- 05
Register as self-employed and get your UTR
RequiredRegister with HMRC for Self Assessment at gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment/self-employed (opens in a new tab). HMRC posts you a 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which can take up to 15 days — you can start enrolling while you wait. Working through your own limited company instead? Give us your company number.
- 06
A UK bank account
RequiredPersonal or business account in your own name (or your company’s). This is where your weekly pay goes. Bank details are encrypted and only visible to our payments team.
- 07
A roadworthy vehicle with MOT and tax
RequiredOwned, financed, leased or hired — all fine. Check it is taxed at gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax (opens in a new tab) and see its MOT status at gov.uk/check-mot-history (opens in a new tab) (vehicles over 3 years old). Have your V5C logbook or hire agreement ready. Working in London or a clean air zone? Check your van meets the emission standards (opens in a new tab).
- 08
Courier insurance: hire & reward, goods in transit, public liability
RequiredYou need three kinds of cover, and your certificate must name the vehicle you will use:
- Hire and reward (courier) motor insurance — covers carrying other people’s goods for payment. Ordinary social, domestic and commuting cover is not valid for courier work.
- Goods in transit — typically £5,000 to £25,000 depending on the client.
- Public liability — typically £1 million to £5 million depending on the client.
- 09
Basic DBS certificate
Only if a client asksSome clients ask for a basic criminal record check issued in the last 3 months. Apply at gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record (opens in a new tab). We only record the certificate number, date and whether it is clear — we don’t keep a copy of the certificate.
- 10
A clear selfie
RequiredFace the camera in good light, no sunglasses or hat. It goes on your driver profile so the depot knows who to expect, and helps us confirm your ID matches you.
A shift on DropDash
Your day, start to paid
- 01
At the depot
Check in
Check in on your phone at the depot. Confirm you're fit to drive and complete the vehicle walkaround. - 02
On the road
Deliver
Run the round using the client's scanner or app. Phone in a cradle, hands-free. - 03
End of day
Report
Enter delivered, failed and returned counts, mileage and breaks. Add manifest and POD photos. - 04
Within 48 hours
Approval
The client checks your report and approves it. Queries are raised in the app, not by phone tag. - 05
Weekly
Paid
Approved jobs go on your self-billed statement and are paid to your bank account.
Safety
The rules of the road still apply
Self-employed doesn't mean no rules. These protect you, your licence and the public.
Drivers’ hours
In vans up to 3.5 tonnes, GB domestic rules allow a maximum of 10 hours driving and 11 hours on duty a day. The app tracks your shift time and warns you as you get close. Read the GB domestic rules (opens in a new tab).
No hand-held phone use
Holding a phone while driving is illegal — 6 penalty points and a £200 fine, even when stopped in traffic. Keep it in a cradle and only use the app when parked. The law on phones (opens in a new tab).
Daily walkaround
Tyres, lights, mirrors, fluids, bodywork and load security before you set off. Report any defect in the app — don’t drive an unsafe vehicle. DVSA walkaround guide (opens in a new tab).
Photograph parcels, not people
Proof-of-delivery photos should show the parcel and the door or safe place. Never photograph customers, children or the inside of someone’s home.
Do I have to pay any fees to join or to get work?
Can I use my own van?
Do I need a limited company?
What does Making Tax Digital mean for me?
Can I turn down work?
Can someone else do a job for me?
How long does approval take?
Does DropDash take tax off my pay?
Ready when you are.
Enrol in about 10 minutes. Free, always.