Can you hire Delivery Drivers as Independent Contractors?

[cojak]

we would pay them 80% per delivery weekly as well as reimbursing fuel and other expenses.

More info helps people advise you.

You may find someone who can answer your question tomorrow.

[Platypus]

Is it possible to do in the UK and the EU, what businesses like postmates and instacart are doing in the US by solely paying drivers commission and no minimum wage?

Are there many legal hurdles behind hiring drivers and having them pay for their own insurance and not paying them a wage?

What about IR35 law, how does it apply to delivery drivers and contractors?


Thank you

AFAIK they are mostly self-employed "owner drivers"

[SueEllen]

we would pay them 80% per delivery weekly as well as reimbursing fuel and other expenses.

Then you won't make any money.

You haven't considered the delivery charge involves covering the cost of:
1. Depots where goods are sorted
2. Wages of the warehouse staff, which has to be minimum wage.
3. The cost of HGVs and large vans to move goods between depots across the country.
4. Wages of lorry drivers which is set by the market otherwise you lose them.
5. Technology including software and hardware to track all the parcels.

All delivery companies whether they are at the cheap end e.g. Hermes, Yodel or more expensive end e.g. DPD have a network of small shops they deliver small lighter packages to. Some also pick up parcels from these shops. You need to pay the shopkeepers at least 12p per item they handle.

When Citi-link went bust I was interested in how these firms worked to explain why some where so terrible and others wasn't. I've found drivers, because they can't take the sh*t pay per item, and newsagents, who are trying to stay in business, will tell you how much they earn per parcel. The rest you can find or work out from documentaries, media reports and being stuck behind large delivery company branded lorries on the motorway.

[SueEllen]

AFAIK they are mostly self-employed "owner drivers"

Yep.

DPD makes the drivers lease their branded vans while the likes of Yodel, Hermes and Amazon allows them to use any tulip so you see people turning up in their cars. Yodel and the like pay where paying their drivers around 30p per item delivered last year. Don't know what DPD where paying.

[yasockie]

How about direction and control?
If you're telling them where to deliver the parcel surely they are just thinly disguised employees of yours?
Now a true IR35-free contractor would deliver when and where they wanted!

[northernladuk]

This case should help?

[barrydidit]

Yep.

DPD makes the drivers lease their branded vans.

I think these were the people referenced in that radio 4 documentary on disguised employment around christmas time. Just makes life more difficult for the likes of us when an entire workforce is laid off and becomes 'self employed' at the same place, in the same van, in the same uniform and delivering parcels on the route supplied by DPD. Chunts.

[Troll]

AFAIK they are mostly self-employed "owner drivers"

This - there was a R4 article that highlighted their plight when the company they delivered for went under - all were self employed and totally fooked - seems to be the common business model