Glossary
Delivery Driver Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential delivery driver terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key delivery driver vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in delivery driver training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Backing rule
- Avoid backing when possible and check behind before doing so.
- Dispatch
- The team that coordinates drivers.
- GVWR
- Gross vehicle weight rating.
- Hand truck
- A two-wheeled dolly for moving heavy items.
- Load sequence
- Arranging packages in delivery order.
- Manifest
- The list of packages on a route.
- Peak season
- The busy period around holidays.
- Pickup
- Collecting packages from a customer.
- Pre-trip inspection
- A safety check of the vehicle before driving.
- Proof of delivery (POD)
- A signature or photo confirming delivery.
- Route
- The planned sequence of delivery stops.
- Signature required
- A delivery that needs a recipient’s signature.
- Stop
- A delivery or pickup location.
- Telematics
- Systems that track vehicle location and driving behavior.
- Undeliverable
- A package that couldn’t be delivered.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Delivery Driver practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Delivery Driver training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.