UPS Personal Vehicle Driver: Jobs, Pay & More

As the ridesharing industry continues to grow, even the most traditional companies are turning to everyday drivers to help their businesses succeed.

Among these brands, the United Parcel Service (UPS) offers some of the most enticing driving gigs around.

If you’re looking to make good money behind the wheel without turning rideshare apps, becoming a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver may be the right path for you.

While UPS still predominantly relies on its standard full-time drivers and UPS driver helpers to deliver packages throughout the year, the busiest delivery seasons often present a need for extra hands and wheels.

This is especially true as more and more consumers demand same-day deliveries across the United States.

Through the UPS Personal Vehicle Driver program, the company is filling in the gaps by offering drivers like you the chance to earn big, just by providing support along their routes.

We’ll guide you through what the gig looks like and how you can sign up below.

What Is a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver?

UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers (PVDs) — sometimes known as seasonal personal vehicle package drivers — are temporary employees who support the company’s ground services during times of high demand.

UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers are temporary UPS employees that deliver packages in smaller quantities than regular delivery drivers.

They’re also known as peak delivery drivers or seasonal delivery drivers, since UPS hires personal vehicle drivers during peak seasons.

Many people work this way during Christmas to help deliver packages more quickly.

You will still be making deliveries for UPS as a UPS personal vehicle driver, but will be delivering packages using your vehicle instead of driving one of their large delivery trucks.

Personal delivery drivers are UPS employees and not independent contractors.

This differs from many other personal delivery services.

UPS personal delivery drivers get compensated hourly, work a set schedule, and get reimbursed for gas mileage.

What Does a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver Do?

Personal vehicle drivers do everything that a UPS delivery truck driver does.

They merely do it on a much smaller scale.

Personal vehicle drivers pick up packages from the shipping facility, drive a route, and make deliveries.

UPS offers flexible work schedules and delivery routes for its personal vehicle drivers.

Personal vehicle drivers pick up their required packages from the UPS shipping facility in their own personal vehicles.

Then they drive along their assigned route and deliver their designated packages.

Using their own cars, they’re responsible for taking on the role of a standard UPS delivery driver.

This includes package pick-up, package delivery, and driving along a designated route.

Unlike Amazon Flex drivers, you will be expected to keep up with a set schedule, as PVDs are actual employees, rather than independent contractors.

The UPS PVD gig can be physically demanding. It’s fairly physical, with plenty of lifting and time on your feet required, and fast-paced to keep up with consumer demand.

However, if you love spending time in your car, exploring the city, and meeting customers, this can be an excellent seasonal gig for you.

How much do UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers Make?

One of the biggest draws of the UPS Personal Vehicle Driver gig is the level of pay you can receive.

As a seasonal delivery driver, you can make up to $30 per hour — usually at least $21 per hour — depending on your location.

In addition to paying considerably more than most rideshare gigs, the PVD job is a standard employment opportunity.

This means you won’t have to worry about self-employment taxes or job-related expenses.

In fact, UPS will pay you $0.58 per mile (or whatever the current IRS standard mileage rate is) on top of your hourly salary to cover your expected gas expenses.

UPS also pays personal vehicle drivers per mile to cover gas costs.

The amount paid varies based on IRS standards, but as of 2021, gas reimbursement is $0.56 per mile.

All this considered, the Personal Vehicle Driver position is a great way to guarantee a stable income for at least one season.

UPS Personal Vehicle Driver Schedules

So when exactly do you need to work as a seasonal employee?

A UPS personal vehicle driver is a fast-paced and busy job, and offers both part-time and full-time positions.

You have the potential to deliver anywhere from 70-150 packages every day.

1. Typical Schedule

Depending on where you’re located, Tuesday to Saturday shifts may be available, too.

Of course, because you’re providing support at the busiest time of the year, you may find yourself working on your off-days, too.

UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers are often required to complete over-the-holiday work and Saturday shifts.

Otherwise, these extra shifts will likely be available to you to take on, if you want to earn outside of your standard shifts.

UPS hires both part-time and full-time PVDs, with full-time drivers working approximately eight hours per day, Monday to Friday.

UPS delivery hours are from 9 am. to 8 pm.

Personal vehicle drivers aren’t expected to work the 11 hours, though.

You can work either a part-time or full-time schedule.

Most locations offer either 6- or 8-hour shifts for personal drivers, Monday-Friday.

In some areas, you can work Tuesday-Saturday or pick up a weekend shift.

2. Start Time

UPS deliveries start at 9 am nationwide.

Your day will start about an hour earlier than your delivery time does.

You’ll have to pick up packages about an hour before you start your deliveries.

UPS personal vehicle drivers have flexible schedules.

They have the option to start first thing in the morning or wait until a little later in the day.

3. End Time

UPS stops delivering packages at 8:00 p.m.

If you started your day early in the morning, your day could be over as soon as 3:00 p.m.

The downside, however, is that you could also find yourself working much later than that if you for some reason fall behind on deliveries during the day.

When Can I Find UPS Personal Vehicle Driver Gigs?

Because the PVD gig is a seasonal driver job, it’s not available year-round.

By far, it is most available during the holiday season, when thousands of consumers are shipping tons of packages nationwide.

Some UPS locations will start posting jobs as early as late October, or at least by mid-November, so make sure to keep an eye out to stand out as an early applicant.

In areas of higher demand, the company may even have open availability throughout the full season, which usually lasts from late November to early January.

This holiday season demand for UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers could make the job a great option for college students and teachers, depending on your school’s winter break schedule.

Rideshare drivers who already make a living on the road can even take a break from their primary gigs to earn great guaranteed pay during the season.

[gw_note]Because the PVD gig is a seasonal driver job, it’s not available year-round. By far, it is most available during the holiday season, when thousands of consumers are shipping tons of packages nationwide.[/gw_note]

UPS Personal Vehicle Driver Requirements

While PVDs can avoid the stricter guidelines that standard UPS drivers face — often including a required commercial driver’s license (CDL) — they still need to meet their own set of requirements to get hired.

Below, we’ll go through what it takes to qualify as a Personal Vehicle Driver and complete the application process.

General Requirements for UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers

Before you get started with the driver sign-up process, you’ll want to make sure that you meet the minimum requirements set for the PVD gig.

To become a Personal Vehicle Driver, you must:

• You must be at least 21 years old.
• You must have a valid driver’s license.
• You must have proof of registration and auto insurance that meets the minimum state requirements.
• You can not have been in any at-fault accidents within the last three years.
• You can not have any moving violations from the past year.
• You must be able to lift and carry heavy packages weighing up to 70 lbs.

UPS also does run background checks on all of its employees.

Experience Requirements for UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers

Previous experience with delivery driving could make it easier to get hired.

But there’s currently no experience requirement to become a UPS personal vehicle driver.

UPS Personal Vehicle Driver Vehicle Requirements

Though this set of driver requirements is stricter than Uber car requirements, PVD vehicle requirements are actually quite lenient.

The vehicle requirements to be a personal vehicle driver are pretty lenient.

Your car likely qualifies as long as it:

• Your vehicle must weigh no more than 10,000 lbs.
• You must have valid car insurance and proof of a registered vehicle.
• Bumper stickers on your vehicle can’t be political stickers or advertise other companies.
• Your vehicle can not have any offensive markings.
• Your vehicle can not have a lift kit. Suspensions known as ‘low-rider’ are also forbidden.
• Your vehicle can not have oversized rims.

Uniform Requirements for UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers

Once you’re on the job, you are required to wear a company-provided UPS uniform and meet personal appearance guidelines.

All UPS employees must be in a UPS uniform when delivering packages.

This includes personal vehicle drivers.

These guidelines are somewhat strict, but easy to adhere to.

They include staying clean-shaven, keeping tattoos hidden, and keeping your hair cut above the ear (for men) or shoulder length (for women).

The company appearance guidelines are as follows:

• You must wear a brown UPS uniform at all times while working. UPS supplies the uniform.
• You must wear crew or calf-length UPS socks.
• Your hair must be either kept short or tied back.
• Your shoes must be either brown or black. They must be non-slip, leather, and polishable.
• You must only wear white or brown undershirts.

You’ll likely need to purchase UPS socks and eligible brown or black shoes to complement your uniform, as well.

How to Sign up as a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver

We’ve covered the basics of what a UPS personal vehicle driver is and the requirements.

Now we’ll cover exactly how to sign up for this position.

The PVD sign-up process does require a few more steps than when you’re signing up for an app-based driving gigs.

However, the United Parcel Service’s traditional hiring process is still fairly straightforward.

The Signup Process

To start the process, you should visit the Peak Drivers job page on the UPS website.

This list will provide you with each available personal vehicle driver position by city and state.

Once you select the city and state that you want to apply for, you should click “Apply Now.”

From there, you will need to log in to your UPS Jobs account.

If you already have an account with UPS Jobs, enter your login information.

If you need to create an account, you can do so from this page as well.

After you log in to the UPS jobs portal, you will need to fill in your personal information and qualification information on the job application.

After you submit your application, a UPS team member will contact you to schedule a job interview.

The interview process is reportedly easy.

Many applicants start the job within three days of the interview.

Once you’re hired as a UPS personal vehicle driver, you will go through a training session.

This training session only lasts a matter of hours, and its purpose is to help you get prepared for the job you are taking on.

After completing your training, you will receive a traditional UPS uniform.

You buy your shoes and socks at that time as well.

You must follow the personal appearance guidelines that UPS has in place.

Once you’re trained and in uniform, you are ready to start delivering packages as a UPS personal vehicle driver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Becoming a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver is an excellent way to earn thousands in as little as a month.

To learn more about this driving job, read our answers to these common questions:

Why Does UPS Hire Seasonal Personal Vehicle Drivers?

UPS delivery truck drivers sometimes experience an increased workload that can be overwhelming.

The peak holiday season from late October to December is their busiest time.

UPS hires seasonal driver helpers during this time.

They also hire seasonal personal vehicle drivers to help ease the stress of the workload.

Do I have to use my own vehicle as a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver, or can I use a borrowed or rented vehicle?

You must use your own vehicle as a PVD, as UPS requires your car to be registered and insured under your name.

You must also have reliable access to your vehicle, so sharing your car with a family member during the season isn’t recommended either, due to your long hours.

Can I get hired full-time after my UPS Personal Vehicle Driver gig ends?

This will depend on the demand at the UPS location you’re hired at.

If you perform well and the location needs extra hands, there’s a decent chance that you can at least land a permanent part-time job.

According to UPS, over a third of seasonal employees end up with permanent roles following the end of their gigs.

Does UPS offer any independent contractor driving gigs?

At this time, UPS only offers part-time, full-time, and seasonal gigs for drivers.

If you’re interested in these employment opportunities, head to this driver jobs page we mentioned above to find openings near you.

Can You Have a Beard and Work at UPS?

The UPS dress code used to prohibit facial hair except for a neatly trimmed mustache.

They recently became more inclusive.

UPS relaxed this rule to allow employees to grow a beard in November 2020.

Can UPS Drivers Wear Jeans?

No. UPS drivers must follow a strict dress code that does not allow the driver to wear jeans.

UPS will provide a uniform for you, and you can choose to either wear shorts or long pants.

Can Felons Work as a UPS Personal Vehicle Driver?

Yes. UPS has hired felons for positions like seasonal peak drivers (personal vehicle drivers).

They’ve also hired felons as driver helpers and package handlers.

UPS reserves the right to have final discretion over who to hire.

They don’t currently have a policy in place that prevents them from hiring felons.

Final Thoughts

Everyday drivers don’t have to turn to rideshare or app-based delivery gigs to earn.

UPS Personal Vehicle Drivers are actual employees who can earn up to $30 per hour guaranteed on a consistent schedule — even full-time — for a season.

For over a third of PVDs, this seasonal gig is just the start of employment at UPS, a company that’s known for providing excellent benefits for its many part-time and full-time drivers.

Looking for more gigs behind the wheel? Check out our list of driver jobs and make even more doing what you love – driving.