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Delivery driver: licence, vehicle and pay

By · Published · 7 min read

Self-employed worker standing next to a truck

One delivery job asks for class 5, another for class 3, a third pays per delivery with your own vehicle. These jobs have almost nothing in common. According to Job Bank, the median wage for a parcel delivery driver in Quebec is $19.00 an hour, compared with $25.20 for a transport truck driver. Here is how to sort the offers: status, licence, vehicle and pay method.

Employee or self-employed: the first question to ask

The words "delivery driver" cover very different realities. A driver for a courier company, a grocery store or a restaurant, or someone delivering parts for a dealership or appliances for a retailer, is usually an employee. Other drivers sign a contract per route or per delivery as self-employed workers, often with their own vehicle.

The difference is not a detail. The minimum wage, overtime, paid travel time and the reimbursement of expenses under Quebec's Act respecting labour standards protect employees. A self-employed worker sets their own price and carries their own costs. And what counts is how the work is actually organized, not the title written on the contract: who sets the schedule and the routes, who provides the vehicle, whether you can turn down deliveries or work for several clients. The criteria are detailed in Employee or self-employed? The criteria that matter in Quebec.

A simple step: in the interview, ask directly "Is this a salaried job or a contract?", then check that the answer matches what is being described to you.

Licence classes: what each vehicle requires

In Quebec, driver's licences are issued by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). For delivery work, four classes come up often. The criterion that trips up the most applicants is the truck's net mass, meaning its mass without cargo, and its number of axles.

VehicleClassDelivery examples
Car, van or two-axle truck with a net mass under 4,500 kg5Parcels, meals, groceries, auto parts
Moped6D (included in class 5)Meal delivery in the city
Straight truck with three or more axles, or two axles and a net mass of 4,500 kg or more3Furniture, appliances, building materials
Combination of road vehicles (tractor and semi-trailer)1Transport between warehouses and distribution centres

For heavy vehicles, endorsements are added to the licence: F for air brakes, M for a manual transmission. To move up to class 3, you must hold a class 5 probationary licence or driver's licence, provide a medical examination report, meet conditions on your driving record for the past two years, then drive with a class 3 learner's licence for three months (one month in some cases, for example if you are 25 or older) before the test. For class 1, the Regulation respecting licences also requires recognized training, either the SAAQ's or the vocational diploma (DEP) in trucking. A medical check then comes up for classes 1, 2 and 3 at ages 45, 55, 60 and 65, then every two years.

Do this now: check the class shown on your licence before applying, and add your licence to the cards section of your GPP Emploi profile (the Passport). Cards count for 15 points out of 100 in the match score.

Company vehicle or your own: who pays for what

With a company vehicle, things are simple: the employer covers the vehicle's gas, maintenance and insurance. When the employer requires you to deliver with your own car, the Act respecting labour standards obliges it to reimburse the reasonable expenses incurred during travel it requests (section 85.2). The law does not set a per-kilometre rate.

To compare offers, there is a benchmark: for 2026, Finance Canada set the limit on the deduction of tax-exempt allowances paid by employers in the provinces at 73 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres, and 67 cents after that. A 120-kilometre day works out to 120 × $0.73 = $87.60 at that limit. An allowance of $0.50 per kilometre would give $60.00. It is not a legal minimum, but a $27.60 gap per day is worth discussing before you sign.

Another point to settle before your first shift: insurance. A policy written for personal use of your car may not cover an accident that happens during a delivery. Call your insurer and declare how the vehicle is really used.

If you are self-employed, your vehicle is your work tool. Nobody reimburses your gas: it has to be built into your price. Keep a log of your kilometres and expenses from day one; you will need it to calculate your real income and your taxes.

Hourly or per delivery: how to compare pay

Data from the Government of Canada's Job Bank give an order of magnitude. They cover 2023-2024 and were updated on November 19, 2025; the "low" wage of $16.60 matches the current minimum wage.

Occupation and regionLowMedianHigh
Parcel delivery driver (NOC 75201), Quebec$16.60$19.00$28.37
Parcel delivery driver, Montréal$16.60$20.00$30.00
Parcel delivery driver, Capitale-Nationale$16.60$20.00$29.35
Parcel delivery driver, Laurentides$16.60$19.00$28.37
Transport truck driver (NOC 73300), Quebec$19.45$25.20$34.50
Transport truck driver, Laurentides$21.50$27.00$36.06

For an employee paid per delivery, the rule is clear: according to the CNESST, people paid by the piece or on commission must receive at least the equivalent of the minimum hourly wage for the time worked. Example: a 9-hour shift, 40 deliveries at $3.50, or $140.00. Divided by 9, that is $15.56 an hour. The employer must top it up to 9 × $16.60 = $149.40. Waiting time at the depot and loading count in those 9 hours.

A special case: a meal delivery driver who usually receives tips and works for a business that sells or delivers meals to be eaten elsewhere can be paid the tipped employee rate, $13.30 an hour, under the Regulation respecting labour standards.

If you are self-employed, no minimum applies: calculate your net hourly income. A fictional example: $180.00 in deliveries over 9 hours, 150 kilometres, and a vehicle cost you estimate at $0.40 per kilometre. You are left with $180.00 − $60.00 = $120.00, or $13.33 an hour before taxes. Run this calculation with your own numbers before accepting a rate.

Seasonal peaks: when demand climbs

Delivery follows the calendar. The weeks before the holidays push parcel volumes up, and many companies add shifts or temporary positions; tips for taking advantage of them are in Holiday temp jobs: where to look and what to check before saying yes. Spring brings back deliveries of materials, soil and garden equipment, and the run-up to July 1 keeps furniture and appliance delivery drivers busy.

In winter, some drivers combine delivery and snow removal, especially if they already hold class 3. The requirements for that trade are explained in Snow removal worker in Quebec: pay, hours, licences and how to get hired. To see where the demand is, the GPP Emploi home page shows, live, the requests taken by trade and region (the "Ce que personne d'autre ne voit" section), and the transport and logistics page groups this trade.

At the height of a peak, the "Available now" button on your dashboard puts you at the top of employers' lists for 48 hours. Turn it on the day you can start quickly.

Before accepting a delivery job: the checklist

A delivery job is judged on more than the posted rate. Ask these questions before saying yes:

  • Status: employee or self-employed contract?
  • Licence: which class does the vehicle require, and is an F or M endorsement needed?
  • Vehicle: provided, or yours? If it is yours, what per-kilometre reimbursement?
  • Pay: hourly, per delivery or mixed? If per delivery, how is the minimum wage guaranteed?
  • Paid hours: are loading, waiting at the depot and driving between addresses counted? The rules are explained in Travel time between clients: is it paid?.
  • Peaks: how many hours a week in December? Beyond 40 hours, hours are paid at a 50% premium for most employees.
  • Insurance: who covers the vehicle and the goods during delivery?

Keep the answers in writing, in the messaging system or in the job posting itself. And if you do not have a profile yet, create one for free in about 3 minutes, no résumé needed: list your licence classes and whether you have a vehicle.

In short

  • Check your status first: the protections of the Act respecting labour standards apply to employees, not to self-employed drivers.
  • Class 5 is enough for a car, a van or a two-axle truck under 4,500 kg of net mass; beyond that you need class 3, and class 1 for a tractor with a semi-trailer.
  • If you deliver with your own vehicle at the employer's request, it must reimburse reasonable expenses; in 2026, the tax benchmark is 73 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres.
  • Paid per delivery as an employee, you must receive at least the equivalent of $16.60 an hour for the time worked.
  • According to Job Bank, the median wage is $19.00 an hour for a parcel delivery driver in Quebec and $25.20 for a transport truck driver.

Frequently asked questions

What licence do you need to be a delivery driver in Quebec?

For a car, a van or a two-axle truck with a net mass under 4,500 kg, a class 5 licence is enough. A heavier straight truck or one with three axles requires class 3, and a tractor with a semi-trailer requires class 1.

How much does a delivery driver earn in Quebec?

According to Job Bank, the hourly wage of a parcel delivery driver in Quebec ranges from $16.60 to $28.37, with a median of $19.00. For a transport truck driver, the median is $25.20 an hour. These figures cover 2023-2024.

Is a driver paid per delivery entitled to the minimum wage?

If they are an employee, yes. The CNESST states that people paid by the piece or on commission must receive at least the equivalent of the minimum hourly wage for the time worked. A truly self-employed driver is not covered by this rule.

Does my employer have to pay for gas if I deliver with my car?

The Act respecting labour standards requires the employer to reimburse reasonable expenses for travel it requests. It does not set a per-kilometre rate. As a benchmark, the 2026 federal limit for tax-exempt allowances is 73 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres.

Do you need class 3 to drive a cube truck?

It depends on the truck. If it has two axles and a net mass under 4,500 kg, class 5 is enough. If it has three or more axles, or a net mass of 4,500 kg or more, you need class 3; ask the employer for the vehicle's net mass.

Sources

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