What does a Driver/Merchandiser do?
A driver/merchandiser's role in society is to directly deliver products to customers on time, bearing good communication skills to interpret and relay messages and instructions. A driver/merchandiser is also tasked to check on the truck's condition, repair or replace damaged parts, and deliver it to reliable auto shops if the damage is severe. They must follow road guidelines and laws imposed by the state or city where they do the job.
Driver/merchandiser responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real driver/merchandiser resumes:
- Manage backroom/stock room inventory by organizing pallets, stacking and storing product inventory.
- Load and unload freight with compressor and pump using proper PPE.
- Present log dot book daily and fill out payroll time sheet daily.
- Coordinate daily delivery schedules base on peak delivery times and alternate routes for the delivery of Co2.
- Deliver bulk propane to residential and commercial customers.
- Ensure timely delivery of CO2 gas/ carbonation/cylinders to restaurant establishments in the DFW area
- Deliver propane to residential, commercial and agricultural customers along a route determine by myself.
- Use effective communication and interpersonal skills when interacting with customers during pickup and/or delivery of packages.
- Stock the customers order to Pepsi and the customer's requirements and satisfaction.
- Deliver and merchandise Pepsi products.
- Sort packages by region, deliver packages to customers, handle cash-on-delivery payments, process business pickups, utilize DIAD board technology
Driver/merchandiser skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Driver/Merchandisers are proficient in DOT, CDL, and Pre-trip. They’re also known for soft skills such as Patience, Sales skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Driver/Merchandisers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- DOT, 27%
Operate any coca Cola Vehicle according to DOT regulations
- CDL, 18%
Leveraged CDL driving expertise to deliver packages and alcoholic beverage items to accounts throughout assigned areas.
- Pre-trip, 14%
Completed a daily pre-trip inspection checklist before first delivery of the day.
- Rotate Product, 10%
Service vending machines (rotate product, remove out-of-date product, remove cash from assets.)
- Store Management, 5%
Interacted with store management on where and how to set up promotional displays and weekly specials.
- Hand Trucks, 4%
Pushed and pulled pallet jacks, hand trucks and breakdowns to move products to and from truck.
Common skills that a driver/merchandiser uses to do their job include "dot," "cdl," and "pre-trip." You can find details on the most important driver/merchandiser responsibilities below.
Patience. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a driver/merchandiser to have is patience. Their role and responsibilities require that "when driving through heavy traffic congestion, delivery drivers must remain calm and composed." Driver/merchandisers often use patience in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "delivered customers' orders safely and swiftly dealt with customer complaints with respect and patience"
Sales skills. Another essential skill to perform driver/merchandiser duties is sales skills. Driver/merchandisers responsibilities require that "driver/sales workers are expected to persuade customers to purchase new or different products." Driver/merchandisers also use sales skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "assisted the manager with sales and customer relations. "
Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of driver/merchandisers is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday driver/merchandiser duties, as "when completing deliveries, drivers often interact with customers and should make a good impression to ensure repeat business." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "worked a handheld device for every customer. "
Math skills. A big part of what driver/merchandisers do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to driver/merchandiser responsibilities because "because delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers sometimes take payment, they must be able to count cash and make change quickly and accurately." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical driver/merchandiser tasks: "invoice, settle accounts daily and perform basic math. "
Hand-eye coordination. A commonly-found skill in driver/merchandiser job descriptions, "hand-eye coordination" is essential to what driver/merchandisers do. Driver/merchandiser responsibilities rely on this skill because "drivers need to observe their surroundings at all times while operating a vehicle." You can also see how driver/merchandiser duties rely on hand-eye coordination in this resume example: "experienced in merchandising, product placement and rotation, and coordination of product loads and organization. "
Visual ability. While "visual ability" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to driver/merchandiser responsibilities. Much of what a driver/merchandiser does relies on this skill, seeing as "to have a driver’s license, delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers must be able to pass a state vision test." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of driver/merchandisers: "rotate products and stage for visual presentation. "
The three companies that hire the most driver/merchandisers are:
- The Coca-Cola Company24 driver/merchandisers jobs
- Farmer's Fridge16 driver/merchandisers jobs
- Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages11 driver/merchandisers jobs
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Compare different driver/merchandisers
Driver/merchandiser vs. Route sales associate
A route salesperson specializes in securing sales targets while traveling to different areas to meet with clients. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies on selling products and services, making calls and answering correspondence, arranging meetings, conducting follow-up calls, and building rapport with customers to strengthen client base. There are also instances when a route salesperson must sell door-to-door, perform product demonstrations, negotiate contracts, process payments, and even inform existing clients if there are any updates to their current products and services.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between driver/merchandisers and route sales associate. For instance, driver/merchandiser responsibilities require skills such as "pre-trip," "rotate product," "hand trucks," and "punctuality." Whereas a route sales associate is skilled in "customer satisfaction," "customer service," "product inventory," and "working independently." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, route sales associates reach similar levels of education than driver/merchandisers. Route sales associates are 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Driver/merchandiser vs. Route sales person
A route sales representative is responsible for offering goods and services to customers in a designated area. Route sales representatives work closely with the marketing team to develop effective sales strategies, create sales pitches, and release promotional offers to generate sales, increase revenues, and build the organization's profitability. They also research the latest industry trends to identify sales opportunities and communicate findings to the team for new service offerings. A route sales representative must have excellent customer service and communication skills to assist customers in their inquiries and concerns and negotiate sales contracts.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that driver/merchandiser responsibilities requires skills like "dot," "pre-trip," "hand trucks," and "punctuality." But a route sales person might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "dairy products," "perform routine maintenance," and "math."
Route sales people earn a higher average salary than driver/merchandisers. But route sales people earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $49,807. Additionally, driver/merchandisers earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $46,233 annually.route sales people earn similar levels of education than driver/merchandisers in general. They're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Driver/merchandiser vs. Route sales representative
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, driver/merchandisers are more likely to have skills like "pre-trip," "rotate product," "hand trucks," and "merchandise product." But a route sales representative is more likely to have skills like "strong customer service," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "upselling."
Route sales representatives make a very good living in the education industry with an average annual salary of $53,729. On the other hand, driver/merchandisers are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $46,233.Most route sales representatives achieve a similar degree level compared to driver/merchandisers. For example, they're 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Driver/merchandiser vs. Newspaper delivery driver
Types of driver/merchandiser
Updated January 8, 2025
