Milk roundsperson

Milk roundspeople sell milk and other produce such as eggs and potatoes to houses, businesses and shops. They deliver milk daily and are responsible for collecting money and keeping records. Some work on a self-employed or franchise basis.

Work activities

Milk roundspeople drive milk floats or vans, delivering and selling dairy produce and other types of food and drink to customers in a particular neighbourhood. This can include shops and offices as well as private homes. They also collect the empty milk bottles. Milk roundspeople usually start their day at a central depot, where they load the float with goods. These include milk, eggs, yoghurts, cream and non-dairy items such as bread, fruit juice, potatoes and groceries. They deliver these to the addresses on their round, keeping a careful note of each product sold and also taking payment regularly. Most roundspeople use a hand-held electronic terminal to keep records of orders and deliveries.

Most depots ask their roundspeople, while they are doing their rounds, to keep an eye out for the welfare of vulnerable customers. In order to increase profits, they might need to sell extra goods or promote new products. Some milk roundspeople might also deliver mail, advertising leaflets or parcels. At certain times of the year, they might also sell things like diaries, cookbooks and food hampers. Many customers can now place milk orders online. They can also pay their accounts by direct debit or over the internet. This makes life easier for the roundsperson and the customer.

When their round is completed, milk roundspeople return to the depot where they unload their vehicles and place the orders for the next day’s milk and produce. Some roundspeople then have to write up their daily accounts and records of stock sold, returned and ordered for future deliveries. Most rounds are finished by lunchtime on weekdays. However, administration has to be done later. Roundspeople often have to collect money from customers in the evening or at weekends. They could have to persuade some customers to pay their bills on a regular basis. They need to keep the float clean and tidy, and make sure that it is well maintained and in a good state of repair. Some roundspeople might wear a uniform, and layers of warm waterproof clothing in bad weather.

Personal qualities and skills

As a milk roundsperson, you will need to:

Be fit, healthy and reasonably strong; the job involves walking and heavy lifting.
Be out in all types of weather.
Get up very early in the morning, for example, 3.30 am.
Be well organised, efficient, reliable and responsible.
Enjoy meeting and talking to people, with a friendly, outgoing personality.
Be able to work on your own.
Have retail, stock control and business skills.
Be good at English and arithmetic; you’ll handle large amounts of cash and have to do your own accounts and paperwork.
Have good road sense and the ability to drive safely.

You’ll need a full driving licence.

Pay and opportunities

It is unclear from online data how much a milk roundsperson can expect to earn. However, the Modern Milkman offers £510 per week for six nights per week (more in London) and Milk & More offer around £28,000 per year for 48 hours over six nights a week.

Milk roundspeople work long hours. Very early starts, weekend work and work on public holidays are required. Some depots work a rota system such as a month’s work followed by a week off.

Doorstep milk delivery is a small part of the UK market, but it still provides a vital service to hundreds of thousands of homes each day. Demand for milk roundspeople is falling. There has been a decline in the number of milk roundspeople required, mainly due to competition from supermarkets.

Employers range from small independent dairies to large retail food chains. Milk roundspeople work in towns, cities and rural areas throughout the UK.

Opportunities occur for milk roundspeople to become self-employed, often through franchise arrangements, although this might involve investing significant amounts of money.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers, on employers’ websites, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

You can enter this career by applying directly to employers. Milk roundspeople need to hold a full driving licence.

Larger organisations sometimes run work-based training schemes. Trainees help in the work of several different dairy departments, as well as helping experienced staff with their rounds. Milk roundspeople who work on a franchise basis pay a fee to join. They are trained by the dairy and receive marketing support and holiday cover. Some dairies pay trainees a salary while they are learning. Dairy UK offers a range of training courses for members, including sales and marketing, health and safety, customer service and business training.

Milk roundspeople can progress by building up the size of their round, or by buying a bigger franchise. Some might progress to management posts at a dairy, for example.

Qualifications

No formal qualifications are needed for entry to this job. However, employers might prefer applicants to have GCSEs in English and maths. Other entry qualifications could include an Edexcel (BTEC) level 2 First qualification, for example. Milk roundspeople need to hold a full driving licence.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: it is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits. However, you will need a full driving licence to take up a role as a milk roundsperson.

Some entrants have developed relevant skills by dealing with the public and handling cash.

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