delivery driver

project manager

business manager

software engineer

demand planner

Ocado Group

I've been with Ocado for 5 months now as a CSTM (Delivery Driver) out of Leeds / Birstall and there are aspect i enjoy and aspects that i really don't enjoy.  On the whole, i like the actual job as i'm out and about on my own, seeing different places and meeting new people, and unless something drastic happens during the shift, i'm pretty much left alone. It took me a while to get used to the shifts, sometimes you start dead early (5.30am) and finish early afternoon and then the following week, you'd start at 13.30 and finish late at night. Luckily, you get to know your shifts 3 months in advance so you know what you're doing. And if you want it, there is usually plenty of overtime on offer. At the start of your shift the van is pre loaded (as long as everything is running on time) so all you do is check it over and then get in and drive. The deliveries are all in timed slots and sometimes you end up running late so this could potentially stress you out. But we're delivering shopping, not performing brain surgery, so as far as i'm concerned, if i'm running late then so be it. Customers aren't really that bothered as long as you keep them informed. You do get some awkward addresses to deliver at but you also get some fabulous ones too. In wet weather, it can be a miserable job but when the suns out, i can't think of a better job than driving! You have a device called a DANI to help you with navigation and also to scan the totes as you deliver them. Most of the time, the details are accurate but you do get occasions where the Sat Nav is massively off course. Also, it helps to add notes to the DANI if you have an awkward delivery or you find something that would help other drivers in the future. Not every driver has the foresight to do this though sadly. There are tote carts in the vans but sometimes it isn't practical to use these and you have to revert to old fashioned carrying of bags. They aren't particularly heavy but you need to take care of how you lift them.  Now for the aspects i'm not so keen on. The vans have dash cameras (for safety) and also cameras in the cab and in the rear pod (to watch what you're doing). So if you sneeze, cough, scratch your nose or take your hands off the wheel for any reason, expect to be pulled into a meeting to explain your actions. This may sound petty but it really is what happens and its things like this that take the shine off what could be a really fun job. Ocado have a culture, at Leeds anyway, of penalising good drivers for the silliest things. You are given a warning if you deliver to a customer so much as 5 minutes early, (even though the customers are absolutely fine with it), Your phone records are checked to make sure you've kept customers informed if you're going to be running late, you need to check every inch of you van before departing and make sure even the tiniest scratch is recorded, otherwise you will be blamed for it when it is check back in at the end of your shift. And if you get checked in by a Marshall who is a bit miserable (which is about 85% of them actually) then you can bet your life they'll find some damage that you didn't do.  In my 55 years I've only ever worked for 4 companies prior to Ocado and i've always felt a sense of security, loyalty and value with them. Sadly, this is not the case at Ocado. I don't feel valued at all, at the start of every shift i wonder if this is the day that i get sacked for wearing the wrong coloured socks or something. And i really feel no love or loyalty to them which is a feeling i really don't like. It's unfortunate that they place no real value on hard working, loyal staff and consequently this has an impact on the morale of the drivers. Every shift, i hear drivers complaining, not about the job itself, but about the company and its strange policies. I've seen guys get sacked for the silliest reasons, but Ocado can do this because there seems to be a constant revolving door of new people wanting to join so the shifts are always covered. As for management, they are frankly laughable. It seems they are there just for the title and not because they have any ability to actually manage anything. I doubt if any of them would be able to cope in a management role in any other industry. You can become a 'manager' here as long as you promise to stick to the Ocado script and never ever deviate! And the same goes for drivers, if you have a reasonably clean licence and can spell your own name then, congratulations, you've got yourself a job! I was hoping to stay here until i retire at 60 years old but after my experience here,  i really don't think my self respect will allow it and i'm now on the lookout for something else. So to sum up, if you're desperate for work and can drive, then give it a go. But just treat it as a job and if you can stomach all the bureaucracy that goes with it, then maybe you'll be alright. Personally, i can't wait to leave and forget that i ever worked there. 

My 10 months at Ocado was enough to remind me, how these companies think paying 9.50 for a night shift is acceptable in London. 
 Twelve hour shifts leave you all over the place, no contract offered even thought the temporary ones we signed stated after 12 weeks contracts would start being offered. Also was a part of the Operations support team, and was getting paid the same as a personal shopper despite being able to work in any area, and having specialist training on their system from higher ups in Andover and Hatfield. 
 
 Lower management are getting paid 35-40k a year, and act like boys posturing for no reason, whilst some being good at people management, and some good at warehouse management, they have no IT background and expect people with good ideas and an IT background to be spoon fed, by someone who doesn't have the qualifications to be doing the job. 

 A prime example of who you know rather than what you know. Many of the higher up managers are in their late 50's and early 60's and are not only not fit to run a technological enterprise like an Ocado CFC that diversifies and upgrades with every new instance, but are also not fit enough to do so its the biggest automated warehouse in Europe and someone a few years off retirement simply can't keep up. The management is full of incompetent and lazy characters with the few that genuinely cared long giving up. The night shift is expected to do the same work with half the staff [as always] and get £1 extra per hour over day shift. If you need to get some money quick do 6 months here, any more and you'll be sorry, not an equal or worthwhile venture its an old mans tech company not a young mans and they are too low to adapt so they keep partnering with other companies overseas to mitigate their losses in the UK and bolster the stock prices but the truth will out, they will earn some money but not the peoples respect the next wave of morally depraved retail giants.

Also going the extra mile and genuinely trying to put in, and help the company so you can earn a respectable position in the infrastructure isn't possible. at a few points each week, we had operations managers and all other managers at some point on shift asking us to train them in some aspect of their job because Ocado didn't provide this very well, or at all. was never rewarded or acknowledged for this. They have an employee of the month and other rewards, however these also just get passed to people the managers like and most are given to dayshift managers. Onsite canteen food was similar quality to something I'd expect a child to make, made several of us Ill and we were not paid for any sickness regardless to the fact we all knew why.

The food in the canteen was prepped by the day shift and left on the sides until put out on night shift. The heaters didn't heat the food so anything after 30 minutes was cold. 

Nothing about this site or company should make you want to work here.Except if you know nothing about IT and are good at being a teachers pet, and lying.

And despite all of this We we're still agency staff mostly self trained from the google drive, at certain points we all but ran certain areas of the operation, and we we're rewarded with nothing but being underpaid by the agency and ignored by Ocado.

Convenient that the customers only see the drivers, because any customer who saw how the staff we're treated, wouldn't be happy with what a weekly shop costs.

Staff doing same position I did for 10 months are being paid £13-15 an hour in Hatfield and Andover I got paid £9.50 an hour. Some are even salaried earning 25k+ a year.

If you really need money and are willing to sacrifice pretty much your whole social life, then this job is for you. However, there are a number of caveats... 

Silly morning hours - 5:30 starts which, if you live more than 25 minutes away, you're gonna be waking up at 4:30. 

No social life - Because of said hours and the fact your shifts are scattered, you basically have no time to have a social life. And the time you do have off you're tired because you woke up at 4:30 the morning before.... 

Another thing is you don't really have any incentive to be friendly with anyone you work with. You clock in, check your van number on a screen, then start your route, so there's not really any time at all to talk to your fellow drivers however, in my experience, most of them just complain about the job when there's time to talk. 

Also expect to be rushing around a lot. On a 10 hour shift, you have to go out, return to the depot, fill up, and go out a second time. Sometimes you get very easy routes and it doesn't take too long and you get back early and paid (which is great) however, this rarely happens and most of the time you're rushing around trying to get to customers on time. Depending on your load, you may also have 900+kg of shopping to deliver on EACH route, which can be tough if you're un-fit or a bit older. 

Delivering for Morrissons - Another thing which wasn't disclosed during the application process was that since 2014, Ocado have also been delivering for Morrissons. The only problem with this is that they cover different areas and have a slightly less afluent customer base, meaning a lot of the time you're lugging really heavy boxes of items up multiple flights of stairs. Most of the time this is in London, meaning you're most certainly going to be behind on your route in traffic, and of course, there's nowhere to park (oh and if you get a parking ticket, you have to pay it yourself). Lastly, I don't know why but it seems the Morrissons packing policy allows more weight per tote, meaning they're even heavier than the Ocado totes. Once I had to drop 9x3 packs of 2 litre water up 2 flights of stairs at 11:30 at night. 

The morale at Ocado. Most people dislike working for the company but won't speak up in fear of being fired. A lot of people come and go as they realize how mentally draining the job can be, and Ocado also fire a lot of people for minor issues.
Lastly, there's a weird hierarchy where as a delivery driver, you're pretty much at the bottom, followed by the Marshalls who check in the van and then the managers who sit behind a menacing desk and deal and speak to you only if they need to. Literally, they don't even look at you or smile back at you, it's a bit weird. 


I'm not gonna complain and say it's the worst job in the world, but it's definitely not fun, and most certainly not rewarding. It's just shopping, that's it. You drive a van and deliver shopping to customers. 


Ultimately this is an alright job for above-average pay. It's highly unlikely you'll enjoy your time here but if you do I wish you the best. 


There is a major disconnect between what the CEO wants, and what is really going on within training and on the call floor.

Training started off strong, it was a great first impression of the company and had an initial relaxed vibe. I had no negatives in my first few days. 

It seemed like, once the higher-ups disappeared for the month, training went down hill and we went through 4-5 different trainers in the space of 2 weeks, with variable competencies between the trainers. The big knock-on effect here was the new trainers not knowing what the previous trainer covered (or how well it was covered to begin with). Costs were cut in training, but they could have fitted more content in a shorter period, as a lot of the time was spent messing around and very little work done. A lot of people in my group felt that this time wasted could have been better spent on more call listening or call taking. 

This is not a great experience for new employees and although they are definitely some strengths to the training, you end up feeling unprepared and thrown into your teams.

On the floor, it is luck of the draw as to which manager you get and which team. Luckily, I had a great manager and there are definitely other great managers. However, it does feel like a school in certain teams, and not everyone is on board with regards to the core company values. 

HR are responsive before your start date, but once you are there you will receive little or no response from them. I will say that the training department did make some adjustments for me when I missed training days. There seems to be no care in regards to giving people the shifts they applied for. A lot of people in my team felt uninformed and not happy about this, or shifts changed without notice or without care to their circumstances.

My experience is bittersweet as I say, as there are some seriously skilled, helpful, and good people that work here. They need to communicate and set expectations better for their employees. In some regard, it is 'do as I say, not as I do' at the moment.

I hope the current CEO and head of customer service can make the changes needed to get to where they need to be, and deliver a better, more consistent training experience. They need to invest more in the training to instil the confidence in their advisors.

You have some super quick training for 2 days then your out on the road delivering. 
Been there a few months and still not been spoken to by a manager, which is a bid odd. Honestly could clock in, do my delivering then clock out and not say one word to anyone there.

Supposed to start you off with less drops and easy routes. By my second delivery day I was in Sheffield,Barnsley, Huddersfield and Doncaster all in one day with 28 drops. Sometimes no time for a 20 minute break unless you want to fall behind on deliveries. Which can have a snowball effect and make for a stressful day. 
Worst part is when you need toilet.
Finding one can be a nightmare depending on where you are.

The actual job is easy.
The device (d.a.n.i) in the van tells you where to go in your preloaded van. It then tells you what boxes (totes) to scan.
You then deliver to the customer. 

It could be a really nice job if you had time to talk to the customers but the timing for drops is so tight you have to be a little robotic in your manner. 

On your training you get information overload. It's not complicated but I found somethings like manually scanning when the codes are wrong I had to learn on the job.

Like I said it's not hard, however I feel another training day after a few days delivering would help clarify a few incidents you come across and need to rectify. 

Just remember, don't try and problem solve a problem. Just ring the office and let them deal with it. Any issues, just pass it off to the managers. 

Always check your van before setting off for your shift. I take photos even though I don't think your supposed to. Just to cover my back because they will try to pin damage to the van on you. It's hard to see every scratch and dint at 5.30 in the morning. 

You will be delivering for Morrisons and Ocado. So far it's been a 50/50 split.

I prefer Morrisons for 2 reasons.
A more friendlier customer from my experience and easier to find houses.

Sometimes with Ocado you have to take your 3.5 ton van into middle earth with tiny 'roads' to find some mansion named ' The Bothered Carp' at 11pm in pitch black dangerous conditions. 

The job is OK if it's a starting block for a future career in delivery driving. 
But if I'm still here in a couple of years I will be disappointed in my life choices. 


Like any job, Ocado has its pros and cons.

Let’s start with the good bits. The job is easy. You show up, get told what van to drive, the routing is all done for you, you pretty much just get in, press a button and drive. A lot of the time, it’s not difficult to be running ahead of schedule, and (unless it’s changed since i left), as soon as you finish your drops, you go back to depot, go home and still get paid until the time your shift ends. Management generally don’t bother you if you’re getting the job done, and don’t ask questions if you decide to take a break on the road, stop off for food etc etc. Driver notes on the system makes finding the hard-to-find addresses a lot easier.

Now for the not so good bits. There’s so many drivers there coming and going (bad at keeping staff) that you don’t really get to make friends at work… you see different people most days. The ‘’marshalls” see themselves as managers (even though they are not) and tend to try laying down the law and talking to drivers like dirt. Seen many occasions myself where drivers have called marshalls out for how they’re speaking to them, only for the driver to get punished for causing an issue. Many people have walked out because of their attitudes. They all walk around in groups like they own the place and rarely talk to drivers on breaks, feels like they’re looking and talking about you.

 Most days the deliveries are fine. The Ocado routes are often lovely, being sent up to the north east coast to nicer areas. easy to navigate, rarely any awkward flats etc, can have your break by the sea. However the Morrisons routes (especially the turnaround routes on 10hr shifts) are dreadful. Heavier than the Ocado routes, worse areas, lots of top floor flats with no working lifts with a whole weekly shop to carry up the stairs, and you do 2 runs per day on these routes. 
The DANI (scanning/satnav device) you get given to use are awful. Maps often has no idea where to go, tries sending you down footpaths and bridleways multiple times per day, and frequently chooses to send you the longest route to your destination for no reason whatsoever. The pay is pretty much minimum wage but I guess that’s a trade-off for being paid for the full shift when you finish early. 

Training starts of with two days in the classroom learning about customer service,challenge 25,manual handling.your first shift is with a new starter and you go out together,after that your on your own doing the deliveries.for the first 4 weeks the routes are easy and enjoyable you will be taking half a van load out and returning to the depot up to 2 hours early.after 8 weeks the job is brutal,you have to do two full van loads with weights on both 900kg so you are delivering 2 tonnes of shopping per day.after your shift you will be exhausted, dehydrated,and stressed.they say they build time in to the route for toilet breaks but it's not true if you go find a toilet you are behind on route.there is cameras all over the van and anything like coughing yawning sneezing you will be pulled it to office,its hard to belive but its true.managers are terrible you can speak to them they ask you your name and the  next time you speak to them they don't know who you are,it's very strange how management works its almost like they have been trained to be distant from drivers.in training it clearly said to carry 1 tote at a time,however this is not possible as deliveries are worked out on previous drivers so you have to carry 2 totes  to have any chance of staying on time.The turnover of staff is unbelievable every day you return from your fist run there is a new intake of staff being trained,most of which quit within the first month,I personally have been there 5 months and out of 12 of us im the only one still there.its real shame how much work they put on drivers because it would be a really good job if the loads were lighter,don't apply for a job here if the workload doesn't get to you the company will.

It might seem like these comments come from a frustrated individual and that the reality surely can’t be this bad. But you need to know that I worked for this company for over 4 years—a long time, especially considering most employees leave within a year.

During those 4 years, I witnessed numerous changes, and unfortunately, every single one made the job worse: you’re expected to do more for less. The year 2024 was the final straw for me—it became painfully clear that management doesn’t care about drivers and completely disregards their input.

While the job might initially seem straightforward, the reality is far harsher. You’re faced with excessive workloads, no breaks, constant time pressure, and even basic issues like a lack of toilet access. Working a 4x10-hour contract means 40-46 deliveries per day, split into two rounds, often with loads of 800-950kg each. The company’s planning is chaotic, they ignore drivers' feedback, and navigation systems fail to consider traffic, leaving you constantly behind schedule. Breaks are sacrificed, and you’re expected to carry heavy loads up multiple flights of stairs without exceptions.

As a driver, your opinions don’t matter. Managers offer nothing but hollow corporate advice, ignoring the real challenges of the job.

This is an exhausting physical job in all weather conditions, with driving being just one of the many stressful tasks. If you value your health and well-being, do yourself a favor—look for something better.



I have only been here for 3 months but almost everyone in my training class has left. You clock in and do your deliveries, Some days you get sent far like bexhill, dover etc. The drops are not often easy and especially at night they can be very dangerous routes with the weather. They sometimes send you on like 20 deliveries in one day and it can be quite difficult. Lots of driving and then heavy lifting will strain your physical health.  And the shifts are crazy on the rota 1 week you will be starting at 7am and then the next you start at 3pm, you cant get fixed shifts apparently theres a 5 month waiting list. you can get fired very easily even without a 1 weeks notice. Probation is 3 months and they can extend it how ever, whenever. Other drivers are nice people, they get your struggle. And apparently most of the marshalls or management were once drivers as they prefer to promote internally, but i dont know how true this is.

But on the plus side you can get the hours in with this job, other places provide part time but here there is guaranteed 40 hours minimum which i like. Yeah its minimum wage but just get the job done go home you get the pay check weekly. 

Overall, stable hours, over time available. Dont need an interview, training is provided. but poo place to work man honestly. Those long drivers in the craziest roads really make you question your life choices.  

Good managers that understand the stuff that happen. Worst routes in existence sometimes, I was once sent to Telford and the route was horrendous, I'm on one hill next to the destination, called the customer and turns out the Dani (GPS) took me to the wrong hill. Tries to make me down roads that no longer exist as well. Vans are in no condition to be driven except the new ones, they should have reverse cameras on them to be able to see behind yourself. They don't mention that you have to drive for Morrisons as well in the job description until you are on your first day, waste of time in my opinion and deception, should be reported for false job description. At least you should get extra pay or have a different contract when working for Morrisons. 
What else, Ah when the system goes down and your late because you have to do paper or GPS is taking you to wrong places because it doesn't work as it should, the lateness is your responsibility and goes on your record when it shouldn't be and should be companies responsibility. 
The new system to have an app on your personal device for your business is just stupid, like give us a work smartphone for that. I like keeping my personal phone to have storage for apps for my own personal space, it just feels like invading your personal space. 

Overall, great people. Bad system, bad way of handling stuff, not improving a GPS that apparently had over 1000 updates, invading privacy on phones with apps and whoever makes those routes are just slapping stuff together like a 2 year old playing lego for the first time. 

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