Driver Partner application process
Summary
Driver Partners are the face of Starling and we’re committed to their success every step of the way. We offer Driver Partners routes we think they’ll enjoy and excel with, and we’ve created a transparent application and supportive onboarding process to help with that. This article outlines what drivers can expect from the moment they submit their application to drive for Starling.
Step 1: Apply to drive
First thing’s first, apply to drive on the Starling website by booking an interview and sharing the requested information. You will receive an email confirmation.
Step 2: Driver Interview
We’ll call you for a short interview – please ensure you’re available to receive the call at the time you selected. We receive many Driver Partner applications and may move on to the next application if you are unable to answer.
Note: Your Caller ID may list us as an unknown contact when we call you. Don’t worry, that’s us!
During the interview, we’ll tell you about our company and take the time to get to know you, and your delivery capabilities and preferences. This is also your opportunity to ask us any questions you have.
After the interview, we enter your details into our Driver Partner database.
Starling accepts drivers into its Driver Partner fleet when there is a consistent match between delivery demand and a driver’s delivery preferences and capabilities. So, you may not hear from us right away. But when you do, it’s because we can offer you delivery routes that better meet your needs with greater stability.
Step 3: Driver onboarding
When we are able to add you to our Driver Partner fleet, you will receive a text message from Starling’s Driver Support team with information on the next steps. It will look something like this:
Intro message: Hey X, this is Starling. We recently spoke during our driver interview. We have a trial route available for X date. Are you interested in moving forward?
Onboarding message: Hi [NAME], congrats! You’ve been added to Starling’s Driver Partner fleet. We can’t wait for you to get started. Watch for a text message from Onfleet inviting you to download the Onfleet Driver mobile app – it’s how we manage deliveries with you. Your temporary password is: XXXXXXXXX. Once you download the app, you’ll need to change your password, go ‘On Duty’, and select the “All” button to see routes assigned to you.
Please complete all necessary onboarding tasks in a timely fashion.
Step 4: Trial route offer
Once you complete the onboarding tasks, we’ll offer you a paid trial delivery route.
Whenever we offer routes, we provide the following details:
Start time and location
End time and location
Total kilometers of the route
Total number of stops on the route
Total compensation for completing the route
Generally, you can choose to accept or decline route offers. While there is no penalty or metric tied to declining an offer, consistently accepting and successfully completing routes will reflect positively on you as a reliable driver.
At this stage, as we are still evaluating your fit as a Driver Partner, we do expect you to accept the trial route if you are still interested in driving for Starling. You can expect this route to be shorter than a typical route.
Note: If you can’t commit to the route right away, just let us know you’ve received our message and let us know what date you would be ready. We can’t always wait until that date, but by responding to us, it lets us know you’re still interested.
Step 5: Complete the Trial Route
When you drive for Starling, real people from our Driver Support team are always available to answer your questions. For your trial route, you get extra-special VIP treatment.
On the day before the trial route begins, the Driver Support team will call you to:
walk you through the full route.
answer any questions, whether it’s help with the Onfleet Driver app or anything else.
On the day of the trial route, our Driver Support team will:
send a morning check-in message to ensure you’re ready to go.
monitor your progress.
proactively reach out to you if they notice something is wrong.
give you priority support if you contact them.
If the trial route is successful, we will add you to our Driver Partner fleet and will begin sending you route offers.