Last mile delivery box truck work, and how final mile pays

Last mile delivery box truck work is the other half of the box truck world. Freight hauling moves pallets between businesses; final mile moves the couch to the living room, the refrigerator to the kitchen and the shelving to the store. It is route work, it usually keeps you home every night, and it is run by delivery networks and contractor programs with their own rules. This guide explains what final mile work is, how the big contractor programs work according to their own pages, what it requires and costs, and how it compares with freight.

What final mile work is

"Final mile" or "last mile" is the last leg of a delivery: from a warehouse, store or delivery station to the customer. Box trucks get the jobs that are too big for a car or small van:

• Furniture and mattresses, often with a two-person crew and inside delivery
• Appliances, sometimes with installation or haul-away
• Building materials and supplies to job sites and homes
• Large and heavy parcels from e-commerce networks
• Retail store deliveries from distribution centers

Most final mile box truck work is local, booked as a route of many stops in a day, and needs a liftgate.

Contractor programs

FedEx Ground pickup and delivery

FedEx Ground uses independent companies, called service providers, for much of its pickup and delivery. FedEx's contracting FAQ, checked October 21, 2026, says:

• Who can contract: only independent businesses organized as for-profit corporations. FedEx says it does not contract with LLCs, LLPs, sole proprietorships or partnerships.
• Employees: service providers hire and manage their own drivers as their employees, including payroll, benefits and compliance.
• Vehicles: providers supply their own; FedEx does not lease vehicles to service providers. Box trucks and straight trucks are among the vehicles used for pickup and delivery.
• Territory: each provider may hold one contracted service area per station per agreement, made up of ZIP codes or street ranges.
• Pay: based on stop and package volume, paid weekly.
• Term: agreements typically run one to two years.

In other words, the FedEx Ground model is a small delivery company with employees and a fleet, not a single owner driving one truck.

Amazon

Amazon runs several programs. For box truck freight carriers with their own authority, the relevant one is Amazon Relay, which accepts 26 ft and 16 ft box trucks with tuck-under liftgates and has its own authority, insurance and safety requirements. See Amazon Relay for box trucks.

Retail, furniture and appliance delivery networks

Many retailers and logistics companies contract box trucks for home and store delivery. Terms vary widely: some pay per stop, some per day, some per route; most set uniform, scanner, crew and liftgate requirements. Read any agreement carefully; our box truck contracts guide lists the red flags.

Requirements and costs

Final mile programs usually ask for most of these, and each one is a cost:

Requirement	What it usually means for you
Business structure	Some programs require a corporation and W-2 employees
Truck	Often 16 to 26 ft with a liftgate; clean, sometimes branded
Insurance	Auto liability and cargo at the program's limits, often general liability and workers' comp
Authority	USDOT and MC if the work is interstate for-hire; check the program
Crew	Two-person crews for furniture and appliances
Equipment	Pallet jack, dollies, blankets, straps, sometimes a scanner or app
Schedule	Set start times, days and service area
Background checks	For drivers and helpers entering homes

The biggest costs to price in: the truck, insurance at program limits, a helper's wages if you need one, fuel for many short stops, and wear from constant liftgate use. Work out what a day really costs with the box truck cost per mile calculator, then compare it with the program's per-stop or per-day pay.

Final mile vs freight loads

	Final mile delivery	Freight loads
Who you work for	A program or retailer	Brokers and shippers, load by load
Typical day	Many stops, local	One or a few loads, local to regional
Pay	Per stop, route or day	Per load, negotiated
Predictability	High, set schedule	Lower, market-driven
Home time	Usually every night	Depends on lanes
Control	Program sets rules	You choose loads
Labor	Often a helper, inside delivery	Mostly dock or liftgate, driver only
Best truck	16 to 26 ft with liftgate	26 ft, liftgate optional

Neither is better for everyone. Route work suits owners who want a fixed schedule and can manage a crew. Freight suits owners who want to choose their loads and can handle a less predictable week. Many small fleets run both: one or two trucks on routes, the rest on freight, and route trucks pick up freight when a route ends early.

How to get into last mile delivery with a box truck

1. Decide the model: a one-truck operation taking local delivery contracts, or a small company with employees aiming at a program like FedEx Ground.
2. Set up the business with the structure the program requires. Some require a corporation, not an LLC.
3. Get the right truck, usually with a liftgate, and the equipment for inside delivery.
4. Insure to the program's limits before applying.
5. Apply to programs and approach local furniture, appliance and building supply stores directly.
6. Price from your costs per stop and per day, including a helper.

For freight work instead, brokers are the usual starting point; see freight brokers that work with box trucks and where box truck loads come from.

We dispatch 26 ft box trucks on freight, not delivery routes. If you run final mile and want a 26 ft truck working broker freight on off days or after routes end, our box truck dispatch desk can keep it loaded.