Delivery Driver Helper

Start Your Day with Purpose

As a Driver Helper at Upper Lakes Foods, your day begins early—often before sunrise— as you partner with a Delivery Driver to ensure customers across the Upper Midwest receive the products they need. From independent restaurants and schools to assisted living facilities and regional chain accounts, you help deliver food products safely, accurately, and on time.

Throughout the day, you'll work side‑by‑side with the driver, assisting with unloading products at customer locations using hand carts and truck ramps. You'll help organize deliveries, move products efficiently, and ensure orders arrive in excellent condition. Your support is essential to keeping deliveries on schedule and meeting customer expectations.

Product quality and order accuracy are critical to success in this role. You'll work in a variety of environments, including refrigerated and freezer compartments, while helping maintain food safety standards. You'll verify customer orders by comparing invoices to delivered products, ensuring shipments are complete and accurate. In addition, you'll assist with temperature monitoring and required documentation to support food safety compliance.

Safety is at the core of everything we do. Before and after each route, you'll help perform vehicle inspections, identify maintenance concerns, and ensure trucks and trailers are operating safely. During deliveries, you'll assist with securing loads, navigating delivery locations, and maintaining a clean and organized vehicle. By following company safety policies, DOT regulations, and proper lifting techniques, you'll help create a safe environment for yourself, your teammates, and our customers.

As a Driver Helper, you are a direct representative of Upper Lakes Foods. You'll interact with customers throughout the day, providing professional, friendly, and respectful service. Whether answering questions, assisting with deliveries, or helping resolve minor concerns, your positive attitude and commitment to customer satisfaction help strengthen the relationships that set Upper Lakes Foods apart.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys physical, active work and being part of a team. You'll spend much of your day standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling products in a fast‑paced distribution environment. The role frequently requires lifting up to 50 pounds and occasionally more than 60 pounds, making physical stamina and safe material‑handling practices important to success.

No previous experience is required to begin your journey as a Driver Helper. We provide an opportunity to learn the food distribution industry from experienced professionals while developing valuable delivery, warehouse, and customer service skills. For individuals interested in growing within the organization, this role can serve as a pathway toward obtaining a CDL Class A license and pursuing a career as a Delivery Driver.

Driver Helpers typically work 4–5 days per week, Monday through Saturday, with start times ranging from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM. The position involves working both indoors and outdoors and in varying temperatures, including refrigerated and freezer environments, while supporting delivery operations throughout the region.

At Upper Lakes Foods, you'll join the largest independent wholesale food distributor in Minnesota, serving customers from our locations in Cloquet, Northfield, and Janesville. Our success is built on the values that guide everything we do:

• Strong Work Ethic – We believe in hard work, perseverance, and reliability.
• Positive Attitude – We encourage flexibility, optimism, and teamwork.
• Integrity – We act with honesty and consistency.
• Teamwork – We achieve more by working together.
• Professional Appearance – We take pride in presenting ourselves professionally.
• Respectful Interaction – We foster a safe, positive, and respectful workplace.