The unprecedented mass walkout by DPD drivers that began on October 7th is causing exactly the chaos you’d expect when a significant portion of the UK’s delivery network downs tools simultaneously.
Service disruptions are now affecting hundreds of postcodes across England as self-employed couriers refuse to accept the devastating pay cuts being forced upon them.
What makes this situation particularly significant is the scale and coordination of the action.
This isn’t a few disgruntled drivers at isolated depots calling in sick, it’s a genuine nationwide protest by self-employed contractors who are risking their livelihoods and contracts to make a stand against pay cuts of up to £80 per day.
The Postcodes Facing DPD Delivery Delays
DPD has been forced to acknowledge “service disruption” across multiple English counties, with the following postcodes currently experiencing delays:
| County | Delay (Days) | Affected Postcodes |
|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire | 1 day | MK40 1-3, MK40 9, MK41 0, MK41 5-6, MK41 9, MK42 0-9, MK43 0-9, MK44 1-3, MK44 5, SG19 1-9 |
| Bedfordshire | 2 days | LU1 1-9, LU2 0-8, LU3 1-3, LU4 0-9, LU5 4-6, LU6 1-2, LU6 9, LU7 0-2, LU7 4, MK45 1-9, SG15 6, SG16 6, SG17 5-9, SG18 0-1, SG18 9 |
| Berkshire | 1 day | RG1 1-2, RG1 4-7, RG1 9, RG30 1-2, RG30 6, RG30 9, RG4 5-9, RG40 1-2, RG40 5, RG40 9, RG45 6-7, RG45 9, RG6 1, RG6 3-6, SL1 0-7, SL1 9, SL2 1-2, SL2 4-5, SL3 0, SL3 3, SL3 7-9, SL4 1-2, SL4 5-9, SL5 0-5, SL5 7-8, SL6 0-7 |
| Buckinghamshire | 2 days | HP15 6-7, HP15 9, HP16 0-6, HP16 9, HP5 1-2, HP5 9, HP6 5-6, HP7 0-9, HP8 4, MK1 1, MK1 9, MK10 0-1, MK10 7, MK11 1-2, MK11 4, MK12 5-6, MK13 0-9, MK14 5-7, MK15 0, MK15 8, MK16 0-6, MK16 8-9, MK17 0-9, MK19 6-7, MK2 2-3, MK3 5-7, MK4 1-4, MK46 4-5, MK5 6-8, MK6 1-5, MK77 1, MK7 6-8, MK8 0-9, MK9 1-4 |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 day | CB1 0-3, CB1 8-9, CB2 0-1, CB2 7-9, CB22 3-4, CB22 6-7, CB23 1-8, CB25 0, CB25 9, CB3 0-1, CB4 0-3, CB5 8, PE19 0-2, PE19 6-7, PE27 3-9, PE28 0-5, PE28 9, PE29 1-7, PE29 9, PE8 4-6, PE8 9 |
| Cheshire | 1 day | SK1 1-9, SK14 1-5, SK14 8-9, SK15 1-3, SK15 9, SK16 4-5, SK2 5-6, SK2 9, SK3 0, SK3 3, SK3 9, SK4 1-3, SK4 5, SK5 6-8, SK6 0-9 |
| Cleveland | 1 day | TS19 0-1, TS19 8-9, TS20 1-2, TS21 1-4, TS22 5, TS23 1-4, TS24 0, TS24 4, TS24 9, TS25 1-5, TS26 0-9, TS27 3-4 |
| County Durham | 1 day | DH1 1-2, DH1 4-5, DH6 1-5, DH7 0-9, DH97 1, DH98 1, DH99 1, DL16 6-7, DL16 9, DL17 0-9, SR7 0-9, SR8 1-5, SR8 9, TS28 5, TS29 6 |
| Cumbria | 1 day | LA9 4-7, LA9 9, LA12 0-9 |
| Derbyshire | 1 day | SK13 0-8 |
| Devon | 2 days | EX35 6 |
| Dorset | 2 days | DT9 3-6, DT9 9, DT10 1-9, SP7 0-9, SP8 4-5, SP8 9 |
| East Sussex | 2 days | TN5 6-7, TN19 7, TN31 7, TN32 5, TN33 0, TN34 1-3, TN35 4-5, TN36 4, TN37 6-7, TN38 0 |
| Hampshire | 1 day | GU51 1-5, GU51 9, GU52 0, GU52 6, GU52 9 |
| Hertfordshire | 2 days | AL1 1-5, AL3 4-8, AL4 0-9, AL5 1-5, AL5 9, AL6 0-9, AL7 1-4, AL7 9, AL8 6-7, AL9 5-7, AL10 0-8, EN77 1, HP1 1-3, HP1 9, HP2 4-7, HP3 0-9, HP4 1-3, HP23 4-6, SG1 1-9, SG2 0, SG2 7-9, SG3 6, SG4 0-9, SG5 1-4, SG5 9, SG6 1-3, SG6 9, SG7 5-6, SG8 0-1, SG8 5-9, SG9 0-9, SG10 6, SG11 1-2, SG12 0, SG12 4, SG12 8-9, SG14 1-3, WD99 1 |
| Kent | 2 days | BR4 0-9, BR6 0-1, BR6 7-9, CT4 5, CT4 7, CT9 1-2, CT9 4-5, CT10 1-3, CT15 4-7, CT17 0-9, CT18 7-8, CT19 4-6, CT20 1-3, CT21 4-6, DA7 4-6, DA9 9, DA10 0-1, DA10 9, DA13 0-9, DA17 5-9, ME9 0-9, ME13 0, ME13 9, ME14 1-3, ME14 5-9, ME15 0, ME16 0-9, ME18 5-6, TN2 4-5, TN9 2, TN11 0-9, TN12 7-8, TN15 0-9, TN17 3-4, TN18 4, TN23 1, TN23 4, TN24 0-9, TN25 4-7, TN26 1-2, TN27 0-9, TN28 8, TN29 9, TN30 6-7 |
| Lancashire | 1 day | BB0 0-9, BB7 0-9, BB9 0-9, BB12 0-9, BL0 0-9, BL1 1-8, BL2 1-6, BL3 1-3, BL3 5-6, BL7 0-9, BL8 1-4, BL8 9, BL9 0-9, BL11 1, LA1 1-9, LA2 7-9, LA6 1-3, M1 1-7, M2 1-2, M2 4-7, M3 1-3, M3 5-7, M4 1-7, M5 0, M5 3-5, M7 1-4, M8 0-2, M8 5, M8 9, M9 0, M9 5-7, M11 0-3, M12 0-6, M13 0-1, M14 0, M14 4-7, M15 4-6, M16 0-8, M18 7-8, M19 0-3, M24 0-2, M24 5-6, M25 0-3, M26 1-4, M26 6, M34 0, M34 2-7, M35 0-5, M40 0-4, M40 7-9, M43 0-7, M45 0, M45 6-8, M60 0-1, M60 4-9, M61 0, M99 1-2, OL1 1-4, OL1 9, OL2 5-8, OL3 5-7, OL4 1-5, OL5 0-9, OL6 0, OL6 6-9, OL7 0-9, OL8 1-3, OL9 0-7, OL9 9, OL10 1-3, OL11 1-5, OL12 0, OL12 6, OL12 8-9, OL13 0-9, OL14 5-9, OL15 0, OL15 8-9, OL16 1-5, OL95 1, PR3 0-9, WN2 1-5, WN5 0, WN5 7-9 |
| London | 2 days | SE28 0-9 |
| Merseyside | 1 day | CH42 0-9, CH48 0-9, CH49 0-2, CH49 4-5, CH49 8-9, CH60 0-9, CH61 0-4, CH61 6-9, CH62 0-5, CH62 7-9, CH63 0-1, CH63 3-4, CH63 7-9, L1 0-8, L3 0-3, L3 5-9, L7 0-9, L9 0-6, L9 8, L12 0-8, L13 0-3, L13 6-9, L18 0-2, L18 4-5, L18 8-9, L20 0-6, L20 8-9, L31 0-1, L31 4-9, L33 0-4, L33 6-9, L36 0-8, L37 0-1, L37 4-6, L37 9 |
| Middlesex | 1 day | TW3 1-2, TW3 4, TW4 5-7, TW11 0-1, TW11 8-9, TW12 1-3, TW12 9, TW15 1-3, TW15 9, TW18 1-4, TW18 9, TW19 5-7, UB3 1-5, UB3 9, UB7 0, UB7 7, UB7 9, UB8 1-3, UB8 9 |
| Norfolk | 1 day | IP24 1-9, IP25 5-7, IP26 4-5, NR21 0-9, PE30 1-9, PE31 6-8, PE32 1-2, PE33 0-9, PE34 3-4, PE35 6, PE36 5-6, PE37 7-9, PE38 0-9 |
| Northamptonshire | 1 day | NN8 1-6, NN9 5-6, NN10 0-9, NN14 1-6, NN15 4-7, NN16 0, NN16 6, NN16 9, NN29 7 |
| Northumberland | 1 day | NE22 5-7, NE23 0-1, NE23 6-8, NE24 1-5, NE24 9, NE62 5 |
| Somerset | 2 days | BA20 1-2, BA20 9, BA22 7-9, TA24 5-7 |
| Suffolk | 1 day | IP27 0-9, IP28 1-9, IP31 1-3, IP32 6-7, IP33 1-3, IP33 9 |
| Surrey | 1 day | GU23 6-7, GU24 0, GU24 8-9, KT8 0-2, KT8 8, KT13 0-9, KT14 6-7, KT14 9, KT16 0-9, KT23 3-4 |
| Tyne and Wear | 1 day | DH4 4-7, DH4 9, DH5 0-9, NE1 1-7, NE2 1-4, NE3 1-9, NE4 5-9, NE5 1-5, NE6 1-9, NE7 7, NE8 1-3, NE9 5-7, NE9 9, NE10 0, NE10 8-9, NE12 2, NE12 5-9, NE13 6-9, NE18 0, NE19 1-2, NE20 0-2, NE20 9, NE25 0-9, NE26 1-9, NE27 0-9, NE28 0, NE28 5, NE28 8-9, NE29 0-1, NE29 7-9, NE30 1-4, NE31 1-2, NE31 9, NE32 3-5, NE33 1-9, NE34 0, NE34 6-7, NE34 9, NE35 0, NE35 9, NE36 0, NE36 9, NE37 1-3, NE38 0-9, NE82 6, NE83 7, NE85 1-2, NE88 1-2, NE92 1, NE98 1, NE99 1-2, NE99 4-5, SR1 1-3, SR2 0-9, SR3 1-3, SR4 0, SR4 6-9, SR5 1-9, SR6 0-9, SR9 9, SR43 2-4 |
The sheer breadth of affected areas demonstrates this isn’t just a localised problem at one or two depots, it’s coordinated industrial action happening simultaneously across England.
When Self-Employed Contractors Risk It All
The courage required to participate in this walkout cannot be overstated.
These aren’t traditional employees with union protection and job security, they’re self-employed contractors who could face immediate termination of their agreements with DPD for refusing to work.
The fact that drivers across such a wide geographic area have chosen to walk out anyway speaks volumes about how devastating the proposed pay cuts truly are.
When losing up to £80 per day becomes preferable to accepting the new rates, and when drivers are willing to risk contracts they’ve built their livelihoods around, you know the situation has reached breaking point.
The geographical spread of the disruption, from Tyne and Wear down to Kent, from Lancashire across to Norfolk, reveals this is a genuinely coordinated nationwide action rather than isolated pockets of discontent.
DPD’s attempt to justify the cuts by claiming increased parcel volumes would offset lower per-parcel rates has clearly failed to convince the people who actually do the work and understand the mathematics of their daily earnings.
What This Mass Walkout Means for Your Deliveries
If you’re waiting for a DPD delivery in any of the affected postcode areas, prepare for delays ranging from one to two days beyond the original delivery date, though the reality could be considerably worse as backlogs accumulate.
The company’s service update page confirms disruptions but provides little detail about when normal service might resume, which suggests even DPD doesn’t know how long this will drag on or how many drivers will continue the action beyond the initially planned October 7-9th timeframe.
For customers in the affected regions, this represents yet another example of how courier company decisions to squeeze their workforce inevitably hit the people waiting for parcels.
DPD wanted to cut costs by slashing driver pay and scrapping the £500 Christmas bonus that many relied on, and customers are now paying the price through delayed deliveries and missed commitments whilst drivers risk everything to make their voices heard.
Want to know more about delivery companies and how they’re performing? Check out our courier information section or browse our retailer guides to see which delivery companies your favourite shops are using.
