We asked delivery workers the worst things people do during the holiday season — here are 8 habits to avoid
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- According to Shipmatrix, 3.4 billion parcels are expected to ship in the US this holiday season.
- To manage, UPS announced it would hire 100,000 seasonal employees. Fedex brought on 90,000, and Amazon hired 150,000.
- Insider asked delivery drivers around the country how customers can ensure their work runs smoothly.
The holidays are always an especially hectic season for package delivery drivers, and this year is already stacking up to be even more intense due to supply-chain logjams, port backlogs, and increased COVID-19 concerns related to the new Omicron variant.
Here at Insider, we asked UPS, FedEx, and Amazon delivery drivers what consumers can start and stop doing to make their work lives a bit easier. They asked to only be identified by their first names to protect their identities.
Here's what they said.
Don't ask us what's in the box
According to the couriers we spoke to, "What's in the box?' is the most common question people ask when handed a delivery.
"How would I know? You ordered it!" joked Jason, a longtime Connecticut-based UPS package delivery driver.
"Sometimes people don't want to accept the package or even touch it if they don't know what it is even though it's got their name on it, which often causes delays," said another UPS veteran named Cliff, who's based in New York.
So whether it's an unexpected delivery or you've made so many purchases you simply can't keep track of all of them, the simple fact is your driver has no idea what the contents of your package are and is just trying to deliver it to the intended party. If that's you, there's only one way to find out what's in the box: Take the package off their hands and go inside to open it, letting them return to their route.
Don't hide or refuse to open the door when you see us coming, because your package may require a signature
Maybe you're practicing social distancing or perhaps you're just having a bad hair day, but running inside when you spot a delivery driver or not answering the door when you're home can delay what is already a very full workday.
"If I'm knocking at your door, you should assume I need a signature," said Steve, a veteran North Carolina-based FedEx delivery driver. "It's a waste of both our time when I ring the bell and knock and you won't open up or stand on the other side of the door watching me from the peephole"
After a few minutes, Steve said he'll resort to filling out a door tag stating that he attempted to make the delivery but was unable to get the required signature. That's when he says all of a sudden people come running out of their homes saying: "I'm here, do you require a signature?"
"We see you peeking outside your windows watching us, so please just open up and sign for your package and we'll be on our way," said Cliff, who added that he constantly witnesses people spot his truck coming up the driveway and run inside.
If you ask nicely, we might help hide your packages from your kids or even significant others
Cliff said that at the request of one housewife on his route, he delivers all her packages into the trunk of her car, which she leaves unlocked expressly for this purpose. He's not sure what she's hiding or even who she's hiding it from, but he's happy to oblige.
Being a parent himself, Cliff knows the importance of keeping holiday presents under wraps, so if he's delivering a package where it's obvious what the actual gift is — like a toy with the picture of it featured on the box or a bike or even a kayak with a label slapped on the side of it — he'll let the parents know and sometimes even help hide the package so as not to ruin the surprise.
Jason said he too will hide packages or store them in a car or truck for the owner if they ask him to. He does, however, draw the line at going inside a person's home, which he told Insider is against company rules.
"If an elderly person needs assistance, I'll make every effort to slide the package inside enough so they can close the door," he said. "But I always keep one foot outside the door for safety purposes."
You may consider your dog friendly, but for everyone's safety, please don't let your pet loose
"A driver never wants to deal with a dog if they don't have to, even if you consider your dog to be friendly," said Joe, an Amazon delivery driver based out of rural Michigan.
So while dog owners constantly tell delivery drivers how friendly their dogs are, getting bitten or cornered by these so-called "friendly" dogs is a common enough occurrence that it's best to keep pets inside or in the backyard.
Within seconds of being told a dog was friendly by its owner, an 80-pound Boxer bit Cliff's arm as he made a delivery, breaking through his skin and requiring him to get a Tetanus shot.
Jason told Insider he's been pinned down by "friendly" dogs twice on the job and nipped at on three separate occasions.
Make sure your house or apartment numbers are visible
All the drivers we spoke to stressed the importance of making sure your home or apartment number is visible to the naked eye, even at a distance, for obvious reasons.
Cliff shared two helpful tips that may not be so obvious, in fact, he admits he's even guilty of one of them.
While we understand some people's preferred interior design aesthetic might lean toward having neutral house numbers on their front door, these can be impossible to see from a distance of a truck or van and be even non-existent in the dark.
"I've even seen house numbers the same shade as the house itself, which is always a real challenge," Cliff said, adding that these design flaws can turn a delivery into more of a hunting expedition in terms of trying to locate an address. "Brown numbers on a brown house! No, thank you."
Also, if you have a mailbox, make sure your house number can be seen from both sides of the road. Cliff admits his own mailbox only has his house number on one side of the box, which isn't ideal. Deliveries might be by car or foot at times, so you should have both directions covered.
A similar rule of thumb also goes for apartment dwellers, who should ensure their unit number — and name, if possible — is marked legibly on their mailbox for ease of delivery.
While Joe said GPS is usually pretty good, he told Insider that drivers need to visibly see the delivery address before dropping the package off. You'd be surprised how many people don't have addresses anywhere, he said.
Clear your walkway, driveway, and stairs so there's a clear path to your home or entrance
No driver — or anyone, for that matter — wants to worry about slipping on snow or ice though Joe admitted it comes with the territory of being a delivery driver. All the drivers we spoke with agreed a clean, shoveled walkway and driveway are always appreciated.
To be extra cautious, make sure to clear a path to your front, back, or side door to ensure the safety of all packages — and more importantly, the people delivering them.
Be considerate and leave an outside light on
With the days getting darker earlier in some regions, be sure to turn an outdoor light on.
Leaving a light on helps ensure the safety of the drivers and can speed up the delivery process, allowing them to move on to their next delivery sooner.
Drivers need to scan the package barcode before making the delivery, according to Joe, and it doesn't work unless there's light.
Cliff told Insider his suburban route lacks street lights and lampposts, which he said prevents him from seeing two feet in front once it's dark, so outside lighting is critical.
Don't put us in compromising positions
Steve told Insider that several years back while delivering Christmas packages, a lady answered the door naked.
"Obviously, she expected someone else," laughed Steve, who said he managed to make the delivery with a smile, wish the woman a "Merry Christmas" and head back to the truck where he had himself a good laugh.
Steve isn't the only one. Cliff too has been greeted by people in different stages of undress while making deliveries, which is less than ideal.
Additionally, drivers say people ask them to do things completely unrelated to their jobs. Cliff told Insider he doesn't mind lending a helping hand when he can, but it shouldn't be expected.
"It amazes me that adults will hand me their stamped letters and when I explain I work for UPS and am not a mailman and cannot accommodate their request, they throw a hissy fit," he said. "I've changed lightbulbs, carried air conditioners, and even hung screen doors, but I draw the line at taking on the mailman's job in addition to mine."
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