# Tips for Succesful Deliveries



## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

I figured this would be a good place to list some ways you have success as a driver. I know some people don't like to share their tricks for getting routes and that's fine but I feel like there's nothing wrong with us all shortening our drive time. 

1. I sometimes make my first delivery to the last stop on the route assigned by the app. In my area your last delivery is always closest to the fulfillment center in case you have returns. Since I recall only going back to the fulfillment center twice in my time driving, I try to make sure my last stop gives me a closer route to home.

2. I personally don't wait for door bell responses, especially in suburban areas. It is always a good idea to ring it though, to save time once I just put items outside the door without ringing and one lady opened her blinds and picked up her phone as if she was going to call the police as I walked away. I pointed to the box but she didn't come out to get it which makes me think she assumed I was up to no good. 

3. Don't over think packages that you are concerned are not in a safe area, I have been known to throw them over fences, put them in apartment patios etc. The key is to leave a "We missed you" sticky note that you can get from the fulfillment center. A thief will see your note on the door from a distance and assume you are coming back tomorrow, the resident will see its a note of where they can find their package. 

4. Kind of an obvious one but group your packages using the 2 letter,4 digit number on the top right. Lowest number is typically your first stop. 

5. Another given but don't kill yourself at huge apartment complexes running up and down stairs if you don't have to. See if the office accepts packages, group them into one delivery and then you only have to get one signature. 

6. This is my favorite. I think we can all agree support is usually unhelpful. Rather than calling them if you are in a rural area and it says your outside of the delivery area. Use the "GPS not connecting button" and mark it as delivered. 

Most of these are kind of common knowledge but when I started I took no shortcuts, called every individual the app said I was late delivering to (in our area 40% of the packages tell you to call the individual because the package is late) and always took 3.5 to 4 hours.


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## smallbrownghost (Apr 20, 2016)

Hey, real quick. Where is the "GPS not connecting" button. I've never seen it but occasionally get a stop that is marked wrong on the map and would like to have access to it.


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## CarmenFlexDriver (Jun 21, 2016)

Good tip about the "GPS not working" option when out of the delivery circle. I was using a much less efficient method of physically driving or walking into the circle. 

It can be found by touching the question mark in the top right corner. The same place you touch to enter a TBA or call support.


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## Sweitzeram (Mar 26, 2016)

Careful with dumping them all on the leasing office. Customers who are actually home are known to complain about that and is definitely frowned upon to not attempt to deliver directly to their door. I wouldn't be surprised if people have or will get deactivated for doing that. Also, dumping them all on the leasing office is partially why more and more just flat out don't accept any packages... Not a good practice in my opinion.


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## chefseth (Apr 26, 2016)

"GPS not working" seems to be the m.o. for the iOS app version. On occasion, the navigate button will appear, but sometimes it is a COD. Less than 50% of the time, does GPS indicate arrival on iOS, but closer to 80% with Android. I routinely use "GPS not working" and move along.

"GPS not working" option is also critical when you are doing HotWheels. Rather than travel to the Distro center, I will head directly to central location of participating restaurants. I use "GPS not working" to indicate I am online and ready for restaurant deliveries. Saves 15-30 minutes of travel time. This hack was suggested by one of the Distro handlers.

Along a similar vein, I have noticed drastic differences in suggested itineraries between iOS and Android routing. As a matter of fact, iOS had me traveling 10 miles N, 10 miles S, 10 miles N, etc. Android itinerary was routed logically, enabling me to complete route ahead of time.


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## detsoob (Jun 16, 2016)

My tip...

Always check the address of the boxes given to you.
I always get one or two that are not in the area or same zip code I am delivering in.
They are on the other side of town so I just tell the guy or gal and give them back no problem.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Sweitzeram said:


> Careful with dumping them all on the leasing office. Customers who are actually home are known to complain about that and is definitely frowned upon to not attempt to deliver directly to their door. I wouldn't be surprised if people have or will get deactivated for doing that. Also, dumping them all on the leasing office is partially why more and more just flat out don't accept any packages... Not a good practice in my opinion.


Not true at all, leasing offices are well known for taking fed ex, ups and sometimes even usps for tenants. Places either have a policy to accept packages or they dont.

Our job is to get them to a safe location. Apartment deliveries are the hardest to make in my opinion, unlike homeowners where you commonly find a house wife. Apartment dwellers are rarely home in the middle of the day anyways.

We are an independent contractor. Our job is to get the job done. I've gotten a warning for a package I delivered being stolen, but never for not leaving a package with a receptionist.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

smallbrownghost said:


> Hey, real quick. Where is the "GPS not connecting" button. I've never seen it but occasionally get a stop that is marked wrong on the map and would like to have access to it.


It will only show while you are en route., not after you have scanned the package. Click the help button in the top right corner and one of the options will be "I'm not here but my GPS is not working." After that you can scan the package and make a delivery.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

detsoob said:


> My tip...
> 
> Always check the address of the boxes given to you.
> I always get one or two that are not in the area or same zip code I am delivering in.
> They are on the other side of town so I just tell the guy or gal and give them back no problem.


Yes, so today I rejected my first package for being "out of the way", the girl at the warehouse admitted it was a sorting error and took it back. The guy in charge said it should have been at another loading dock. That driver had already left, I assume they put it on another driver but I wasn't going to accept it .

I also turned away my first packages this week. Tuesday I and another driver showed up and we're assigned the same dock. He had a big subaru and I have a small toyota so they had me go to a dock with less packages. It's crazy how at my location they send you to a dock without knowledge of what you're driving, some people come in big vans, some in two door coupes. However people with smaller cars get to leave packages.

I noticed the people with vans and suvs don't have that luxury. I don't have a coupe I have a sedan but today I was at about 48 packages (many huge) and my car was full. I told them that was too many and ended up leaving some boxes. They didn't bat an eye.


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## Sweitzeram (Mar 26, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> Not true at all, leasing offices are well known for taking fed ex, ups and sometimes even usps for tenants. Places either have a policy to accept packages or they dont.
> 
> Our job is to get them to a safe location. Apartment deliveries are the hardest to make in my opinion, unlike homeowners where you commonly find a house wife. Apartment dwellers are rarely home in the middle of the day anyways.
> 
> We are an independent contractor. Our job is to get the job done. I've gotten a warning for a package I delivered being stolen, but never for not leaving a package with a receptionist.


OK.. Let me know how that goes.. Ever wonder why ups and FedEx attempt to deliver right to apartment doors first? Just because you're an independent contractor doesn't mean you can do whatever the **** you want.. You'll get an email saying something like "customers expect packages to be delivered directly to their doors and of that's not possible then to a neighbor or leasing office".. Get a couple of those and you're done.. Read the agreement you signed.. You don't live up to customers expectations you are good as gone.


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## Sweitzeram (Mar 26, 2016)

And honestly rather lazy... It's really not much more work.. Take a picture of the map at the entrance or go inside and get a print-out and plan the deliveries in the complex accordingly.. As a customer I would be pissed if my delivery driver just dumped my package at the office without coming to my door first.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

[QUOTE="Sweitzeram, post:You'll get an email saying something like "customers expect packages to be delivered directly to their doors and of that's not possible then to a neighbor or leasing office".. Get a couple of those and you're done.. Read the agreement you signed.. You don't live up to customers expectations you are good as gone.[/QUOTE]

I have been driving a long time and have gotten no complaints about using a leasing office. You can spend the extra minutes climbing stairs of apartments and trying to figure out which building is "J" I feel much better leaving them in a safe place. The leasing office people even sign for the packages.


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## detsoob (Jun 16, 2016)

Here are a couple more..

Now this is up to ones personal preference.
When I deliver house to house and not crossing a busy street I don't put on my seat belt because I am constantly going in and out of my car now when I cross a busy street or go a long way I always put on my seat belt.
I also of course leave my car on except in apartment buildings which are a pain in the ass.

Today it was hot as hell so I kept grabbing the next delivery box and had it ready to scan in the nice cool comfort of my car before going out
I usually go around the car and look for the box order when I arrive at the house.


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## detsoob (Jun 16, 2016)

When your scanning your boxes you can scan the tba bar code or the QR code (abbreviation for Quick Response Code)


They are the same.
For example if the sticker on the box has a crease on the tba bar code and does not let you scan then you can scan the QR code and vice versa.


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## Sweitzeram (Mar 26, 2016)

Yes.. Barcode is usually much faster but if I see a big crease I go straight for the qr code.


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