A comprehensive guide to training delivery drivers, covering customer service, software education, safety protocols, and proper loading techniques to ensure efficiency, safety, and positive customer interactions.
It takes more than simply learning how to drive to be a delivery driver. It’s also about being responsible for the packages they’re responsible for and providing outstanding customer service.
The behaviour of your last-mile delivery drivers accounts for a significant portion of your company’s reputation. Negative reviews, terrible word of mouth, loss of revenue, and years of hard work can all be for naught if one driver misbehaves.
That’s not all; you must also guarantee that your drivers drive safely, follow the routes as directed, and deliver things in good condition. This is why every final mile delivery company should invest in delivery driver training.
This article intends to serve as a comprehensive reference and a delivery driver training checklist to assist you in understanding the best practices for training delivery drivers. Your drivers will require four different forms of training. These will be explored further down.
This is the most crucial training for becoming a superb delivery driver. Because delivery driving is a customer-facing job, your drivers must be nice and attentive to clients’ requirements. Nobody likes a grouchy delivery person to bring their package.
Did you know that many customers, according to a survey, consider delivery experience when making their next purchase decision. In fact, after only one unsatisfactory delivery experience, 16 percent said they would take their business elsewhere.
As a result, modules emphasizing customer-oriented service training must be included in your delivery driver training program.
Your drivers should be held accountable not only for the things they deliver, but also for how they treat your customers. Instead of creating problems, teach them how to overcome them if they emerge.
Simply put, ensure that your delivery driver training program contributes to the growth of positive online stories about your delivery drivers. It will only help your last-mile delivery company’s reputation.
The Google Maps route planner is great for getting from point A to point B, but it’s not so great for delivering to several destinations. As a result, unlike driving an Uber, you can’t make your delivery drivers rely on Google Maps to deliver to multiple locations.
To build well-optimized routes with correct driving directions from one location to another, you’ll need a robust route planner like EasyRoutes.
Furthermore, the multi-stop route planner should not have a steep learning curve, and your drivers should be able to use it effectively to maximize the benefits.
They must, for example, be able to use a route planner to get turn-by-turn directions, take photos as proof of delivery, and of course to mark orders as delivered.
Safety training is possibly the most crucial item on this list. To safeguard the safety of your customers and safeguard your company’s reputation, it’s critical to choose drivers with a calm and patient demeanor.
The following items should be included in your delivery driver training program:
Other sorts of fundamental safety driver training you should provide include ice road driving, collision prevention, and hard cornering.
Also consider that long-haul truck drivers and local courier delivery drivers would require different levels of safety training.
You can also utilize an intelligent driver training system to track your drivers’ driving behavior, customise and assign training classes based on their needs, track their progress, and ensure that they’re learning what they need to know.
However, as much as it is their obligation, you are also responsible for the safety of your delivery drivers. It can be exhausting to drive great distances to deliver products. As a result, make sure they have enough rest and time off from their driving employment. Again, a sophisticated route planner tool can assist.
EasyRoutes, for example, has a Time per Stop fuction that allows you to factor in a driver break into already scheduled routes. You can include breaks after a certain amount of time on the road or servicing customers, a certain number of visited places, or the route’s predetermined elapsed duration.
This may sound insignificant and apparent, but you’d be amazed how many customers send in complaints every day because their things were mishandled during delivery.
Your delivery driver training program should cover how to properly load and unload orders into the truck to avoid damage. A little extra work and time devoted to ensuring that things are delivered correctly can go a long way toward earning customers’ trust and loyalty.
Hopefully some of the above tips help you as you consider your delivery driver’s training.
Whether you want to save time planning routes for your drivers, improve the number of stops they can make, or keep your clients happy by ensuring that your drivers arrive on schedule… EasyRoutes is here to help! Learn more at the Roundtrip website.
Roundtrip's mission is to equip every business with the software tools they need to deliver products to their customers in a delightful way. Thousands of Shopify merchants worldwide choose EasyRoutes to power their local deliveries across dozens of product categories, from meal kits and groceries to coffee, cupcakes, kibble, and so much more. Our easy-to-use route planning and delivery optimization app is certified Built for Shopify, a two-time Shopify staff pick, and the top rated local delivery app on the Shopify App Store.
