Delivery Driver Safety Tips

DELIVERY DRIVER SAFETY TIPS: LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

 
    • Be alert to vehicles that may be following you. Note vehicle and driver description. 
    • Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid areas that are not well-lit. 
    • If followed, do not exit your vehicle. Lock your doors and go to the nearest safe location and/or call the      police. 
    • Be alert to suspicious persons loitering around the delivery address. 
    • Don’t flash money during transactions. 
    • Make sure your car is in good working order. 
    • Don’t carry more than $20 cash, including personal money or whatever limit your business uses. 
    • Be cautious of delivery locations that appear unsafe (i.e. vacant areas, no lights, yard has not been maintained, etc.) When in doubt, do not leave your vehicle. Drive to the nearest safe location and call your store or return to your store to obtain further instructions from your manager. 
    • Carry yourself with authority-head up, back straight, walk confidently. 
    • If something does not look or feel right, do not make the delivery. 
    • Immediately return to your store or go to the nearest safe location. 
    • You should not be redirected to a different address or location after the original order is placed. 
    • Do your best to shine your headlights on the door of the house or apartment as you near delivery. 
    • Park your car as close as possible to the door of the delivery destination or park under a streetlight. 
    • Lock your car and take the keys. Don’t leave your running car unattended. 
    • Never walk behind a dark building, go to a side door or be called away from plain view by anyone  there. 
    • If someone approaches you, keep them at an arm’s distance away. 
    • If an emergency occurs, go to a safe location, then dial 911 and wait for the police to arrive. 
    • Carry a flashlight to illuminate the house numbers and dark areas. 
    • If you feel threatened and your car has a remote alarm, consider activating the alarm if you believe that     drawing attention to yourself would not jeopardize your safety. 
    • Know where you are going before you leave your store. It is widely recognized that the number one     cause of carjacking is a driver getting lost, stopping to ask directions, or stopping the car to look at a  map. 

IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF A ROBBERY, REMEMBER: 
    • Personal safety always comes first! 
    • Try to remain calm. Give the suspect any money or goods they demand. 
    • Assume that they are armed even if they do not display a weapon. 
    • Call 911 as soon as possible. 
    • Try to focus on remembering a good description of the suspect, the car, the 
    • plate number and direction of travel. 
    • After the suspect has left, lock yourself and drive to a safe place and call 911. 
    • Do not go to your next delivery. Remain close by to talk to the police. 
    • Ask witnesses to remain until police arrive or get their information. 
    • Trust your instincts. 

TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP YOUR DELIVERY DRIVERS SAFE: 
    • Provide all driver's with safety tip information from us.. 
    • Consider the driver’s safety and security before he or she leaves the store for their delivery. 
    • Always ask for a call back number for the customer and verify that number before the delivery. 
    • A list of all delivery customers, telephone numbers and the order or delivery should be on file before  the driver leaves the store to make any deliveries. 
    • Try to use a “Credit Card Only” Policy for all deliveries after 9 p.m. 
    • Delivery vehicles should have signs that read, “Drivers carry only a limited amount of cash” or “Drivers     carry no cash at all” or “Orders have been paid by credit card. Driver carries no cash.” 
    • Print the rules of delivery on take out menus for customers. (Maximum $10 in change, etc.) 
    • Allow drivers to wear regular clothes, not uniforms that make them look like delivery persons. 
    • For driver safety, avoid late night deliveries as much as possible. 
    • When making multiple deliveries to different addresses, drivers may need to make for frequent cash      drops at the business. 
    • Do not encourage drivers to carry weapons that could be used by a criminal against them. 
    • Equip drivers with cell phones. 
    • Consider NOT having a sign on top of the vehicle so as not to attract the wrong kind of attention to the     delivery driver and his vehicle as he/she makes the delivery