Tag: delivery driver news

Unruly Van Drivers Give Us a Bad Name

Posted on by News Desk

Stop. Please, stop. You know who you are. 

This week, we’ve heard of quite a few instances that have been rather… Well, out of the ordinary. Let’s start off with one that’s perhaps slightly more light-hearted.

Asda Delivery Driver Down in the Dumps

Yet another viral video has been doing the rounds across the internet involving an unfortunate van driver. 

This time, it isn’t in favour of the delivery driver either, unlike this lucky fella.

Let’s cut to the chase. When we’re referring to ‘dumps’, we mean a very certain kind. Try it as a verb, and in the colloquial sense. Yep, it’s true. 

This unlucky delivery driver for Asda was caught doing his business (a number 2, to be precise) OUTSIDE A CUSTOMER’S HOME. No, we’re not kidding. He even had a handy roll of toilet paper sat on the front seat of his van. Makes you think, doesn’t it? Does he make a habit out of this? We truly hope not.

Although he thinks he may have got away with it, the poor driver was unaware he’d been filmed by the customer. And so, he went viral across various social media channels. Asda picked up on it, of course, and is now trying to locate the driver. 

Be honest. Is it you?

Bolting from the Police in Bolton

Look, if you fancy yourself as one of the drivers in the Fast and Furious, it’s best to hire out a car and take it to a track. What we don’t recommend, is using your van to try to run from the police, of all people. 

This bold driver from Bolton tried to get away from the police and ignored all signs to stop. We don’t think that’s what the manufacturers had in mind when they made Ford Transit Vans, mate. No wonder he got caught.

Naturally, the van driver has been fined and had points added to his licence. Next time, we recommend just renewing your licence, and perhaps you won’t be stopped. So, let’s not go getting any ideas, yeah?

Good Van Drivers Keep Reading

If we’ve got you thinking about your licence and how it may need renewing soon, then hey, you’re already in the right place! 

We have the cheapest van insurance deals here for you. Begin by completing this quick 3-minute form.

There’s Another Battle: Now It’s Royal Mail Versus Amazon.

Posted on by News Desk

Perhaps not quite the battle of the century like motorists versus e-scooters. but this one’s still worth mentioning. 

Especially if you’re a delivery driver. Except, we guess it’s not really a war. To put it simply, Royal Mail is making an attempt to win customers over from Amazon by introducing a new scheme offering timed delivery slots.

You might be one of the customers who choose to shop with Amazon due to their brilliant delivery options. Same-day delivery? Yes, please! Perhaps you’re one of the van drivers who end up darting about all over the place, in an attempt to get the deliveries in on time.

Now, if you’re working for Royal Mail, you may find yourself racing against time, just like Amazon drivers.

Customers will be offered a choice from a 3-tier system:

  • You have your bottom tier: this is where Royal Mail get to decide when to deliver your parcel
  • There’s got to be a middle tier: the customer will pick a delivery day, along with where the parcel should be left
  • And of course, the equivalent to Tesco’s Finest. You have the top tier: the customer gets to pick the day PLUS a delivery time

Better slap your seatbelts on, because we anticipate this will be a popular scheme for Brits. Of course, we can’t know for certain what the pricing costs will be like just yet. This will also inevitably depend on the size of the parcel, and/or how many have been ordered. Just like Amazon, it’s safe to assume a top-tier delivery option will result in a higher cost. 

Will customers be willing to switch? 

A recent survey from a popular newspaper saw results that suggested that consumers had more trust in Amazon deliveries than that of Royal Mail. On-time deliveries are naturally important to customers, and it seems Royal Mail doesn’t seem to have a good track record. 

With the significant increase in e-commerce sales due to Covid-19, many delivery companies have found themselves hiring more and more van drivers. Were you one of them? How do you feel about these additional delivery options? Perhaps they make no difference to you at all, or maybe you’re sick of racing from house to house. 

Until the new tiers launch, we can’t be sure. What we are sure of is cheap van insurance. See just how cheap we’re talking by simply filling out the form right here.

£17k for using your home toilet? Every little helps…

Posted on by News Desk

Okay, so Tesco is not paying their delivery drivers £17,000 to use their home toilets, unfortunately.

If they were, well then sign my partner up, because I’m certain he would end up bankrupting the company.

I’m sure all delivery drivers have been there.

You’ve still got a couple of deliveries to go, and you’re suddenly bursting to use the loo.

What do you do when these situations arise?

Especially if you work for Tesco, whose vans have tracker systems fitted.

This means they can check up on you every 5 minutes or so, alongside monitoring your speed and location.

Well, for one Tesco delivery worker, his solution was his home toilet.

Nothing too crude here, thank you.

This week’s tale fuels itself with justice and a hefty £17k package.

Tesco’s Scottish branch awarded Billy Fitzsimmons £17k in compensation after his unfair dismissal.

Due to his ailments, he required to use the toilet far more than your average person.

An employment tribunal ordered Tesco to pay Mr Fitzsimmons for not taking his medical problems into consideration.

His employer penalised him for using his toilet at home, even though he only stopped by between deliveries.

After discovering these stops, his boss learned about his urinary tract infection and enlarged prostate, which required urgent restroom access.

However, Tesco bosses claimed they were not aware that Mr Fitzsimmons also experienced incontinence.

Although they were aware of his other illnesses.

Unfortunately, he’d also had to visit home on some occasions to change. 

After conducting his business at home, Mr Fitzsimmons would wait in his delivery van until he had to drop off groceries to the next client.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

Deliveries were always made in a timely manner, and not a single person ever made a complaint against him.

Discrimination against disability isn’t a joke.

Fortunately for Mr Fitzsimmons, the judges agreed with him.

Hopefully, many of you will not have faced an illness or a situation like this, but I’m sure we can relate to needing the toilet after a long drive.

We wish Mr Fitzsimmons the best, and if he ever requires cheap van insurance for another role, we’re here to help!

DPD CEO Dismissed Amid Controversy: What It Means for Drivers

Posted on by News Desk

E-commerce has surged in the UK, and with it, DPD has grown rapidly.

Chief Executive Of DPD Waves Goodbye

But if you’re a van driver for DPD, you may be caught off guard by the latest news about the company.

This week, Dwain McDonald, the CEO of DPD, has reportedly been dismissed.

In his place, Yves Delmas is stepping in temporarily until a permanent replacement is found.

Why was McDonald let go?

An internal investigation claims his departure is due to “personal conduct reasons.”

Shocking News For DPD Staff

McDonald has held the chief executive role since 2008.

For many at DPD, the news came as a complete shock.

They were informed by an email from Yves Delmas.

The message stated McDonald’s departure was effective immediately but offered no further explanation.

McDonald’s Long Tenure With DPD

Though he’s leaving, McDonald’s career at DPD has been substantial.

He joined the company back when they still called it Parceline.

At just 22, he started as a sales executive and worked his way up.

Over the years, McDonald earned a £1 million annual salary, a sign of his loyalty to DPD.

Past Controversy Resurfaces

In 2018, McDonald faced scrutiny when a recording surfaced.

In the recording, he admitted to breaking the law.

He claimed he used his mobile phone to photograph a DPD van while driving on the motorway.

For a CEO of a delivery firm, this raised eyebrows.

The Covid-19 Surge In Demand

As the pandemic unfolded, demand for delivery services skyrocketed.

Many Brits, facing layoffs or redundancy, applied for delivery driver roles.

With a surge in online shopping, DPD promised to add 6,000 more delivery drivers to keep up.

DPD: A Delivery Giant In The UK

Did you know you’re part of one of Europe’s largest delivery firms if you’re a driver at DPD?

DPD has 68 locations across the UK.

Each year, it delivers over 250 million packages for some of the biggest retail brands.

The company’s scale is immense, and so are the expectations.

As DPD moves forward, the search for a new leader begins.

DPD uses over 8,000 delivery vehicles, so is your van one of the 8,000 needing cheaper van insurance?

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