"I Once Delivered Pizza To A Funeral": 30 Delivery Drivers Share Their Weirdest And Most Awkward Stories From The Job

"The weirdest thing I’ve encountered was having to deliver an urgent delivery of several bags of groceries, in pouring rain. It had been raining all day, but the moment I picked that order up, the windshield became impossible to see out of. This was at a very busy rush hour time, with a good amount of traffic. What was weird was that the defrost wouldn’t clear up my windshield. So the only space I had to see was the very small half-circles that my wiper blades left clear near the bottom of the windshield. After the delivery, the windshield cleared up," delivery driver Smithson shared one of his experiences with Bored Panda. 

We were very interested to hear his thoughts about what makes for a great delivery driver. Smithson told Bored Panda that adaptability, politeness, knowing the area, and patience are key and help separate the great from the good. And it's vital that you take good care of your vehicle!

"A great delivery driver is one that can be highly adaptable to different situations, on the road, during pickup, as well as drop-off. Anything can happen: you could get in your car to go deliver and find that it needs emergency maintenance, while you have orders inside. That’s one instance that can happen, and if and when it does, the customer may, or may not understand," he said that drivers ought to always be prepared.

"So to avoid being stuck in a jam like that, keep your vehicle in properly maintained condition. Have a spare tire and repair kit if possible, as well as extra fuses, a bottle or two of engine oil, and antifreeze, just in case the unforeseeable happens. Know what types of wrenches you will need to perform minor emergency maintenance, or at the least that someone that knows how to do so if you cannot, can use to assist you in case someone pulls over to assist."

Deliverer Smithson said that he's been in situations where things were unpredictable even after keeping the vehicle maintained. "At the least, you can only hope that nothing takes your vehicle off of the road for the day. It’s better to be prepared for the unexpected in any event," he said.

"Knowing the lay of the area that you will be delivering in is something that cannot be stressed enough, whether it is an urban or rural area. Some routes can be simple, with many clear ways to go back and forth. Others can be very unforgiving, where one wrong turn could set you back minutes, forcing you to have to go well out of your way to reorient yourself, and get back onto the right route. I personally take the time to look at an overview of the areas I know I’ll be delivering in when I’m not delivering. I try to cover a radius of five to ten miles outside of hot areas, just in case the drop-off is further away than anticipated. I have had drop-offs be more than 40 minutes away, even with the fastest route option selected, and driving with a little extra gusto!"

Smithson noted that being polite is key when dealing with businesses that you pick up from, as well as the customers you deliver to. "I have had more than one place tell me that they have dealt with drivers that are rude, and unwilling to communicate at all when they arrive. Essentially, they want to just barge in, pick up the order, and rush to drop off. This usually always ends badly. The wrong orders can be picked up or only part of them. Sometimes there are specific instructions that the customers have sent to the establishment that they would like the driver to be aware of," he said.

What's more, Smithson pointed out that not all communication happens through whatever app you may be using. "Some businesses use a software system of their own, that works in tandem with a delivery app like Uber, for example. Also, they will typically contact the business by telephone to express their concerns to the department that handles the packing, and organizing of the orders going out to delivery. There’s a lot to this: it’s a lot of work, not just physical," he stressed the fact that great delivery drivers know that excellent communication skills are a large part of the job.

"That includes being able to jump into a team role quickly in every place you pick up from, even if it is just for the duration of the pickup, and drop-off; every single time you pick up any delivery from any location," the delivery driver told Bored Panda. "Some individuals want to be a delivery driver, because they want to work alone, with no contact with anyone. If that is the case, being a delivery driver is not the right profession for them, with all due respect!"

Something else that's vital is having patience "in spades." It's all part of the job. "Traffic can cause delays, and orders might be canceled by the customers. Pickups could be enormous, some even involving multiple trips back and forth from the store or restaurant. Anything can happen. If you happen to damage one of the items, the store might expect you to come back and switch it out for an undamaged item, and complete the order! You cannot just expect every delivery to be quick, and simple. Eventually, you will get one that surprises you, you just have to keep an open mind and be prepared for that possibility."

Next, make sure you're always prepared. Make sure you have a good cellphone with the best possible coverage. "You have to be able to be reached, and have service when things get hairy. Also, spare charge cables, and a portable battery pack charged in advance are a great help," Smithson said. "You do have to look out for your well-being, so make sure you use your device's flashlight for night deliveries in dark spots, and watch your surroundings, of course, your step!"

At the core of working as a delivery driver lies professionalism. Smithson says that it's imperative to conduct yourself with the utmost professionalism, "whether it’s in transit, pickup, or drop off of ordered goods. It goes a long way, and keeps your stress level down. Also, keep in mind that you’re representing the parties involved, even if it is just for the duration of the delivery!" He added: "Don’t forget to love what you do, it just creates positive energy, and is an all-around good approach to your work!"

Bored Panda also wanted to get delivery driver Smithson's take on how the changing economic situation is affecting people. "Well, now with inflation rising, ordering delivery, I can imagine, is an option that many are re-thinking. That is a blow to anyone that relies on delivery as a main source of income, like myself, or the thousands of undocumented workers in France that have been let go in UberEats’s massive crackdown recently, despite previously welcoming them en masse," he commented about the delivery industry around the globe.

"There are many that were barely making it by, with delivery as a main source of income. I know what it’s like. I am in dire straits financially myself. With UberEats teaming up with Nuro for the next ten years to have robots deliver goods, I anticipate that the landscape of delivering food will be drastically different, and uncertain for human drivers in the future. It’s disheartening to think of that. We will see how this affects us, sooner or later. For now, we hang on and do our best. I’m doing my best. I have to continue to remain optimistic. We all do."

One thing that life has taught us is to always expect the unexpected… and that the Universe has a sense of humor. We’ve seen way too many strange things to believe that they happen purely by chance.

On the flip side, people are simply strange enough as they are. Interact with enough of them and you might see a side of humanity that’s not so apparent to others.

Though we as human beings crave stability and predictability (with just a small dollop of surprises along the way), life is inherently unpredictable. Like it or not, we will have to deal with unusual situations, both positive and negative, throughout our lives. Learning to weather them, adapt to them, and learn from them, then, becomes an important set of skills for us to have.

Psychologist Lee Chambers told Bored Panda recently: “As human beings, we have a desire for certainty and routine that keeps us feeling safe and able to plan what lies ahead in an organized manner. When unpredictable situations or accidents impact us, it can be traumatic, and we will likely feel a sense of disappointment, frustration, and loss.”

He continued: "It is important however that we embrace the fact that the world can be unpredictable and uncertain, and become more tolerant of this being a reality. Understanding that things are sometimes out of our control helps us to accept that not everything goes to plan, and accept when things happen to us that are negative. This acceptance allows us to embrace the change and difference, and manage our expectations so we can become more resilient to the ups and downs that all our lives lead."