From ‘PO Box Gran’ to ‘Mrs Sunshine’... a day in the life of a parcel delivery driver

THE M.E.N. FIND OUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GO ROUND THE HOUSES OVER CHRISTMAS

HUNDREDS of parcels are flying across Greater Manchester as Christmas Day approaches.

As delivery drivers are asked to work seven days a week, and faced with delivering two to three times the normal load because of demand, the M.E.N. went out with a Hermes worker to find out what it’s like.

“This job is not for the fainthearted,” he said as we set off, “It took weeks to get used to the round.”

When the driver, who describes himself as self-employed, first started, it took six hours to deliver 40 parcels. Now, he can do the same number in an hour and a half.

As we hurtle round street corners, he stops, leaps out of the van, runs to the house, gives the customer a parcel, rushes back and sets off.

“If I walked this would take twice the time,” he said, “It hurts when I run though. I broke my toe as a kid and sometimes when I run it dislocates.”

We follow an invisible preplanned route, etched into his mind, visiting regulars and new customers.

“This one’s a shopaholic,” he said as we pulled up by a large house.

“She orders so many clothes. We come here every week and it’s always two or three boxes at a time.”

Rounding a bend, we approach another house with a neat manicured lawn.

“That’s where Mrs Sunshine lives,” he said leaping out the van. “She was sunbathing every time we delivered this summer.” The next customer was known as ‘PO Box Gran.’ “She never orders from Hermes,” he said. “But all her grandchildren do and they send the packages to her.” Hermes drivers courier items for retailers across Europe – part of the booming, but controversial, gig economy. The biggest customers are Next, ASOS and Boohoo, said the driver, but Superdry is starting to send more Hermes delivery driver with them. The packages are almost always delivered to middle-aged and older women, although there is the occasional man.

“I call this one posh Porsche,” he said. “He’s got this electric Porsche in his driveway.”

When customers aren’t in, he always leaves the package in a safe and dry place, photographs it, and puts a note through the door. This has included under a turtle, behind a lion and even in a Wendy house. One customer lets him sign for their packages and leave it in the garage.

If a package is smashed or damaged he asks the customer before sending it back.

On this round it is the second attempt to deliver some drinking glasses, broken again.

“We tried to deliver this mirror once,” he said. “I picked up the box, heard it tinkle and thought no way am I going to deliver that.”

They tried to re-deliver three times, each time the mirror was broken.

“The customers are lovely,” he said. “Some even give you wine at Christmas.”

He’s only had one problem when he parked over someone’s driveway.

“I parked outside a man’s house to deliver a package to him and his neighbour once.”

“When I went across the road to deliver the second parcel he shouted: ‘Are you going to ******* move your van!?.’