A driver's day: loading, delivery, handover

Morning: what must be ready before loading

A good day starts the evening before. If the driver spends the morning hunting for orders, waiting for something that has not been picked yet or opening a list by hand, the first hour is already gone.

Orders should be closed the day before, so nothing new arrives in the morning.
Picking should be finished, with each order marked as picked.
The driver should have one list: shop, address, product and quantity.
If something is out of stock, that should be known before the driver leaves, and the shop should already know too.

Loading: the last shop goes on first

The main rule when loading is that the shop the driver visits last goes into the vehicle first. Then everything for the first stop is within reach and nothing has to be moved around.

Check the list as you load: the number of cases per shop should match.
Keep each shop's goods together or mark them the same way, so they are quick to find at the door.
Place fragile goods so nothing is stacked on top of them.
Before leaving, both the driver and the warehouse worker should look over the list together, so one person's mistake does not go unnoticed.

On the road: delivering to a shop

The minute of delivery is the most important one, because that is when you see whether the order matches what arrived. Everything should be done on the spot and not left until the evening.

Check what you brought against the order with the shop present.
Payment is cash on delivery: the final amount of the order should be in front of the driver, so they take neither more nor less.
Record the amount and the delivery right away: confirm the delivery in the system there and then, so nothing has to be copied later.
If the shop or the driver thinks something is wrong, say so immediately and note it.

When something does not match

Not every day will match perfectly. What matters is that a problem is recorded immediately, not later when nobody remembers.

Missing or damaged goods: note exactly what and how many before you leave the shop.
The shop cannot accept the delivery, for example because it is closed: call the office and decide together what to do with the order.
The shop pays only part: write down how much you received and how much is left; do not rely on memory.
Tell the office straight away so the shop also gets the right information.

End of the day: handover

The driver's day ends when the cash and any remaining goods are handed over at the office. This is where time is often lost and disagreements start, so handover should be simple.

The cash handed in should match the total of the day's deliveries, minus whatever remained unpaid.
Returned or leftover goods are written down separately: what and why.
If the total does not match, sort it out the same day, while the driver and the shop still remember.
You will not need to copy anything by hand in the evening if deliveries were confirmed on the spot.

Three rules to teach your drivers

There is one list and everything stands on it: two lists mean two versions.
Confirm the delivery at once, not in the evening: on the spot it is exact, in the evening it is a memory.
Say the problem at once: on the spot it can be fixed, the next day it is a dispute.

In Strelf a driver has their own mode and sees only their own orders, while the company assigns deliveries to drivers in one place.

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