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It is amazing to consider the tech developments that have occurred in recent times. As a delivery drivers, it is important that you stay current with tech so that you can incorporate the best and latest into your operation. Tech can be used in all kinds of ways as a delivery driver, whether you are a courier, truck driver, freight delivery driver, mail carrier, or floral or food driver. It can also be hard to keep up when there have been so many developments, which is why it is helpful to be aware of a few useful tech tips for delivery drivers in 2024.
1. Embrace Safety Tech
As a delivery driver, safety needs to be a priority. Your chances of being involved in an accident are higher when you spend more time on the road than an average motorist, even if you are a capable driver. These days, there are all kinds of amazing safety technologies that can protect you and other road users. There are built-in features as well as aftermarket products that you can use. A few of the best safety technologies include:
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Automatic emergency braking
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Lane keep assist
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Blind spot detection
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Adaptive cruise control
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Advanced airbag systems
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Adaptive headlights
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Drowsy driver detection
2. Install A Dash Cam
Every delivery driver should also have a dash cam installed. A dash cam can provide video evidence of events if you are involved in an accident or collision and can be useful for protection against fraudulent claims – “cash for crash” scams are on the rise and a major cause for concern among delivery drivers (and all motorists). Not only this, but dash cams can also capture any entertaining or unbelievable things that happen on the job – every delivery driver has tales to tell, and a dash cam will give you footage to back up your story!
3. Use A GPS Navigation App
One of the best uses of tech for any kind of delivery driver is using a GPS navigation app. Nothing is more important than route optimization in delivery work, as this is how you keep your customers happy, reduce fuel costs, and maximize the work completed daily. A GPS navigation app will help to determine the most efficient route and provide directions so that you only have to focus on driving and not finding your way. Many of the best GPS navigation apps can pride real-time updates, which can help you to avoid traffic and other issues.
4. Use Load Boards To Find Work
One of the biggest challenges that delivery drivers have is finding ongoing work. Whatever you deliver, you need to find a steady stream of work so that you can maximize your earnings. A great way to find continuous work is with the use of load boards. Load boards like Shiply list shipping work that you can bid on, which gives you constant access to hundreds of jobs in your area. You can pick and choose the jobs that you work on, which will help you to maximize your earnings. Load boards can also be a great way to build up your experience and reputation levels.
5. Install Parking Apps To Find Spots
Parking can be a nightmare as a delivery driver, especially when you are working to tight deadlines and driving in unfamiliar areas. Fortunately, there are lots of excellent parking apps that you can use to compare car parking spaces near your drop-off point. This will help you to quickly find the nearest available spot, which should help you to make deliveries on time and avoid the frustration of driving around trying to find somewhere. You should also find that you can use these apps to save money by finding affordable places to park.
6. Use Hands-Free Communication
It is important that you are able to communicate while on the job, but you do not want to have to pull over each time that you need to make or receive a phone call. Equally, it is important that you do not operate a mobile phone when driving, both for safety and legal reasons. The solution to this is to buy a hands-free device of BlueTooth headset that you can use to communicate while keeping both hands on the wheel. You can also have a mount that you can put your phone in on the dashboard (this is also handy for navigation).
7. Compare Fuel Prices With An App
Another type of app that every delivery driver will benefit from having is a fuel price comparison app. When you spend a lot of time on the road and cover many miles, the cost of fuel can be a major expense (especially in the current climate). Fuel price comparison apps will help you to compare the cost of fuel at stations in the area, which will help you to make significant savings over the course of a year.
8. Find Online Communities
Delivery driver work can be lonely and isolating at times, and no one other than a delivery driver will truly understand this. This is why there is such a strong community for delivery drivers, but finding other drivers in real life is not always easy. This is where the internet can be useful, as you can find huge online communities of delivery drivers from all around the world. This can be a great way to network, ask for advice, give your own advice, and generally feel like part of the community.
No matter what kind of delivery work you do, it is important that you are aware of the best ways that you can use tech. These days, delivery drivers can improve their day-to-day operations, increase the amount of money that they make, keep customers happy, and generally improve their capabilities as delivery drivers. It can also be hard to keep up with developments, so the advice in this article should be useful for any delivery driver that is looking to take advantage of the best and latest tech in the industry.