The Morning Routine That Determines Whether Deliveries Go Smoothly All Day

A majority of delivery challenges that occur in the afternoon actually begin in the morning. A driver who isn’t yet aware of their full route, packages loaded in the incorrect order, unclear delivery intentions, windows that were never confirmed – these small oversights become larger pitfalls as the day progresses.

Delivery operations that thrive aren’t lucky, they just have the proper prep steps in place to ensure small inconveniences don’t become customer complaints and unmet obligations.

Route Planning Before Drivers Even Get There

Successful delivery days start the night before, or at least early enough so that routes are confirmed when drivers step in. This means assessing all pickups and drop-offs, accounting for locations and time windows, and creating sequences that actually make sense.

Planning under the pressure of doors opening and drivers waiting is not ideal. Customer calls ring through, and trucks just need to get out the door. So we’re left with something that works, but isn’t necessarily efficient – extra miles, back and forth trips across town, time windows that are too close together.

The route planning that occurs when no one is rushed notices these details. Noticing that two stops that are on opposite ends of town have time frames that overlap is fixable before it becomes a problem. One route has too many stops while another is too light – easily redistributed with five minutes of morning prep. These things could take hours to fix once drivers are on the road.

Loading Order Matters More Than People Realize

This is something that should be self-explanatory but is overlooked time and time again: the last thing on the truck needs to be the first thing delivered. When trucks are loaded in delivery order, drivers go from back to front and can find things easier without digging through multiple packages.

When trucks are loaded randomly because it feels faster in the moment, it slows down everyone all day. Drivers searching for a package at each of their 20 or 30 stops only lose a few moments at each – but over the course of a day, that’s an accumulative hour lost. That’s why those companies who practice delivery management ensure loading orders are in line with delivery orders, even if it takes a bit more time upfront.

Also, loading means checking to ensure all packages made it onto the truck. Finding out one is missing is not ideal halfway through the route when the customer calls asking where their delivery is.

Driver Debriefings That Actually Add Value

Not every driver needs a morning debrief every day. But new routes, changes in expected stops, or different delivery specifications should all be communicated. A debriefing does not entail simply handing someone a paper with addresses on it.

Drivers need to be aware of access issues (gates, loading docks, call ahead requirements), customer preference, flexibility on delivery times or even any changes since arrival. This limits the calls that disrupt your workday: “The customer said they want it by noon instead of 2 pm.” Or “There’s a gate code and I can’t get in.”

The best operations take notes in the system for each stop so that drivers can see this information without needing to recall everything from a morning meeting. But checking in during the a.m. makes it possible to highlight anything that’s different for today specifically.

Confirming Time Windows and Availability

There’s nothing worse than showing up to make a delivery and no one’s home. This frustrates drivers just as much as it annoys customers. Commercial deliveries especially should confirm availability for package receipt as they require signatures or are too valuable to leave outside.

Confirming time frames either the night before or early in the morning limits conflict opportunity for failed deliveries. The customer may have an appointment and forgot that they need someone to check on it during the 11:00-12:00 time frame; a commercial account may have closed for training. Either way, it’s better to know now than when a driver has already made it down the road.

For residential deliveries, it’s not always necessary, but for anything with time limits or specifications like signatures and otherwise, it’s worth a quick check.

Vehicle Checks That Avoid Breakdowns

The last thing anyone wants is to discover there is a problem with their vehicle after it has been loaded and the driver is ready to leave. Quick checks upon arrival – tire pressure, gas tank, visible issues – highlight problems when they can still be switched out or adjusted.

This seems basic but operations often run so tightly that they skip this part because there’s pressure to keep it moving. However when trucks break down mid-route, half of the day’s deliveries suffer because there’s now scrambling to give one driver multiple packages another driver already intended to deliver.

Five minutes spent troubleshooting saves hours of crisis management later.

Communication Systems Set Up and Active

Drivers need working devices with relevant apps loaded and charged with appropriate log-ins; customers need tracking abilities sent; the office must be able to communicate with drivers and vice versa.

Technology basics are overlooked until something goes wrong – driver’s phone dies because they failed to charge it overnight or they can’t log into their app because log in details have been changed. Now this driver is mostly offline – with no updates to share with customers – leading to additional frustrations at the office when customers start calling asking for updates.

Setting these things up before drivers take off means problems are identified while there’s still time – and not turned into emergencies when everyone has already left.

The First Hour Sets the Stage for Everything Else

Operations that can master morning prep tend to have calmer days and successful ones because drivers leave secure in their tasks; packages are in the right order; customers are aware; plans are intact.

Operations that rush through these steps or skip them altogether find themselves proactive throughout the rest of the day – fielding calls, addressing mistakes, rerouting, acknowledging disappointed customers. The time saved rushing out the door far surpasses the minutes spent handling issues that could’ve easily been managed had they just prepped properly.

It’s not to say that any delivery will go smoothly when everything goes well in the morning routine. Traffic happens; customers aren’t home; unexpected issues arise. But when all controlled variables are handled effectively, there’s capacity for those unpredictable factors without everything going haywire.

An unglamorous morning routine makes it happen. It’s confirming lists; reviewing entries; planning ahead – nothing that seems pressing until it’s too late and people realize just how bad things could’ve become had they at least given this part of the job some time beforehand.