WASHINGTON — QUESTION:
Is UPS using personal vehicles to help with holiday deliveries?
ANSWER:
Yes, during peak holiday season, some seasonal workers may use personal vehicles to make deliveries. No matter what, drivers should always be wearing a UPS uniform, though, and drivers are never permitted to enter a residence.
SOURCES:
UPS spokesperson
FedEx spokesperson
PROCESS:
With the holidays rapidly approaching, many shoppers are waiting on last minute gifts to arrive, but not everybody is happy about how they're getting delivered.
People are tweeting about UPS drivers using their own vehicles to deliver those last minute gifts.
The flurry on social media left our Verify team wondering, do UPS drivers ever deliver packages in their personal cars?
Verify researchers at WXIA reached out to the shipping giant for answers.
"During the peak holiday season, when capacity is scarce throughout the industry and demand is high, we do everything we can to be as flexible as possible so that we can deliver for our customers," a UPS spokesperson said via email.
Such efforts entail using full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, according to the company representative, who confirmed the majority of deliveries are made in branded vehicles by uniformed drivers.
UPS also verified that some jobs are done by seasonal employees who drive their own personal vehicles.
"As in the past, during the peak holiday season, some jobs are conducted by seasonal employees who drive their own personal vehicles," a UPS spokesperson said. "For many, that provides flexibility that they enjoy, and in turn, helps UPS balance the increased workload. These drivers wear the traditional UPS uniform, are specially trained, and their vehicles are confirmed to be appropriate for their routes."
UPS drivers are never instructed or permitted to enter a residential property, according to the spokesperson.
So, we can verify that yes, UPS has added seasonal workers to their fleet, making deliveries from their personal cars.
Researchers also checked in with FedEx, after some Reddit users noticed packages being delivered in rental trucks.
FedEx said that the majority of their deliveries come via a FedEx branded vehicle, but during the holiday season rental vehicles, like U-haul, Penske and Budget, can be used to help with package volume.
"The vast majority of deliveries are completed utilizing a FedEx branded vehicle," a FedEx spokesperson said in a statement. "While the use of rental vehicles is typically temporary, during the busy holiday shipping season, service providers may add rental vehicles to their fleets to accommodate the increased package volume. The employees of those service providers are required to wear a photo ID badge when making deliveries."
