Delivery driving poses a serious threat to personal safety

By Evan Eley–

It is no shock that a delivery driver is a high-value target for robbery. Drivers are by themselves, ringing doorbells of complete strangers and potentially carrying cash on them while delivering. With crime being a common theme surrounding the University of Louisville, many drivers are having to take extra precautions while on the job.

Many U of L students have jobs throughout the city. One common job for college students with a vehicle is to be a delivery driver for restaurants and food service companies, such as Tapingo. While these jobs do reap in nice monetary rewards, delivery drivers must remain aware of their surroundings and plan their driving habits in advance to avoid any unnecessary danger.

“Most pizza places are only accountable for 20 dollars stolen at any time,” ex-delivery driver Ian Roe said. “That is the 20 dollars that they give you at the beginning of the shift, also known as your bank.”

Roe further elaborated by giving his number one tip for new and current delivery drivers: keep a lockbox in your car.

“I used to put my wallet, cash and any valuable items in my lockbox while delivering because you never know what’s going to happen, especially with a huge company logo on top of your car,” Roe said.

“I try to keep anything I have on me either hidden or deep in my pockets so that I look like I have very little on me,” another ex-driver Titus Moore said.

Moore’s tip is simple: leave important personal items at home. If they are in the car, make sure they’re well concealed.

“Delivery driving is fairly safe for the most part. I never experienced a threat, but I worked with people who did,”  Stephen Henderson, an ex-driver for Pizza Hut, said. During his time as a driver, Henderson knew several of his peers that were robbed or assaulted on the job. The store Henderson worked at had a part of town that they would not deliver to after a certain time.

“I usually carried a pocket-knife on me just a deterrent to protectional looters,” Henderson said. His tip to drivers is to trust people, but pay close attention to surroundings.