[FirstCarLife]② Delivery Driver Forgets Fatigue with "Thank You" Texts

Year-End and New Year Busier Post Office Parcels... Working from Dawn
"No Time to Eat, but Working with a Sense of Fulfillment"

Editor's NoteThere is a person who opens the story of life by breathing the early morning air every day. At a time when many are still asleep, these are the people who start their day by taking the first train. Those who fill the warmth of the early morning bus, the busy dawn delivery drivers delivering countless items, and the youth of Noryangjin who have just begun to sketch the blueprint of their lives. Each has a different life story and a different path to take, but they share the commonality of seeking a spark of hope amid a hard life. Let us enter the stories of those who will vigorously open their 'first train life' in 2023.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] At 5 a.m. on the 28th of last month, when darkness had settled, the day begins for post office delivery driver Lee Jonghyun (52). At the main gate of a postal distribution center in the Gyeonggi area, post office delivery trucks arrive one after another. The streets are quiet. When pedestrians wake up to prepare for work, the place is brightly lit. It is the busiest time preparing for dawn delivery, and their labor has already begun.

The first task is sorting the parcels to be delivered that day. On the first floor of the postal distribution center, which is equivalent to the size of two soccer fields, items from all over the country are piled up in disorder. Delivery drivers busily move around to find the items to be delivered to their assigned areas. Mr. Lee is one of them. The sorted items are then organized according to the delivery order and loaded onto the vehicles.

Although this is a preparatory task before the main delivery work, it is a more exhausting time than the actual job. It takes about 3 to 4 hours just for preparation.

Postal delivery worker Lee Jong-hyun loading parcels to be delivered on December 28, 2022, onto a handcart. Photo by Kang Joo-hee kjh818@

That day, snowflakes were fluttering from dawn. On snowy days, dawn delivery drivers feel anxious. There is an obsession with having to hurry all processes a little more. Considering the road conditions that have likely turned into ice, delivery work inevitably takes more time. They must finish sorting as quickly as possible and start delivery to handle the assigned volume.

Mr. Lee said, "In winter, there are many heavy packages. Even buying one piece of clothing is heavy and bulky, so it takes a long time to prepare for delivery, so we have to hurry."

For delivery drivers who save every second, there are times when even meal times are not allowed. Although it is said that all work is done to make a living, scenes of comfortably eating are unfamiliar.

The reason they have to work forgetting meals is that they have families. They are someone's son, daughter, father, and mother. The reason ordinary people work hard every day is no different for delivery drivers.

Items sorted by delivery destination before loading onto the truck on December 28, 2022. / Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@

Mr. Lee smiled and said, "I usually eat only one meal after work, dinner. Since eating delays time, it's hard to think about meals while working."

Once delivery starts, one must stay alert. You never know when or where an unexpected situation may occur. Customer phone inquiries are routine. That day, during vehicle movement, a call came asking, "When will the delivery be?" If the item the customer is looking for is near the truck door, it is easy to find, but if it is loaded inside, they have to rummage through to find it.

Mr. Lee said, "Since items are loaded according to the delivery route, it is not easy to find them during delivery. Most customers understand when I explain the situation, but it is awkward when dealing with angry customers."

At around 10 a.m. that day, upon arriving at the delivery location, Mr. Lee skillfully parked the vehicle and carefully unloaded the items to be delivered in the area onto a handcart. Then, pulling the handcart, he moved quickly and delivered the items to the delivery points in an orderly manner.

On December 28, 2022, sorting parcels before delivery work./Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@

Even when he briefly took the elevator during the delivery process, his eyes and hands moved without rest. After completing delivery of an item, he scanned it as 'delivery completed' and immediately checked the address of the next delivery point and moved on.

Post office delivery drivers deliver an average of 180 to 200 items per day. One driver delivers to 30 to 40 places per hour, and considering travel time, it is tight to complete all deliveries by around 5 to 6 p.m. when work roughly ends. In fact, most delivery drivers work about 10 to 12 hours a day, including sorting work, Mr. Lee explained.

Although they run around all day and endure hard labor, there are times when they feel rewarded by doing delivery work, he said.

"When I receive texts from customers saying 'thank you' or 'I appreciate it,' I feel proud. It may seem trivial, but I gain strength from the customers' small kindness. Although I am a delivery driver, I also use delivery services often, and at those times, I always leave a 'thank you' message to the driver."