It’s the holiday season and we’re shopping furiously for those amazing deals that will delight our friends and families. Some gifts we buy in the store, but for more and more of us, we’re doing a ton of shopping from the warm confines of our own home via our computers or smartphones.
This means that shipping companies are working overtime, and many, like UPS, are hiring seasonal help to promptly deliver our purchases by their guaranteed arrival date (basically, before Christmas). UPS is so much busier, in fact, and they’re hiring so many more drivers, that they don’t have enough official company trucks for them to use.
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You know when the big brown truck stops in front of or near your home that you’re probably going to get a delivery. Some of us can even recognize the sound of the truck as it approaches. And as Christmas Eve draws near, your street may turn into a veritable racing track between all the delivery drivers that are stopping in your neighborhood. But what if you peer out and see an unmarked white van, for example? Or even more bizarre, a U-Haul truck?
UPS is aware that people may be a little puzzled, or straight up freaked out, to see a non-company truck driver depositing a box on their doorstep. However, they say that these drivers are legit, and don’t worry if you see a brown-clad delivery driver walking rapidly towards your house from a weird truck.
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However, we really can’t blame you if the concept doesn’t creep you out a bit. Who’s to say that the package he hands you or leaves on your welcome mat isn’t something you don’t want (like something dangerous), instead of the toy your kid wants more than anything this holiday season?
Never fear, dear shopper. UPS says there are several ways to verify that your driver is on the up-and-up. First, UPS drivers will carry an official identification badge, and they will also have a handheld computer as well as be clad in official uniforms. Although there have been many rumors about UPS uniforms being ordered (or stolen) by the thousands by terrorist groups, these are simply nothing more than rumors that have been circulating online since around 2003.
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So whether you’re worried that nefarious folks are out to steal your stuff, or someone is trying to bomb you, it’s extremely unlikely that either of these things is going to happen. Yes, being alert and wary of those who come up to your front door and ring your bell is always a good idea, but since UPS has made it known that non-UPS trucks are being used this holiday season, it’s probably less of a concern than you might think it is.
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