ATLANTA — The deadline for deliveries is on, and with the push to get packages to customers on time, 11Alive has seen questions about whether UPS is using drivers in personal vehicles to help with the holiday crunch.
To verify, Liza Lucas reached out to UPS for clarification.
“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 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 the well-known branded vehicles with UPS-uniformed drivers.
UPS also verified 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. 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," the spokesperson said.
As a result, 11Alive verified UPS is indeed using seasonal employees' personal vehicles to assist during the busy holiday season. The company affirmed that "UPS does not deliver directly into homes...drivers are never instructed or permitted to cross a threshold into a residential property."
11Alive also reached out to FedEx regarding the potential use of personal vehicles during the holiday rush. FedEx confirmed rental trucks may be added to a fleet to help with package volume:
The vast majority of deliveries are completed utilizing a FedEx branded vehicle. 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.
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