Delivery drivers are more important than postal workers, claims survey
Almost half of people in Britain believe that delivery drivers play a greater role in society than the humble postie, according to research carried out on behalf of Mercedes Vans.
A total of 47% of people claim that delivery drivers play a more important role in the community then postal workers, with those aged 34 and under getting more than twice as many visits from delivery drivers as they do from the postie every week (5.4 to 2.5).
Overall, 40% also said that they felt as much warmth and affection towards delivery drivers as they do towards their postman or woman, echoing the boom in online shopping and home deliveries that has shot up over the past five years.
The huge surge in demand for home deliveries has led to a 37% increase in the number of vans on UK roads, from 3.2 million in 2012 to 4.5 million by the end of 2022.
The research, which forms part of Mercedes-Benz Vans’ Under the Bonnet Report 2024, also revealed delivery drivers make more visits to households than the postman – knocking on our doors an average of 2.7 times a week, compared with 2.3 times a week for postmen.