Silly season part and parcel of life as a courier

NZ Post-contracted Aorangi Pahuru is one of the many drivers working huge days delivering packages in the build-up to Christmas — her workload doubling from the usual 200 parcels a day. Aorangi says she loves her job. “It’s about getting out and meeting different people and awesome customers.” Picture by Liam Clayton

NZ Post workers here are working over 12-hour shifts to deliver Christmas on time.

Gisborne courier driver and contractor Aorangi Pahuru is one of the many workers out and about delivering parcels of different shapes and sizes this season to keep up with the rising trend in online shopping.

“I love my job . . . it’s about getting out and meeting different people and awesome customers,” she said.

On a normal day she delivers more than 200 parcels but with Christmas around the corner, that rate has almost doubled.

Aorangi says it’s a steady increase NZ Post workers have been experiencing since the last lockdown.

“Maybe people in the last three months have realised this is the world we live in . . . so the online shopping has just been crazy.”

New Zealand Post research showed Gisborne people shelled out about $5.7 million buying online products in October — a 37 percent increase compared with October of last year.

The research also found more than 59,000 parcels were delivered in October, an 8.7 percent increase from the previous year.

Aorangi says a regular day for courier drivers starts at the depot at 5.30 in the morning when they load their freight for delivery.

After deliveries are completed, they then pick up packages from customers for delivery.

They usually finish their shift at around 4.30pm.

“But with the increase in deliveries, we sometimes end up working until 7pm, six days a week.

“We are absolutely shattered by the end of it . . . and it becomes quite hard to juggle family time and other stuff you need to do at home.”

There are aspects that make her appreciate her job and bring a smile to her face.

“Along the way there has been people who come out with a cold Coke on a hot day or even give presents like last Thursday. One of my customers gave me a box of Roses (chocolates) to say a big thank you. It’s these little things that make our day.

It is not always rush in, rush out when delivering.

Aorangi says sometimes when she delivers to elderly people, she spends an extra five minutes chatting.

“Because some of them live on their own, having a bit of a talk makes their day and they are so appreciative of it.

“We have people who get parcels delivered to their house every day. I have about five of those customers and they know me quite well by now. Sometimes when someone else is on the courier run they ask ‘where’s my driver?’ . . . So it’s the kind of relationship we have with them.”

However, she and other drivers have also endured negative experiences when customers weren’t appreciative and sometimes became abusive, accusing them off stealing packages.

“We clear our floor every single day. We have no product left behind and sometimes it comes down to their supplier, but we get the blame for it. It’s not nice.”

Its’ all part and parcel of the job, requiring a mental toughness she attributes to her upbringing.

Aorangi has been working for NZ Post for two years, travelling almost 100 kilometres a day, and when she is not having to reverse, she is only looking forward.