UPS and FedEx Drivers Play Tag to Cope with Pandemic Stress

Who says you need a schoolyard to play tag? If you work as a UPS or FedEx delivery driver, you may find yourself doing just that. As eCommerce growth surges amidst the backdrop of Coronavirus, drivers for shipping carriers are under more stress than ever. More and more consumers have turned to online ordering to meet their essential and non-essential needs. As a result, all three major carriers now face more packages than even past peak holiday volumes. While UPS and FedEx drivers cope with the stress of delivering overwhelming volume, they have turned to an age-old game for a little levity and friendly competition: tag.

A Game of Tag Between UPS and FedEx Drivers Keeps Delivery Workers Smiling During a Difficult Time

Undoubtedly, delivery drivers for all of the major carriers are under stress right now. More packages are entering into the carriers’ networks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, amongst all the stress of completing their routes, drivers have taken up this lighthearted game to brighten up their days

To “tag” another vehicle, drivers stick their own company’s door labels on the other companies’ trucks. These door stickers are typically used to let recipients know that a delivery was attempted, but now, they’re now being used to carry messages such as “I Love FedEx” on the side of a UPS truck (or vice versa).

Fortunately, “tagging” doesn’t affect either company’s deliveries at all, since drivers wait to tag other vehicles until they see them on their routes. As one UPS driver put it:

“We don’t go hunting each other down. We wait for each other to cross paths.”

Both Companies Support the Friendly Competition Between Drivers

As far as top brass as both companies are concerned, this continual game of tag is not just a sign that morale is up amongst drivers. It also proves that their logistics network are healthy and functioning at full capacity. When asked about the recent tagging, a FedEx spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal:

“A friendly game of tag is one way of remembering to smile while our people continue to bring others the things they need to live their lives and run their businesses. Our team members are proud to deliver for our customers. Sometimes, they are known to literally stick it to the competition.”

Of course, several people commented online that these drivers should give up the game and focus solely on delivering packages to customers. However, as long as the deliveries still take place, Shipping School is all for it.