KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's the time of the year when a UPS brown truck is just as anticipated as Santa's red sleigh.
Kansas City-area UPS driver Mark Trujillo said the boom of online shopping has only added to the already busy season.
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“It’s exploded. I know that people still go to the malls, but it’s so easy to shop online, and UPS provides that service,” Trujillo said. “With me, personally, on this route, which is the River Market and a little bit of downtown, I’ve probably doubled my stop count.”
On the Monday following Black Friday this year, Trujillo had over 400 stops just within the River Market.
To make sure everything is delivered on time, he is working 12-hour shifts, six days a week, with the assistance of a seasonal helper.
“That’s really the only way we can get done. Sometimes I’ll be working till 8:30, 9 o’clock, even with a helper,” he said. “Every package back there I know is a present for somebody, so I definitely try to make sure that they get the package on time.”
Trujillo has been a UPS driver for 38 years, and he has been driving his current route for 15 years.
“You just do one stop at a time, one package at a time, and, you know, before you know it, you’re relaxed," he said. "But once you start getting a little bit anxious and that anxiety creeps up, then all of a sudden you’re making mistakes and you gotta go back to a stop or you’re leaving packages in the wrong place."
Christopher Juul, who owns a business on Trujillo’s route, said he has been counting on Trujillo for the last 10 years.
“We rely on UPS quite a bit. It’s important that things get here on time, and they do a good job of that,” Juul said.
KSHB 41 also spoke with Christine Sauer, who said she has a habit of waiting until the last second.
While she is late in putting in her orders again this year, she is grateful for people like Trujillo who will get her packages delivered on time — no matter what.
“Every year I tell myself I’m gonna do better and I’m gonna start shopping in November. It usually doesn’t happen,” Sauer said. “Thank you, and we appreciate you. I know it cannot be an easy job, especially as the weather gets colder.”
Trujillo said shoppers who plan on buying online this year should remember these tips:
- Double-check your address.
- If you live in an apartment, do not forget your unit or suite number.
- Consider including your phone number so that drivers can directly call you to communicate.
