Carla's Favorite Products for Delivery Driving

The following are my favorite resources for delivery driving. I will be updating this post as I go, experiencing and learning new favorites for my gig life. 

As of 5/13/2024, none of the items are affiliate products.

 Columbia Women's Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped Hiking Boot

This is item is only second to my vehicle when it comes to doing deliveries. I may get strange looks. Even my sister looked me up and down and asked me where I was going. I could only laugh out loud. I tried wearing other footwear, but I only ended up with damaged shoes and damaged feet. I recall how I would get severe cramps in my feet at night following a delivery shift. These boots are WONDERFUL. I cannot sing their praises much more. They are very comfortable. The boot hugs my foot and ankle. The insoles are shaped perfectly to my foot, they are not flat. The toe box provides AMPLE room for my toes, much like those bare-foot shoes that I have been seeing lately. I have even noticed an improvement in the shape of my feet and toe spacing. Because they are boots, they provide ankle protection as I am delivering to some of these interesting rural areas with gravel, rocks, and uneven surfaces. They are waterproof and rugged. This helps on those rainy days and in the winter, keeping my toes rather dry. And helps me keep me calm on the occasional dodging of dog "land mines" on various properties. I do not worry at all about getting my boots dirty. Now that was a huge problem when I was wearing my fashion sneakers. Never again. Concluding, I give this product 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Collapsible Wagon - Embark

I learned early on that if I was going to do this long term, then I need to protect my back, and reduce physical exhaustion and wear-and-tear on my body. So, this wagon came in clutch. I actually already had this wagon for hauling my stuff from my vendor days. A fellow vendor gave me the recommendation, and I went out that very day and bought it. I sure has helped me on so many occasions while doing both food and Amazon deliveries. This is the actual brand item that I use. This (from what I could tell) is not available on Amazon. I bought mine from Target.

IKEA FRAKTA Shopping Bags

I would have never guessed that THESE bags would be so beneficial. They are of such benefit that when I started out with only 2 bags and discovered that its best to pack all the bags while at the pick up as opposed to refilling bags at the drop-off, that I drove 2 hours to a nearby IKEA to purchase more bags. When I go to the Walmart Spark parking spots, I get out of my car and set up the wagon wrap. I open it out and wedge it down in between the seat crack to create a separation for the orders. Then I open up two ikea bags per side. I discovered that if you fold down the "hem" of the bags, they stay open better. For transporting, I am able to carry quite a bit of items in fewer trips. This is because the straps go on my shoulder, so the weight is better distributed, as opposed to carrying baskets or a tote because the weight is held out in front of you, placing much of the work on your back. Because I already have chronic back issues, I did not need the added strain. Once, a fellow Spark driver drove past and said that I should use baskets, I had to explain that baskets are hard on my back. Another benefit of the IKEA bags is that you can wash them. I try to remember to wash them weekly. They are also foldable, and use very little space when stored. This was a feature I liked best when I thought that I was going to do Lyft and Spark at the same time.

NPS Alpha Anti Bark Tool

Even though I've had this tool for about a week (at the time of this writing), this tool has served me SO WELL. This has worked for me 99% of the time. The only one time that this product did not work for me was when I had a delivery where another delivery driver (big brown vehicle) came EXACTLY at the same time as me. He didn't mind the dog jumping on him and he was reaching down and petting the dog. It was the opposite for me. The dog still jumped on me and I was rattled. Afterwards, I realized that I was sweating. I hadn't even completed the drop off, and had to go back up within the delivery green zone to complete the delivery. The response from the animal is immediate, they turn away and keep their distance from you. There was one time where I was getting a package from my trunk and a dog from a neighbor's house came running towards me. I was like "whoah" and quickly reached for my tool like a second before he reached me. He quickly turned away and let me be. I think I will start using this to deter feral cats from coming on my porch and deck.

Double-Walled Tumbler

Now the actual tumbler that I use was not a purchase that I made, but acquired. (The above item is one that I found online that looks very similar to what I have.) Last year, my husband won two tumblers similar to the ones above at a work conference. When I tried them out, I was sold. I confess, I am horrible when it comes to drinking the so-called recommended 8 glasses of water. At home, we typically keep our water bottles out and drink them at room temperature. But, when I used ice-cold water for the tumbler to take with me on my deliveries, I soon realized that I was doing it all wrong. Cold water is so refreshing and it makes you want to drink more. These type of tumblers keep your drink cold all day long. There have been times that I had left over water, and it was still cold the next day. I also like how it is a screw top, so I can just toss them into my bag, or the front seat without worrying about a spill. Just be sure to screw the top on securely, because there were times where I got careless and did not screw it on all the way and ended up with spills.