You load your van, head out on your run, and halfway through the day you realise parcels are missing from your manifest. Stops you were supposed to deliver to have already been done — by another driver. Someone's been taking freight from your area. If you're paid per delivery or per stop, this directly hits your income. Even if you're hourly, it messes with your route, your planning, and your relationship with regular customers. Here's how to handle it properly.
Why It Happens
There are a few reasons another driver might be delivering in your area. Sometimes it's legitimate: a supervisor redirected overflow from your run to another driver because you were overloaded, or a relief driver was given part of your area temporarily. Sometimes it's a loading error — parcels for your area ended up on someone else's van by mistake.
But sometimes it's deliberate. Some drivers cherry-pick easy stops from other runs to pad their numbers, especially if they're incentive-paid. They grab parcels from your cages during the sort, or they scan stops in your area that were loaded onto their van "by accident." This is the version that needs to be addressed.
What to Do
Document it first. Before you say anything to anyone, get your facts straight. Check your manifest against what was actually loaded on your van. Note which parcels are missing and which stops have already been scanned by another driver. Screenshots of scan data showing another driver's name on your stops are valuable evidence.
Talk to the other driver. Start with the assumption it might be a mistake. "Hey, I noticed you delivered a few stops in my area today — was that redirected by dispatch?" Give them the chance to explain. It might be a genuine loading error or a supervisor instruction you weren't told about.
Escalate to your supervisor. If the conversation doesn't resolve it, or if it happens again, take it to your supervisor. Present the facts: dates, stops, scan data. Avoid emotional language — just show the evidence. Your supervisor can check the scan logs and sort it out.
Formal process. If it continues and your supervisor doesn't resolve it, you have the right to escalate further. According to Fair Work Australia workplace problem resolution, workplace problems should be raised and addressed through proper channels. If it's affecting your pay, it's a legitimate workplace issue.
Don't retaliate. Taking stops from their run in response creates a war that nobody wins. Two drivers fighting over territory makes both of you look bad and will eventually get both of you disciplined. Handle it through proper channels and keep your own work above reproach.