Small Actions, Big Results – Soft Skills for Delivery Work

If you can't get an important stack of documents to their destination on time, no amount of politeness will make up for it. If you damage a load of products before you get them to their customer, no amount of rapport building will excuse you. So called "soft skills" alone do not make a successful transportation business. That being said, they certainly can be the icing on the cake of solid haulage skills. And this icing can be surprisingly impactful.

The handshake

Soft skills not only cover a range of professional activities, they also often boil down to simple, everyday actions. One of the prime demonstrations of this is the importance of a greeting in developing rapport. In the transport industry, whether you're engaged in delivery work or reception work, the simple action of a warm handshake, an engaging smile and an open posture indicates to the other person that you are interested in engaging with them in a professional transaction. It sends them a message that you see them as a real person, and not simply as a task to tick off your list. This can do wonders in cementing you and your services into their memory, and go far towards winning repeat clients.

The attire

In the end, a client is mostly concerned about their cargo. Few people in delivery work would believe that their uniform or dress code would make up for the wrong package being delivered or a lost item. But as an overall professional image, appropriate and professional clothing can add significant value to the services offered in the transport industry. If you knock on someone's door and they open it to see someone dressed in a slovenly, lazy manner, it will be noticed and it may have a negative impact on their view of you. No matter how superficial it may seem, dressing in a professional manner or keeping your uniform clean up to standard will add to your reputation.

The communication

Communication is perhaps an area of soft skills that is sold the most across all industries. On almost every resume it is lauded as a vital ability and it is therefore probably the most likely to be exaggerated. Yet it's also the most likely to be noticed when genuine. If you are looking for more delivery work to add to your schedule, brushing up on your written, verbal, and technological communication skills can mark you in a clients mind long after they have forgotten the details of your actual transportation skills.

The vehicle

There is little point in trumpeting your own reliability at delivery work if your vehicle is out of date and barely able to make the route. Apart from the high standards imposed on most vehicles in many jurisdictions, there is an overall expectation these days that the quality of your van, truck or car will reflect the quality of your service. Even if you never miss a deadline, having a spotless and reliable vehicle will add to your capacity to pick up jobs based by adding to your good name.