Winter weather and its impacts on deliveries in Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - Safety first is the message from waiter on the way owner, Derek Berkes as he told us, “If they’re (drivers) not being safe and they’re getting sick and getting car accidents or whatever, then we’re not going to be able to make it (deliveries) happen.”

As we face the winter weather which is causes snowy and icy roads, this not only effects our day to day going to work and school but also our delivery businesses. We are in such a delivery based society where packages, mail and food can all be impacted.

We spoke to Berkes about how weather, such as the weather we’ve had this week has affected ‘Waiter on the Way’. He said, “Like the weather this past weekend, like it was freezing raining and just snowing and just kind of came on us all at once. It was really treacherous. So, it what will normally take us five minutes to drive, would take us 20 minutes and then you have drivers a call off because they don’t wanna get out in the weather. At the same time, we have a spike in business, like at least 40% increase”. He continued with, “So, 40% increase orders and about at 25% decrease in drivers and ability to move, makes the challenging.”

USPS Corporate told ABC21 in a statement:

The Ft. Wayne Post Office has experienced minimal impact from recent winter storms. There are no ongoing operational issues.The Postal Service would like to remind customers to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, stairs, and mailboxes, to help letter carriers deliver the mail. Hazards such as uneven surfaces, wet pavement, and snow and ice can pose a serious threat to Postal Service employees. Maintaining a clear path to the mailbox - including steps, porches, walkways, and street approach - will help letter carriers maintain consistent delivery service. Customers receiving door delivery should make sure their sidewalks, steps and porches are clear. Customers receiving curbside delivery should remove snow piles left by snowplows to keep access to their mailboxes clear for letter carriers.