One Hour Delivery: Lalamove’s Secret To Delivering Parcels Quickly
by Daniel Peters
All images by Stephanie Lee for RICE Media.
Three packages. One pair of shades. One delivery app. It’s a regular day in the life of Eerfan, a Lalamove delivery driver-partner. On the job, there’s only him, his destination, and the open road.
They say to understand someone is to walk a mile in their shoes. To understand someone like Eerfan, we sat in the passenger's seat.
Today, like every other day, businesses need his help. Only the lunch-hour traffic stands before him. The Singapore streets are now a battlefield.
At 10.30am, Eerfan is revved up and ready. His morning anthem – an energetic mash-up of hard rock and hip-hop – blasts through the car speakers.
He looks at his phone and walks over to us. It’s at 25 percent. He asks if we have a power bank.
The battery longevity of Eerfan’s phone is crucial. It’s the only way he can receive orders of all stripes – on-demand, same-day or made in advance by discerning customers.
There’s no delay for a Lalamove Driver-Partner like Eerfan, who takes his job very seriously.
But he also knows better than to ignore what his body tells him. “Wait,” he tells us as we take our seats. “Toilet first.” He steps out to make his personal trip brief, but no less suave.
“I’ll give a signal lah, aunty. Wait ah.”
The rush hour has its fair share of rude drivers. It’s tempting to join in and be like them – to pump the brakes and forsake anyone beside him. Especially when he has to deliver within the hour.
But Eerfan is different. His discipline master in secondary school first taught him balance: to be more responsible with his emotions. On the highway, he simply flows with the traffic and finds the fastest way forward. Be like Eerfan.
The first delivery request is in.
A printing shop has items for two destinations. One’s down the road along Robinson Road, the other all the way in Kaki Bukit. Multi-stop orders are part and parcel of the job for Eerfan – some orders may contain up to 19 locations. He swipes to accept.
It’s nearly noon, and Eerfan reaches the CBD. The streets are flooded with cars, all blocking his way to the pick-up point. “In the CBD, no one has the hang of it,” Eerfan says, laughing. “You just need to focus.” He fields a call to confirm the pick-up location.
Lalamove provides a multi-stop delivery service that’s both cost-effective and incredibly efficient.
For Eerfan, a committed driver-partner with no moment to lose, any shortcut at every corner means a faster delivery for each client.
Navigating the CBD can be confusing. Eerfan is unfazed, turning to a security guard for directions. Eerfan has met many of them on the job: “On a good day, security guards can be your best friend.” They’re all part of what makes a fast delivery.
We have arrived. Eerfan takes a photo of the bounty that will soon be on its way. A simple swipe sets it in stone.
Lalamove’s real-time tracking enables clients to know when their parcels are delivered and where they are at all times. That said, it’s time to move.
The first destination is just down the road. He opts to walk briskly over, making a call to the recipient to inform his time of arrival.
Deliveries require different types of vehicles – ranging from motorcycles to lorries and refrigerated trucks. For every Lalamove business user, all options are at their disposal. Right now, though, it’s just Eerfan’s car and his own two quick feet.
White-collar workers rush past us to the office for their next meeting. Meanwhile, Eerfan thinks about the best nasi padang spot to visit later where he can eat in peace on his own time.
Eerfan takes the lift up to the doorstep of the first recipient. No one is there.
Five minutes later, a group of people exit the lift, among them their receptionist, who has in hand her lunch: a takeaway poke bowl. He seals the deal and moves on.
As we wait for the lift, Eerfan gazes in awe at a nearby high-rise condominium. “If I was a millionaire, I would get an apartment there.”
He doesn’t ruminate for long. He snaps a picture and focuses on the job he’s tasked with.
For most of his life, Eerfan has had to provide for himself. As a kid, his parents were absent. His grandparents and cousins stepped in to raise him through years of studies, all the way through ITE.
He still got to be a kid, but the real world closed in on him much faster than his peers. At 29, he’s now married, with a wife who works nearby in the CBD. She’s never far, always on his mind alongside his grandparents and cousins. “I do it for them,” he tells us, package in hand.
The next song on his playlist is ‘Melodi’, a collaboration featuring one of his favourite artists, Singaporean rapper Akeem Jahat.
“I love this song,” he says as he manoeuvres the highway to get to Kaki Bukit. It’s 2pm. The roads are clearer, making way for Eerfan to deliver his next parcel with ease.
After a 25-minute journey from town, we arrived at an industrial building in Kaki Bukit. It’s huge – certainly not the easiest to navigate, even for him.
The next recipient didn’t leave any instructions to find their office. There aren’t any security guards to help. We walk in circles, struggling to find the right way up among a seemingly endless amount of lift lobbies.
Eerfan stops in his tracks. He takes a closer look around. “Ha!” he exclaims, like a seafaring captain, as he spots the right lift. A big white arrow points forward on the carpark floor next to him.
These arrows are on every road in Singapore. Visible, reliable, efficient – just like Eerfan and every delivery driver-partner under Lalamove.
“Guys,” he nudges us while catching a breather. “Time to eat.” He unlocks his phone to set a route to Jalan Sultan.
2.30pm. There’s no massive rush here. Plenty of seats welcome him at his favourite nasi padang spot.
Another delivery job comes in. One fast food restaurant is in need of sending ingredients to another outlet. Both are in town. Yet again, the multi-stop feature on the app makes the planning process smooth.
Eerfan digs into his meal. He swipes to accept the orders, puts his phone down, and reaches for the ayam goreng. “We got time.”
To Eerfan, two things are necessary for the best driver: good eyes and good judgment. He drives every day of the week, but he doesn’t overdo it. “Without rest, it’s as good as drink driving.”
No matter how busy the day gets, he will have his power naps. Those are just as potent as nasi padang.
The package is secured. It’s midday, and Eerfan remains energetic, telling us the best route to get to Plaza Singapura while beating the traffic (hint: head for Lor Payah).
In this part of town, there are no alleyways for a good spot. He parks his vehicle like everyone else.
He passes by Singaporeans, some headed for their cars with new buys and tired eyes. He walks in the opposite direction with a package on his shoulder and a job to complete. And then, it’s on to the next one.
Whether you need to make a delivery on time – or ahead of time – or if you need a specific vehicle for your precious items, Lalamove will be on it.
If that speaks to you and your business, Lalamove has a deal you can’t refuse.
For businesses new to the (Lala)movement, use coupon code LALAWIN to apply $15 off your first three orders under an individual account.
If you opt for a business account, topping up your e-wallet will grant you up to 5% bonus credits. These offers last till August 7, so be like Eerfan and get moving. More information can be found here.
And if Eerfan turns up at your doorstep, get him a drink – and remind him to charge his phone!
Sign up with Lalamove here.
