How can independent delivery drivers retain their status, yet still have access to critical services such as training, certification and insurance? Peter Schlactus, co-founder and executive director of the Association for Delivery Drivers (A4DD), has an answer.

The “most challenging” link in the delivery experience is the driver, Schlactus says. It’s the part of the supply chain that’s furthest from the manufacturer, distributor and retailer, and the one over which those entities have the least control.

Complicating the picture is the ongoing migration of the delivery model toward the treatment of drivers as independent contractors. “What goes along with that is the sacrifice of control and a model where drivers are left to their own devices," Schlactus says, “instead of having the employer provide training and provisioning them with equipment.

“At the end of the day,” he adds, “the whole supply chain is relying on hard-working frontline drivers who aren’t necessarily provisioned and equipped to provide the service and results [it’s] looking for.”

Any effort by employers to provide those services, however, threatens to muddy the independent status of drivers and risks their misclassification as full-time employees. Schlactus says the question of employment status has long been a problem, leaving the industry open to subpar service and the higher likelihood of accidents. In the end, though, “it’s the drivers who are the ones that are least-equipped to bear those risks and overcome those mishaps.”

Schlactus argues for an “empowered” workforce, a goal he says can be achieved by relying on an outside association such as A4DD to offer training, insurance, credentialing, background checks, trade name regulation, access to equipment and other key services that make their jobs easier and ensure their safety on the road, all while retaining their independent status.