We wanted to share some information about our home delivery. October 7th is International Newspaper Carrier Day, and we thought our readers would enjoy hearing a little about how we accomplish delivery in Great Falls.
We started offering home delivery early this year when it became clear that postal rates were going up. Subscribers were unhappy about postal delivery because they often got their papers two or three days after publication.
When we started home delivery, we hoped to secure some former drivers of another locally marketed paper who retired their home delivery program. Sadly, that has not panned out. Two people do the bulk of the paper delivery, traveling more than 110 miles daily just for Great Falls. They cover the entire city, as well as some outlying areas.
It all starts the night before by printing hundreds of copies of the paper for the morning delivery, a highly automated process using commercially available equipment alongside software we have developed. We break down all the circulation of the paper, print it, roll it, rubber band it, bag it, label it, bundle it, and organize routes that often change daily with our explosive growth.
Generally, by about 1:00 a.m., we have enough papers for the morning delivery. At this point, we start getting things ready for the digital issue to hit the internet, uploading files, updating pages, ensuring stories are posted correctly, etc. All the while, we’re printing the papers you find in our display racks around town, USPS delivery papers, papers we donate to nonprofits, etc.
By 3 a.m., we’re loading up to start our routes, and delivery to the building we’re located in begins. When most of the town is in bed, we hit the road and start the three-and-a-half to four-hour home delivery run. One person takes care of most of the east side, and the other does the town’s southeast and west sides.
Computers and cell phones choreograph this, so we know when and where each paper gets delivered. The drivers can pull up information, including delivery instructions. Additionally, we can mark stops as special and drop off invoices or subscription reminders, pick up bag returns, and more!
When we started home delivery, we were told it wasn’t sustainable, that it was too much work, that subscribers hated home delivery and love postal. So far, the evidence we have seen says that all of this is not true. Our subscribers get their papers when they want them, and as far as cost goes, we’re paying about 60% of what we pay for the postal service to deliver, we have more accountability, and control over our product.
Delivery *is* alive and well in 2024, and 2025 looks just as bright. If you want your paper the day it is printed, then Home Delivery is your best bet!
Author: Andy Anderson
Andy is publisher of Foxys Publishing Co, as well as pressman, ad sales, distribution and sometime janitor. He occasionally makes a wild attempt at writing but quite often is seen running around our offices trying to "Get 39 million things done today..."
