Dry eyes for delivery drivers

Delivery drivers get dry eyes from the constant switch between a van’s heater or AC vents and wind at the doorstep, plus long stretches reading a handheld scanner and the road. Peak holiday season stacks more stops into shorter days. Aiming vents away from your face, wraparound glasses, deliberate blinks at each stop and a lubricating drop used as labeled can help. Keep the bottle in the cab, within its labeled storage range.

Why delivery routes are hard on eyes

A route is a loop repeated dozens or hundreds of times a day: drive, park, scan, walk, drop off, climb back in. Each part of that loop affects the tear film differently.

• Vents: heat or AC blowing at face level dries the eye’s surface quickly, and in a van the vents are close.
• Wind: stepping out into cold or blowing air, often at a run, pulls more moisture off the eye.
• Screens: scanners, phone apps and dash navigation all pull your focus, and focus slows blinking.
• Driving itself: watching the road, mirrors and house numbers at once keeps blinks short.
• Dust and grit: gravel driveways, construction zones and sliding van doors stir up debris.

Peak season makes it worse

From late November through December, routes grow, days get shorter and the heater runs from first stop to last. That combination means more vent time, more scanning in poor light and more hours on the clock. Eyes that feel fine in October can feel scratchy by mid-December. Planning for it in November is easier than reacting later.

Setting up the cab

• Point dash vents at the windshield, your chest or the floor, never straight at your eyes.
• Use the defrost setting with the fan on low when the windows allow it.
• In summer, close the vents nearest your face and let the AC cool the cab from the side.
• Keep the windshield clean inside and out; haze and glare make you squint.
• Mount the phone or scanner at a height that lets you look slightly down, which leaves more of the eye covered by the lids.

Habits at every stop

The repetition of a route is actually useful, because it gives you a natural cue. Tie one small habit to something you already do at every stop:

• When you put the van in park, close your eyes for two seconds, then blink fully three times.
• When you finish scanning, look at something far away, like the end of the street, before you move.
• When you step into strong wind, turn your face away from it and let your eyes water if they want to.
• When you get back in, take a sip of water before you pull away.

Glasses, glare and weather

Wraparound sunglasses cut wind on the walk to the door and glare off wet roads or snow. Many drivers keep a clear pair for gray days and dusk, since winter routes often end after sunset. If your company has a uniform or safety-eyewear policy, follow it. Our guides on dry eyes when driving in winter and for rideshare drivers cover more of the driving side.

Keeping eye drops in the van

Quell’s label gives a storage range: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A delivery van can blow past that range in both directions. Parked in a summer lot, a closed cab gets very hot; parked in a winter depot before dawn, it can sit below freezing. A few ways to keep a bottle in range:

• Carry it in a jacket or shirt pocket instead of a cup holder or the dash.
• If you leave it in the van, use a small insulated pouch and keep it out of direct sun.
• Take it home at the end of the shift instead of leaving it in the vehicle until morning.
• If a bottle looks different from normal, check the label: If this product changes color.

Our guides to eye drops in a hot car and whether eye drops can freeze in a cold car go into the temperature side in more detail.

Using Quell on a route

The label’s Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. That’s three times a day, so spread them across the shift, such as before you leave the depot, at lunch and when you finish. Never use drops while the vehicle is moving; park first. The label also says Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination, which takes some care with cold hands or gloves. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss.

Expect a few seconds of blur right after a drop. Give your vision time to clear before you drive. If you wear contact lenses, the label doesn’t cover using it with them, so ask your eye doctor first.

When a doctor should take a look

Grit blown into the eye that won’t wash out with blinking, pain, or vision that stays blurry is a reason to stop and get care. Driving with poor vision isn’t worth the risk. The label adds: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. See eye symptoms that need a doctor for more.