Delivery driver says winter conditions make hiring difficult at local restaurant

A delivery driver for Louie's Pizza in downtown Colorado Springs says hiring people to deliver food gets harder in the winter. 

Mike Steckley, who has delivered food for about 16 years at Louie's Pizza, says the difference between driving in summer versus winter is "night and day." 

"When they get hired in the summer, usually they're like, 'Oh this is great. I get to drive all day,'" he said. "And then winter hits on a day like yesterday or today: 'Yeah, I don't want to do this for eight hours straight. I don't know if I want to drive all day in this.' Some people quit."

Still, Steckley says the job gets easier over time, even though winter time can mean more delivery calls because people don't want to drive on the icy conditions themselves. 

"You'll get back to the store from a delivery and then you'll have to take two at a time and sometimes three at a time," he said. "And they can pile up pretty quick."

To stay safe on the road, Steckley says he drives slow and practices patience since he sometimes has to take back alleys and other alternative routes to avoid steep hills. 

While pizza deliveries can sometimes take up to an hour depending on the distance and conditions, he says customers can help him by shoveling their driveways and sidewalks.