Newspaper Delivery
We have delivered a variety of newspapers over the years, but due to other demands on our time, we currently only help distribute the Iowa State Daily, Iowa State University's student-run newspaper. These are free, bulk papers which we put into stands for passers-by to pick up. Below is an example of an empty Iowa State Daily wall-mounted stand, ready to be filled.
The number of pages in a periodical can vary greatly depending on the amount of advertising in the paper. On some days of the week or near certain holidays, it isn't unusual for a newspaper to be two or three times as large as normal. Carriers have to plan ahead for the large days so they have enough time and equipment to complete the job. We sometimes find it necessary to pull two trailers as shown in this photo, taken before dawn. This load weighs about 700 lbs (320 kg).
Each bin can carry between 100 and 500 newspapers, again depending upon the number of pages in the paper. A bin full of papers weighs approximately 60 to 70 lbs (27-32 kg). There are several advantages to carrying newspapers in bins like this:
- the newspapers stay dry in the rain or snow, even when carrying them into a building,
- loose papers (i.e., leftover papers picked up off of racks) don't blow out when in transit
- large quantities of papers can be carried comfortably into buildings on one shoulder (as shown below), which reduces back strain and leaves a hand free to open doors
