Why Exeter will miss its UPS driver more than his packages: Hint, he went 'above and beyond'

EXETER — As he drove his UPS truck through Exeter for the last time, John Hartz felt a mix of emotions. He was sad to leave behind the town he had grown to love, but also excited for a new opportunity closer to home.

He was more than just Exeter's delivery driver for 11 years — he was a part of the community. So much so that on his last day, downtown businesses surprised him by putting out signs like "We'll Miss You!," "We Love You!" and "Thank you for everything."

“Making this decision to leave Exeter was a very tough decision because I do enjoy what I do no matter where it is,” he said. “But Exeter felt especially like I was never at work because it was just so nice to see those people every day.”

Hartz said he took on a new route closer to his home in Manchester as it will allow him to spend more time with his family.

“I wish I could still be in Exeter,” he said. “I miss the people so much, but this is the best for me and my family.”

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Hartz finds calling as a UPS driver

A Pennsylvania native, Hartz came to New England in the late '90s as part of a relocation for a previous company he worked for. He ultimately lost his passion for that job and was looking for a career change, where he “kind of fell into it” as a UPS truck driver.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and every year UPS looks for Christmas drivers,” he said. “I drove for UPS Christmas of 2000 and they hired me right away as a full-time driver after Christmas.”

That was the start of Hartz’s 23-year-and-still-counting career as a UPS truck driver.

In an industry where seniority trumps others, Hartz started as what they call a “swing driver,” where he would only cover for people during their time off and didn’t have a particular route.

“As you earn more time with the company, you could have the opportunity to bid routes,” he explained. “You have the opportunity to bid routes every two years. I was doing a route in Concord, and I saw that there was a bid opening in Exeter so I took that route – that’s how I ended up there.”

Manchester used to be the hub for packages en route to Exeter. Then, it was only a five-minute drive for Hartz to get his truck already loaded with packages to start his day.

But three years ago, when the Stratham UPS facility expanded, it became the new hub for Exeter packages.

The switch, he said, added a 40-minute commute from Manchester to Stratham before he even started his day.

Still, Hartz chose to stay in Exeter because of the people.

But as time went on, he said the longer commute became too much.

“It takes its toll over time,” he said.

With Manchester being the hub for Bedford-bound packages, it only takes Hartz five minutes to get to his work truck.

“It’s six minutes if I get the light,” he joked.

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He was more than just a UPS driver to Exeter

Hartz said he was surprised to see all the signs from stores along Water Street thanking him on his last day May 26.

“I was overwhelmed, and I’m still overwhelmed,” he said. “I knew that they liked me… but I never realized the impact that I had on them until Friday.”

Dan Chartrand, owner of Water Street Bookstore, said Hartz is “a glue that holds the community together.”

“He understands the importance of what in theory is called ‘social capital,’ but in reality, is just being kind to people every day,” said Chartrand. “That’s what John (Hartz) does better than anyone I've ever met, he’s amazing.”

Jessica Christoferson, owner of Cymbidium Floral, said Hartz is more than just a package delivery guy because of “the littlest things” that he’d do.

“He took the time to get to know us a little and he would go out of his way to help in whatever way,” said Christoferson. “If we had packages to return, we could call him, and he’d come pick them up. When I’d walk around town with my kids, he'd always do a soft little honk and wave. And when my son was little and loved trucks, he would stop and let him look at the truck.”

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For Kathy Lemerise and Rose MacDougall, owner and manager of Trends Gift Gallery, their relationship with Hartz goes beyond the daily package delivery, which also includes some inside jokes.

“He cared about the people he delivers to,” said Lemerise. “When my father passed away, he sent me a sympathy card… we will miss him very much and we gave him a gift card just so he would come back to Exeter.”

Deanna Benoit, owner of Top Drawer, said aside from Hartz’s great sense of humor, he had always gone “above and beyond” for her.

“He will call us if there’s a snow day and he’ll text me to make sure I’m there when he delivers the packages – so many delivery people don’t care,” said Benoit.

And on days the Hartz doesn’t show up, Benoit would worry and give him a call.

“I’ll text him, ‘John, are you okay?’” she said. “‘I’m on vacation this week,’ he’d said.”

For Hartz, it was all about “treating people the way he wanted to be treated.”

“I really wanted to stay in Exeter and retire from there in a few years,” he said. “I feel like I’m part of the community and they make me feel like I’m part of the community… I’ve even watched some of the kids grow up.”

He described his decision to leave Exeter as “one of the toughest decisions in his 23 years working for UPS.”

“If I was a bit younger, I would consider buying a house closer to Stratham just so I can come back to Exeter,” he joked. “Maybe they could put up a GoFundMe page for me… I’m just kidding.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter, NH UPS driver moving on after 11 years of service, friendship