A/C in package cars
- Thread starter burco8080
- Start date
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
Next you guys are going to want heat in the pkg cars too.
Fortunately, up here in the pacific northwest it rarely gets hot enough for us to have a desire for A/C.
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
Of course we would use the AC if the car was equipped with it, but that isnt the point we are debating.
The OP asked if AC was something we should try to negotiate into the next contract agreement. For a variety of reasons...technical as well as financial...AC is not a realistic option for package cars to be equipped with and trying to negotiate it would be counterproductive.
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
a stereo
EmerCond421
Well-Known Member
I'd opt for airbags on all vehicles. But I already have that on my P57 sprinter!
upssalesguy
UPS Defender
wait, you think telematics is for the benefit of the drivers? that's your first mistake.
What does A/C have to do with safety?
Do you really want your contractual money going to the lazy guy next to you that doesnt want to work because it's too hot? And you wonder why this country is wary of unions.
John19841
Well-Known Member
I'm just going to agree to disagree.
Some say it isn't practical, some say it is. Rigging the whole damn truck with GPS systems, That is not practical. Adding an A/C system is not that hard, nor expensive. You do not need to 'upgrade' any other systems of the vehicle, as was mentioned. An A/C system is COMPLETELY independent of any thing else in the vehicle. The only thing that it shares is the vents and blower motor with the heater.
Anyways, that's not the point I wanted to make. The point I want to make is that if I can go out and buy a complete A/C system that includes everything I need to put A/C in a truck for about $1,000 (Here's a link.... Truck A/C) Then I am positive UPS can come up with their own system for a significantly cheaper price. Hell, even if they bought what I posted, the sheer numbers that they would order would guarantee them a large discount. But anyways, I digress again. Earlier I was asked how much I would give up to get A/C in the trucks. I just showed how it can be put in for about $1,000. I would propose giving up a year of raises if ALL the trucks were outfitted with A/C. Even if we only had a $.50 raise for a year, that equals $1,040 not even counting overtime. Effectively, UPS would be putting A/C in all of their vehicles for free. Think about it.
As for "extra maintenance" that is a complete line of company fed BS. How many of you are going out their every other week and "maintaining" the air conditioning on your personal vehicle? How about the A/C in your house? Constantly "maintaining" that too? That's what I thought....
Some say it isn't practical, some say it is. Rigging the whole damn truck with GPS systems, That is not practical. Adding an A/C system is not that hard, nor expensive. You do not need to 'upgrade' any other systems of the vehicle, as was mentioned. An A/C system is COMPLETELY independent of any thing else in the vehicle. The only thing that it shares is the vents and blower motor with the heater.
Anyways, that's not the point I wanted to make. The point I want to make is that if I can go out and buy a complete A/C system that includes everything I need to put A/C in a truck for about $1,000 (Here's a link.... Truck A/C) Then I am positive UPS can come up with their own system for a significantly cheaper price. Hell, even if they bought what I posted, the sheer numbers that they would order would guarantee them a large discount. But anyways, I digress again. Earlier I was asked how much I would give up to get A/C in the trucks. I just showed how it can be put in for about $1,000. I would propose giving up a year of raises if ALL the trucks were outfitted with A/C. Even if we only had a $.50 raise for a year, that equals $1,040 not even counting overtime. Effectively, UPS would be putting A/C in all of their vehicles for free. Think about it.
As for "extra maintenance" that is a complete line of company fed BS. How many of you are going out their every other week and "maintaining" the air conditioning on your personal vehicle? How about the A/C in your house? Constantly "maintaining" that too? That's what I thought....
iowa boy
Well-Known Member
Salesguy,
Reread my post, I said that UPS is spending how many millions on Telematics and how this has absolutely NO benefit to the drivers. But when the subject of A/C comes up, its too expensive. I can go on, but hopefully you are smart enough to understand my point.
And A\C has everything to do with safety. If you have to call the center where I work because the heat is getting to you, you are charged for an injury and it goes in your file. It doesn't matter how much water or Gaterade or whatever you choose to drink, when its 125 in the cab of the car you are driving with the doors open, how is the driver supposed to cool down? Even OSHA says more breaks should be given when working in the heat for 10 or 11 hours but then again, that would cost money so we can't do that to benefit the drivers.
Here's a real thought for you Salesguy, why not go out and drive to each and every one of your customers in your own car, not using the A/C, with only two windows down, and see how you perform in the heat for 10 or 11 hours. But be careful, you may just get your crisp white shirt sweaty. If you can't do that, just don't go into the air conditioned office where you work and spend time some time inside a trailer either loading or unloading it. And then come back here and tell me that A/C has nothing to do with safety when you are ready to pass out from the heat.
I have said it before and I will say it again, "safety first unless it costs the company money". If it costs the company money, then all bets are off.
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Blue in Brown
Well how about a small 12 volt heat exchanger. When you feel yourself getting overheated, you open the top and insert your hand for a few minutes. The difference in temperature quickly pulls heat out of the blood thereby lowering the body's core temperature. With an elevated heart rate it works even faster.
I first saw one used in 2006 by Lance Armstrong.
I first saw one used in 2006 by Lance Armstrong.
Signature Only
Blue in Brown
Hmmmm. Do I really want my investment dollars going to some CEO who systematically steals every dollar in reach. Remember Enron?...Countrywide Mortgage?...AIG Insurance...Bear Sterns?...and how much money has Bank Of America lost in the last 6 months?....
And don't forget the undisputed heavyweight champion: Bernard Madoff.
And you wonder why this country hates corporations.
And don't forget the undisputed heavyweight champion: Bernard Madoff.
And you wonder why this country hates corporations.
Tomorrow he'll be on his knees in front of those drivers begging for sales leads.
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
1. An A/C system requires a compressor, which runs off of a belt, which runs off of a pulley. If the engine was not designed from the factory with such a pulley, you have to fabricate one.
2. An A/C system puts an additional load on the engine, which translates into additional heat. Vehicles with A/C typically require a heavier-duty cooling system than an identical vehicle without A/C. If you dont believe me, then go to any auto parts store and order a new radiator for an old car. They will ask you whether you have A/C or not, and if you do the replacement radiator will be a heavier-duty unit that is more expensive.
3. All of the newer package cars have computerized ignition and engine management systems that control timing, fuel injection and even the shift points for the automatic transmissions. These systems were designed from the factory for use without air conditioning. Jury-rigging an aftermarket A/C system would require these systems to be replaced or reprogrammed in order for the vehicles to run properly and comply with emissions standards.
4. Your "truck A/C" kit retails for $1099.99, but that does not include the labor involved in installing it. That price also does not factor in the 10-15% decrease in fuel economy that results from using A/C. With fuel approaching $4 per gallon for a package car that gets a mere 10 MPG, the additional operating costs are substantial.
5. I own a 1976 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 truck with a 350 V8. It came with factory A/C; when the Freon leaked out, I removed the system rather than repairing it due in large part to the hassles that it caused me when trying to do routine maintainence. The compressor and dryer and hoses and belts took up a lot of room under the hood, and made it a real bitch for me to get to the spark plugs or header bolts. Maintainence takes time, and time is money.
I have been sweating my ass off in a hot UPS truck every summer since 1988. I would love to have a package car with air conditioning; but the reality is that it neither financially nor technically feasable for the company to retrofit a functional AC system into its vehicles.
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