at a crossroad...any advice?

[JJ53]

We had a driver that worked 18 yrs and then had an unavoidable accident (declared by UPS) and he couldnt come back to work 100% so they told him there was nothing they could do for him. He had to retain a lawyer and go after the parties of the accident. Its been tied up in court for about 3 yrs and he is now a bank teller trying to make ends meet. Thanks UPS for taking care of your drivers.

 

[soberups]

All these people getting surgeries makes me not want to work for UPS anymore. Is it really that bad as a driver? All of you need surgery?

I read a statistic once that said most drivers will require surgery at some point in their career.
UPS made a business decision for many years to intentionally delete ANY equipment from its package cars that might reduce wear and tear on the drivers body. Power steering? Remove it. Full-length seat with lumbar support? Delete it. Adequate leg room for proper posture while driving? Not necessary. Lower step height? Not worth spending the money. It is only since about 1996 that the package cars we drive have been designed with any concern whatsoever for ergonomics...prior to that, the equipment was designed to ultimately force its user into early retirement so that he might be replaced with a younger, cheaper employee.

 

[satellitedriver]

I read a statistic once that said most drivers will require surgery at some point in their career.
UPS made a business decision for many years to intentionally delete ANY equipment from its package cars that might reduce wear and tear on the drivers body. Power steering? Remove it. Full-length seat with lumbar support? Delete it. Adequate leg room for proper posture while driving? Not necessary. Lower step height? Not worth spending the money. It is only since about 1996 that the package cars we drive have been designed with any concern whatsoever for ergonomics...prior to that, the equipment was designed to ultimately force its user into early retirement so that he might be replaced with a younger, cheaper employee.

Can you provide where you read that statistic?
When you say "most drivers", do you mean over 50%?
Can you back up anything you state as fact?

 

[Bad Gas!]

Big brown sore back:There are some very good post here.I just returned 4 weeks ago from a knee surgury.I was out 3 months.They pretty much throw you to the wolves.I had truck breakdowns the first 2 days(same repair) and was out real late.There is no back up plan the routes are run so tight.Nobody can help...Since I have been back, I've had only one person(an on car soup) ask me how you are feeling.They don't care! Mgt is so busy trying not to get thier butt's chewed out by the division mgt for 9.5's,no lunch in board,nda late etc., etc. that they don't have time to express any nice jestures such as human feelings.it's a military, de-humanizing atmosphere....Luckily for me, I have felt better after week one(which was pain and hell put together).I try real hard to keep a low profile and to stay injury- accident free and get the NDA off in time, then let the rest of route fall as it may.....Good luck with the injury.Hopefully, your prayers will be answered, you pain relieved and you can return as a driver and bid to a 22.5 if you can find if you need too.....Good luck!

 

[soberups]

Can you provide where you read that statistic?
When you say "most drivers", do you mean over 50%?
Can you back up anything you state as fact?

I dont recall where I read it, I do recall it was something to the effect of at least 50%.
As far as the rest of my post, prior to the '97 contract there was no language addressing power steering or ergonomic issues in package cars. The first power steering pkg car that I ever saw was a '92 or '93 model, but it still didnt have a decent seat or leg room. The GMC's from the early 90's were no different from a P600 except for fuel injection and no more wooden doors, ergonomically they were and still are murder to work out of.

 

[Fnix]

Well maybe within my years driving they will change things some what. Maybe in my later years all trucks will be like those nice ones I see.

NOT!!!

 

[mattwtrs]

As far as the rest of my post, prior to the '97 contract there was no language addressing power steering or ergonomic issues in package cars. The first power steering pkg car that I ever saw was a '92 or '93 model, but it still didnt have a decent seat or leg room. The GMC's from the early 90's were no different from a P600 except for fuel injection and no more wooden doors, ergonomically they were and still are murder to work out of.

You guys make me smile. When I started in package my first car was a 1963 Chevy P350, #53518. I was happy when the newer cars, P500's etc came in the late 80's. Thank God they all should be gone by 2010. If you want murder to work out of try being in a rental with no bulk head door, etc for 3 or 4 months.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Matt, I had a rental for peak one year that actually had a bulkhead door; unfortunately, it was about 4' tall and I ended up working out of the back as my 6' frame was hard pressed to work through the 4' door. It was an all resi route so I ended up putting each street in the cab as I delivered that street. On the plus side, having actual heat and a radio was pretty cool.

 

[PAUPSER]

i love the rental retail trunks, hell i offered to give up my reg car over peak season to a temp driver, people the rental trucks have radio/cd player, heat that works! and are comfy, it does suck that you have to get out of the truck and walk around to the back to open the cargo door./

 

[theDOCTORisIN]

the wear and tear on our bodies day in and day out is incredible on this job.....all those years and only one claim,thats great......don't worry about the sups when you get back. do you're job just like you did before the injury....they may say some things about you when you get back but don't think twice about it.....you've been here long enough and know what to do...i've had 3 workmans comp claims in 25 years and i'm still here,they made some coments but after a few weeks it was like i was never gone.....but i do have to say after my 1st i was off 9 months,i was extremly out of shape when i came back,1 st day back they sent me out with 240 stops and i puked my guts out...i used their physical therapist(who did nada for me to get back into work shape)the 2 nd time i had the surgery done and i used my own therapist(i was off 13 weeks) i came back and they did it again , 220 stops , but guess what i was in shape and did the work like i was never off for the 13 weeks.......that really shut em' up.....nothing said after that day but " who did you're therapy,i've never seen anyone come back like that" now i'm on my 3 rd ......i did'nt take any crap when they tried T A W....I'VE HAD 2 SURGRRIES IN 2 MONTHS and so what i'll go back and pick up where i left off 20 weeks ago.....you have a lawyer now so UPS and your comp insurer won't talk to you much ....so go talk to your lawyer... REMEMBER YOU ARE THE GUY WITH 25 YEARS they need you,if not they have to take weeks and weeks to train a new PUPPET.....GOOD LUCK AND DON'T WORRY........you will be okay!!!!!!!

 

[Johney]

REMEMBER YOU ARE THE GUY WITH 25 YEARS they need you,if not they have to take weeks and weeks to train a new PUPPET.....

Are you kidding??

 

[bigbrownsoreback]

Big brown sore back:There are some very good post here.I just returned 4 weeks ago from a knee surgury.I was out 3 months.They pretty much throw you to the wolves.I had truck breakdowns the first 2 days(same repair) and was out real late.There is no back up plan the routes are run so tight.Nobody can help...Since I have been back, I've had only one person(an on car soup) ask me how you are feeling.They don't care! Mgt is so busy trying not to get thier butt's chewed out by the division mgt for 9.5's,no lunch in board,nda late etc., etc. that they don't have time to express any nice jestures such as human feelings.it's a military, de-humanizing atmosphere....Luckily for me, I have felt better after week one(which was pain and hell put together).I try real hard to keep a low profile and to stay injury- accident free and get the NDA off in time, then let the rest of route fall as it may.....Good luck with the injury.Hopefully, your prayers will be answered, you pain relieved and you can return as a driver and bid to a 22.5 if you can find if you need too.....Good luck!

thanks for the advice

 

[bigbrownsoreback]

the wear and tear on our bodies day in and day out is incredible on this job.....all those years and only one claim,thats great......don't worry about the sups when you get back. do you're job just like you did before the injury....they may say some things about you when you get back but don't think twice about it.....you've been here long enough and know what to do...i've had 3 workmans comp claims in 25 years and i'm still here,they made some coments but after a few weeks it was like i was never gone.....but i do have to say after my 1st i was off 9 months,i was extremly out of shape when i came back,1 st day back they sent me out with 240 stops and i puked my guts out...i used their physical therapist(who did nada for me to get back into work shape)the 2 nd time i had the surgery done and i used my own therapist(i was off 13 weeks) i came back and they did it again , 220 stops , but guess what i was in shape and did the work like i was never off for the 13 weeks.......that really shut em' up.....nothing said after that day but " who did you're therapy,i've never seen anyone come back like that" now i'm on my 3 rd ......i did'nt take any crap when they tried T A W....I'VE HAD 2 SURGRRIES IN 2 MONTHS and so what i'll go back and pick up where i left off 20 weeks ago.....you have a lawyer now so UPS and your comp insurer won't talk to you much ....so go talk to your lawyer... REMEMBER YOU ARE THE GUY WITH 25 YEARS they need you,if not they have to take weeks and weeks to train a new PUPPET.....GOOD LUCK AND DON'T WORRY........you will be okay!!!!!!!

again, thanks for the advice

 

[satellitedriver]

I dont recall where I read it, I do recall it was something to the effect of at least 50%.
As far as the rest of my post, prior to the '97 contract there was no language addressing power steering or ergonomic issues in package cars. The first power steering pkg car that I ever saw was a '92 or '93 model, but it still didnt have a decent seat or leg room. The GMC's from the early 90's were no different from a P600 except for fuel injection and no more wooden doors, ergonomically they were and still are murder to work out of.

I drive a 1988 P5 with 750,000 miles on it. Stick shift, no power steering and a (worn out) stadium seat on a pillar. The "new" pkg cars we are getting are the rejects from Houston and Dallas, since they can not pass the emission standards.
The only ergonomic attribute in all the cars is the hand hold to get in and out of them.
Post '97 contract, not much has changed, except talk about the language the union won.

 

[govols019]

I know we are in the highest risk bracket when applying for disability insurance.

 

[Mike Hawk]

You guys make me smile. When I started in package my first car was a 1963 Chevy P350, #53518. I was happy when the newer cars, P500's etc came in the late 80's. Thank God they all should be gone by 2010. If you want murder to work out of try being in a rental with no bulk head door, etc for 3 or 4 months.

I see a lot of FedEx Ground trucks that look like rentals, that would suck delivering bulk out of one of those, unless you had a dock to back up to every time.

 

[trplnkl]

I drive a 1988 P5 with 750,000 miles on it. Stick shift, no power steering and a (worn out) stadium seat on a pillar. The "new" pkg cars we are getting are the rejects from Houston and Dallas, since they can not pass the emission standards.
The only ergonomic attribute in all the cars is the hand hold to get in and out of them.
Post '97 contract, not much has changed, except talk about the language the union won.

Hmmmm, here the new trucks have a nice seat that you can adjust the tilt of the "seat" portion, some have tilt steering wheels, Power steering. automatic tranny, lower step into cab area, all ergonomic attributes. Ad to that list more room in the cab, wider shelves and more room between them, a much tighter turning radius. The real down side I can see is that the metal (aluminum) being used is a smaller gauge than the metal in the P500s making it easier to bend and they don't seem to be built quite as sturdy.

 

[siouxman]

My brother lives in s carolina and was hurt on the job.(not a ups employee). We are looking for a good workmans comp lawyer in south carolina, can anyone give a recomendation.

 

[trplnkl]

I recommend Google and five.

 

[dilligaf]

Danny gave me this one.......legalmatch.com