Cellular Device as GPS

My data plan is exactly that...mine! So are my allowed minutes on my phone.
I use neither one for my job at UPS.
Not gonna burn all my data using Google Maps or all my minutes listening to a supervisor.
If UPS wants me to run something I don't know, they need to provide me with a map.
If they want to communicate with me, then they need to do it through the diad.
 

JL 0513

Well-Known Member
Look, I've got a few map books. Just cause I prefer a phone doesn't mean I don't know how to use a map.
I'm not knocking people for preferring a paper map to a digital one. It's old school gangsta and I can appreciate that.
To each his own, do what works for you. I utilize every tool I have available to me to do my job.

Ideally I would never have to run a route blind. There's cover guys I work with who refuse to do it. They insist on the 3 day supervisor ride along they're entitled to when learning a new route. These are the same guys (who have more seniority than me) that take an off day when I get paid to learn a route blind. Google helps me do it, and I've got a map book open too the whole time.

If you use GPS as a tool, not a crutch, then it's no different than using a map book. I use both, and it gets me paid.
End rant.

3 day ride along for every new route? This can't be right, is it? The only time I had 3 days ride along was the first 3 days of my 30 day qualification when I knew nothing about the job.

In the last year and a half, I've learned 17 routes. Had a ride along on just 2. Everything else blind with no notice. There's no way I could do all that effectively without Google Maps. I have a map book for backup but never pull it out. Paper maps take forever to use and you are given zero time allowance to even refer to a map. Just making out the squished print on a map, especially city, is crazy. Last time I checked, there's no addresses on the paper map. Not good for roads many miles long.

The old timers probably think you need to type out a full address including city and state. Actually, with Google maps you just type in the # and first 2 or 3 letters of a street and it auto fills the whole address. It accurately predicts based on your location. It's a process that takes literally 2 seconds and can be done on the walk back to the car. Imagine looking at your map book on the walk back to the car? New drivers today aren't given any extra time to learn a new route. You are expected to run a route well on day one blind.
 
T

Turdferguson

Guest
3 day ride along for every new route? This can't be right, is it? The only time I had 3 days ride along was the first 3 days of my 30 day qualification when I knew nothing about the job.

In the last year and a half, I've learned 17 routes. Had a ride along on just 2. Everything else blind with no notice. There's no way I could do all that effectively without Google Maps. I have a map book for backup but never pull it out. Paper maps take forever to use and you are given zero time allowance to even refer to a map. Just making out the squished print on a map, especially city, is crazy. Last time I checked, there's no addresses on the paper map. Not good for roads many miles long.

The old timers probably think you need to type out a full address including city and state. Actually, with Google maps you just type in the # and first 2 or 3 letters of a street and it auto fills the whole address. It accurately predicts based on your location. It's a process that takes literally 2 seconds and can be done on the walk back to the car. Imagine looking at your map book on the walk back to the car? New drivers today aren't given any extra time to learn a new route. You are expected to run a route well on day one blind.

If you have qualified why are you concerned with their bogus numbers they want you to meet?
 

JL 0513

Well-Known Member
If you have qualified why are you concerned with their bogus numbers they want you to meet?

I don't care necessarily, but I like to do it in a reasonable time that doesn't make me look like a complete incompetent. And then have to deal with harassment everyday. An hour over regularly doesn't concern me but if I had to run all these routes blind without some technological help, I'd probably end up 3-4 hrs over. Google gives me all the answers to the test. Paper maps is like taking a trip to the library and researching books for the test. Why do that when you can Google them in 2 seconds? I just prefer to work smarter with modern tools, and not harder.

Note that the phone is mainly used the first couple days on a route then after that I naturally begin to learn and memorize areas simple by repetition. The phone doesn't hinder my ability to learn routes. It's simply a godsend on the first couple days.
 

NXA

Well-Known Member
I don't care necessarily, but I like to do it in a reasonable time that doesn't make me look like a complete incompetent. And then have to deal with harassment everyday. An hour over regularly doesn't concern me but if I had to run all these routes blind without some technological help, I'd probably end up 3-4 hrs over. Google gives me all the answers to the test. Paper maps is like taking a trip to the library and researching books for the test. Why do that when you can Google them in 2 seconds? .

Because the other information you pick up along the way might be useful later. I use my phone because my mapbook doesn't fit in my lunchbox. But paper is definitely better for learning an area long-term. How close do you have to zoom in to get the names of the smaller culdesacs to appear? What if you have NDA there tomorrow, you'll have to google it again? Rookie.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
"Card file?"

You must be older than me!;)


The good old card file system. A good card file was worth its weight in gold. If someone replaced me while I was on vacation and did a respectable job I left the file for you-----if you were a runner gunner, burned the hell out of my route and left me tons of work for when I got back I took the card file home with me. It didn't take long to figure out who got to use my file and who didn't.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
Plus makes it easier to memorize where streets are. Memorizing is by far the fastest way.
I have been saying that. With Orion, the swing drivers never get area knowledge, at least not the way we did. I say that because I have had a 30/40 stop split, and I have not learned or memorized the street order, number breaks, etc as well as I did before, or as quickly because I follow Orion to complete them.
 

Rainman

Its all good.
The good old card file system. A good card file was worth its weight in gold. If someone replaced me while I was on vacation and did a respectable job I left the file for you-----if you were a runner gunner, burned the hell out of my route and left me tons of work for when I got back I took the card file home with me. It didn't take long to figure out who got to use my file and who didn't.
I made up one for my country route for the dirt roads, the poorly marked country roads, ect. People can google if they want, but it doesn't tell you which houses are which, at least on my dirt roads. Some houses aren't listed, while others that are listed aren't there anymore. It took a lot of extra effort to make the file, but it will pay off this fall and winter.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
The card file stays with the route. Any bid driver who brings the card file home is just being a dick.


Maybe in the BOG but that ain't the way it happened in real life. I made the card file----I did with it what I wanted and if that meant keeping it away from turds like you---so be it. I bent over backwards to make it as easy as possible for most guys (including letting them call me on vacation if they had a question) but there were a couple of drivers who I went out of my way to slow down. Every center has a few of "those" guys that can't grasp the idea that working by the methods is to their advantage come payday. They HAVE to be off at 5 no matter how heavy they are and they don't care who they step on to do it. I would be a "dick" to you any .day
 
Maybe in the BOG but that ain't the way it happened in real life. I made the card file----I did with it what I wanted and if that meant keeping it away from turds like you---so be it. I bent over backwards to make it as easy as possible for most guys (including letting them call me on vacation if they had a question) but there were a couple of drivers who I went out of my way to slow down. Every center has a few of "those" guys that can't grasp the idea that working by the methods is to their advantage come payday. They HAVE to be off at 5 no matter how heavy they are and they don't care who they step on to do it. I would be a "dick" to you any .day
:bpotd:
 
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