Discussing the UPS Automotive Department.

[Integrity]

Drivers:

Are you satisfied with how your local Auto Shop management handles the maintainance and repairs to the vehicles and equipment you use?

Are you satisfied with the response you get when calling in from the road an issue with your vehicles or equipment?

Do they handle road call situations professionally or do they try to avoid road calls when they really shouldn't?

Do they ever try to convince you to stay driving or using a piece of equipment that you don't think you should?

In your view, is your mechanic given the time and materials necessary to keep your vehicle in top condition?

Auto Mechanics:

Are you expected to follow the PMI methods exactly when completing inspections or is it common practice to use "common sense" and "personal experience" when doing these inspections so that you can get them done in an "allotted time"?

Do you feel unreasonable pressure to skimp on repairs and inspections to meet these "allotted times"?

Does your management team handle road call situations professionally?

Do they document each and every road call?

Do they ever try to convince or coherce drivers to stay driving or using a vehicle or piece of equipment that they should not?

My experience has revealed the sad fact that UPS can improve greatly in this area.

What are your thoughts ?

I

 

[dannyboy]

wow i

you go from not having a clue about how things are done at ups to the savior of the driving workforce, and without actually solving a thing, you are now moving the the automotive department?

what a super man you are.

personally i think your like the obama at ups.

nobody knows where you came from

nobody knows any of your background

nobody can document any real reason for you to have the "job" you seek

no one can speak for your qualifications for the post you seek, or the training or background you have in the field

so yeah, i think that qualifies you for mr davis's spot.

beam him up scotty, he is overqualified to be posting here.

d

 

[upssup]

As an Automotive Supervisor, yes I expect my mechanics both machinist and teamster to follow the PMI requirements. I expect they will fix the tractors, trailer and package cars correctly. I will not have my mechanics cut corners and yes I report every road call. I also expect our drivers to drive safe equipment and report issues before they leave so they can be fixed before it becomes a road call. I expect them to properly use a DVIR and I also expect they will not use automotive as an excuse to suck overtime. I always like the " I need my gladhands painted" It takes us 2 minutes to do it but funny how some of the drivers will stand around here in the shop for a half an hour and talk to my mechanics.

 

[dragracer66]

Man.... I don't even know where to begin with this and I'm usually not short for words..... This kind of thread sounds like some automotive sup is sitting at his desk bored out of his or her mind trying to find more problems to blame on there mechanics. We as mechanics are limited to the time and parts availabilty that we have. Yes if I get a driver calling for a problem I try to see if they can make the day with it. With that said its never a saftey problem. If you have no brakes, a loose wheel, slipping clutch or a massive leak then no I'll be out and yes I will fill out a slip. But if I get a call for a flat tire on the rear or a cable broke on the rear door a headlight out no write it up when you get back. The reason I try not to go out for flats on the rear is because there is another tire there that can take the load till you return. Unless its a outer tire and its hanging off the rim then yes I will come out. We never try to talk the drivers in to driving anything that will get them or somebody else hurt. I think some drivers should be more discriptive when writing up a problem it makes our job alot easier. Alot of you guys (drivers) need to understand most shops (especially big shops) don't carry enough parts. It sounds like a cop out but management feels that parts sitting on a shelf not being used is money being wasted. They feel that its better to red tag a car then order the parts. It keeps our inventory down and cost down also. Here is a good example we run around 85 tractors at my building to do a rear brake job on a single axle tractor takes two sets of brake shoes. We stock 4 sets so if we have 3 write ups for tractors that need brakes one of those trucks are going to sit untill we order a set or call another building for them. I'm not saying every shop is perfect but for the most part we are trying. Its hard when your hands are tied!!! I think this is the most I ever typed!!!

 

[Old International]

It depends on the issue. If it is directly related to safe operation of the vehicle, then My Mechinecs will fix it, or red tag the unit. However, if it's not directly related to the safe operation of the vehicle, it sometimes will never get fixed. Case in point- My speedo on my tractor is frozen at 47 MPH. I write it up at every PMI, but the tractor comes back to me in the same condition so I deal with it(the IVIS works great). We also have a problem getting small problems fixed before they become big ones- I just had to drive a tractor for a week with it mixing the fuel and antifreeze, and then spewing the mix out the overflow pipe onto a hot exhaust pipe, because the hub doesn't have any spare tractors. So I drive it until I am adding a quart of antifreeze every 100 miles. Then, the shop finally finds a spare tractor for me to drive, while mine goes to the outside shop.
Plus, I move a lot of parts from my center to the rest of the state for other mechenics to use. Why is this?

 

[barnyard]

I am very happy with my mechanic.

I am disgusted with Automotive.

Last year, our Ford p1000's were crushed if they needed any repairs that cost more than $1000. 6 were crushed, we have 2 left in our building.

They were replaced with GM P1000's. They are the POS with a high step and no power steering.

Recently, one broke down and a $5,000 repair with authorized.

To the Automotive maroon that decided to crush the Ford P1000's, "eff you, you effen maroon."

 

[Anonymous 10]

I am very happy with my mechanic.

I am disgusted with Automotive.

Last year, our Ford p1000's were crushed if they needed any repairs that cost more than $1000. 6 were crushed, we have 2 left in our building.

They were replaced with GM P1000's. They are the POS with a high step and no power steering.

Recently, one broke down and a $5,000 repair with authorized.

To the Automotive maroon that decided to crush the Ford P1000's, "eff you, you effen maroon."

1+

 

[barnyard]

How much is it going to cost UPS in worker's comp when guys that are used to power steering and a low step start working with a POS and destroy a shoulder or a knee......

 

[Dustyroads]

In my time at UPS I've seen all kinds when it comes to mechanics. I could write a book. But, I could say the same thing about drivers, loaders, managers.

But, my mechanic now is the best I've seen in 31 years. Before he came to UPS, my truck was continually red tagged, had numerous road calls, lots of stuff went undone. It was like that for years.

And then this new mechanic came in. I had the very same car, only it was getting older and getting more miles on it. Suddenly, anything I wrote up got fixed. And it wasn't just putting on parts, he would actually repair things and do things to prevent future problems. It's been five or six years now, my car is never out of the line up. I never have a road call. It always runs like a champ. Got a problem, write the guy a note, it's magically fixed by morning. It's not just safety stuff that's addressed, everything is addressed.

The other mechanic is a fairly new guy too and is just as good, my truck just happens to be assigned to this particular one. I cannot say enough good things about the mechanics in our building. It's great to have lots of confidence in one's truck and mechanic.

 

[jimstud]

i've seen more automotive sups ask drivers to go under the hood and wiggle this or hit that. my answer is always the same i don't ask your mechanics to do my work, don't ask me to do theirs.

 

[8andout]

Drivers:


Auto Mechanics:

Are you expected to follow the PMI methods exactly when completing inspections or is it common practice to use "common sense" and "personal experience" when doing these inspections so that you can get them done in an "allotted time"?

Yes, i am expected to follow methods exactly, but if you read the methods you will see that they give the mechanic the flexability to adapt to various equipment design changes. In other words, exact methods have not
been developed for every variation of equipment.

Do you feel unreasonable pressure to skimp on repairs and inspections to meet these "allotted times"?

No. The alotted times don't mean much to me. The job is done when I and only I say it's done.

Does your management team handle road call situations professionally?

Yes.

Do they document each and every road call?

Yes. A mechanic sent, or money spent = Road call.

Do they ever try to convince or coherce drivers to stay driving or using a vehicle or piece of equipment that they should not?

No. The key words in you question are "should not".
I/we talk with the driver and depending on the issue, the vehicle will be switched out, or the driver will be given the OPTION to continue with his/her route. If there is ANY question about safety, the driver is instructed to park it.

My experience has revealed the sad fact that UPS can improve greatly in this area.

What are your thoughts ?

I

 

[LED]

I am extremely happy with my mechanic. He fixes everything that I write up. If my truck is acting weird I just tell him and he fixes it.

As far as automotive management goes, I never see them, or hear from them.

 

[Anonymous 10]

How much is it going to cost UPS in worker's comp when guys that are used to power steering and a low step start working with a POS and destroy a shoulder or a knee......

Alot because they will spend $200,000 in legal expenses to deny your claim and just pay it anyway.

 

[brownrod]

No mechanical issues here. We have 1 mechanic for about 50 trucks. But all our trucks are new automatics.

 

[barnyard]

Alot because they will spend $200,000 in legal expenses to deny your claim and just pay it anyway.

I'm putting money away now for when I need shoulder surgery. I had to quit doing yoga because I cannot do anything like a pushup. I see surgery in my future and it is my understanding, that shoulders take 3-4 months to heal......

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I'm putting money away now for when I need shoulder surgery. I had to quit doing yoga because I cannot do anything like a pushup. I see surgery in my future and it is my understanding, that shoulders take 3-4 months to heal......

Please do yourself a favor and look in to supplemental health insurance (Aflac or Combined) so that you can have it in place when you have your surgery and extended down time. Payments that you will receive are in addition to comp payments. I am with Combined and am covered 24/7 for accident, injury and sickness with a monthly combined premium of about $100.

www.combined.com www.aflac.com

No, I am not a salesman for either of these companies, but have been with Combined for at least 10 years. When I had my bilateral ulnar nerve release surgery I received a little more than $1K, which was in addition to the $880 that I received in comp. I was on the shelf for about 2 weeks and was offered light duty for 2 more (rode with a driver) before being released to full duty.

 

[barnyard]

Please do yourself a favor and look in to supplemental health insurance (Aflac or Combined)

I've been looking.

In my area, Aflac will not give a quote to a UPSer. I asked why. The reply, "You guys use it."

I have been looking for supplemental disablility for 6ish years and cannot find anyone that will write a UPS service provider a policy. Seeing my shoulders deteriorate, I quit racing dirtbikes and sold it a month ago, figuring that I could not afford time off if I got hurt racing, then took time off to fix my shoulder.

 

[ups1990]

The mechanic assigned to my 1000 is a nice person but not a very good mechanic.
Truck doesn't start right away, even when the glow plug light turns off. Plugs have been replaced numerous times. A diesel fuel leak has yet to be found. Strong diesel fumes engulf the cab.

Steering is very loose on the freeway. Can't go past 60 miles on the highway in order for the whole truck not feel like it's coming apart.

Very frustrating.

 

[govols019]

Try State Farm. I have a policy through them that pays $1500 a month for up to 5 years.

 

[bluehdmc]

All our mechanics seem to do is write "checked", I've asked that about cruise control, "checked", (it still doesn't work, I've given up, I guess that was his idea).
The air ride seat constantly lost air, "checked", finally a "floater" mechanic got it, wrote, "tightened fittings", now it will hold air over the weekend.

I've seen a/c never repaired, "we do that when we do the PMI", all summer no a/c then PMI done in Oct. "No need for a/c now".

I once wrote up a tractor for water in the air tank. The mechanic wrote "drain air tank", next day I write the same thing, he writes, "it's your job to drain the air tank".

Finally, I write I know it's my job to drain the air tank, water in air tank is indicative of a bad air drier, WHICH IS YOUR JOB TO REPLACE. (I used caps on the dvir).
He wrote, "air drier ordered, continue to drain air tanks", if he had written that the first day it would have been fine, but it seems he had to be a smartass.

I've seen where other drivers have written "bad cb antenna", and the excuse for no repair is "driver convienence".

I can't get my cruise control repaired but when my truck was PMI'd the glad hands were REPLACED!

There was nothing wrong with the old ones, (they didn't even need painting). I asked one of the other mechanics why they were replaced, his reply was, "Because we had them."

I kinda wish the time had been spent of trying to fix the cruise control or a new shift knob, (the top came off the current one, it's kinda rough on the hands at the end of the day).