DRA VS EFFICIENC

[hypo hanna]

At our terminal we call it setting up"priorities" after this is set up on a route it makes them run smooth, if they are not set up its helter skelter no rhyme or reason a lot of wasted miles and aggravation, endless time wasted in back of van looking for stops that your by but sequenced 30 stops later.

Well if DRA can't set up priorities, And the company is driving off experienced couriers who can, then who will? Are the ops managers going to fine sort 50 to 150 trucks every morning?
Knowing FedEx history, I'm sure they are working on a plan to hire immigrant laborers to unload the PM truck and load the am routes. Give them a blanket and let them sleep in the truck between sorts.

 

[prodriver]

Well if DRA can't set up priorities, And the company is driving off experienced couriers who can, then who will? Are the ops managers going to fine sort 50 to 150 trucks every morning?
Knowing FedEx history, I'm sure they are working on a plan to hire immigrant laborers to unload the PM truck and load the am routes. Give them a blanket and let them sleep in the truck between sorts.

I don't think anything anyone comes up with will even come close to replacing an experienced courier, but on the HD side setting up "priorities" helps us out. Its the same thing HD has been using for years I don't know about express side of things but it takes about 15-20 minutes to set up 1 route. Its far from perfect but with a van full of resi's it helps. And of course we don't have the commit times like y'all do.

 

[HomeDelivery]

wow, prodriver... you done early as well?

just finished covering a decent route. the regular driver of this route had his area zoned easily so i don't go back to the same area 2 or 3 times in one day; basically straightlined 120 stops and out by 1500

No matter how impressive the technology, it is only as good as the people who use it.

i'm just glad my local hub has decent people running the software; they know we're not paid hourly & wasting time on the road is not in our best interest.

i did try it at ground to implement HD's stop sequencing there, but those managers said it was too much work to scan in every parcel for the one route... & they can't account for the time-sensitive stops & pickups

being a cover over there is blah.

sucks to hear that they're still struggling at Express; thought i was going to do a lateral move, but that seems to be discouraging to be sent each day to fail service, especially when they don't learn from their mistakes every Peak season since i've sign up on this board

 

[hypo hanna]

wow, prodriver... you done early as well?

just finished covering a decent route. the regular driver of this route had his area zoned easily so i don't go back to the same area 2 or 3 times in one day; basically straightlined 120 stops and out by 1500



i'm just glad my local hub has decent people running the software; they know we're not paid hourly & wasting time on the road is not in our best interest.

i did try it at ground to implement HD's stop sequencing there, but those managers said it was too much work to scan in every parcel for the one route... & they can't account for the time-sensitive stops & pickups

being a cover over there is blah.

sucks to hear that they're still struggling at Express; thought i was going to do a lateral move, but that seems to be discouraging to be sent each day to fail service, especially when they don't learn from their mistakes every Peak season since i've sign up on this board

That's sad that you wouldn't want to move to Express but we certainly understand. From all of your post you sound like the kind or driver that can really make an impact. Your read of the situation however is accurate and the express of today would only kill your enthusiasm.

 

[Route 66]

^ yep ^

 

[HomeDelivery]

i was going to sign up as a PM courier, so i have my mornings with the kids...

but these guys at the local HD terminal are very flexible w/ me... since i'm one of the few that can be put into a route blind & still make 100% service

today's dispatch was very tight w/ a range of 30 service miles; only 5 min to get to the first stop from the hub & i thought i was going to be out there until 1900 but, the regular has his route "set" so the trace is very efficient.

supplemental routes, however, have to be massaged daily since they're not a regular route.
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heck, even w/ UPS's Orion having the same problem w/ drivers over there... it's all about pleasing the stockholder these days

i'm just "getting the big picture" and will make a move by next peak

 

[!Retired!]

You can't fix something that is inherently defective. A bad design or idea is just that...bad. In this case, you can't fix stupid. Dano and MT3 are living proof of the concept at-work.

The concept of DRA is good. The execution is something else. The #1 issue with DRA is that stupid mapping program that, not only can't find certain addresses, but it omits entire streets and apartment complexes. My $100 smartphone, can find addresses better than the million dollar program their using.

 

[MAKAVELI]

The concept of DRA is good. The execution is something else. The #1 issue with DRA is that stupid mapping program that, not only can't find certain addresses, but it omits entire streets and apartment complexes. My $100 smartphone, can find addresses better than the million dollar program their using.

What was wrong with the way it has been done before DRA?

 

[DRAisawesome]

Nothing was wrong. Its all about control and manipulation of hours. I know this will never happen but they want no one and I mean no one to get overtime. Problem with that is SPH will plummet. The longer any driver is out doing the job is when SPH go up.

 

[HomeDelivery]

What was wrong with the way it has been done before DRA?

i thought it was to make anyone "slip seat" into any route & do it efficiently for the most part... at least it works for HD since it's inception

 

[prodriver]

@ hypo Hanna just to be clear wanted to let you know that 15-20 minutes to set up a route usually last for about 3 months, then the system kicks all the info out and you have to set it again

 

[MAKAVELI]

i thought it was to make anyone "slip seat" into any route & do it efficiently for the most part... at least it works for HD since it's inception

If an experienced courier can set up and run a route more efficiently than a program, what is the point? Seems to me they wasted more $ than they would have gained even if the program worked.

 

[prodriver]

The concept of DRA is good. The execution is something else. The #1 issue with DRA is that stupid mapping program that, not only can't find certain addresses, but it omits entire streets and apartment complexes. My $100 smartphone, can find addresses better than the million dollar program their using.

We had a couple of new streets that wasn't showing up on maps last week so I showed them where the streets needed to be and they added them to our maps.

 

[hypo hanna]

If an experienced courier can set up and run a route more efficiently than a program, what is the point? Seems to me they wasted more $ than they would have gained even if the program worked.

Because inexperienced couriers are cheaper. FedEx wants a driver for 3 to 5 years, then they want them gone. If DRA worked they could run them through the mill without too much drop in service levels. IMO they either overestimated what the program could do or underestimated what their experienced drivers were doing to make it happen. Either way, they are stuck. They have too much invested in it now to turn back and they crapped on the drivers in the process to the point that they won't help it succeed.

 

[Operational needs]

IMO they either overestimated what the program could do or underestimated what their experienced drivers were doing to make it happen. they crapped on the drivers in the process to the point that they won't help it succeed.

Bingo! You figure most of the people in Memphis have never run a route and have no idea what is involved in the day to day goings on of running a route. As a senior courier, I refuse to help DRA succeed. Why should I? It's a joke and a waste of money.

 

[Cactus]

Bingo! You figure most of the people in Memphis have never run a route and have no idea what is involved in the day to day goings on of running a route. As a senior courier, I refuse to help DRA succeed. Why should I? It's a joke and a waste of money.

Right! There 'ya go. Kinda' like having to dig your own grave.



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[MrFedEx]

Nothing was wrong. Its all about control and manipulation of hours. I know this will never happen but they want no one and I mean no one to get overtime. Problem with that is SPH will plummet. The longer any driver is out doing the job is when SPH go up.

DRA was (and is) all about killing-off the FT courier and creating a job where "anyone" can get behind the wheel and have DRA do the thinking. R1a was exactly correct, and if DRA had worked as planned, you'd see a nearly all PT workforce and full-timers at around 32-35 hours, with no OT...ever. It hasn't quite worked out that way, has it?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Give it time.


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[fedupforsure]

we were told by our dist director that dra is a 10 year old program that was bought for 60 million dollars

 

[prodriver]

DRA was (and is) all about killing-off the FT courier and creating a job where "anyone" can get behind the wheel and have DRA do the thinking. R1a was exactly correct, and if DRA had worked as planned, you'd see a nearly all PT workforce and full-timers at around 32-35 hours, with no OT...ever. It hasn't quite worked out that way, has it?

They can give us all the tools they want but nothing will ever be able to replace an experienced courier, we still have to be safe, find addresses, know what time to deliver to certain bus etc.HD maps are pretty good but you still have to be able to do the work and do the thinking. I don't think "anyone" can get behind the wheel and do this job if they think that they most certainly have another thing coming.