Feeders, the CCR, and YOU

[hypocrisy]

If you're a Feeder Driver, you should know what the CCR is and be signing it off every day (for you non-feeder drivers, it's the Car Condition Report: essentially a DVIR for non-powered equipment).

But did you know that, just like your tractor DVIR you are required to review the CCR prior to using trailers and gear? This is a D.O.T. requirement under FMCSR part 396.13.
In order to facilitate this, if your non-powered equipment is likely to be used again prior to ending your shift, you should sign off the CCR as you go so that the next driver can easily review it. If your Dispatch does not assign you a particular gear to use with your assigned trailers, you might need to make another trip up to review that particular entry.

FMCSA would be very interested in hearing any violations or difficulties in reviewing the CCR. Report them to:

Thomas Marlow
Division Administrator
Georgia Division Center
Two Crown Center
1745 Phoenix Blvd.
Suite 380
Atlanta, GA 30349
678-284-5130

 

[stewardtwoniner]

If you're a Feeder Driver, you should know what the CCR is and be signing it off every day (for you non-feeder drivers, it's the Car Condition Report: essentially a DVIR for non-powered equipment).

But did you know that, just like your tractor DVIR you are required to review the CCR prior to using trailers and gear? This is a D.O.T. requirement under FMCSR part 396.13.
In order to facilitate this, if your non-powered equipment is likely to be used again prior to ending your shift, you should sign off the CCR as you go so that the next driver can easily review it. If your Dispatch does not assign you a particular gear to use with your assigned trailers, you might need to make another trip up to review that particular entry.

FMCSA would be very interested in hearing any violations or difficulties in reviewing the CCR. Report them to:

Thomas Marlow
Division Administrator
Georgia Division Center
Two Crown Center
1745 Phoenix Blvd.
Suite 380
Atlanta, GA 30349
678-284-5130

I'm reading through 396.13. It ain't a very big section and what little bit is there only has dvir info?

 

[trickpony1]

These rules must apply to other companies, not us.
Kinda like pulling overweight loads.

 

[MobileBA]

Ahhhhhh sounds like you failed your feeder audit.............sorry!

 

[raceanoncr]

Listen, Crow, with all due respect, you know that ain't gonna happen.

I totally agree with you in this area and actually did that when working, whether it be hourly, sleeper or mileage. But, REALLY, how many of your drivers, that is, drivers in your hub/center, even do a PRE-TRIP? Oh, sure, you may see them kicking the tires or, at least, counting the tires, but a REAL pre-trip? I don't think so.

Mileage drivers: "The shifters that hooked me up are supposed to do that". "I gotta go." "My 'meet' guy is waiting." On and on.

Hourly drivers: "Management's on my ass for taking too long (when, in fact, YOU are taking too long BSing)." "They held me in the door too long." "I gotta git home for my family." On and on.

POST-TRIP? Same thing. Sign a CCR? "I don't have time." "They never fix anything I write up anyway."

Let me tell you something else, at least here, that happened. Don't know if other hubs/centers are the same:

Brought in a trailer from a meet. On pre-trip, saw a number of things that needed writing up when home, a couple quite obvious but not enough to keep me from hooking. Enroute, blew a tire. Also whacked off the metal mud flap bracket in back, along with some other stuff that didn't affect driving but needed fixing when back home. Got tire fixed with road call, came home and wrote up everything, I mean EVERYTHING!

A day later, I came back and same trailer was now unloaded and ready for, what looked like, outbound MT. Same obvious problems visible. Thot, well, this isn't a grey, UPS trailer. Maybe company is trying to dump (yes, it's been done before) this turd on some other hub, albeit MT. It should have been red-tagged but some schmuck coulda driven it to rail yard safely but not me.

Another day later, that same trailer was now in a load door as I was driving by with same obvious problems visible. NOW, I come unglued. What if that was gonna be my outbound that night? I didn't WANT to spend hours down at the shop but would have to get these road worthy problems fixed, especially after I'd writtten them up, IN DETAIL!

Demanded to see CCR report when I signed it. Sure, enough, it'd been tagged for repair. Why wasn't it? I filed a grievance on the shop. As the steward, I personally talked to the supe/man. Said he didn't know what I was talking about. Went to all THEIR reports and nothing was filed or FIXED! Said it didn't come thru their computers. What? He explained that writing it on the CCR really does no good unless we also tell the person behind our window so that they can tag it in the 'puter. Then dispatch 'puter "talks" to shop 'puter and the world is a happier place. What? How come nobody told me?

Went up and told feeder mangler and that conversation went into vapor mode.

OK, from then on, I still did my job AND told dispatch clerk to tag anything also but didn't care what feeders did with CCR or anything else for that matter because I did my job and covered my ass.

Just TRY to get all your drivers to do this. Good luck.

Carry on.

 

[cachsux]

Mileage drivers: "The shifters that hooked me up are supposed to do that". "I gotta go." "My 'meet' guy is waiting." On and on.

I can tell you from having seen some of the sets put together, anyone who hooks and books is a death-wish loving fool.

 

[hypocrisy]

Listen, Crow, with all due respect, you know that ain't gonna happen.

I totally agree with you in this area and actually did that when working, whether it be hourly, sleeper or mileage. But, REALLY, how many of your drivers, that is, drivers in your hub/center, even do a PRE-TRIP? Oh, sure, you may see them kicking the tires or, at least, counting the tires, but a REAL pre-trip? I don't think so.

Mileage drivers: "The shifters that hooked me up are supposed to do that". "I gotta go." "My 'meet' guy is waiting." On and on.

Hourly drivers: "Management's on my ass for taking too long (when, in fact, YOU are taking too long BSing)." "They held me in the door too long." "I gotta git home for my family." On and on.

POST-TRIP? Same thing. Sign a CCR? "I don't have time." "They never fix anything I write up anyway."

Let me tell you something else, at least here, that happened. Don't know if other hubs/centers are the same:

Brought in a trailer from a meet. On pre-trip, saw a number of things that needed writing up when home, a couple quite obvious but not enough to keep me from hooking. Enroute, blew a tire. Also whacked off the metal mud flap bracket in back, along with some other stuff that didn't affect driving but needed fixing when back home. Got tire fixed with road call, came home and wrote up everything, I mean EVERYTHING!

A day later, I came back and same trailer was now unloaded and ready for, what looked like, outbound MT. Same obvious problems visible. Thot, well, this isn't a grey, UPS trailer. Maybe company is trying to dump (yes, it's been done before) this turd on some other hub, albeit MT. It should have been red-tagged but some schmuck coulda driven it to rail yard safely but not me.

Another day later, that same trailer was now in a load door as I was driving by with same obvious problems visible. NOW, I come unglued. What if that was gonna be my outbound that night? I didn't WANT to spend hours down at the shop but would have to get these road worthy problems fixed, especially after I'd writtten them up, IN DETAIL!

Demanded to see CCR report when I signed it. Sure, enough, it'd been tagged for repair. Why wasn't it? I filed a grievance on the shop. As the steward, I personally talked to the supe/man. Said he didn't know what I was talking about. Went to all THEIR reports and nothing was filed or FIXED! Said it didn't come thru their computers. What? He explained that writing it on the CCR really does no good unless we also tell the person behind our window so that they can tag it in the 'puter. Then dispatch 'puter "talks" to shop 'puter and the world is a happier place. What? How come nobody told me?

Went up and told feeder mangler and that conversation went into vapor mode.

OK, from then on, I still did my job AND told dispatch clerk to tag anything also but didn't care what feeders did with CCR or anything else for that matter because I did my job and covered my ass.

Just TRY to get all your drivers to do this. Good luck.

Carry on.

We have.
They are.

Your trailer issue should have been elevated to a DOT complaint and it's not too late to do so, they would love to hear that narrative and I hope you made a copy of the CCR.

If you need additional help, email me at [email protected]

 

[raceanoncr]

We have.
They are.

Your trailer issue should have been elevated to a DOT complaint and it's not too late to do so, they would love to hear that narrative and I hope you made a copy of the CCR.

If you need additional help, email me at [email protected]

Crow, again, with all due respect, the only help I need now is deciding which cocktail to enjoy today, any day, any TIME of day, in my retirement.

As far as elevating this trailer incident to the DOT level, I'm well aware of that. I've had, for many yrs, the DOT hotline, DOT numbers, names, etc. and have used them many times. But, my job at UPS was that of a driver. My job was not to bring the company down. They're doing a very good job of that by themselves. My job as a union steward was to defend the contract. Here, there was no contract violation. Yes, there was a SAFETY violation but, as I stated, I would have taken this trailer to the shop if it had been my outbound and stayed however long it took to correct said safety violations. Now, I alerted every other driver about this situation to do the same.

As you see from my post, I did everything I was supposed to do. I was not on the safety committee. If I was, then I would probably feel compelled to take that further but my philosophy was and is this: How many times do I have to hold your hand? That is, I talked to the shop, I talked to feeder supes and manager. YOU, as manager, want to vaporize this? Go right ahead. You have been warned and logged. I'm not gonna tell you every day.

Now, I can also hear your arguments. "It's your resposibility to maintain safety in your area". "Where's your integrity." "You should report all violations of every kind to the higher-ups." "You have to maintain safe work areas for the public."...etc., etc. I know, I've heard it all. But here, HERE, all the reporting seems to have done no good. It IS gonna take something big to happen. Sorry to say, but that's the truth. Exam: Tragically, somebody gets killed on the East Coast because they step behind a shifter and get crushed. Now, nationwide, we ALL have to get out, put cones up, pull keys, make visual, blah, blah, blah. We harped on that for years, reported it, took pictures of it but nothing happened til this. More examples could be cited.

I know you're probably calling me uncaring right now. No, I'm not. Call me CALLOUSED, yes. I wasn't there to save the world. Just me and the public I dealt with. I wasn't there to save UPS. That, my friend, is an impossible scenario.

 

[hypocrisy]

Something big has already happened with the NYC settlement. USDOT has become very aware of UPS pre-trip & post-trip practices (including the CCR) and the director in question described them as "woefully inadequate". With CSA2010 almost in full force, gone will be the days of UPS equipment being waived through roadside safety inspections and the like. In todays climate, both the Company and Driver suffer for violations and part of preventing fines and negative scores is changing the way we look at our safety procedures.

I'm glad you are enjoying retirement, but why try to sabotage positive efforts at changing UPS today? No one is trying to "bring UPS down", quite the opposite. We, who also hope to retire one day, want to make this Company the best, safest, and most ethical place to work. NYC was the result of a whistleblower and resulted in a significant fine. Right now we are giving UPS a wake up call and directly attacking the arrogance of the "UPS Way".

Have a cocktail on me, you earned it.

 

[hypocrisy]

I'm reading through 396.13. It ain't a very big section and what little bit is there only has dvir info?

If you have doubts about 396.13 and how it applies to the CCR, just contact the DOT at 678-284-5130 and they'll tell you exactly what I have posted.

 

[hypocrisy]

While currently the preferred action would be a direct complaint to the DOT, if preferred you can also file a grievance under Article 18 Section 1 & 2.

"Copies of the car-condition reports or Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports will be available in centers for review by drivers. Upon notification, drivers may make copies of said reports in facilities that have copy equipment. In facilities with no copy equipment, the employee will be provided a copy as soon as practical, when requested. In no case will the copy of the DVIR remain valid after the DOT retention requirement [90 days] or the original DVIR expires. The current DVIR will be maintained in each vehicle between completion of Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMI). Other copies will be made available for review by drivers as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act (FMCS), 49 CFR 396, as applicable to the Employer"

Car Condition Reports and DVIR's are interchangeable terms. Most other carriers have the CCR on the same DVIR book that is in cab of their tractors, but at UPS they keep separate records. Every UPS location where you leave equipment: Centers, Hubs, Gateway, and outlying centers & buildings must have a CCR available to sign and review. Customer pickups and meet points obviously will not. If you don't know the where the CCR is located or procedure at a particular location, ask your management team.

If dispatch is putting equipment out for use that has been written up for repair, this is also a violation of Article 18 sec 2 PP1:

"All equipment which is refused, or has been written up for repair, because not mechanically sound or properly equipped, shall be appropriately tagged, and placed out of service, so that it cannot be used by other drivers or employees until the Automotive/Maintenance Department has adjusted the complaint."


"To do nothing, is to be guilty of complicity. It is to sanction, by passivity and obedience, the crimes of the Company".

 

[anonymous6]

this sounds like a logistics nightmare. if we find something wrong, we green tag it and it can NOT be loaded. also we have to pretrip everything anyways so I don'tmsee a need to look at a previous CCR.

 

[hypocrisy]

You may not feel there is a need, but it is a DOT requirement just like reviewing and signing the DVIR. Think of it as a check and balance to avoid missing defective items.

 

[raceanoncr]

I'm glad you are enjoying retirement, but why try to sabotage positive efforts at changing UPS today? No one is trying to "bring UPS down", quite the opposite. We, who also hope to retire one day, want to make this Company the best, safest, and most ethical place to work. NYC was the result of a whistleblower and resulted in a significant fine. Right now we are giving UPS a wake up call and directly attacking the arrogance of the "UPS Way".

"To do nothing, is to be guilty of complicity. It is to sanction, by passivity and obedience, the crimes of the Company".

Listen, you think I'm sabotaging YOUR efforts and..."to do nothing, is to be guilty of complicity"?

We, here, in terms of settlements, don't even know what NYC is. Ain't heard and won't hear for, I predict, a year or more, that is, before it trickles down to here.

I only gave you a brief synopsis of what I did in ONE case. You want me to list everything I've done, either as a steward or driver? There was one time I went to panel hearing with 7 cases on the docket. Seven of my PERSONAL grievances not members. Won 6, withdrew 1, WRTR. I gotta tell you, this is a little offensive.

I don't and never did go on "witch hunts". If it affected me or direct members, then I dealt with it. But we have other departments at UPS. Those departments can, or rather, SHOULD handle their own problems. I always alerted those department stewards when I saw a problem and this one case was one time where I did. I said before, if I woulda had that trailer or any of our other members would have, there woulda been much hair-pulling when management counted the hours for us at the shop getting it fixed before pulling it.

I have been pulled over many times for weight violations or other simple/complex inspections over a span of many years. I have rarely seen a case where we have been "let go". This new revelation that you talk about in NYC isn't really anything new here. Good for the whistleblower. But, when I say that I'm not trying to pull the company down, I mean that they are doing a very good job of that themselves, as this case shows. Another (among many) instance of where they're doing that: Here, some years ago, one of our drivers got pulled over at a scale for weight. Long story short, the manager called up the scale and said, "Don't you know who we are? You can't be doing that! Don't do it again!" Boy, did THAT trigger a rash of inspections! THAT'S what I'm talking about. We just do our jobs and the company will take themselves down.

Sorry, but I ain't gonna respond to this thread again. I'm satisfied that in my history with UPS, as a driver and a steward, that I did the right thing.

 

[brett636]

Doesn't slapping a red tag on it keep someone from trying to use it again? I know I won't touch a dolly or trailer that has a red tag on it unless its to move it to the red tag area.

 

[hypocrisy]

You would hope so, but in my area there is such a backlog of red-tagged equipment that some is making it back in to the lineup again. If you see anyone removing a red-tag, report that to Management, your steward, OSHA & the DOT.

I'm told the National is looking into this CCR campaign so stay tuned...

 

[brett636]

I haven't noticed it occurring, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is happening here too. They cut all the overtime for our mechanics causing a huge number of red tagged equipment to just sit. If it were happening it would be almost impossible to tell considering how much red tagged equipment there is and how often things get moved around.

 

[hypocrisy]

This is why your trailer mechanic can be your best friend. Typically they post a list of the red-tagged equipment in the shop...

 

[iamupser]

The DOT needs to take a HARD look at the rest of the country. I mean is New York STATE an island? Why did the investigation stop in New York. How is it during peak the company can call for "0 Cars Down" and anyone could possibly think safety items are not intentionally overlooked due to UPSs quotas. The driving public should be wary.

UPS lost the right to inspect ITS OWN VEHICLES for GODs sakes for 3 years! 2 years after that they are to spot checked by a 3rd party!

http://www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2011/mar/mar1a_11.html

 

[over9five]

HERE, we red tag trailers ourselves. Even shifter drivers can red tag equipment. I've done it often, it is no problem. Red tagged equipment does not go back on line until it's fixed, I'm in the yard often enough, I know this.