Fixing the Peak Problem with Large Retailer Shippers

[Catatonic]

UPS failed, not the costumers.

Or maybe UPS failed, the shippers failed and the customer failed too.
I knew back in early December whether a present was needed for a friend or relative.
We were through receiving Christmas presents a week before Christmas just like every other year.
I have items in my cart at Amazon that I will wait to order until next week.
There really is such a thing as individual responsibility and it permeates all aspects of their being if one has it.

 

[earlcl44]

Perhaps UPS should make their plans next peak based upon a number of packages that will be accepted from the largest shippers each day of peak and then refuse to accept any number above that from the shippers.

FedEx does this, especially when UPS goes on strike, and again this peak with Amazon.

When Amazon, Walmart and other large retailer shippers see UPS is serious, then they will initiate programs to encourage their customers to buy early rather waiting until the last couple of days before Christmas.

How do you know fedex does this? why would they turn away volume?

 

[kingOFchester]

Or maybe UPS failed, the shippers failed and the customer failed too.
I knew back in early December whether a present was needed for a friend or relative.
We were through receiving Christmas presents a week before Christmas just like every other year.
I have items in my cart at Amazon that I will wait to order until next week.
There really is such a thing as individual responsibility and it permeates all aspects of their being if one has it.

Yes, UPS failed. Yes the shippers failed, unless they were told "we will get it done".

Customers, not so much. If they went to a website, had the option to have delivery made before Christmas and the delivery did not make it, then they did not fail.

UPS made a decision to hire same number of seasonal hires as they did in 2012. They thought that cramming more work in fewer days "could" make the system run more efficient.

Yes, UPS failed, and if the shippers were told that the work may not get done or were told we could handle X amount of pieces and anything over that may not get there then they failed too.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

If their prices increased, they should charge more

That's the thing----the generators were already in their inventory----they simply took advantage of the situation and, in some cases, doubled their prices.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

How do you know fedex does this? why would they turn away volume?

FedEx did turn away Amazon volume due to their inability to handle it.

 

[CharleyHustle]

They thought that cramming more work in fewer days "could" make the system run more efficient.

Perhaps this is what they "told" you, their plan more likely was to maximize profit. Now it's going to be damage control and I question how difficult even that will be. At the three Christmas gatherings I attended, there was absolutely no sympathy for the people that waited till the last minute and had "their" Christmas "ruined". Sane people realize the limitations of any system and plan accordingly, the age of Heroes is long past, and UPS and FedEx long ago accounted for this.

 

[toonertoo]

UPS promises those companies they can deliver. The fault is not free shipping( a way every retailer uses to get more people to buy) we charge those companies so we should do what we are suppose to do and have enough workers hired to do the job...Why in the world would we want to limit any amount of revenue from anyone...we promised...we state we are the best(which we are)...then we need to deliver...or we just lose business to we go bankrupt and we lose are hard earned pension. The FAT CATS UP STAIRS need to figure that OUT before the company IS OUT!!!

I agree with most but, we only would have needed those employees for maybe 3 days, and then it would be training. Except like in Texas, where they had the storm, and other places with inclement weather. Here they drive 100 miles for interview, then 100 miles for orientation. Who want to do that? I wouldnt.

 

[bottomups]

Maybe that is a good solution.
We'll see after the contract is ratified.

Are you saying that P/T cover drivers are not as productive as a friend/T cover driver?

Certainly. In much the same way that a fulltime driver hired off the street will never be as productive as one who worked his way up through the parttime ranks.

 

[P700slave]

It baffles me the way the media is portraying this. If you have only X amount of capacity, that's it. We cant make up for every soul that waits until the last minute to do their Xmas shopping. I say we don't guarantee anything air the last 3 days before Xmas, and make the shopper agree that they understand they have waited until the last minute and it may not make it by Xmas, and agree to it at checkout.

 

[cb1969]

I agree with most but, we only would have needed those employees for maybe 3 days, and then it would be training. Except like in Texas, where they had the storm, and other places with inclement weather. Here they drive 100 miles for interview, then 100 miles for orientation. Who want to do that? I wouldnt.

We hire temp employees every peak and use and abuse them...that's how I got started...as for Texas and inclement weather, you can only react to it...send managers like they did...add helpers all day things like that will help get past the weather delays...there are still plenty of people that need work so bad that like I did will work...as for 100 miles to interview and orientation for temp peak employees that just insane and very bad management...You hire and orientate right at the place of employment, problem solved!! Just like there seems to be always a place to put 1 more package on truck they can make do at the local center or hub!!!!

 

[cb1969]

It baffles me the way the media is portraying this. If you have only X amount of capacity, that's it. We cant make up for every soul that waits until the last minute to do their Xmas shopping. I say we don't guarantee anything air the last 3 days before Xmas, and make the shopper agree that they understand they have waited until the last minute and it may not make it by Xmas, and agree to it at checkout.

Sure, but we didn't do that. Now did we???

 

[joeboodog]

What it boils down to is someone in business development made promises that physically we couldn't keep. We see that all the time with new accounts. They go in and tell the customer "sure you can have a 5:00 pickup" with out checking with the driver if this is possible.

 

[chuchu]

I agree with most but, we only would have needed those employees for maybe 3 days, and then it would be training. Except like in Texas, where they had the storm, and other places with inclement weather. Here they drive 100 miles for interview, then 100 miles for orientation. Who want to do that? I wouldnt.

We needed more drivers from week #1. We needed more helpers from week #2 because several quit do to only being given work for 2.99 hrs per day.

We, as a company, tracked the % increase of online volume over the last five years and FAILED to increase the staffing to meet AT LEAST the projected volume increase projected.

That is nothing less than greed and vain, self inflicted failure for the shipping company that prides itself in being the leader in it's field.

Maybe the "numbers" man at the top can ask the customers we failed what they suggest he can do with his numbers.

 

[Anonymous 10]

That comment is lame.

That comment is lame.

Maybe that is a good solution.
We'll see after the contract is ratified.

Are you saying that P/T cover drivers are not as productive as a friend/T cover driver?

We have some good p/t cover driver. If they qualify during there training period when they eventually go full time they don't have to re qualify. It's a good deal.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

When the business model is to work drivers to 60 hours a week. There is no flexibility in the system to withstand any extra volume or issues. When I grab my helper sheet in the AM and it says I should use my helper for 12.2 hours, THAT IS A FAIL

Peak is ALWAYS in December, snow and now increased use of online shopping should be accounted for. If the business plan is to work the driver only 50 hours and we hire enough drivers to sustain that at peak volume, there is enough flexibility to deliver any area instead of Emergency Conditioning 100 stops.

 

[oldngray]

The plan was apparently:
1.Start with all drivers at 12 hour dispatches.
2.Double (or triple) the stop counts and add a (usually untrained) helper to every route.
3.FAIL.

 

[Catatonic]

Certainly. In much the same way that a fulltime driver hired off the street will never be as productive as one who worked his way up through the parttime ranks.

That was an attempt at humor I think.
Over the years, I have seen many hires off the street that smoked their routes while many from the inside were barely acceptable.
To me, the biggest advantage a part-timer has is being use to the hard manual labor aspect of being a UPS driver.

 

[oldupsman]

When the business model is to work drivers to 60 hours a week. There is no flexibility in the system to withstand any extra volume or issues. When I grab my helper sheet in the AM and it says I should use my helper for 12.2 hours, THAT IS A FAIL

Peak is ALWAYS in December, snow and now increased use of online shopping should be accounted for. If the business plan is to work the driver only 50 hours and we hire enough drivers to sustain that at peak volume, there is enough flexibility to deliver any area instead of Emergency Conditioning 100 stops.

The plan was apparently:
1.Start with all drivers at 12 hour dispatches.
2.Double (or triple) the stop counts and add a (usually untrained) helper to every route.
3.FAIL.

You're both right and this goes back to what happens the rest of the year. 50 hour weeks
during the rest of the year should not be the norm. You never have too many trained and qualified
drivers. This theory of keeping your staff down to bare bones minimum is baloney. You always have vacations
to cover, you always have injuries or personal emergencies. Too many drivers this week? Ask if anybody
in any center if you want a week off without pay. 6 hands will go up.

 

[Nolimitz]

FedEx did turn away Amazon volume due to their inability to handle it.

Please provide a document that backs this up. I think you are wrong.

 

[Catatonic]

You're both right and this goes back to what happens the rest of the year. 50 hour weeks
during the rest of the year should not be the norm. You never have too many trained and qualified
drivers. This theory of keeping your staff down to bare bones minimum is baloney. You always have vacations
to cover, you always have injuries or personal emergencies. Too many drivers this week? Ask if anybody
in any center if you want a week off without pay. 6 hands will go up.

Do you understand how expensive it is to have extra drivers on the payroll?
UPS does.
That's the problem having industry leading healthcare, pension and other benefits in addition to industry leading wages.
The " healthcare, pension and other benefits" are overhead costs per driver regardless of how many are working.