Handcarts: When do you use one?

[dilligaf]

Must be a district thing. Never pulled in a mirror in 20 years of driving.

I sometimes have to pull in my mirrors when I park at night. If I get in early then I don't worry about it.

 

[dilligaf]

.............................................A quick side-note here...How many of you stop and drop inside the door?? I ask this because it took me a few years to see that it pays higher dividends to ask where they want the pkgs. Hell, they are already on the 2-wheeler and it is never more than another door or hallway before you drop them anyways.

.............................................

The only time I will drop inside the door is if the customer has been unnecessarily rude or demanding. Otherwise I take where they need it if within reason.

I had a customer this past week that told me one day their pkgs go next door. 2 days later when I was back there next door said their pkgs go to the first building I was at. This tends to not create a willingness to cooperate on my part.

 

[cachsux]

The only time I will drop inside the door is if the customer has been unnecessarily rude or demanding. Otherwise I take where they need it if within reason.

I had a customer this past week that told me one day their pkgs go next door. 2 days later when I was back there next door said their pkgs go to the first building I was at. This tends to not create a willingness to cooperate on my part.

Leave them in the street between the two buildings.

 

[NHDRVR]

Leave them in the street between the two buildings.

Had a christmas helper who was doing that. He figured he got them as close as he could.

Rumor has it that during the spring thaw one of the rivers that goes through Concord had a bunch of bundles floating down stream. Word is a driver helper wanted to lose some work so over a snow bank they went. That's one way to do it..

 

[65Goat]

I remember when the handcarts seemed like they weighed 50 lbs. You had to really need it bad to drag one of those out of the back!

 

[dilligaf]

I remember when the handcarts seemed like they weighed 50 lbs. You had to really need it bad to drag one of those out of the back!

We have one of those old steel ones. That thing is a miserable POS. It is out in the shed right now but during peak it will make a reappearance, I'm sure.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I have 2 3-story medical office bldgs that I will use my handcart for. I have also a 3-story and a 4-story office bldg (there was going to be a 5th but that's another story) that I will use it if needed. The 3 story has the Attorney General's office and they get their paper shipment weekly.

I probably tend to carry more than I should but the time that it takes to drag the cart out, load it, deliver, and then put the cart back in the pkg car I can normally have the stop delivered and be on the way to the next.

I actually use a shopping cart when I deliver my inside stops at WalMart.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I remember when the handcarts seemed like they weighed 50 lbs. You had to really need it bad to drag one of those out of the back!

The new ones with the spring loaded tongue, (you know, the one's that won't accomodate smaller heavy boxes), weigh 67lbs. Do I get credit for an over 70 if I just add a 3lb pkg to this?

I have 2 3-story medical office bldgs that I will use my handcart for. I have also a 3-story and a 4-story office bldg (there was going to be a 5th but that's another story) that I will use it if needed. The 3 story has the Attorney General's office and they get their paper shipment weekly.

I probably tend to carry more than I should but the time that it takes to drag the cart out, load it, deliver, and then put the cart back in the pkg car I can normally have the stop delivered and be on the way to the next.

I actually use a shopping cart when I deliver my inside stops at WalMart.

Same here for what ever store has them available.

 

[konsole]

I'm at the end of our belt so I don't see too many packages that have to be taken to other parts of the warehouse. The only wrong packages I get are packages that go to the next belt 10 feet away or packages that people on our belt missed, plus the occasional box that needs to be taken to rewrap or the clerk because the package address is wrong. Whenever the situation does come up though wether I use a cart or not depends on the number and size/weight of packages. If the box has to be taken 100 ft or more and I can't wrap my arms around the box(es) and or its 50 lbs or more I'll grab a cart.

 

[dilligaf]

I have 2 3-story medical office bldgs that I will use my handcart for. I have also a 3-story and a 4-story office bldg (there was going to be a 5th but that's another story) that I will use it if needed. The 3 story has the Attorney General's office and they get their paper shipment weekly.

I probably tend to carry more than I should but the time that it takes to drag the cart out, load it, deliver, and then put the cart back in the pkg car I can normally have the stop delivered and be on the way to the next.

I actually use a shopping cart when I deliver my inside stops at WalMart.

If we have a bulk order for the hair salon at WM, the girls will bring out one of their carts for us. Load it up along with the eye shop, the bank, McD's, etc and haul it through the store. If the hair salon doesn't have a bulk then I will drive around to the front.

 

[Mike23]

"FRAGILE IS NOT 100 POUNDS"---
I have been saying that for years. If you put fragile on a pkg. and I need to risk blowing out my O-ring to move the damn thing it isn't fragile.

I always tell my customers that UPS' unspoken policy is that if it breaks it just means it wasn't packed properly

I have windshields come in on my run where I'm delivering them and the only thing stopping them from shattering into a million pieces (which happens all the time) is the cardboard that surrounds them. Why the heck do drivers even pick these up?!

 

[Mike23]

In our building a probationary driver was disqualified for being caught out on area without a handcart or a roll of tape in the truck.

I think carts 'missing' on vehicles is pretty common. Simple solution is tell your sup in the morning. I did this but was told I didn't follow up with him so I got in crap, lol, so now I tell him I need a cart and every 30 seconds later I tell him I STILL need a cart until he gets so annoyed that I get a cart

Also in the contract it says they'll supply us with the needed equipment. If you don't have a cart and it's +70 pounds, sorry, it doesn't get delivered. Call your sup and tell'em you asked him 5-10 times in the morning for a cart and you didn't get one and there's noooooo one around to help with it so either he can driver out to help or it comes back to the depot.

Usually they get really cranky about this but you do get a cart the next day after asking them 5 times

Ever since I bought my lock and key ($20 and well worth the headache of having to play thief in the morning from my fellow drivers) the ONLY time I've had a problem with it (since you need to supply management with a spare key in our building) is when I went on vacation. Shockingly enough, my brand new shiny cart didn't get locked by up by the cover driver! Imagine that! When I told my sup, he told me, 'well, I didn't unlock it' well, no but SOME onroad sup did, lol. I love the blame game with management. Deny or point the finger to someone else.

I WAS contemplating using a pair of handcuffs (around 50 bucks) to lock it up so they couldn't cut the lock OR have a spare set of keys but unfortunately one of the sups has a pair of handcuff keys I heard

 

[dannyboy]

Dil

The mirror thing is when you parallel park to make deliveries. That keeps the mirror from being hit while you are out of the car. Mostly applies to larger cities with narrow streets, but is included in most safety instructions for new drivers. In my years, never had much need for pullin in mirrors.

As for two wheelers, I had several removed by other drivers, so when I got a new one, I left it at my first stop of the day, the pharmacy right off the interstate, and it was also one of my last pickup stops. That took care of it being stolen at the building, or replaced by a broken one.

As for when to use it? Early in the career, it was almost never. After all, 50 pounds was the heaviest package we could take, and most packages were much smaller then as well.

But as I aged, and the packages got heavier and larger, I used it many more times. OF course it is all dependent on distance from the car, weight and number or packages, and if the back was hurting or not. I also must mention that earlier in the day I used it less, but after lunch I seemed to need it more.

On a side note, it is interesting how a driver like myself can use a new two wheeler for 5+ years without it getting damaged or looking like crap, but yet some of the company favorites can damage a brand new one in a day by mistreatment or loading it wrong. And they are the first in line to steal yours.

d

 

[dilligaf]

Danny,

LOL I know about the parallel parking and pulling in mirrors. In fact one of our drivers got into a little bit of trouble over the same thing. Generally speaking though I have never been in a situation where I needed to pull in my mirror. I guess it is because of the wide open spaces we have out here.

We are lucky enough to not have to worry about hand trucks. Each truck has one and each driver makes sure their name is written all over their hands trucks. And heaven help everyone when when comes up missing.

Using them? As little as possible. I hate having to dig it out. Of course there are times when I have to. If I have a resi stop that requires a hand truck, I will back into the driveway as much as possible before I will get it out.

 

[BLACKBOX]

Two words........Pottery Barn

 

[tworavens]

Two words........Pottery Barn

x2! I have a four-wheel collapsible cart that I load 7 feet high, it takes me 4 or 5 trips down a 150 foot hallway on Mondays when I pick up PB. Glad the Feeder Dept. gets to deliver them instead of me

 

[soberups]

I'm having an annoying dispute with my sup over proper use of the handcart.

If I have 20 pieces going into a business with no dock...I lay my cart down in the back of the truck and scan the packages while I am loading them onto the cart. I then slide the cart out and down the bumper using the skids on the back of the cart as a ramp. I then wheel the cart into the business, push the pile of boxes up against a wall, and pull the cart out from under the pile. Result? I handle each package only once, I minimize customer contact time, and I keep the customers crowed receiving area clear.

My sup insists that is unsafe and wrong. He wants me to (a) take the packages off the shelf and set them on the floor.(b) Unload them off of the floor and onto the hand cart. (c) wheel the packages inside. (d) unload them off of the handcart and line them up in rows. (e) scan them. (friend) pick them all up again and stack them up to keep the receiving area clear.

So instead of handling those 20 packages once....he wants me to handle those 20 packages four times. Assuming an average weight per piece of 10 lbs, I just went from handling 200 pounds to 800 pounds. And this is supposed to be "safer?"

Its frustrating for me because I have been doing my job for 22 years. My sup drove 20 years ago....for about a year, before being promoted. He can barely use a DIAD. He is a nice guy and a decent sup but in this case he simply doesnt know what the hell he is talking about.

 

[brownmonster]

I'm having an annoying dispute with my sup over proper use of the handcart.

If I have 20 pieces going into a business with no dock...I lay my cart down in the back of the truck and scan the packages while I am loading them onto the cart. I then slide the cart out and down the bumper using the skids on the back of the cart as a ramp. I then wheel the cart into the business, push the pile of boxes up against a wall, and pull the cart out from under the pile. Result? I handle each package only once, I minimize customer contact time, and I keep the customers crowed receiving area clear.

My sup insists that is unsafe and wrong. He wants me to (a) take the packages off the shelf and set them on the floor.(b) Unload them off of the floor and onto the hand cart. (c) wheel the packages inside. (d) unload them off of the handcart and line them up in rows. (e) scan them. (friend) pick them all up again and stack them up to keep the receiving area clear.

So instead of handling those 20 packages once....he wants me to handle those 20 packages four times. Assuming an average weight per piece of 10 lbs, I just went from handling 200 pounds to 800 pounds. And this is supposed to be "safer?"

Its frustrating for me because I have been doing my job for 22 years. My sup drove 20 years ago....for about a year, before being promoted. He can barely use a DIAD. He is a nice guy and a decent sup but in this case he simply doesnt know what the hell he is talking about.

I use the exact method you do although when I had the supe along I used the proper method. At least what he thinks is the proper method. Just like allowed times have changed with the technology, so must some of the methods. Sober's method makes much more sense.

 

[dilligaf]

Sober, I do it the same way that you do except I put my hand truck outside first. I have only had one sup say anything about it being wrong. I will tell you one thing. I rarely ever have a DFU on a missed scan. In fact I can't remember the last missed scan I had.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Dilli, this gold star is for you: