HEY ATLANTA! Read this!

[Dragon]

We need to do our best. But so does management.

I fully agree.

 

[Signature Only]

Upstate,
you took the words right out of mouth. When I read the following my mouth was wide open:

I pissed off a huge national company today. Major complaint action. Hey man, if UPS wanted me to deliver them early then they wouldn't be on shelf 5.

To purposely ignore a national account, just because it is loaded incorrectly, is not only unprofessional but childish.
This action is a definite reflection on the driver. Especially if they are national account with a preferred delivery window.

Agreed. As a driver it's our duty not to involve innocent third parties in union/management disputes. We have to take complete ownership of our routes and service OUR customers. We must do our level best for these people. They depend on us.

 

[Bubblehead]

Agreed. As a driver it's our duty not to involve innocent third parties in union/management disputes. We have to take complete ownership of our routes and service OUR customers. We must do our level best for these people. They depend on us.

What you guys seem to be missing is that the driver who posted this scenario was delivering it cold, in the blind. This is not unusual for cover drivers. He wasn't in the position to "take ownership" of the route, although management was. At what point does a driver throw their hands in the air and give up from the lack of support. It would seem that Upstate enjoys an environment of support that many of us don't. The way it works here is, in order to take two step forward, we often have to take a couple steps back. If you continue to get it done, nothing ever changes and you get more of the same. Unfortunately the old addage "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is the only way to get things fixed for most of us at UPS.

 

[buckeyegirl]

I saw the baiting thread at 12:00 am and went back to read it the next morning a it was removed by 7:00 am the next morning. I glad I got to read it and sorry to see it go.

As for the urine in the truck. Anyone in there right mind should know the proper place to relieve themselves. If you in need without a restroom in sight find a nice quite place to park and go kick the tires if you know what I mean. Having someone urine in the cab in a Bio Hazard.

 

[Red Rose Tea]

What you guys seem to be missing is that the driver who posted this scenario was delivering it cold, in the blind. This is not unusual for cover drivers. He wasn't in the position to "take ownership" of the route, although management was. At what point does a driver throw their hands in the air and give up from the lack of support. It would seem that Upstate enjoys an environment of support that many of us don't. The way it works here is, in order to take two step forward, we often have to take a couple steps back. If you continue to get it done, nothing ever changes and you get more of the same. Unfortunately the old addage "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is the only way to get things fixed for most of us at UPS.

Bubblehead,

what I was commenting on was the flippant attitude which I quoted in my post.

In my center there are several cover drivers by choice and those not by choice.

A cover driver is one who should be able to take over almost any of the 70 full-time routes in my center, do it on the blind and come back with all packages and business' serviced. Not all can do it - but that is the job of a cover driver.

We have 1/2 dozen of young cover drivers, who do this day in and day out. They are all off the clock by 19:00 with an 8:45 start. No complaining, no bragging of missed pkgs,etc.

Thats the job, not to gloat how they missed a national account....

 

[705red]

Bubblehead,

what I was commenting on was the flippant attitude which I quoted in my post.

In my center there are several cover drivers by choice and those not by choice.

A cover driver is one who should be able to take over almost any of the 70 full-time routes in my center, do it on the blind and come back with all packages and business' serviced. Not all can do it - but that is the job of a cover driver.

We have 1/2 dozen of young cover drivers, who do this day in and day out. They are all off the clock by 19:00 with an 8:45 start. No complaining, no bragging of missed pkgs,etc.

Thats the job, not to gloat how they missed a national account....

No lunches, not using the methods, probably sorting their truck for free in the morning.

 

[Red Rose Tea]

[/B]
No lunches, not using the methods, probably sorting their truck for free in the morning.

maybe... but a cover driver should have the ability to take over any route; if he/she understands that they are not capable, then maybe it is time to reassess their career.

You cant be a cover driver and have a flippant attitude about service failures that you perceive to be out of your control.

 

[705red]

maybe... but a cover driver should have the ability to take over any route; if he/she understands that they are not capable, then maybe it is time to reassess their career.

You cant be a cover driver and have a flippant attitude about service failures that you perceive to be out of your control.

Are you a driver? If so for how long? Many drivers will tell you that the routes are not even on time studies. You have routes that are going out with 12 hour days because the driver wants/needs the money. You sound like a sup to say that any cover driver should be able to run that route or look for a new career. Over time a cover driver will get familair with route, but to expect them to know all teh right docks to deliver and pick from on the first few days is CRAZY!

The drivers that should be looking for new careers are teh ones that work throught their lunches and work for free by loading their trucks. Not the drivers delivering according to Edd and taking their lunches.

 

[Bubblehead]

Actually, I was doing a route cold. When I looked at EDD it was all Greek to me. No idea if any particular address was a res or com. Truck was cubed out with boxes. I just followed EDD. I got all my business delivered by 5 pm no problem. But all these business are used to AM deliveries. Many with receiving departments that close early. By following EDD I got to the core of my business deliveries after 3 PM. Which was great, actually. Because I was able to do most my pickups at the same time I delivered. When I showed up to a particular huge national store with 30+ pkgs about 5 minutes before their recieving dept went home for the weekend they were very angry with me. They even asked me "don't they train you???" No, they just give me a truck and let me figure it out on my own. When I tried to find a sup in the morning to tell him how screwed I was and how I had no area knowledge they pretty much tried to hide from me and ignore me. I had to go out of my way to track one down and get some NDA pulled off my truck.

To add insult to injury this truck even had extra work thrown on it. NDA's for neighbor routes. Commercial stops from a neighboring route on shelf 7 and 8. Thank you, UPS. You are lucky I made service on everything. Because my attitude is that I would not have cared if I had service failures. I was doing my best.

Why would I care if I had service failures if a sup was riding with me? If working as directed causes services failures then that is just poor management - not my problem.

I am a full time driver without a bid route. So you can understand why I don't take ownership over a route.

Bubblehead,

what I was commenting on was the flippant attitude which I quoted in my post.

In my center there are several cover drivers by choice and those not by choice.

A cover driver is one who should be able to take over almost any of the 70 full-time routes in my center, do it on the blind and come back with all packages and business' serviced. Not all can do it - but that is the job of a cover driver.

We have 1/2 dozen of young cover drivers, who do this day in and day out. They are all off the clock by 19:00 with an 8:45 start. No complaining, no bragging of missed pkgs,etc.

Thats the job, not to gloat how they missed a national account....

Reread his 2nd post.
Nothing was recorded as missed.
He serviced all the pkgs, just not at the times the customers were accustomed.
If he's in the blind, how would he be able to "pull these rabbits from a hat" as your mythical cover drivers do at your hub?
What information does the DIAD provide the cover driver to let them know a delivery is residential or commercial?
NOTHING!!
It's not the cover drivers job to know every knook and kranny of every route.
I contend it's managements job to train and provide the resources necessary for these guys to be successful.
This guy was sent out with a "slap on the ass" and without area knowledge.
The flippant attitude in this case rolled down hill from management to the driver.
As usual though, it's the customer that suffers and the driver that gets tagged with the blame.
BS!!!!

 

[dilligaf]

[/B]
No lunches, not using the methods, probably sorting their truck for free in the morning.

Absolutely.

Bubblehead,

what I was commenting on was the flippant attitude which I quoted in my post.

In my center there are several cover drivers by choice and those not by choice.

A cover driver is one who should be able to take over almost any of the 70 full-time routes in my center, do it on the blind and come back with all packages and business' serviced. Not all can do it - but that is the job of a cover driver.

We have 1/2 dozen of young cover drivers, who do this day in and day out. They are all off the clock by 19:00 with an 8:45 start. No complaining, no bragging of missed pkgs,etc.

Thats the job, not to gloat how they missed a national account....

Should? On the blind? By who's standards? Yours?

I don't think so. Not blind. If they are going out truly blind (with no rte knowledge at all) then they are going out with light loads. And they are cheating the system one way or another like Red said. It took me 2 years to get as good on the rtes as the regular drivers. And there are still 1 or 2 rtes that I don't know very well. It takes time and repetion to get to know a rte.

If you have drivers that do this day ina dn day out then they are not going out blind.

 

[dilligaf]

maybe... but a cover driver should have the ability to take over any route; if he/she understands that they are not capable, then maybe it is time to reassess their career.

You cant be a cover driver and have a flippant attitude about service failures that you perceive to be out of your control.

Given the proper amount of time for each driver to learn the job and the rtes then I would agree with you but to many times mgt badgers and harrasses new driver til they get so frustrated and lost and overwhelmed that they develope an IDGAS attitude. Some survive this. Some do not.

 

[Dragon]

Hey man, if UPS wanted me to deliver them early then they wouldn't be on shelf 5.

Bubblehead, 705, dilligaff are you saying the 5000 section is in a diffrent place in this truck versus the truck (route) he ran the day before? So as a cover driver its not his fault he did not go look at the 5000 section ( I will bet anyone thats where it shows being PAL too) cause it was in a diffrent place, so he had to "pull these rabbits from a hat" just to get the job done. I'm just saying.......

I would agree he may not have route knowledge, but he would know how to read his EDD as most of the new drivers do and could have "found" the air in the 5000 section and made the delivery on time.

I am surprised the air was even in the car. Most preloaders hold it out.

 

[satellitedriver]

maybe... but a cover driver should have the ability to take over any route; if he/she understands that they are not capable, then maybe it is time to reassess their career.
You can not be serious.
Reassess their career?

You cant be a cover driver and have a flippant attitude about service failures that you perceive to be out of your control.

The flippant attitude of add/cuts is causing service failures with the regular driver.
How can a cover driver be held to a higher standard?
Out of control is a good perception of how loads are dispatched.

 

[dilligaf]

Hey man, if UPS wanted me to deliver them early then they wouldn't be on shelf 5.

Bubblehead, 705, dilligaff are you saying the 5000 section is in a diffrent place in this truck versus the truck (route) he ran the day before? So as a cover driver its not his fault he did not go look at the 5000 section ( I will bet anyone thats where it shows being PAL too) cause it was in a diffrent place, so he had to "pull these rabbits from a hat" just to get the job done. I'm just saying.......

I would agree he may not have route knowledge, but he would know how to read his EDD as most of the new drivers do and could have "found" the air in the 5000 section and made the delivery on time.

I am surprised the air was even in the car. Most preloaders hold it out.

I have never seen an NDA pal'd to the 5000 shelf. This should never happen. Shelf 1, shelf 2 and on a rare occasion shelf 3 but never 5. I've seen business savers pal'd to 5 but only because the business is in a resi area.

 

[Bubblehead]

Hey man, if UPS wanted me to deliver them early then they wouldn't be on shelf 5.

Bubblehead, 705, dilligaff are you saying the 5000 section is in a diffrent place in this truck versus the truck (route) he ran the day before? So as a cover driver its not his fault he did not go look at the 5000 section ( I will bet anyone thats where it shows being PAL too) cause it was in a diffrent place, so he had to "pull these rabbits from a hat" just to get the job done. I'm just saying.......

I would agree he may not have route knowledge, but he would know how to read his EDD as most of the new drivers do and could have "found" the air in the 5000 section and made the delivery on time.

I am surprised the air was even in the car. Most preloaders hold it out.

C'mon Dragon, and others READ!!!!
It wasn't an air stop, it was a commercial stop.
The customer was upset that their ground delivery wasn't earlier.
There was no service failure.
You people should have no beef with a cover driver, delivering the route cold, in the blind, that got the job done despite these facts.
He simply doesn't care that the customer and apparently omnipitant managers can't see that he wasn't given the tools for the job.
Dragon, other posters in this thread, and especially Brownrod's managers owe him and apology and a thank you.

 

[Bubblehead]

Actually, I was doing a route cold. When I looked at EDD it was all Greek to me. No idea if any particular address was a res or com. Truck was cubed out with boxes. I just followed EDD. I got all my business delivered by 5 pm no problem. But all these business are used to AM deliveries. Many with receiving departments that close early. By following EDD I got to the core of my business deliveries after 3 PM. Which was great, actually. Because I was able to do most my pickups at the same time I delivered.

When I showed up to a particular huge national store with 30+ pkgs about 5 minutes before their recieving dept went home for the weekend they were very angry with me. They even asked me "don't they train you???" No, they just give me a truck and let me figure it out on my own.


When I tried to find a sup in the morning to tell him how screwed I was and how I had no area knowledge they pretty much tried to hide from me and ignore me. I had to go out of my way to track one down and get some NDA pulled off my truck.

To add insult to injury this truck even had extra work thrown on it. NDA's for neighbor routes. Commercial stops from a neighboring route on shelf 7 and 8. Thank you, UPS. You are lucky I made service on everything. Because my attitude is that I would not have cared if I had service failures. I was doing my best.

Why would I care if I had service failures if a sup was riding with me? If working as directed causes services failures then that is just poor management - not my problem.

I am a full time driver without a bid route. So you can understand why I don't take ownership over a route.

Here it is AGAIN, read carefully.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Bubbles, to be fair, he did not tell us that he was a cover driver running a route blind in his OP. Had he done so my response would have been much more understanding. He came off like he pissed off a "huge national company" and couldn't have cared less about it.

 

[trplnkl]

How about the management person PALing the National Company in section five? There is the problem, management creates a mess and then gets pissed if the driver fails to fix it to managements expectations.
Dragon, manage needs to make up their minds, do they want the drivers to deliver by EDD or cherry pick stops from every shelf on the truck????
The concept is simple, give a driver a perfect load as you want it delivered and it will be delivered as you want it.

 

[Dragon]

I pissed off a huge national company today. Major complaint action. Hey man, if UPS wanted me to deliver them early then they wouldn't be on shelf 5.

Sorry everyone I had to go back and re-read the original post. I stand corrected.

 

[brownrod]

He came off like he pissed off a "huge national company" and couldn't have cared less about it.

That is indeed my attitude. I could not care less that I pissed them off. I was placed in a no win situation by UPS. I was simply doing my best.

The truck was 100% full. Shelves 1, 2 and 3 were resi deliveries.