How Much Have Your Personal Driving Habits Have Changed As A UPS Driver?

mrbrownstone

Well-Known Member
I recently purchased as new car and became obsessed with getting my side mirrors set properly. Sadly at 33 years old and having owned several cars I finally realized that I never knew how to properly adjust the mirrors in my own vehicle. Why did I realize this?

I use different package cars everday and sometimes switch between 2 and 3 different package cars in 1 day and understand how important proper mirror settings are in a big vehicle with no windows. This got me thinking about my own car and not really knowing the proper adjustments so I finally Googled it and I found several articles all mentioning the same method.

Here is a link to one article and the method that seems universal throughout most articles.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots

I like that article because the illustrations are pretty good.

Anyway, getting into other habits, I now find myself allowing more following distance and am much much more keen on not stopping too closely behind another vehicle at an intersection. This has definitely saved me in a UPS truck when having to get around a vehicle. I almost freak out now when riding with my gf who insists on stopping 2 inches from the car ahead.

Lastly, I have become more conscious of playing with my phone when stopped at an intersection in my personal car after numerous occasions being stuck behind people playing with their phones as I am sitting in my package car watching the light turn green and they just sit there. Obviously, I should not have been doing this even before driving for UPS.

I can't say I follow all of the 5 and 10 perfectly in my own vehicle but my habits have definitely changed.
 
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cosmo1

Perhaps.
Staff member
I recently purchased as new car and became obsessed with getting my side mirrors set properly. Sadly at 33 years old and having owned several cars I finally realized that I never knew how to properly adjust the mirrors in my own vehicle. Why did I realize this?

I use different package cars everday and sometimes switch between 2 and 3 different package cars in 1 day and understand how important proper mirror settings are in a big vehicle with no windows. This got me thinking about my own car and not really knowing the proper adjustments so I finally Googled it and I found several articles all mentioning the same method.

Here is a link to one article and the method that seems universal throughout most articles.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots

I like that article because the illustrations are pretty good.

Anyway, getting into other habits, I now find myself allowing more following distance and am much much more keen on not stopping too closely behind another vehicle at an intersection. This has definitely saved me in a UPS truck when having to get around a vehicle. I almost freak out now when riding with my gf who insists on stopping 2 inches from the car ahead.

Lastly, I have become more conscious of playing with my phone when stopped at an intersection in my personal car after numerous occasions being stuck behind people playing with their phones as I am sitting in my package car watching the light turn green and they just sit there. Obviously, I should not have been doing this even before driving for UPS.

I can't say I follow all of the 5 and 10 perfectly in my own vehicle but my habits have definitely changed.

I do agree with you (although I'm not quite as anal with mirrors).

Just wait for Dave to chime in around 6am or so.
 

scooby0048

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I was an EVOC (emergency vehicle operation control) instructor when I was a cop. For some reason, I still drive like a cop. That package car handles nicely when I'm doin "J" turns out of a bad neighborhood.

In my personal car, I think I must still drive like crap since people are always cussin at me or giving me dirty looks. Maybe I'm just paranoid...i don't know.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Its funny how old habits stay with you. At our monthly gathering of retired hourly UPS'ers at Perkins you can tell whos a retired driver because they are the ones with their cars and trucks backed into the parking spaces. The 5 seeing habits are a good thing-----the rest of what they wanted you to memorize is BS.
 

Future

Victory Ride
Honestly... i use all the methods while driving my personal vehicle......sometimes a nuisance when I got a 40oz in my hand, but the methods do work!
 
S

selfcancelsignal

Guest
I recently purchased as new car and became obsessed with getting my side mirrors set properly. Sadly at 33 years old and having owned several cars I finally realized that I never knew how to properly adjust the mirrors in my own vehicle. Why did I realize this?

I use different package cars everday and sometimes switch between 2 and 3 different package cars in 1 day and understand how important proper mirror settings are in a big vehicle with no windows. This got me thinking about my own car and not really knowing the proper adjustments so I finally Googled it and I found several articles all mentioning the same method.

Here is a link to one article and the method that seems universal throughout most articles.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots

I like that article because the illustrations are pretty good.

Anyway, getting into other habits, I now find myself allowing more following distance and am much much more keen on not stopping too closely behind another vehicle at an intersection. This has definitely saved me in a UPS truck when having to get around a vehicle. I almost freak out now when riding with my gf who insists on stopping 2 inches from the car ahead.

Lastly, I have become more conscious of playing with my phone when stopped at an intersection in my personal car after numerous occasions being stuck behind people playing with their phones as I am sitting in my package car watching the light turn green and they just sit there. Obviously, I should not have been doing this even before driving for UPS.

I can't say I follow all of the 5 and 10 perfectly in my own vehicle but my habits have definitely changed.
Fo shizzle!


Sent while chasing down unnecessary Dish Network call tags.
 

bleedinbrown58

That’s Craptacular
I do agree with you (although I'm not quite as anal with mirrors).

Just wait for Dave to chime in around 6am or so.
CAM00023.jpg
He may be busy looking for his other shoe...it must've fallen off when he crawled out from under the desk yesterday ;)
 

superballs63

Well-Known Troll
Troll
I recently purchased as new car and became obsessed with getting my side mirrors set properly. Sadly at 33 years old and having owned several cars I finally realized that I never knew how to properly adjust the mirrors in my own vehicle. Why did I realize this?

Did you put two little pieces of tape on your personal vehicle? At UPS we call two pieces of tape "Mirror Adjustment devices" LMAO.

I've always been a good/safe but also aggressive driver. I still drive aggressively, but generally leave more space between myself and the knuckleheads in front of me.
 
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