How Peak Was A Long Time Ago

[mrbrownstone]

As I was leaving the building yesterday 12/23/17 I was complaining to some long time drivers one with over 20 years and one close to 30 years about how I was frustrated getting stuck out past 10 this past week 2 nights. My wife has been burned out with the kids from my peak hours, although it wasn't so bad at my hub until this past week.

Anyway, I had asked these 2 long time drivers how peak was when they started and one driver had told me that the old timers that were still driving when he was new told stories of getting meets at 9 at night with more work.

Any of you long time driver's heard or remember anything like this?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

My very first Christmas Eve I punched at 2 am on Christmas morning. I was not the last one out. The worst part is my father (not my Dad) was spending the holidays with us and my ex had to entertain him.

 

[mrbrownstone]

Was that before DOT hour regulations In assuming?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Was that before DOT hour regulations In assuming?

Yes—-1989.

 

[rod]

Contrary to what you all believe UPS of years ago wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. We had our late nights and harassment also. At my particular center we had a half a dozen peaks throughout the year. We had the peak where all the tourist business were stalking up for the tourist season. The hard part of that one was finding a place to deliver the packages to that was actually open. We also had what I always considered worst than Christmas. We had "seed season". Everyone on earth ordered frigin garden seeds out of the Gurney catalog. And I mean everyone. At least those were driver release. You may now tell me again how rough things are now.

 

[oldngray]

Contrary to what you all believe UPS of years ago wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. We had our late nights and harassment also. At my particular center we had a half a dozen peaks throughout the year. We had the peak where all the tourist business were stalking up for the tourist season. The hard part of that one was finding a place to deliver the packages to that was actually open. We also had what I always considered worst than Christmas. We had "seed season". Everyone on earth ordered frigin garden seeds out of the Gurney catalog. And I mean everyone. At least those were driver release. You may now tell me again how rough things are now.

Peak was a nightmare.

But only lasted for a couple of weeks instead of being an all year thing.

 

[mrbrownstone]

Contrary to what you all believe UPS of years ago wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. We had our late nights and harassment also. At my particular center we had a half a dozen peaks throughout the year. We had the peak where all the tourist business were stalking up for the tourist season. The hard part of that one was finding a place to deliver the packages to that was actually open. We also had what I always considered worst than Christmas. We had "seed season". Everyone on earth ordered frigin garden seeds out of the Gurney catalog. And I mean everyone. At least those were driver release. You may now tell me again how rough things are now.

I didn't say or believe UPS was all unicorns and lollipops at one time. I was just curious as to how peak compares. There are countless stories both on here and in my center of how early guys used to finish during non-peak time before telematics and time studies.

I'm often quick to complain about how it is now compared to when I started driving 5 years ago. But, in some ways it sounds like peak once upon a time was even tougher than now even with online shopping.

I'm assuming guys could get screwed more working super later before DOT laws on driving hours.

 

[Babagounj]

I ended up trying to sleep in the building while preload ( M-friend ) was running a lot. An hour home to grab 2-3 sleep and then another hour back wasn't worth it .
I was working the Twi as a car washer ( back when they actually wanted the PC clean and we worked many a night until midnight ), an on call air driver , and the guy on Sat who had to go to Logan to do the sorting and getting the load back to the building , and then run a route or two . We were always short handed .
My runs were to cover whole cities and towns , while being available to help others who couldn't do one small section of a town . I was doing intercity driving of over 100 miles a day .
Sometimes there isn't enough coffee to drink that will keep you going .

 

[rod]

Peak was a nightmare.

But only lasted for a couple of weeks instead of being an all year thing.

Then again a lot of the posters on here seem to be off work every other night of the year by 5 or 6 o'clock and seem to take every Friday or Monday off or call in sick just for the hell of it. I don't doubt
UPS is squeezing the turnip harder than ever but ...................."

 

[oldngray]

Then again a lot of the posters on here seem to be off work every other night of the year by 5 or 6 o'clock and seem to take every Friday or Monday off or call in sick just for the hell of it. I don't doubt
UPS is squeezing the turnip harder than ever but ...................."

We seldom took extra days off but when we were usually done by 6 we didn't need the extra time off. I saw it changing towards that in my last years.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Then again a lot of the posters on here seem to be off work every other night of the year by 5 or 6 o'clock and seem to take every Friday or Monday off or call in sick just for the hell of it. I don't doubt
UPS is squeezing the turnip harder than ever but ...................."

We have drivers who have a cow if they have to work past 5 PM. They come in around 7:30 during Peak and pat themselves on the back for working long hours.

 

[PASinterference]

Peak was a nightmare.

But only lasted for a couple of weeks instead of being an all year thing.

Peak lasted maybe 3 weeks here and we got out of the building by 7:45 -8:00 with a driver sort and load. 8:30 pm was a bad day and we ran nearly as many routes back then as we do now with double the volume. Back then, we were considered coworkers by management, not the enemy. You could have a beer with your center manager back then. Now I wouldn't stop to help him if he was broken down on the side of the road.

 

[Babagounj]

Back when I started ( '76 ) that first peak was easy .
The union was on strike for 15 weeks from Sept - Nov , so volume was way down .
For the next few years , it was a zoo .
I was working the MidNight sort , sorting & loading feeders . Many a peak there was just so much flow coming down the belts , you would quickly find yourself buried up to pass your waist , unable to move . The whole belt was the same , parcels everywhere . For break I would have to body crawl up to the catwalk just to get out of the area. And after break slide down to where I had been standing to dig myself a spot to stand in .

 

[Brownslave688]

Then again a lot of the posters on here seem to be off work every other night of the year by 5 or 6 o'clock and seem to take every Friday or Monday off or call in sick just for the hell of it. I don't doubt
UPS is squeezing the turnip harder than ever but ...................."

There was a time when if you were a 30 route center you ran 30 routes every day.

No you have days where 30% of the routes are cut to meet SPC.


I'd much rather go back to the days of your area is your area and you work every day.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

As I was leaving the building yesterday 12/23/17 I was complaining to some long time drivers one with over 20 years and one close to 30 years about how I was frustrated getting stuck out past 10 this past week 2 nights. My wife has been burned out with the kids from my peak hours, although it wasn't so bad at my hub until this past week.

Anyway, I had asked these 2 long time drivers how peak was when they started and one driver had told me that the old timers that were still driving when he was new told stories of getting meets at 9 at night with more work.

Any of you long time driver's heard or remember anything like this?

9 o'clock was early back then. We also started much earlier. We also had helpers from the time we left the building.

 

[BUCN85]

We have drivers who have a cow if they have to work past 5 PM. They come in around 7:30 during Peak and pat themselves on the back for working long hours.

lol. 730 is a good day around here during the summer time. Most of us this peak would say getting in at 830 was a good day

 

[Brownslave688]

We have drivers who have a cow if they have to work past 5 PM. They come in around 7:30 during Peak and pat themselves on the back for working long hours.

We've got a guy that legit has a cow if he's off after 6pm. They just keep putting more on him and he just keeps running harder.

 

[cosmo1]

Contrary to what you all believe UPS of years ago wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. We had our late nights and harassment also. At my particular center we had a half a dozen peaks throughout the year. We had the peak where all the tourist business were stalking up for the tourist season. The hard part of that one was finding a place to deliver the packages to that was actually open. We also had what I always considered worst than Christmas. We had "seed season". Everyone on earth ordered frigin garden seeds out of the Gurney catalog. And I mean everyone. At least those were driver release. You may now tell me again how rough things are now.

I remember that spring peak. Seeds and plants galore.

Christmas peak was bad, but shorter than it is now. And, once you got past 'cheese day', it always lightened up a bit.

 

[oldngray]

I remember that spring peak. Seeds and plants galore.

Christmas peak was bad, but shorter than it is now. And, once you got past 'cheese day', it always lightened up a bit.

Peak day was about a week before Christmas then would taper off a bit. People didn't expect to be able to ship at the last minute and get it delivered on time.

 

[rod]

There was a time when if you were a 30 route center you ran 30 routes every day.

No you have days where 30% of the routes are cut to meet SPC.


I'd much rather go back to the days of your area is your area and you work every day.

Except after Christmas peak. Then about a third of the crew was layer off for varying amounts of time. Those who were "lucky?" enough to be working usually got stuck with about 10 hours work.