I.E. is at it again!

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Dude, You hit the nail on the head with a sledge hammer. The route I've been covering is hacked and devistated daily and the dispatch lazily drag drops the pieces in random places on my trace or crams everything into my 8000's and leaves my 3000's empty. We have retards for dispatch. WHY AREN"T THEY HELD RESPONSABLE FOR THIS. If they're gonna add cut then at least tie it into a logical sequense. If multiple route are heavy then pull resi from each and run out a split car so we can Honor our commitment with our commercials and pick ups. Commercial and pick up.s should be priority. Don't drop a school or commercial at the last stop in 8000 inside add cut and expect a coverguy to catch it and pull it off.

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Hey Backlasher,
I love your post because it touched on another mishap that consistently happens where I'm from. I've worked in multiple centers and had routes or covered routes in many different towns yet one thing remains consistent about add/cuts or splits that I failed to mention but Backsasher brought up. That is every add/cut or split invariably has a school in it.

All of them! Why can't they choose a split without a school? The dispatch sup. loves to play dumb and claim he is ignorant(hello, its your job? to the school locations. So we have this all the time: a split out of the driver's normal area with a school getting 15 cases of books.

When is he supposed to do it? He has his own businesses to do, then the 12-1 lunch hour that businesses can't be attempted unless you like taking your chances and wasting your time hoping someone will be there. Then there is your lunch that must be taken between the 4th and 5th hour (1245-1345 here) and pickups start at 1500(in this scenario).

It would come down to breaking at 1345 but school is out at 1400 and cars are lined in the street. Perhaps he can break at 1630 when pick-ups are done but most likely all 15 pieces will be sheeted as closed. Just what UPS wants, right? 15 send-agains that will be move to another car the next morning because the dispatch has changed again? And of course 1 or 2 will be left on the other truck causing some of the problems in my first post.

To summarize we are always stuck with a split that always has a school in it. It just causes problems for more then one driver and it happens everyday. Breaking trace to deliver schools that would be easier and delivered on trace by the initial driver.

Again, just leave the routes alone is my new mantra. Why can't they just leave them alone? it would eliminate all the above issues?
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
They have all the delivery records dating back to when Jim Casey was the dispatcher. The dispatcher COULD use these as a guide. Ours does not. Backlasher and Browniehound and I must have dispatchers who are related. They all suck eggs!!!
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
They have all the delivery records dating back to when Jim Casey was the dispatcher. The dispatcher COULD use these as a guide. Ours does not. Backlasher and Browniehound and I must have dispatchers who are related. They all suck eggs!!!


HAHAHA :biting: They can't even pull off businesses that are closed on holidays like Good Friday. This past one, our center manager told all of us that we were not allowed to pull off stops that are closed because they wanted the belt clean. I was glad I wasn't one of the 3 cars that had bulk stops down the middle of closed holidays.


Back to thread: If you were UPS, and someone gives you 20 extra dollars to deliver at a specific time, that money would be hoovered right into your pocket. I hope it doesnt happen but with UPS, money talks.

My issue would be with deliveries in my 2000, 3000 section that I would have to break trace and fly back to make some imaginary window
 

SignificantOwner

A Package Center Manager
Hey Backlasher,
I love your post because it touched on another mishap that consistently happens where I'm from. I've worked in multiple centers and had routes or covered routes in many different towns yet one thing remains consistent about add/cuts or splits that I failed to mention but Backsasher brought up. That is every add/cut or split invariably has a school in it.

All of them! Why can't they choose a split without a school? The dispatch sup. loves to play dumb and claim he is ignorant(hello, its your job? to the school locations. So we have this all the time: a split out of the driver's normal area with a school getting 15 cases of books.

When is he supposed to do it? He has his own businesses to do, then the 12-1 lunch hour that businesses can't be attempted unless you like taking your chances and wasting your time hoping someone will be there. Then there is your lunch that must be taken between the 4th and 5th hour (1245-1345 here) and pickups start at 1500(in this scenario).

It would come down to breaking at 1345 but school is out at 1400 and cars are lined in the street. Perhaps he can break at 1630 when pick-ups are done but most likely all 15 pieces will be sheeted as closed. Just what UPS wants, right? 15 send-agains that will be move to another car the next morning because the dispatch has changed again? And of course 1 or 2 will be left on the other truck causing some of the problems in my first post.

To summarize we are always stuck with a split that always has a school in it. It just causes problems for more then one driver and it happens everyday. Breaking trace to deliver schools that would be easier and delivered on trace by the initial driver.

Again, just leave the routes alone is my new mantra. Why can't they just leave them alone? it would eliminate all the above issues?

I'm ok with leaving the route's alone if drivers agree not have a max stop count, agree not to call in sick, agree not to request 8 hour days, say they can't get done with the work on the car, say they can't get all their air off in time, say their car won't fit on a particular street, or bring up any other issues with the work on their routes. I don't want to do last minute adjustments either, but circumstances change daily and we have to react to get all the packages on the road.

The reason that the adjustments aren't cleaner is that the dispatch system doesn't give your (or my) dispatcher a good forecast of what's coming. They really don't have a good look at the dispatch until it's on the car and then they make add/cuts to level everything out and it turns into a fiasco. Regarding the problem with schools or libraries in neighborhoods, this is a system problem too. The system that the dispatcher uses to make add/cuts doesn't indicate in any way whether or not an address range has a commercial stop in there. This is a big oversight in my mind. Sounds to me like these issues are common across the country which would indicate that they're mostly system rather than people problems.
 

Backlasher

Stronger, Faster, Browner
I'm ok with leaving the route's alone if drivers agree not have a max stop count, agree not to call in sick, agree not to request 8 hour days, say they can't get done with the work on the car, say they can't get all their air off in time, say their car won't fit on a particular street, or bring up any other issues with the work on their routes. I don't want to do last minute adjustments either, but circumstances change daily and we have to react to get all the packages on the road.

The reason that the adjustments aren't cleaner is that the dispatch system doesn't give your (or my) dispatcher a good forecast of what's coming. They really don't have a good look at the dispatch until it's on the car and then they make add/cuts to level everything out and it turns into a fiasco. Regarding the problem with schools or libraries in neighborhoods, this is a system problem too. The system that the dispatcher uses to make add/cuts doesn't indicate in any way whether or not an address range has a commercial stop in there. This is a big oversight in my mind. Sounds to me like these issues are common across the country which would indicate that they're mostly system rather than people problems.

I have a good question? Why would an add cut area not be in sequence. I'll have an add cut area that has pieces in multiple sections. If I followed trace I would have to pull to add cut area multiple times threw th day and nieghbors of places that were in an earlier area of trace. At least clean up the add cut and group that area together. I have to constantly check throughout my trace and disect it to make sure I run the add cut efficiantly and in doing so I loose alot of time.
Ultimatly they put the responsability on us drivers and it's our fault if sporh drops, run late, have missed business, etc. It's drivers responsability to know if there is a business, school. So it's our fault we didn't hit the details button on every stop but not dispatch or systems fault. We are expected to recall events that happened 400 deliveries ago but dispatch has no responsability in remembering if there is a school or business in an add cut even though drivers tell him about it all the time.

We have to take the fall and hear about it next morning unpaid before our start time. I love logistics.
 

JustTired

free at last.......
When designing and setting up a new system, those charged with the responsibility should have to follow these four "laws":

1. Take into consideration that there is not a driver in this company that delivers in a world called "Perfect".

2. There has never been a pkg car that has left a building with a load that looked like the ones in training videos.

3. If the design and implementation of a program requires a computer.....the computer is only as smart as the person behind the keyboard.

4. Just as you can't deliver 5 days of work in 1 day.....you can't implement a program that requires a 6-8 week implementation in 2 weeks.
 

Backlasher

Stronger, Faster, Browner
A truely traced out route will not have commercial or business in the 8 and possibly a good portion of 7000 section. Why not add cut from those sections. If a drivers stop count is over its max then cut out some from the 8000 and drop that in as an add cut t o the victim driver and keep that add clean and traced together even if it is out of victim drivers area he can still run it clean.

Don't add some here, add some there with no trace. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. If you know a specific route has a trend of going over stops and it will eventually get a cut, then have plans implimented so that you know that this area is what I will cut and this is were it should always be put as an add on the victim truck route. Is that not logistics!!!!!
 
Reading the original post it appears that this is not SADR. It's not dictating a time for 1 certain company that has to set up the account like that, the OP makes it sounds like it will be individual to a shipment. In other words, an option you can select when shipping a package, just like signature required.

EXACTLY! Thanks for actuially reading and UNDERSTANDING!
 
Why don't we all wait until we see the specifics of this new service offering before dismissing it? It wasn't too long ago that the cable company was "we'll be there sometime between 9 and 5" and you had to sit all day until they showed up at 4:59. Now they offer service appointments with a two hour window.

Companies within the service sector must be willing to adapt in order to remain competitive.

Pretty sure Mr. Cableman isnt doing 180 stops a day..........next
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
We had a driver who was fed up with this type of load. I am not positive what he did, but he spent a lot of time in the office with the steward bitching. By the end of the week, his load had changed to labels out, and everything that was suppose to be on the shelves was. I somehow think this might not be possible anymore, as they have the guys loader loading 6.5 trucks. Can you imagine being the driver who has the .5 loaders?

When I get a load like this I take a picture of it with my phone and then e-mail it to my Center Manager. I dont bitch; I dont complain; I merely suggest to him that finding a way to improve the load might cut down on the number of over 9.5 hours that he will be paying me $90 an hour for once I file the grievance.
 

QKRSTKR

Well-Known Member
Lets see how consistent you can be when one of the routes they eliminate 15 minutes before start time is the one right next to you, and you wind up with a full day of your own work plus a "fling job"...40 extra stops flung into your car in a pile on he floor by some poor schmuck who has a preload sup screaming in his ear to get off of the clock.

Welcome to my world!

View attachment 5477

Dude, where is the rest of your load?
bl.jpg
 

Bubblehead

My Senior Picture
I'm ok with leaving the route's alone if drivers agree not have a max stop count, agree not to call in sick, agree not to request 8 hour days, say they can't get done with the work on the car, say they can't get all their air off in time, say their car won't fit on a particular street, or bring up any other issues with the work on their routes. I don't want to do last minute adjustments either, but circumstances change daily and we have to react to get all the packages on the road.

The reason that the adjustments aren't cleaner is that the dispatch system doesn't give your (or my) dispatcher a good forecast of what's coming. They really don't have a good look at the dispatch until it's on the car and then they make add/cuts to level everything out and it turns into a fiasco. Regarding the problem with schools or libraries in neighborhoods, this is a system problem too. The system that the dispatcher uses to make add/cuts doesn't indicate in any way whether or not an address range has a commercial stop in there. This is a big oversight in my mind. Sounds to me like these issues are common across the country which would indicate that they're mostly system rather than people problems.

You forgot about not having the flexibility to add a car when needed.
You forgot to include a mandated stop per car directive.
The biggest problem with the system is that managers aren't allowed to manage.
They merely facilitate.
 
Run my route the same every day +/- 15 minutes. my customers know what time it is by the way i show up at their business every day after day. Its old school of delivery for all you newbies. This new service that you cry about is has been going on since day one @UPS.

Youre my idol! I guess my 21 yrs as a newbie shows I still have alot to learn.May the lord grace me with one of the two things he seems to have graced you with....either the ability to rise above corporate B.S. or the ability to talk out my @ss,both of which you are very good at.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
You forgot about not having the flexibility to add a car when needed.
You forgot to include a mandated stop per car directive.
The biggest problem with the system is that managers aren't allowed to manage.
They merely facilitate
.

Puppets cant even facilitate. They merely flap their arms and gums in whatever manner is desired by the one who pulls their strings.

Dealing with the modern "center manager" is sort of like dealing with the salesman when you buy a car. They can talk a great line of B.S., but when its time to get down to business and make an offer they have to walk back and forth to a little room someplace to get "approval" from a decision-maker that you will never meet. The process would work so much faster and better if we didnt have to waste so much time dealing with middlemen.
 

TUT

Well-Known Member
many large customers complain about this lack of service for their end customer. Our customers want the same type of service for On-Call pickups as well.

Somethings aren't practical. No one else is doing a 2 hour window without having a $15 plus addon charge. Depends what the cost it. But whoever is doing this, can they really do it day in and out with any kind of volume? The point is if a large customer started using this all the time as their main service, can any delivery company really handle this? What if everyone changed to this? That's my point. It's over-servicing, there is always something more a customer wants, no shortage there, not now, not ever. Practical?

Perhaps your competitor should invest a million or two and setup grief runs. They ship stuff from A to B with this service window all around the country just to mess with the rest of your deliveries and routes. At the same time get their money back every time it misses, maybe it won't even cost a million with that factored in. Time to go patent this idea.
 
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SignificantOwner

A Package Center Manager
You forgot about not having the flexibility to add a car when needed.You forgot to include a mandated stop per car directive.The biggest problem with the system is that managers aren't allowed to manage.They merely facilitate.
You're right, the stops per car edicts defy logic sometimes and make it nearly impossible to put out a good dispatch.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
You're right, the stops per car edicts defy logic sometimes and make it nearly impossible to put out a good dispatch.

And yet, 99% of the time, the center manager would be the person most qualified to decide how many stops should be on each car in his operation.

UPS should try an experiment. For one month, determine the average cost-per-piece for each center using the current idiotic method of remotely micromanaging stops-per-car.

Then on the next month....give the center manager his balls back. Let him decide how many routes to dispatch, based upon his own initiative, logic, area knowledge and common sense. Challenge him to beat the micromanagers at their own game.

The two months would ideally be in mid-summer, to eliminate variables such as peak season and winter weather and create a direct apples-to-apples comparison of cost-per-piece.

I will bet my last dollar that the center managers would beat the micromanaging cubicle dwellers every damn time. UPS would be far more efficient and profitable if it allowed local decision-making.

Unfortunately, such an experiment will never be allowed. Those in authority are well aware of the truth, but that truth is a threat to the status quo that they so desperately need to maintain in order to hang on to their spots at the corporate trough.
 
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