Is Shifting Volume Okay?

[WhatIsYourETA]

I got bumped to cover a while back. Its fine, works for me as of now.

In the evening, there is an older woman who is mostly responsible for picking up drop boxes. She got hurt and so I ran it for her a few times.

Something has been bugging me about it and at my center there isn't anyone to talk to about it with. I mean in terms of doing something about it. I personally spoke with manager but he didn't really do anything as far as I know.

Anyway, when I did this route, I noticed some of the volume in her boxes were from addresses a few blocks away. I thought it was weird that customers would have to come so far and into a secured building to drop of packages. Plus, since I cover, I know there are a few drop boxes in between here and the original address. I think it is some sort of business complex so there were different businesses with the same addresses.

When I saw her and asked her about it, she made this sad face. Seems another driver from another center is picking up volume from customers and dropping it off in her box. I'll let you guess what kind of volume. She spoke to the manager and the union guy about it. Said boss acted all interested but nothing happened at all. Union said "he can't do anything about it".

What gets me is that, she says, some of the volume used to be hers already. They took it off her route but the guy (who I think makes a lot more then she does) is bringing it to her anyway. She is losing some time, but doing same work away.

Does this kind of thing happen often? Its one thing if they send you out with some kind of official paper trail to help another driver... But shifting volume like that, to me is just wrong.

I guess I can understand. Its Friday, you want to get home, and yet you got a bunch of air to deal with first. If there is an issue I think you should work it out with your boss instead of potentially getting an old lady in trouble.

I know some stuff happens out there with volume. Proper and improper. Its not a big deal, right? Its just feels off... And I'm just trying to find a way to keep him responsible for his own volume. Just in case something happens that could hurt her when she is fully back.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Are you talking about pickup or delivery volume? If it is pickup volume simply scan the box, scan the packages and move on. If it is delivery volume you most definitely need to talk to your supervisor about it.

The only time that I leave delivery volume in a dropbox is if I have a misload for the neighboring route as it is a secure way to make sure he gets the package(s). I will always send an ODS before doing this otherwise he would have no idea about the misload(s) and the package(s) would still be sitting there when I make the dropbox pickup.

 

[barnyard]

I do not understand what the problem is.

If a driver in my area picks up NDA and cannot make it back to the barn in time for the airport run, he/she will either meet someone that can bring it in or drop it in an airbox that has not been picked up, whatever is more convenient.

If another driver is leaving delivery volume and not telling anyone, I would scan it as a pickup and bring it back to the center. Unless I knew a driver was leaving it for me.

 

[SmithBarney]

Dropping stuff at the dropbox was perfectly normal for our areas, many times a rural route would "dump" his pickups at the box, since he wouldn't make the building in time. Probably not an issue, since management didn't do anything about it.