just hello

[ibshines]

hello all, I have been reading this site for years.I have been retired for 4.There is some very good info on this site, but unfortunately some very bad info too.I was a steward for 20 plus years.I started like a lot of you as part time,then full time driver.
Some of the people posting will tell you to stick it to the man. Some will tell you do whatever it takes to get it delivered. For the runners among you ,guess what they know what your doing.runners as a group are a stewards nightmare.they think because they run under it gives them the right to break every rule and make up a few of their own.when they get stepped on by management and it will happen they scream its not fair.I survived 30 years and walked/limped away.If you want to survive try to follow their rules and take your lunch at lunchtime.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

hello all, I have been reading this site for years.I have been retired for 4.There is some very good info on this site, but unfortunately some very bad info too.I was a steward for 20 plus years.I started like a lot of you as part time,then full time driver.
Some of the people posting will tell you to stick it to the man. Some will tell you do whatever it takes to get it delivered. For the runners among you ,guess what they know what your doing.runners as a group are a stewards nightmare.they think because they run under it gives them the right to break every rule and make up a few of their own.when they get stepped on by management and it will happen they scream its not fair.I survived 30 years and walked/limped away.If you want to survive try to follow their rules and take your lunch at lunchtime.

We have bldg stewards who do not take their lunch at lunchtime, yet everyone else on the other shifts (4 hub shifts ) are MANDATED to take it BECAUSE OF THE UNION ENFORCING IT.

I understand what you are saying , but a perfect world will never exist.

 

[DS]

The world is perfect,thanks for finally speaking up.Unless its peak and they are handing out code 05's I take my break religiously

 

[whiskey]

Hello and welcome.
Lots of changes since you retired 4 years ago. This is not your father's UPS anymore. It has gone from Big Brown to Big Brother. The lines are blurred. From PAS to Telematics. I would consider myself lucky to limp away.

 

[ibshines]

Did I come off as I believed everything is perfect?From reading the topics and posts it certainly sounds like its the complete opposite.It a dangerous time in America for a working man to make a living wage.Corporate America thinks every one should work more and get paid less.UPS is just another company in the same mold.It is dangerous time for drivers because of how much money you earn. NOT MAKE EARN If I came off as every thing is all roses it wasn't my intent. You drivers that think you know best and do not have to follow the some times idiotic rules, good luck in your next job..no one else is going to pay you the money you earn now.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

That is not my experience now or at any time during my 21 years.

 

[CustomerConcern]

I hear you but it seems MGT looks the other way becasue the 'runner' make them (and the almighty numbers) look good. More of my 'good' drivers are getting nailed on stupid stuff and the ones running, skipping lunch, working off clock, are the ones getting pats on the back.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Did I come off as I believed everything is perfect?From reading the topics and posts it certainly sounds like its the complete opposite.It a dangerous time in America for a working man to make a living wage.Corporate America thinks every one should work more and get paid less.UPS is just another company in the same mold.It is dangerous time for drivers because of how much money you earn. NOT MAKE EARN If I came off as every thing is all roses it wasn't my intent. You drivers that think you know best and do not have to follow the some times idiotic rules, good luck in your next job..no one else is going to pay you the money you earn now.

I am talking about union vs management perfect world. If everything was right, at least the union would be supporting the dues paying members and not the co. That is not what has been happening the past 10 years or so. To come on here and say runners need to stop running , well how about union intl starts working for it's members? Then maybe the runners won't need to cut corners in either fear or stupidity/selfishness to stay off the radar.

 

[trplnkl]

I hear you but it seems MGT looks the other way becasue the 'runner' make them (and the almighty numbers) look good. More of my 'good' drivers are getting nailed on stupid stuff and the ones running, skipping lunch, working off clock, are the ones getting pats on the back.

It was that way, HERE, for full time I worked there and from what I heard form the old timers in my early days with the company it's been an on going thing for decades.
One word of caution to the "runners", they may over look minor violations for you today, but there is nothing to say they will tomorrow. If you want to be a runner, NEVER ever piss them off about ANYTHING.

 

[Fastfreight]

AMEN to that...I went head to head with guys for 33 years about that very subject but most of the 'runners' as you put it wouldn't listen and complained the whole time about being taken advantage of...the more work they did, the more work they got. I took my lunch and breaks as directed in the contract and let the chips fall where they may....If that made it impossible for me to get my air back or to make some of my 'tight' pickups so be it....My center manager was just a phone call away....we had many a heated discussion but in the end when I told them to come on my route and show me how to do it they pretty much left me alone...Granted the trend was towards less pressure as my seniority increase but basically, you get more respect if you DO stick to your guns than you do if you knuckle under....Not saying that you shouldn't skip your lunch if your kid has a ballgame or something but don't make a habit of it....ANYWAY, that's MY view for what it's worth.....FF

 

[tracker2762]

The world is perfect,thanks for finally speaking up.Unless its peak and they are handing out code 05's I take my break religiously

By break your talking about your referring to paid break time right.

 

[Raw]

What is a runner? All scratch drivers are not runners. My last route I worked fast and was an hour plus over each day. My route now I work the same or even a bit slower for safety, sit in a restuarant and eat for an hour, and the numbers show under allowed by about 15 minutes a day and usually clocking off at 6:15pm on average. I am not a runner though others think I am, I am a over 20 year driver. The system is broke that all drivers don`t get a fair time allowance! I finally got a route that has one.

 

[Fastfreight]

What I mean by a 'runner' is a guy who works through his lunch and breaks every day....we had several routes in our center like yours where the driver could take his lunch and breaks and still be an hour paid under but most of them weren't that way. My 'mar' was about .75 paid over and I was a good 'methods' driver, but I wasn't about to give up time in order to be scratch. Of course this varied day to day dependiing on what I had for bulk and RFD's etc....It's all pretty much just a game and one shouldn't take it more seriously than he/she has to

 

[bigbrownhen]

Raw, enjoy it while you have it. It is just a click away for your same work to look over allowed. My route has changed such. I have done it the same way, work at the same pace, and sure enough some days I look pretty good, others Im almost an hour late and have a sup talking to me sayin I need to pick up the pace. They change the routes almost daily and expect the same result. Please....I do my job to the best of my ability every day, so I don't sweat it too much.

 

[tracker2762]

What is a runner? All scratch drivers are not runners. My last route I worked fast and was an hour plus over each day. My route now I work the same or even a bit slower for safety, sit in a restuarant and eat for an hour, and the numbers show under allowed by about 15 minutes a day and usually clocking off at 6:15pm on average. I am not a runner though others think I am, I am a over 20 year driver. The system is broke that all drivers don`t get a fair time allowance! I finally got a route that has one.

Don't you mean all bonus drivers are not runners

 

[DS]

By break your talking about your referring to paid break time right.

No.We get 50 minutes unpaid that I take every day and 10 minutes paid,I make sure I take both.

 

[ibshines]

There is nothing wrong with running under and making a little extra money.The problem is pinning down just what under is.The company has never been entirely honest about what is expected.They always want you to do more.This is just business. There is a limit to the amount of work that can be done in a day.Every one has a different number.Do what you can .I will not and never have said you dont have to work hard .If you blow out your back or legs, guess what some one else will be in your truck tomorrow..You dont deliver vitally needed life saving supplies.It is just boxes, most of it is just things that people want and really dont need. Look outside of the cult world that is ups and you will find that jobs that pay as well are hard to find. Only the skilled trades pay as much and most of us spent too much time in a truck to learn another trade.Protect your job, but don't give them free labor.

 

[CustomerConcern]

It was that way, HERE, for full time I worked there and from what I heard form the old timers in my early days with the company it's been an on going thing for decades.
One word of caution to the "runners", they may over look minor violations for you today, but there is nothing to say they will tomorrow. If you want to be a runner, NEVER ever piss them off about ANYTHING.

+1 Best advice ever!

 

[tracker2762]

No.We get 50 minutes unpaid that I take every day and 10 minutes paid,I make sure I take both.

I can see not taking a lunch with code 5 ( they're usually short days anyway) but why would you not take you lunch during peak.

 

[DS]

I can see not taking a lunch with code 5 ( they're usually short days anyway) but why would you not take you lunch during peak.

What you say makes no sense to me,if I get a code 05 its because I have way too much work and the only way to get it all done at a reasonable hour is to not take lunch.
There are no short days during peak.If they want to send help instead,I'm happier if they do,lunch is my favorite part of the day.