My Thoughts On Peak

[TeamLift]

As a home delivery driver peak was a mixed bag this year. It was easier than expected, but the numbers weren't there as they thought. We were supposed to hit a record of 18,000 packages in home delivery, but the highest was 16,400. That only happened one day, the rest of the days were far lower, averaging 13,000 or so. Only had to work in the dark once and that was the 3rd day of peak.

I think I figured out what FedEx did so as to not end up in the news again this year. Remember that when extra effort and man power is needed to deliver all packages on time, this will be done without costing Freddie a dime. The numbers were deliberately inflated causing contractors to panic and hire more help incurring all cost to themselves. I have contractors telling me that not only have they not made good money this peak, but some are going in the hole after paying for more help than they needed, rental vans and so on. Keep in mind contractors are paid about 3 times the normal rate for stops during peak and they are still losing money. Time after time we would be told that the numbers for tomorrow would be 13,500 only to come in the next morning and see the number drop to 10,600 or so. I find it hard to believe this is an honest mistake, they know how many trucks are coming in overnight and how many pieces are on each truck. The only time a mistake would be made is if we ended up with more than expected, sometimes a hub gets a trailer loaded they didn't know at the time they could.

I have to give management credit, we got out before 8.00 every day and at the end at 7.15 or so. Last year it was 9.30 or closer to 10.00 before we got out some days. I did notice some regular customers not getting anything delivered during peak maybe UPS got it or they went shopping instead. Anyway I'm glad it's over and am looking forward to two days off again.

 

[Mr. 7]

That theory makes total sense to me.

 

[Code 82 Approved]

My contractor complained about salary, and wanted to combine all his routes 2:1 at the end, I met the terminal manager and asked him pointblank if the numbers were there, and we did in fact do 8% more than last year, but it came in equal each day and not 30k-15k from one day to the next thanks to weather.
But for a peak, it really wasn't.
Two UPS drivers fill my side of the street, they were 200+ stops each every day, I never hit more than 110.

 

[59 Dano]

I think I figured out what FedEx did so as to not end up in the news again this year. Remember that when extra effort and man power is needed to deliver all packages on time, this will be done without costing Freddie a dime. The numbers were deliberately inflated causing contractors to panic and hire more help incurring all cost to themselves.

FedEx added more manpower and more vehicles (trucks and flights). The weather was cooperative and we experienced none of the weather-related delays that were prevalent last year. The smartest step was working with the shippers. We wanted accurate projections this year and informed shippers that anything beyond their projections could be (and in some cases was) cut off from Express.

Thank goodness for the latter. Some shippers had fallen into the habit of feeding us numbers that were off by as much as 30% one way or the other. Can't do a thing with that kind of bad info.

 

[Express Courier]

This was the smoothest Peak I've ever been a part of. Thank God too because I was dreading it since like October.

 

[DontThrowPackages]

Yes, Peak went very smooth. Lack of severe weather and DRA doing what it was intended to do made for, dare I say, an easier time than non-peak time. Only negative, DRA usually routed drivers out of their regular areas. Because of this, many drivers didn't get their usually Christmas gifts. Even worse, drivers excepted other drivers gifts and tried to keep quiet about it. If I lose a gift or 2 and have a cake peak like this one, I take it.

 

[SmithBarney]

Swing driver took 350$ in gifts from me, 7 or 8 customers told me they gave him/her gift cards for me.

 

[overflowed]

From looking in the USPS trucks in the morning this peak, I think a deal was made with USPS and Amazon. I think that's why our peak went somewhat smoothly. Truthfully, they can have it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Swing driver took 350$ in gifts from me, 7 or 8 customers told me they gave him/her gift cards for me.

I would be having a "talk with" that swing driver.

 

[dezguy]

I would be having a "talk with" that swing driver.

Talk about what? All that driver has to say is I don't know what you're talking about. Are you going to threaten them and put yourself at risk of termination over $350?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Talk about what? All that driver has to say is I don't know what you're talking about. Are you going to threaten them and put yourself at risk of termination over $350?

Termination over what? It is BS for a cover driver to knowingly accept tips that he knows are not meant for him.

 

[dezguy]

Termination over what? It is BS for a cover driver to knowingly accept tips that he knows are not meant for him.

It's your word against his/hers. All the cover has to say is they don't know what you're talking about. What can you really do about it? You can confront them and chew them out but then they can simply go to management and say you were harassing them.

In the end, there is nothing you can really do about it and $350 isn't worth putting my job at risk. Best thing you can do is ask you customers to give you your Christmas tip personally rather than through a co worker.

 

[Mr. 7]

If I worked with a swing that I was pretty sure "stole" my Christmas tips (because I'd believe what my long term customers told me they gave) I'd find a way to make his/her life at work really difficult if he/she didn't pay up.

 

[TUT]

From looking in the USPS trucks in the morning this peak, I think a deal was made with USPS and Amazon. I think that's why our peak went somewhat smoothly. Truthfully, they can have it.

Yes. This is a big move going on here, could have some repercussions longish term.

 

[MAKAVELI]

Yes. This is a big move going on here, could have some repercussions longish term.

Saturday's will no longer be " Amazon Saturday's".

 

[Express Courier]

Saturday's will no longer be " Amazon Saturday's".

I've heard this as well. Although doesn't it seem like we hear that all the time and it's back to the same shortly. Wednesday is the day that I want to see calm the hell down.

 

[Fred's Myth]

Swing driver took 350$ in gifts from me, 7 or 8 customers told me they gave him/her gift cards for me.

Some people were raised with no personal integrity. When I was a swing, I always passed any gifts along to the intended recipient. I can honestly say that greed is not part of my character, and was happy to see the regular driver receive their thank you from their customers.

 

[whenIgetthere]

Some people were raised with no personal integrity. When I was a swing, I always passed any gifts along to the intended recipient. I can honestly say that greed is not part of my character, and was happy to see the regular driver receive their thank you from their customers.

Great member name!

 

[TUT]

I've heard this as well. Although doesn't it seem like we hear that all the time and it's back to the same shortly. Wednesday is the day that I want to see calm the hell down.

Yes this is a repeated mantra and like any big company they use multiple carriers for different situations and locations so it is hard for a person (or handfuls) in their one location to really have a grand scope. But I will have to say the increased volume to USPS and it being 7 days a week is an eye-opener, I haven't had an issue and isn't USPS supposed to suck? So what happens when they don't suck anymore? If the USPS expands that to more/all customers then it becomes a game changer for Fedex and UPS a big one. Then we'll get to hear all over again, "why do tax payers subsidize USPS to deliver for cheaper at a loss when there are commercial companies that can do it, with a profit?".

We'll see. I'm starting to think USPS may be the biggest competition for the two public carriers. Not sure if the two Post services by the carriers has made USPS better and ready for prime-time small package delivery.

 

[59 Dano]

But I will have to say the increased volume to USPS and it being 7 days a week is an eye-opener, I haven't had an issue and isn't USPS supposed to suck? So what happens when they don't suck anymore? If the USPS expands that to more/all customers then it becomes a game changer for Fedex and UPS a big one. Then we'll get to hear all over again, "why do tax payers subsidize USPS to deliver for cheaper at a loss when there are commercial companies that can do it, with a profit?"

The USPS is going to suck for as long as anyone here can see and it won't expand 7 day delivery much beyond what it delivers now, if at all.

The USPS is still looking to cut full service back to 5 days a week in order to better align paid hours with available work. Amazon accounts for a tiny percentage of their volume and the Sunday freight is overwhelmingly delivered by lower wage temp and PT employees.

And then there's the clause in the contract that allows the USPS to exit the arrangement for any reason with a 30 day notice.