Need Some Honest Opinions!

[ThatOneGuy]

Ok, I wanna start off by saying that I have been reading this forum for a couple of weeks now, and finally gave in and created an account. Something's been eating away at my insides since I was hired as a midnight loader about a month ago. I have been loading trailers for about 3 weeks now, and am extremely concerned. I like physical work, as opposed to working a cash register. I was raised to be a hard worker. Only thing is, I seem to always work a little bit slow, maybe because I've always been a deep thinker. My load quality is always getting better, but at the same time my p/t sup is always on my case about going faster. I am in two semi-low volume trailers at this point, but still get backed up pretty often. I have demonstrated (during actual in-person timing, not the computers) that I can load upwards of 300-380 packages per hour (pph), but I still have a lot of trouble keeping up. I HONESTLY don't know what makes me so slow. I care a lot, and want to be the best loader I can be! Believe me! I show up every day on time and try my darndest. It just seems like the other guys in my PD are so much more on top of their sh**. A couple of them are rarely even in a trailer they are so fast! Then there's me, in my trailers for 75% of the friggin night. I wanna kick some ass. I know some guys are gonna tell me that I'm just not cut out for the job and what not, but I just wanna hear some honest opinions and hopefully recieve a few pointers. Thanks for reading my book-believe me, I wouldn't have written it if I didn't care. Phew...

 

[Raw]

Ok, I wanna start off by saying that I have been reading this forum for a couple of weeks now, and finally gave in and created an account. Something's been eating away at my insides since I was hired as a midnight loader about a month ago. I have been loading trailers for about 3 weeks now, and am extremely concerned. I like physical work, as opposed to working a cash register. I was raised to be a hard worker. Only thing is, I seem to always work a little bit slow, maybe because I've always been a deep thinker. My load quality is always getting better, but at the same time my p/t sup is always on my case about going faster. I am in two semi-low volume trailers at this point, but still get backed up pretty often. I have demonstrated (during actual in-person timing, not the computers) that I can load upwards of 300-380 packages per hour (pph), but I still have a lot of trouble keeping up. I HONESTLY don't know what makes me so slow. I care a lot, and want to be the best loader I can be! Believe me! I show up every day on time and try my darndest. It just seems like the other guys in my PD are so much more on top of their sh**. A couple of them are rarely even in a trailer they are so fast! Then there's me, in my trailers for 75% of the friggin night. I wanna kick some ass. I know some guys are gonna tell me that I'm just not cut out for the job and what not, but I just wanna hear some honest opinions and hopefully recieve a few pointers. Thanks for reading my book-believe me, I wouldn't have written it if I didn't care. Phew...

I don`t know, I was always a driver, never loaded!

 

[menotyou]

I don`t know, I was always a driver, never loaded!

You missed out on the worst place in the company to work! I loved it, though.

 

[Anonymous 10]

Just keep your mouth shut tell them you'll do better and pretty soon you will be in the union and then you will start to get it. I won't elaborate anymore check back in six months you should understand by then.

 

[Re-Raise]

Thatoneguy don't give up and don't be too hard on yourself. You already have the most important thing going for you and that is the desire to improve.

Like any physical job or sport after you have done it for a while your muscles will stregthen and you will improve. My best advice for now is to always be focusing on where you will place the next box.

Don't pick up the package and then think about where to put it. You should already know where you are going with it.

Everyone was the new guy at one point the people you are comparing yourself to may have years of experience. Hang in there and try your best.

 

[upsgrunt]

I'll just add my "hang in there" as well. I had a horrible time when I started on the preload. I was always stacked out and the last one to leave. One day it just clicked and I was one of the employees that you are talking about.

Like Re-Raise said, don't waste any motion or effort- look once, be sure, carry once, place once; don't confuse speed with efficiency.

Steve

 

[tarbar66]

Slow and steady will finish the race. Just work safely and speed will come.

 

[steward71]

Don't worry about it, once you have your 30 with in 90. just come to work and do the best you can.

 

[rod]

If it is any consulation-----in managements eyes no one is working "fast enough". Do the best you can-----safely.

 

[YouKnowWhoIam]

you'll be fine...we need more people like you in our company. They will ALWAYS want you to go faster.Like they all said,it will come,relax

 

[menotyou]

http://youtu.be/lyl5DlrsU90

 

[island1fox]

Do not know if you are serious or not. Just a comment on YOUR numbers.
A "New York Minute" is just a blink of the eye. A normal minute is a long sixty seconds. Just stare at a clock for sixty seconds. I loaded trailors and it is a hard job no doubt. But you yourself state that you load only five to six pieces every minute. I do not believe this Company is for you.
Not talking about Production standards just that every job is very hard work . If you were a driver on an "average" route where most any driver would be capable to do 15 to 16 stops every hour ---you would be in the 7 to 8 range.

 

[washington57]

Do not know if you are serious or not. Just a comment on YOUR numbers.
A "New York Minute" is just a blink of the eye. A normal minute is a long sixty seconds. Just stare at a clock for sixty seconds. I loaded trailors and it is a hard job no doubt. But you yourself state that you load only five to six pieces every minute. I do not believe this Company is for you.
Not talking about Production standards just that every job is very hard work . If you were a driver on an "average" route where most any driver would be capable to do 15 to 16 stops every hour ---you would be in the 7 to 8 range.

300pph isn't awful.

 

[bbsam]

Loading trailers is what I started with at UPS in the late '80's. Had a real mean beatch as a supervisor. Follow the methods, though, and the speed will come...you'll probably have nightmares for a while but in the end, you'll be able to load in your sleep. Walls 18"-24" T-loading, etc., smalls, incompatibles, blah, blah, blah. Speed comes in time.

 

[island1fox]

300pph isn't awful.

???? Lets be exact on what it is or is not --great --awful ?? It is 5 pieces per minute ---spin it all you want call it what you want but it does not change the numerical fact .

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Thanks everybody for the replies. Just out of curiousity, what were some of your numbers when u all started (pph)?

 

[washington57]

???? Lets be exact on what it is or is not --great --awful ?? It is 5 pieces per minute ---spin it all you want call it what you want but it does not change the numerical fact .

It is on the slower end, but acceptable with zero misloads and good wall quality. It is one box every 12 seconds. Include breaking jams, moving the loadstands, cleaning up egress and it seems like a reasonable number.

 

[Notcool]

What you need to learn is that you will never be fast enough for ups. They will push you as far as they can to get as much work out of you as possible. 300pph -350 is a good pace. Work safe!

 

[bbsam]

Thanks everybody for the replies. Just out of curiousity, what were some of your numbers when u all started (pph)?

When I started, within the first 30 days we were supposed to be able to load 1000 pph. Things may have changed since then. But I do know that by 6 months loading was a piece of cake. Could and often did do it in my sleep.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

It is impossible to say that 300-380 an hour is below average. That is well above average , when higher volume of packages are hitting or not. Also including it is two smaller load, rather than one very heavy outbound, where you can rack up 400-500/hr without breaking a sweat. It takes time to move between them plus have to login/out of each one with the scanners, assuming you have a similar setup.

Do NOT let UPS bully you. Work hard but smart and you will be fine. Their numbers are meaningless, always remember that!