New P500

[whiskey]

Are you guys ever happy? My god we get drilled if we put you in a new car and we get drilled if we do not. Yes they have minor issues but once the issues are weeded out on each car, these things are pretty nice. Would you be happy with an old GMC with manual steering? I am sure that there are more drivers willing to drive these than not. Every driver in my District appreciates the new cars and generally would not give it back for their old one. Besides if you do not like it go work for FedEx and then you could buy and maintain your own car.

My car is a 21 year old GMC with manual steering and I love it. All the different loud noises it makes during the day are music to my ears. And it's kind of fun, at the end of the day, writing those sounds up, to find just the right words that will convey the perfect message to my mechanic. But, alas, more often than not, I don't connect. And my mechanic is like, ***?

 

[gray squirrel]

Are you guys ever happy? My god we get drilled if we put you in a new car and we get drilled if we do not. Yes they have minor issues but once the issues are weeded out on each car, these things are pretty nice. Would you be happy with an old GMC with manual steering? I am sure that there are more drivers willing to drive these than not. Every driver in my District appreciates the new cars and generally would not give it back for their old one. Besides if you do not like it go work for FedEx and then you could buy and maintain your own car.

 

[gray squirrel]

Typical sup response. As I stated, I am very grateful, and have told my supervisor so. He went to bat for us and got us 4 new trucks. I just find it hard to believe that the truck has these issues already!!!

 

[tarbar66]

We have so many different new trucks here its confusing.
I've had mine about a year and a half and its a freightliner diesel p57
669*** series
Duel wheels,and get about 265 miles on a tank of gas.Its nicer than my old p8 but not built near as tough.I hate the barn doors that swing out,but the power steering is good,and it has great brakes.
The worst part is the mirrors.They offer limited visibility,especially in freezing rain.But I am grateful that they aren't forcing me to drive one of those old p5's from the 70's.

The P5's were not introduced in the states till the 80's. The first ones we got were GMC with A arm coil spring and shock front suspensions. The door step was maybe 7 inches of the ground and the rise was very good. Unfortunately those cars were wore out in less than 5 years and replaced by the solid axle front suspension that are still around today.

 

[Big Babooba]

The P5's were not introduced in the states till the 80's. The first ones we got were GMC with A arm coil spring and shock front suspensions. The door step was maybe 7 inches of the ground and the rise was very good. Unfortunately those cars were wore out in less than 5 years and replaced by the solid axle front suspension that are still around today.

Our building had Ford P500s in the late 70s. They rode and handled great. Unfortunately their turning radius sucked. The GMCs came later

 

[scratch]

Our building had Ford P500s in the late 70s. They rode and handled great. Unfortunately their turning radius sucked. The GMCs came later

Yeap, I remember the Fords. They had a high neck gas cap behind the rear wheel. The gas guages would go out a lot and the mechanics usually wouldn't fix them, they were "servicable, okay to operate". Not a great feeling to run out of gas if you didn't hit the fuel pumps when you left the building driving a different car then the day before. The original GMs had straight six engines that were later replaced by the 4.3 V-6s.

 

[Fullhouse]

I've had my P57 for over 18 months. I got new and now she has 80,000 plus miles. The only problem I had was a speed sensor go bad. That's it! I drive a rural route 175 -215 every day. No problem with brakes, sure there is some front end vibration but nothing to worry about. I told my Ctr Manager that he just added 5 more years to my career when he assigned me that pkg car! Love that car! The cars will last if you don't drive the snot outta them!

 

[soberups]

Are you guys ever happy? My god we get drilled if we put you in a new car and we get drilled if we do not. Yes they have minor issues but once the issues are weeded out on each car, these things are pretty nice. Would you be happy with an old GMC with manual steering? I am sure that there are more drivers willing to drive these than not. Every driver in my District appreciates the new cars and generally would not give it back for their old one. Besides if you do not like it go work for FedEx and then you could buy and maintain your own car.

I hate to say it but he has a point. Any of the new P-57's or P-7's are many orders of magnitude better and safer than the old P-5's that were inflicted upon us for so many years. If it has power steering, a 3 pt. belt and a low step, I could care less how it handles or whether it rattles or squeaks. Its a work platform. If it has durability or mechanical issues that is the shop's problem, not mine...I just want to be able to work out of the damn thing without getting hurt by lousy ergonomics or killed by a lap belt. As one who spent many years fighting outdated equipment that was intentionally designed to hurt me and make my job harder, I am grateful to drive anything made since about 1994 when power steering became required by the contract.

 

[barnyard]

I hate to say it but he has a point. Any of the new P-57's or P-7's are many orders of magnitude better and safer than the old P-5's that were inflicted upon us for so many years. If it has power steering, a 3 pt. belt and a low step, I could care less how it handles or whether it rattles or squeaks. Its a work platform. If it has durability or mechanical issues that is the shop's problem, not mine...I just want to be able to work out of the damn thing without getting hurt by lousy ergonomics or killed by a lap belt. As one who spent many years fighting outdated equipment that was intentionally designed to hurt me and make my job harder, I am grateful to drive anything made since about 1994 when power steering became required by the contract.

I gotta agree with that.

My Ford P1000 was crushed in June and replaced with a GMC P1000 pos. No power steering and a higher step. I never had a 3 point belt, but would like one. I doubt that my left shoulder will do another year without power steering. I'd bet that UPS will be paying for a new shoulder and the physical therapy that comes along with it.

 

[Highwayman]

While the new trucks are a lot better than the old ones there can always be improvements. "you would complain if you was hung with a NEW piece of rope"

 

[JimJimmyJames]

I found when I was in package that the three point belts were a hassle to put on fast. I actually preferred just a lap belt, safety be damned.

Crazy, huh?

And because I didn't want to add to my day, I refused to trade my package car for a new diesel 7 cube. We didn't have diesel fuel pumps at our building so we had to go off site to fuel them up.

I didn't have a station on my route so I actually stuck with a high step, manual steering 8 cube, rather than working an extra 45 minutes every other day to go to a station.

Boy, I would put up with anything to get home faster.

 

[soberups]

I found when I was in package that the three point belts were a hassle to put on fast. I actually preferred just a lap belt, safety be damned.

Crazy, huh?

I used to feel the same way...until a guy on my center got hit head-on at 55 MPH by a lady who fell asleep and crossed over the centerline in a full sized SUV.

She died at the scene before the EMT's could cut her out.

Our driver was in a P-700 with a 3 point belt. He wound up with only a fractured ankle, even though the car itself was a mangled and totalled wreck.

The route he was on was normally dispatched in an old GMC P-5....with a lap belt. Thankfully, it was red-tagged for repairs that day. Had he been in that car instead of the P-7 he would have died...his forehead would have been propelled at high speed through the windshield, while his jaw would have been driven into the top of the steering wheel and out thru the back of his neck. All so that UPS could save 40 bucks on the purchase price of the vehicle.

Its time for UPS to start operating in the 21st century and upgrade its old trucks to meet basic minimum safety standards...or else get them off the road. Permanently.

 

[NHDRVR]

write it up and wait...

it's no different than any other vehicle


"parts on order"

 

[over9five]

Its time for UPS to start operating in the 21st century and upgrade its old trucks to meet basic minimum safety standards...or else get them off the road. Permanently.

I agree. I will mention it to a member of the safety committee Monday.

 

[EmerCond421]

All so that UPS could save 40 bucks on the purchase price of the vehicle.

Its time for UPS to start operating in the 21st century and upgrade its old trucks to meet basic minimum safety standards...or else get them off the road. Permanently.

Agreed.

 

[thom1842]

We just got about 18 new P57s within the last 3 weeks. Considering we only run about 45 routes out of my building that's a ton of new trucks. I guess the higher ups finally got fed up with our complaining every week about sprinters and old 5-cubes, and decided to give us a new batch.

I like the new 5s alot, way better than the old ones.
Minor complaints (there will always be something to complain about, it's UPS!):
*The steering wheel is tiny feels like a go-kart
*Feels light like the 3-cubes were, I'm not sure if it will handle as poorly as they did in the winter.

What I really like:
*The heat is fantastic
*Power steering and 3-point belts!
*Great turning radius
*Lots of get up and go, especially nice in downtown areas.
*Cargo light looks like the aliens are landing
*Parking brake is up on the dash at the same height as the instrument panel