Out with the armstrong steering trucks and manaul shifters

[satellitedriver]

Wimps. Real UPS drivers were manuel everything. Strong shoulders, and great looking arms from the steering wheel.

I feel better about myself, now.
My 1988 P5-(power nothing)-with 800,000 miles and the pedestal seat-(original cushion included)- makes me feel real buff, after another 11hr day.
Nothing like bouncing your butt on a piece of plywood for 200 miles on back wood roads, to keep in shape.

Billy Crystal use to do a comedy bit;
"It is better to look marvelous, than to feel marvelous."

 

[moreluck]

You look marvelous.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZl3gGV4H6c

 

[UPSF Peeon]

u aint a real driver til u drove a old 2 stick flat nose mack with no power steering, air conditioning or air ride


the titanic had a tighter steering radius

 

[Dynomite]

So since they are going towards automatic. In like 5 years will a person even need to know manual to become a driver? Just wondering because I have no clue lol.

 

[p228]

So since they are going towards automatic. In like 5 years will a person even need to know manual to become a driver? Just wondering because I have no clue lol.

Probably. Some of these package cars seem to last forever. We have one that has 1.3 million miles on it.

There will likely be many manuals still in the fleet for years to come.

 

[upssup]

Is there anything at UPS you like? My god, being in Automotive I am ready to puke. Yes the old 8's are not as nice as the new 5's and 7's. Yes the sprinters were nice but if the repairs were coming out of your pockets you would have sold them sooner than UPS did. No we cannot modify the equipment due to liability issues (not cost). We have to subscribe to the busload of nun's theory. If you do not know what that is here: If your car breaks and leaves the road, crosses the median and kills a bus load of nun's. A: Who is going to get sued? UPS. B: Who is going to get fired when they find the unauthorized modification. Answer, The automotive Sup that was assigned the task of maintaining these cars. Anytime you want the big picture on how this end works come on down. It is a complete eye opener. If you have a legitimate serviceability issue and your Automotive Department does not fix it, shame on them. If you piss and moan and not get it fixed because you cannot stand to be without "your" car Shame on you.

 

[barnyard]

A while back, a district safety committee put together some data that showed the 2 most expensive injuries to UPS employees are drivers hurting the shoulders with knees in a close 2nd. Shoulders are particularly bad because the surgical fixes do not always work and many of the fixes are temporary. Plus, shoulder surgery can take 3-6 months to recover.

We are not talking chump change, these are $25,000 to $30,000 injuries.

How many of those $25,000-$30,000 injuries are because of the trucks we drive???

to answer the OPs question....

We have 50ish trucks at my center and most of them are manual steering/high step. That number goes up weekly, as our Ford p1000 are being crushed. We have 4 left and were told that all four would be crushed before the end of June. All are being replaced with GM POS p1000s.

We have had to cut routes out because we ran out of trucks.

 

[speeddemon]

I hear ya. My 1986 P800 stays in the shop more than it is on the road. Getting a whole new transmission and rear end. When I go 55mph or above for more than a minute, it starts to overheat. The fan shorts out all day (been on order for months). Right rear brake caliper has fell off 3 times in the last two months. Wont shift into 3rd properly. Clutch push bolt broke in half. Truck goes through tires because of toed in really bad. This has all taken place in 3 months. WOOHOO!

 

[upssup]

The sad part about that, for the drivers is that these GMC's are the cheapest cars to run day in, day out. Best MPG and lowest cost to repair. They are getting crushed at a pretty good rate though. We are going to crush a good majority of ours after this coming peak.

 

[RoyalFlush]

A while back, a district safety committee put together some data that showed the 2 most expensive injuries to UPS employees are drivers hurting the shoulders with knees in a close 2nd. Shoulders are particularly bad because the surgical fixes do not always work and many of the fixes are temporary. Plus, shoulder surgery can take 3-6 months to recover.

We are not talking chump change, these are $25,000 to $30,000 injuries.

How many of those $25,000-$30,000 injuries are because of the trucks we drive???

to answer the OPs question....

We have 50ish trucks at my center and most of them are manual steering/high step. That number goes up weekly, as our Ford p1000 are being crushed. We have 4 left and were told that all four would be crushed before the end of June. All are being replaced with GM POS p1000s.

We have had to cut routes out because we ran out of trucks.

How much would it cost if you break your back, neck, arm, leg or something else on a KTM. Thats not exactly a sport known for safety. I'd say driving an old POS is nowhere near as dangerous as riding a KTM.

 

[dilligaf]

Probably. Some of these package cars seem to last forever. We have one that has 1.3 million miles on it.

There will likely be many manuals still in the fleet for years to come.

Yep. We are an extended center and we get nothing but hand-me-down crap. We will be in standards for another 10-20 years.

 

[slantnosechevy]

I drive a '90 GMC p1000. Closing in on 600,000. It's the most dependable pcar I've driven next to an old Ford p600 with the 300 6cyl. I've never had a breakdown or gotten stuck in mud or snow. I've driven everything UPS has given it's drivers in the last 25-30 years. This one is tighter and rides better than new ones with half the miles. No, I hate the step, but I'm home during snowstorms when others are still waiting for wreckers. Many who I find bitching about the lapbelt head to the parking lot to a motorcycle, ride snowmobiles, snow/water ski on the weekends or drive the ultimate deathtrap......a jeep.

 

[soberups]

..... No we cannot modify the equipment due to liability issues (not cost)....

BULLS%$T

You can drill holes in the frame and install a trailer hitch....
You can splice into the wiring and install a trailer brake system....
You can remove the worthless factory 2 point belt and replace it with an equally worthless belt that has a Telematics sensor...
You can install a DVA, a rear-view camera, and a rear-view monitor....
You can install Telematics hardware....

But for "liability" reasons you claim you are prohibited from "modifying" the vehicle?

The truth is this. UPS made a business decision that the life and health of the driver were not worth the small amount of money it would have cost to properly equip these vehicles with the most basic safety and ergonomic features. It has nothing to do with "liability"....you will modify the vehicle whenever you want to, but you are too damn cheap to do anything with it that might actually help the driver do his job safely.

 

[soberups]

I drive a '90 GMC p1000. Closing in on 600,000. It's the most dependable pcar I've driven next to an old Ford p600 with the 300 6cyl. I've never had a breakdown or gotten stuck in mud or snow. I've driven everything UPS has given it's drivers in the last 25-30 years. This one is tighter and rides better than new ones with half the miles. No, I hate the step, but I'm home during snowstorms when others are still waiting for wreckers. ....

Your car may have never broken down or gotten stuck in the snow...but what happens in a few more years when you break down and your knees and shoulders give out from years of fighting the high step and manual steering?

I'd rather be on the clock making $$ and waiting for a wrecker than to be at home popping Vicodin and putting ice on my knees....

 

[slantnosechevy]

Your car may have never broken down or gotten stuck in the snow...but what happens in a few more years when you break down and your knees and shoulders give out from years of fighting the high step and manual steering?

I'd rather be on the clock making $$ and waiting for a wrecker than to be at home popping Vicodin and putting ice on my knees....

The only ones needing vicodine and ice are the dumb***** bonus babies who ran their bodies into the ground. I never ran or jumped in and out of the car. My knees, shoulders, and back are fine after 25 years. I knew what I was getting into 25 years ago.

 

[upssup]

BULLS%$T

You can drill holes in the frame and install a trailer hitch....
You can splice into the wiring and install a trailer brake system....
You can remove the worthless factory 2 point belt and replace it with an equally worthless belt that has a Telematics sensor...
You can install a DVA, a rear-view camera, and a rear-view monitor....
You can install Telematics hardware....

But for "liability" reasons you claim you are prohibited from "modifying" the vehicle?

The truth is this. UPS made a business decision that the life and health of the driver were not worth the small amount of money it would have cost to properly equip these vehicles with the most basic safety and ergonomic features. It has nothing to do with "liability"....you will modify the vehicle whenever you want to, but you are too damn cheap to do anything with it that might actually help the driver do his job safely.

Boy you are misguided! Yes we can replace the seatbelt with a like belt. Do you see any other holes drilled. Yes I can repair and install wiring and hitches. This is done in accordance with corp. engineering and the manufacturer. Now maybe you would trust your life with an improperly installed seatbelt ( that has a familiar ring to it) but I sure would not. I do not see how installing a wiring harness is impeding the safety of these cars. As far as the hitch goes, it is more than likely a better set up than hat most hack and slash outfits install. DVA and telematics, how is this impeding the safety of the driver? Oh thats right now we are getting back to the old telematics issues. Spare me. These are commercial vehicles. I dare you to take a look at alot of other fleets and see what these guys get paid a whole lot less to drive!

 

[upssup]

I hear ya. My 1986 P800 stays in the shop more than it is on the road. Getting a whole new transmission and rear end. When I go 55mph or above for more than a minute, it starts to overheat. The fan shorts out all day (been on order for months). Right rear brake caliper has fell off 3 times in the last two months. Wont shift into 3rd properly. Clutch push bolt broke in half. Truck goes through tires because of toed in really bad. This has all taken place in 3 months. WOOHOO!

This sounds more like a poor automotive department than car! I have P800's that run day in and day out without an issue.

 

[soberups]

This sounds more like a poor automotive department than car! I have P800's that run day in and day out without an issue.

The GMC 800's and their bigger P-1000 brothers are actually pretty durable cars, and easy/cheap to maintain.

Had UPS chosen to make a few minor safety and ergonomic improvements, they would be fairly decent work platforms. How much more would it have cost to equip them with power steering, a better seat, and a 3 point belt?

The other thing that would be a big improvement for these cars would be a 5-speed tranny. The stock 4 speed is frustrating to drive on a hilly route; 3rd gear is too tall to pull a lot of hills, and 2nd is so low that you are redlining the engine to go 14 MPH. I used to drive a P-8 and there was one road that had a 4 mile uphill stretch that I had to take the entire distance in 2nd gear, crawling along with the pedal buried and the engine screaming. A 5-speed tranny would make a world of difference.

 

[RoyalFlush]

The GMC 800's and their bigger P-1000 brothers are actually pretty durable cars, and easy/cheap to maintain.

Had UPS chosen to make a few minor safety and ergonomic improvements, they would be fairly decent work platforms. How much more would it have cost to equip them with power steering, a better seat, and a 3 point belt?

The other thing that would be a big improvement for these cars would be a 5-speed tranny. The stock 4 speed is frustrating to drive on a hilly route; 3rd gear is too tall to pull a lot of hills, and 2nd is so low that you are redlining the engine to go 14 MPH. I used to drive a P-8 and there was one road that had a 4 mile uphill stretch that I had to take the entire distance in 2nd gear, crawling along with the pedal buried and the engine screaming. A 5-speed tranny would make a world of difference.

Those were considered the latest and greatest thing when they were new. The were a substantial improvement, ergonomically and safety wise, over the cars they replaced. It's a 25 year old design. They are on the way out. We have lost/scraped a lot of them in the last two years. My understanding is that they will all be gone in a few years.

Theres something wrong with the truck if it has to be in 2nd to pull a hill. Those things pull TP60s up hill at highway speed when they run correctly.

The five speed does make them a better vehicle to drive. A little grease on the front end once in a while does wonders for the steering too.

 

[soberups]

Those were considered the latest and greatest thing when they were new. The were a substantial improvement, ergonomically and safety wise, over the cars they replaced. It's a 25 year old design. They are on the way out. We have lost/scraped a lot of them in the last two years. My understanding is that they will all be gone in a few years. Theres something wrong with the truck if it has to be in 2nd to pull a hill. Those things pull TP60s up hill at highway speed when they run correctly.

You are 100% wrong.

Ergonomically speaking, they were every bit as bad as the P-600's they replaced. No power steering, no 3 pt belt, high step, small door, low-backed seat. They were built in the late 80's but they were obsolete when new and functionally no different from the crap we drove in the 60's. The only "improvements"... were that the shelves and doors were made of aluminum instead of wood, and they were fuel-injected instead of carbuerated.
And as far how they pull hills....whats "wrong" with them is that they have a 4.3 liter V-6 with a governor on it. It makes around 125 horsepower on a good day. They are grossly underpowered, even moreso when fully loaded and pulling a trailer. I used to tow a TP-6 trailer with a P-800, and there was no such thing as "highway speed" going uphill, or even on level ground for that matter. Fully loaded and going uphill, I was doing 25-30MPH on the highway, and that was with a 2 mile running start to get my momentum up.