Package car start time?

[Wally]

What time is your start time?

​Years back, we started 8:15 am. The pre-load was all wrapped. Now, it is 9:00 and the pre-load is still not done, airs still coming down. I can't blame them, their start time was pushed up too. Of course, starting up late means returning later as well, even thought were getting hassled about getting the pick ups in by 7.

Part of the problem is, drivers skipping lunch or taking lunch later to get in on time. I swear, we are our own worst enemy!

 

[Indecisi0n]

I no longer care what other drivers do. Let them kill themselves and get hurt. It only helps bump me up in seniority when they have to retire early because their bodies can no longer take it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I always take my lunch; however, I usually take it when it is most convenient for me. Yesterday was light and I took my lunch as the contract suggests---most days I don't take it until 1545/1630.

We have all heard the argument that for every 8 drivers who take their lunches when they are supposed to the company would have to add 1 FT driver but we all know that this wouldn't be the case.

We have 6-7 drivers who all take their lunch between 6-7pm at a local gas station/convenience store. Wouldn't eating at that time be considered dinner/supper?

 

[Future]

I stress this point every day to all drivers. Lunch and break should be taken between the 3-5 hour EVERYDAY. ITS not a suggestion in the contract, its a rule.Routes would have to be added along with new hires.Such a basic tool, that is a given to reshape insane dispatches.

 

[pretender]

What time is your start time?

​Years back, we started 8:15 am. The pre-load was all wrapped. Now, it is 9:00 and the pre-load is still not done, airs still coming down. I can't blame them, their start time was pushed up too. Of course, starting up late means returning later as well, even thought were getting hassled about getting the pick ups in by 7.

Part of the problem is, drivers skipping lunch or taking lunch later to get in on time. I swear, we are our own worst enemy!

Speaking of the pre-load not being wrapped up by 9:00am--This is something I could never figure out. Most everyone here acknowledges that the part timers are low paid (whether or not they agree). Why does the company keep pushing their start times back, and reducing their hours? Why wouldn't UPS take advantage of this cheap labor, and hire enough employees in order to get the drivers on the street at a reasonable time with a decent load?

 

[cino321]

We have 6-7 drivers who all take their lunch between 6-7pm at a local gas station/convenience store. Wouldn't eating at that time be considered dinner/supper?

At that point you might as well just go home.

When our start times started getting pushed back last year, we all had many NDA saver service failures because we'd stop for lunch between our third and fifth hour. The company started taking savers off some of the routes and giving them to the combo guy to deliver after he finishes his air, as extra work for him.

 

[brownmonster]

Speaking of the pre-load not being wrapped up by 9:00am--This is something I could never figure out. Most everyone here acknowledges that the part timers are low paid (whether or not they agree). Why does the company keep pushing their start times back, and reducing their hours? Why wouldn't UPS take advantage of this cheap labor, and hire enough employees in order to get the drivers on the street at a reasonable time with a decent load?

You are assuming the company cares about getting us on the street and serving the customer.

 

[Brownslave688]

What time is your start time?

​Years back, we started 8:15 am. The pre-load was all wrapped. Now, it is 9:00 and the pre-load is still not done, airs still coming down. I can't blame them, their start time was pushed up too. Of course, starting up late means returning later as well, even thought were getting hassled about getting the pick ups in by 7.

Part of the problem is, drivers skipping lunch or taking lunch later to get in on time. I swear, we are our own worst enemy!

Speaking of the pre-load not being wrapped up by 9:00am--This is something I could never figure out. Most everyone here acknowledges that the part timers are low paid (whether or not they agree). Why does the company keep pushing their start times back, and reducing their hours? Why wouldn't UPS take advantage of this cheap labor, and hire enough employees in order to get the drivers on the street at a reasonable time with a decent load?

The earlier they get the drivers in speed up mode the better. When u have an hour to do 15-20 air stops your gonna have to bust it. They hope you'll stay in that state of mind all day.

 

[Brownslave688]

We have 6-7 drivers who all take their lunch between 6-7pm at a local gas station/convenience store. Wouldn't eating at that time be considered dinner/supper?

At that point you might as well just go home.

When our start times started getting pushed back last year, we all had many NDA saver service failures because we'd stop for lunch between our third and fifth hour. The company started taking savers off some of the routes and giving them to the combo guy to deliver after he finishes his air, as extra work for him.

Yep I use to skip parts or all of my lunch a lot. Then they went on a kick that everyone had to take full break. Only took a couple days of sitting in the office taking break before I said screw this ill just sit and take lunch everyday.

Once I'm back I'm done. Not going to sit and take break. I'm headed home.

 

[bottomups]

Start at 840. Usually takes me an hour to load the package car. 15 minute ride to my area from there leaves little time for 1030 air.

 

[oldngray]

I guess its expected a late start will push drivers to work harder just to get finished, and that time they pay drivers to finish loading their own trucks in the morning is mostly free if they skip lunch and breaks to get done.

 

[curiousbrain]

Speaking of the pre-load not being wrapped up by 9:00am--This is something I could never figure out. Most everyone here acknowledges that the part timers are low paid (whether or not they agree). Why does the company keep pushing their start times back, and reducing their hours? Why wouldn't UPS take advantage of this cheap labor, and hire enough employees in order to get the drivers on the street at a reasonable time with a decent load?

Because UPS views the part-time workforce in the same way they do the full-time workforce - numbers to be manipulated. Starting the Preload later, and attempting to cram ten pounds of crap in a five pound bag, saves them money more often than not.

In that context, UPS is taking advantage of this cheap (and largely underrepresented) labor.

As to the original question, the driver start time here used to be 8:45, but because driver AM time gets charged back into Preload, we decided to change it to 8:50 - when they squeeze Preload on production, 5 minutes multiplied by the amount of routes is a lot of time.

 

[Buck Fifty]

820 and 830 here. Feeling pretty lucky about that now.

 

[TooTechie]

Our PCM is at 840 every morning and typically lasts 5 minutes. If preload was done I could pull out at 845...however my truck is almost never ready. I have 2 options after PCM...go load the last 40% of my own truck so I get out by 9ish or let the loader do it and leave at 910ish with everything just thrown into the back on the floor (including 1000 2000 3000 stuff etc). As much as I hate it I end up loading my own truck. On days that I dont it easily adds 45 minutes to my day and I cant find anything.

 

[balland chain]

20 years ago, we started at 8:15 too. We were out of the building by 8:30 on a good day. They keep pushing the start time back for the preload and when we get there they are not done. How does the company expect us to get our air off in time if we cant get out on a timely manor ??

 

[Cementups]

When I started driving in 1996 we actually started at 7:50 and package cars were wrapped most days. Now I start at 8:30 and am in a different center. That other center now starts at 8:50. Most days preload is wrapped and ready to go.

The reason they can't start us earlier now is that they wouldn't be able to have us out so late doing their ridiculously scheduled late pickups.

 

[uber]

8:20 lately. Can't leave the building til 8:45 usually. 30 minute drive just to get out there.

 

[didyousheetit]

I guess its expected a late start will push drivers to work harder just to get finished, and that time they pay drivers to finish loading their own trucks in the morning is mostly free if they skip lunch and breaks to get done.

I understand the free time for skipping break but how is it free time for skipping lunch?

 

[oldngray]

I understand the free time for skipping break but how is it free time for skipping lunch?

if you skip lunch you are working for free during that time.

 

[Random_Facts]

Here the loaders start at about 4:15 am, and are required to be "kicked off the line" by 8:30 am. That's when the drivers begin. As management says "ohh the driver can load that". I'm going to take a wild guess and say that won't last long. If you ever seen the MALL completing stacked out, there is no way a driver is going to want to help load it in.