Pick up pieces

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
We were instructed to only scan packages in a drop box. I never scan any packages at a pickup. If a pickup has an ars I add it to the total package count and load it on truck. If a non pickup customer hands me an ars I scan it under special counts.

Seems as though upper management needs to get on the same page so we all do it the same way.
Finally someone who does it correctly.
 
S

selfcancelsignal

Guest
This thread is confusing the friend--- out of me. On my training route, there was 1 business that would not have an end of day and just tell me "we had 55". On another route, we pick up from an eBay business that will send out anywhere from 25 to 115 pkgs. on any given day. I've never scanned at the 1st 1 I mentioned, but started doing it at the 2nd 1 I mentioned as there isn't a real good way to keep track of how many they bring out if it's up near 115. Neither ship much NDA. I do ARS & RS in special counts too. All this just makes me curious... What causes a pkg. to be a "blank PAL" label during the preload? I figured it was the non scanning of these pkgs. at pick up w/o using an end of day. Wow! Time to talk to a senior driver or 'cause I know mgmt. & sups won't have the correct answer I'm looking for. Laughs.
 

upschuck

Well-Known Member
All this just makes me curious... What causes a pkg. to be a "blank PAL" label during the preload? I figured it was the non scanning of these pkgs. at pick up w/o using an end of day.
A blank PAL label is caused by shipper not doing an end of day, therefore UPS does not know where package is suppose to go. That is why EOD is so important.
 

browndingo

Active Member
Scanning pickups or not is going to be a local practice based on the package flow. The clock starts ticking at the first scan, whether that's a pickup scan or an origin scan (which is usually the first scan once the package gets back to the center). There are some situations where they don't want the clock to start ticking on the package right away. For example, our air driver who goes to the airport at night stops and makes a late letterbox pickup on his way. Often there are ground packages in the box. He does not scan them, because they will be brought back to the center and sorted the following day. If he scans them when he picks them up, the clock starts ticking and when they are scanned on the local sort the next day it shows them as "left in building," which is a service failure.

There are other situations depending on how your packages flow once they get back to the center where you don't want the clock to start ticking at the pickup time. Not only might it create a "service failure" when there isn't one, but it might affect the forecasting down the line.

Also, some centers use the "recovery area" feature of the pickup screen where you put in separate counts for your air and international pickups. Integrad trains new drivers how to use these but tells them to follow the practice at their home centers because they're all different.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
Scanning pickups or not is going to be a local practice based on the package flow. The clock starts ticking at the first scan, whether that's a pickup scan or an origin scan (which is usually the first scan once the package gets back to the center). There are some situations where they don't want the clock to start ticking on the package right away. For example, our air driver who goes to the airport at night stops and makes a late letterbox pickup on his way. Often there are ground packages in the box. He does not scan them, because they will be brought back to the center and sorted the following day. If he scans them when he picks them up, the clock starts ticking and when they are scanned on the local sort the next day it shows them as "left in building," which is a service failure.

There are other situations depending on how your packages flow once they get back to the center where you don't want the clock to start ticking at the pickup time. Not only might it create a "service failure" when there isn't one, but it might affect the forecasting down the line.

Also, some centers use the "recovery area" feature of the pickup screen where you put in separate counts for your air and international pickups. Integrad trains new drivers how to use these but tells them to follow the practice at their home centers because they're all different.

The corporate policy is all packages get scanned at pickup; any other thing said is wrong,whether it comes from a DM, center manager, or on car, and I'd have no problem telling them so.

I can think of two reasons all pieces need to be scanned:

As was mentioned above, some pickup accounts need scans to measure the shipping performance; they measure from order received to consignee signs for delivery. Delaying the pickup scan won't hide anything from them; rather it'll just piss them off, and they may drop UPS as their shipping agent. I've seen it happen, although thankfully it was UPS gaining the business FedEx lost because of noncompliance.

There's also the issue of claims on returns being processed upon a package being scanned into our system. For instance, someone is returning a phone. Once the package is scanned into UPS' system, the company may automatically initiate a refund or mail them a voucher. I once did something like this, although it was with FedEx. As soon as it was scanned, I was emailed a voucher for the cost of the item. If that FedEx guy had neglected to scan the package, and it did not get an origin scan at the hub, I would not have been refunded my money.

Missing origin scans is not entirely unheard of: jam happens on an unload belt, packages spilling all over the place, some under a box line or other hard to reach area. May not being found for a couple days. Meanwhile, UPS is telling the consumer or the shipper, "We never received your package. It must be the person who shipped it."

I remember a similar thread popping up a year or so ago: guy was returning a $400 phone via ARS. He put it in a Dropbox, and the driver neglected to scan the package. For some reason it didn't get an origin scan, and the guy got stuck with the charge. Now, he was silly for coming here trying to allege the driver took it, but I understood his frustration. Some here were saying, "I'd never out such a high priced item in a dropbox! ", but that is irrelevant, especially since the label often assures the customer that it is safe to leave at a dropbox.

Corporate policy-the bible of our business, if you will-states all packages must get a pickup scan. No center manager or supervisor can fire an employee for doing this, as they would truly be working as directed.
 

BrownArmy

Well-Known Member
Gotta love this site...

Last two posts, completely contradictory information.

You'd think UPS would have very simple guidelines for something as simple as scanning pickups...you'd be wrong!

(insert circus music here...)
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
Brownarmy, no contradiction. what dingo said is akin to on car sup telling drivers to sheet misloads as NI1. That's their local practice, but it isn't right, and they'll disavow any knowledge of it if something goes wrong.

We had did training on ARS packages and RS packages not long ago, i.e. received corporate direction on the matter. Trying to manipulate numbers is a local problem, but given a choice I go with corporate.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
APettyJ, if we are to scan all packages at pickup, why are shippers encouraged to use our shipping software which generates an End of Day barcode summary?

Scanning each and every package is unnecessary and can be construed as stealing time. Every package receives an origin scan when the pkg cars are unloaded at the center.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
APettyJ, if we are to scan all packages at pickup, why are shippers encouraged to use our shipping software which generates an End of Day barcode summary?

Scanning each and every package is unnecessary and can be construed as stealing time. Every package receives an origin scan when the pkg cars are unloaded at the center.

Thankfully we have
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
APettyJ, if we are to scan all packages at pickup, why are shippers encouraged to use our shipping software which generates an End of Day barcode summary?

Scanning each and every package is unnecessary and can be construed as stealing time. Every package receives an origin scan when the pkg cars are unloaded at the center.

The EOD allows every package to receive a pickup scan, so of course if one was available you'd only need to scan it. However, if one of your pickups is not printing the EOD we are supposed to ask for it, not shrug our shoulders are and say whatever. And in those cases where the EOD is not generated we are suppose to scan the packages in. The origin scan does not replace the pickup scan. (Like all things reasonableness needs to be shown; I have a pickup that neglects to print out their EOD from time to time while shipping out 300 pieces. It wouldn't be prudent to take all of the time needed to scan each package.)

Relying on the origin scan is passing the buck to the next person down the line. We aren't supposed to do that with poorly packaged pieces ("QC can fix it up"), hazmats that aren't in like new condition; pre loaders aren't suppose to load beat up packages.

The same is true for drivers accepting packages without generating a pickup scan. It is a disservice to the customer, and where the EOD is generated, very few pieces are shipped out, or we are talking individual ARS pieces there is no reason those pieces don't receive pickup scans.

I wonder if you have ever cost someone their refund because you relied on the hub to give an origin scan to a package that was lost in the hub before it got one...
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
The only packages that I physically scan are NDA's because we are required to report how many NDA's we pickup during the day and place on to the belt when we get back to the center. Beyond that, I scan the EOD's. I do not scan ARS/RS packages---I simply add them to my pkg count either at that pickup stop or, if I am handed one, at my next pickup stop.
 

oldngray

nowhere special
If shipper can't print EOD you are supposed to pick up packages and enter total of pieces without scanning them. Not supposed to wait for EOD if not available. That is just a double check for billing since data all gets uploaded anyway.
 

bottomups

Bad Moon Risen'
The only packages that I physically scan are NDA's because we are required to report how many NDA's we pickup during the day and place on to the belt when we get back to the center. Beyond that, I scan the EOD's. I do not scan ARS/RS packages---I simply add them to my pkg count either at that pickup stop or, if I am handed one, at my next pickup stop.
Why scan the NDA's for a total?
Can just enter the number picked up at each stop in the DIAD.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
Why scan the NDA's for a total?
Can just enter the number picked up at each stop in the DIAD.

Physically scanning the package is the only way to get the allowance for picking up airs. In addition, provides more visibility for those tracking the package, especially if the EOD is not available to be scanned.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
If shipper can't print EOD you are supposed to pick up packages and enter total of pieces without scanning them. Not supposed to wait for EOD if not available. That is just a double check for billing since data all gets uploaded anyway.

The EOD is not for billing purposes. It is to show that a package has actually been picked up. A customer can be billed for a package that was/is never picked up. I have had that experience myself for a package I was suppose to send.
 

oldngray

nowhere special
EOD does not confirm that a package was picked up, only that the pickup was completed at that location and that those particular packages were supposed to have been picked up at that time. And if you are scanning individual packages to try to increase your planned day, unless it was changed again you get no time allowance for scanning those individual packages.
 

'Lord Brown's bidding'

Well-Known Member
A customer can print the EOD, but until it is scanned, the driver scans it, or it gets the origin scan, it will not show up as picked up in the system. Instead, it's status is "label has been processed, package ready for pickup"; that message does not indicate UPS has it, as has many a frustrated customer has found out once they call the 1-800 number.
 
Top