preload questions

[Appetite4gnr]

I will be starting preloading the brown delivery trucks soon. Can someone please explain to me the hazardous material rules? From what I understand you are suppose to pull out a slip in the box and stick it in the trucks pouch or something. And I think you need to do something when you start your shift such as check if the truck you are loading has any hazmat papers in it???

I appreciate anyone here who can tell me any important information on this subject of hazardous materials because they say you can get a fine if you screw something up.

Do they expect all new preload hires to fully understand the hazmat procedures??

 

[splozi]

I will be starting preloading the brown delivery trucks soon. Can someone please explain to me the hazardous material rules? From what I understand you are suppose to pull out a slip in the box and stick it in the trucks pouch or something. And I think you need to do something when you start your shift such as check if the truck you are loading has any hazmat papers in it???

I appreciate anyone here who can tell me any important information on this subject of hazardous materials because they say you can get a fine if you screw something up.

Do they expect all new preload hires to fully understand the hazmat procedures??

This stuff should have been covered during "training". If you are ever unsure of something, always feel free to ask a supervisor. If you don't understand, then it probably wasn't explained thoroughly.

While I can't recite the hazmat procedure verbatim...

When you get the package, you make sure the little white form stuck on the box is filled out appropriately. Verify that the contents of the package are approved for shipping via the "diamond" classification on the package. There is a chart in each package car that says what is approved and what isn't. There should be a pouch on the package with slips inside. Take one slip out and put it in the "pouch" in the cab of the truck. One sup has told me before to date and initial the back of the slip. Other sups have told me there's no need for that. You may want to check with your sup about that. The package must go on the floor no higher than waste level. Nothing can be stacked on it. Brace it with other packages on both sides. Hazmat packages of similar classifications can be loaded side-by-side. Different classifications must be separated with a non hazmat package in-between.

Sometimes there is no pouch on the package, but other forms that can be pulled out. In that case, you would pull out the first legible copy. Other times, there are no forms at all. Notify a sup about that and he/she will prepare some forms for you.

At the beginning of each morning you're supposed to check the pouch in the cab of the package car for any leftover forms from the previous day(s). We just trash them, as per my sup. But I think technically he's supposed to do something with them.

You, personally, cannot and will not be fined for anything. UPS can, though, if there is an inspection and forms are not present.

 

[Appetite4gnr]

wow thanks for all that information. everyone makes this job sound like its a living hell and I wonder how the ladies manage to make it and outlast the guys??? during our tour i saw this one tiny little lady...how do they do it?!?!

 

[TearsInRain]

they say you can get a fine if you screw something up.

hahahahahahaha whoever told you that should be fired for sheer stupidity

Do they expect all new preload hires to fully understand the hazmat procedures??

why not, even brain dead monkeys could do it

 

[splozi]

Do they expect all new preload hires to fully understand the hazmat procedures??

What they expect doesn't matter. If you are unsure about anything, ask questions - that's the important part.

wow thanks for all that information. everyone makes this job sound like its a living hell and I wonder how the ladies manage to make it and outlast the guys??? during our tour i saw this one tiny little lady...how do they do it?!?!

It is what you make of it. It will be more stressful in the beginning, because they push you to a point where a lot of people end of quitting.

We have some small females at our center too, and I wonder that myself!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

This stuff should have been covered during "training". If you are ever unsure of something, always feel free to ask a supervisor. If you don't understand, then it probably wasn't explained thoroughly.

While I can't recite the hazmat procedure verbatim...

When you get the package, you make sure the little white form stuck on the box is filled out appropriately. Verify that the contents of the package are approved for shipping via the "diamond" classification on the package. There is a chart in each package car that says what is approved and what isn't. There should be a pouch on the package with slips inside. Take one slip out and put it in the "pouch" in the cab of the truck. One sup has told me before to date and initial the back of the slip. Other sups have told me there's no need for that. You may want to check with your sup about that. The package must go on the floor no higher than waste level. Nothing can be stacked on it. Brace it with other packages on both sides. Hazmat packages of similar classifications can be loaded side-by-side. Different classifications must be separated with a non hazmat package in-between.

Sometimes there is no pouch on the package, but other forms that can be pulled out. In that case, you would pull out the first legible copy. Other times, there are no forms at all. Notify a sup about that and he/she will prepare some forms for you.

At the beginning of each morning you're supposed to check the pouch in the cab of the package car for any leftover forms from the previous day(s). We just trash them, as per my sup. But I think technically he's supposed to do something with them.

You, personally, cannot and will not be fined for anything. UPS can, though, if there is an inspection and forms are not present.

For someone who wasn't sure if they could repeat them verbatim you did a damn good job. The only correction I would make is with any tags still in the hazmat pouch in the cab. DO NOT THROW THESE AWAY!! These tags are still in the pouch as the driver was unable to deliver that (those) package(s) the previous day and will be reattempting today.

Hazmat tags are a huge deal when it comes to DOT roadside inspections. If the driver has tags in his pouch he must know where the pkgs are in the load. If there are no tags in the pouch and the inspector finds hazmats in the load the driver and company can be cited and/or fined. If there are tags in the pouch but no hazmats in the load the driver and company can be cited/fined. The loader can neither be cited or fined as it is the drivers job to monitor this.

 

[splozi]

For someone who wasn't sure if they could repeat them verbatim you did a damn good job. The only correction I would make is with any tags still in the hazmat pouch in the cab. DO NOT THROW THESE AWAY!! These tags are still in the pouch as the driver was unable to deliver that (those) package(s) the previous day and will be reattempting today.

Well, my sup has told me before that I need to memorize it as it is written. Typically, I have a hard time with that. I remember things I as I understand them, not by the words some people in an office came up with.

And, it actually never crossed my mind that the hazmat form might still be in there because the driver wasn't able to deliver the package. I will keep that in the mind for the future. However, in all of the previous instances, it has been because the driver failed to remove them. I've seen week-old forms (that I myself dated) before (and failed to remove, obviously).

If I do happen to throw away a form that I believe to be old, I would always put a new one in the pouch when the package comes down into my sorting area again.

Many people do not follow any of these procedures. I remember when I first started working, I had a hazmat sitting around because it didn't have any forms. The driver was ready to leave, and my sup wasn't around. I told the driver it had no forms, he didn't care and took the package anyway. At that point, I suppose it would be all on him if something was to happen.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

You are right in that there are drivers who do not pull thier hazmat slips, do not transfer them to the cab or dispose of them upon delivery. There are also drivers who will allow hazmats without the proper documentation to be loaded. 99.99% of the time it is not an issue. It is the .01% that comes back to bite them on the butt.

 

[splozi]

Oh yeah, this just happened today:

I got a hazmat package with only one slip in the pouch. I put that one in the cab. I wasn't sure if there needed to be another one with the package so I asked my sup. He said yes, one goes in the cab and one stays with the package. So he prepared a new form.

Although I'm unsure why there has to be one with the package. When the recipient gets it, they're just going to trash the packaging anyway. And there's already a form stuck to the outside of the package.

 

[klolx]

wow thanks for all that information. everyone makes this job sound like its a living hell and I wonder how the ladies manage to make it and outlast the guys??? during our tour i saw this one tiny little lady...how do they do it?!?!

Its not hard to lift a package and put it in the truck. The things that make it hard are those damn sups who will keep telling you to CLEAN YOUR SSHH UP AND DO IT FASTER!!!!!

 

[Appetite4gnr]

What if you are a new hire and you work slow and your sequencing and placement of packages is always really crappy...can they fire you? Assume though, that the packages are always in the correct delivery truck and on the correct shelf...and the preloader never misloads.

 

[splozi]

What if you are a new hire and you work slow and your sequencing and placement of packages is always really crappy...can they fire you? Assume though, that the packages are always in the correct delivery truck and on the correct shelf...and the preloader never misloads.

I hate to answer a question with a question, but why is the order and placement of the packages poor? It's going to take a little while to get used to things. Management will expect you to have everything down in a week. But keep in mind, management is full of bags.

Were you taught to write the sequence numbers on the packages, facing out? If so, do you? If you do, your order of things should be at least roughly accurate. If you start putting large packages on the floor, and later on in the day a bunch of other packages (with a smaller sequence number) come down that you were not expecting, it is a good idea to take a moment and rearrange the floored packages, so as not to put them in a bad order. Drivers tend to get pissed off about things like that... having packages PAL'd in the 1000's placed after packages in the 2000's, for example - particularly if the load is really full.

Someone else is going to have to answer the question about getting fired. I know that once you reach seniority, the answer is no. As long as you follow the "methods", they can't fire you.

The question is, do you have union protection before you reach seniority...

 

[menotyou]

What if you are a new hire and you work slow and your sequencing and placement of packages is always really crappy...can they fire you? Assume though, that the packages are always in the correct delivery truck and on the correct shelf...and the preloader never misloads.

Not at my center.

 

[ORLY!?!]

Also, if you get 4 hazmat packages of the same material, you need 4 slips in the cup.

This is never covered in training. Or should I say ( from the video ), to say interested in long enough to take in.

 

[Appetite4gnr]

i just did my first preloading. the truck was already half loaded by someone else and when I started I had to keep counting and figuring out where to put the package, I ended up throwing packages all over the place not even caring anymore ( I feel sorry for the driver lol).

What the hell am I suppose to do when I get huge packages that are suppose to go on the shelves??? How the hell am I suppose to do all this stuff and not be missing packages going past me.

btw I am doing belt to car

 

[splozi]

i just did my first preloading. the truck was already half loaded by someone else and when I started I had to keep counting and figuring out where to put the package, I ended up throwing packages all over the place not even caring anymore ( I feel sorry for the driver lol).

What the hell am I suppose to do when I get huge packages that are suppose to go on the shelves??? How the hell am I suppose to do all this stuff and not be missing packages going past me.

btw I am doing belt to car

Oh, you guys have a moving belt? That sucks. Maybe someone else that works in one of those centers can help with that question.

What do you mean by "counting"?

And what do you mean by "supposed" to go on the shelves? Put big crap on the floor. Just because it's PAL'd to the 3000 shelf, for instance, doesn't mean it has to go on the 3000 shelf.

 

[menotyou]

Drop the big stuff directly below the shelf it's pal-ed to. Unless, it is overweight or just a pain in the butt. Then, put in RDR or RDL. Don't bury it, though!!! Please!!!

 

[Appetite4gnr]

Drop the big stuff directly below the shelf it's pal-ed to. Unless, it is overweight or just a pain in the butt. Then, put in RDR or RDL. Don't bury it, though!!! Please!!!

yes but if I put it below the shelf it is pal'd to then I run out of space for the other areas. I can never figure out where to put everything conveniently . I just feel like sticking every large package under the table or something.

 

[splozi]

yes but if I put it below the shelf it is pal'd to then I run out of space for the other areas. I can never figure out where to put everything conveniently . I just feel like sticking every large package under the table or something.

If any particular truck is going to be heavy that day, stack out the bulk (multi-quantity large pieces) stops until the very end, and then center load them. Even if those stops are not early on in the driver's route, he/she will probably want to get rid of them first thing (after air) to free up space. If you put bulk stops under the shelves and then center load single large pieces, it will only complicate things (for you and the driver).

 

[menotyou]

Not every sup prints out your forecast. Some don't have a clue. I had to teach the last two I had how to do it.