Question regarding SPH

[Nolimitz]

TheJackal is spot on with this one. I get to my first DB around 16:30 w/ a rdy of 17:00. It is a heavy box and most need new labels. I start processing as soon as I get there and leave the stop open in PP until 17:01. If the box were empty I have to wait til 17:00 to open stop on PP. When I'm done processing box, I sit at location on company time. I will scan any pkgs that may walk/drive up until 17:01

 

[DRAisawesome]

Your manager Im sure has been tagged to look at gap reports and found this drop box gap in time. Take a break if you like him and don't want to talk about it everyday but don't if you like to have a fight. See if he would take a break and not get paid for only working 4-6 hrs

 

[HedleyLamarr]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Next week, I will change things up a bit and see what I can come up with.

 

[BigTex61]

Give them no time, do as Jackal says. If your under the time you have to take a break, then dont. Ef them!

 

[McFeely]

If your manager has said nothing about your SPH, then just slow down enough to get to the drop boxes on time or do your pups in a little different order to work the system.

I recently ran 109% on my new route (deliveries and a pickup route) but my manager was upset that I was at my FASC for 30 minutes at the end of my day. So now, I slow down and still run over 100% but don't have a 30 minute gap at the end of the day. I take my required break so they really have nothing to complain about, now do they?

 

[Route 66]

An example of a slick manager who wants down time to be on your dime. Don't let him/her get away with that - stay on the clock.

 

[Purplepackage]

I have been a lurker on this forum for about 5 months, ever since I got the job at FDX Express. As of now, I have a evening pickup route which has been a lot of fun so far. You all seem very knowledgeable is regards to how the system works, so I wanted to ask you something in regards to SPH and how it is calculated.

My pickup route is fairly easy; it usually takes me about 4.5-5 hours to complete. Originally, I had not planned on taking a break, as my hours didn't seem long enough to need one. But my manager told me after a couple weeks that I had to take a break because if I didn't, I would end up waiting for some of my drop boxes to open. Waiting at a drop box for 15 minutes or so kills my SPH rate so I needed to make sure they were open by the time I got there. So for the past few months, I have taken a nightly break, the length of which is determined by the number of on calls I had. No on calls=45 minute break, lots of them=20 minute break.

Recently I was discussing this with a fellow more experienced courier and he told me that I should not need a break. He said I can work the system by not ending stops so quickly after making pickups. After a pickup, I should drive to the next pickup before actually ending the stop. And if I have two pickups right next to each other, throw the second in the truck and scan it in later. Don't do them both together quickly; put some gap time in between.

I just don't see how this would make any difference, and if anything, it will bring down your SPH rate. He said it worked and had no affect on SPH, plus you make more money by not taking a break.

Also, when does the SPH clock start? Is it after you end your first stop? If so, I can definitely see not ending that first stop until after arriving at my second.

Thanks for reading.
Thats Hedley, not Hedy btw

To sum up everyone's answers, basically you have to learn how to play the game. You haven't been with the company long but eventually you'll figure it out.

And don't ever give them your time for free

 

[FXE-FML]

I used to just ask for a walk up and sweep my drop boxes when I had a ton of extra time to kill.

 

[Express Courier]

I used to just ask for a walk up and sweep my drop boxes when I had a ton of extra time to kill.

fyi you don't need to ask for a walk-up, you can add a stop on your own in the ppad. Just hit Add Stop and enter the address info and dads number of your choosing and boom you have a new stop.

 

[Purplepackage]

I used to just ask for a walk up and sweep my drop boxes when I had a ton of extra time to kill.

I get sweeps for all my boxes since im usually early, good way to get an extra stop since generally if your running over 100% they really don't care where the stops are coming from

 

[Operational needs]

fyi you don't need to ask for a walk-up, you can add a stop on your own in the ppad. Just hit Add Stop and enter the address info and dads number of your choosing and boom you have a new stop.

So when you do that, it actually gives you credit in the system for a stop? I've seen the function but never used it. Always forget to ask.

 

[Express Courier]

So when you do that, it actually gives you credit in the system for a stop? I've seen the function but never used it. Always forget to ask.

I would think so, I don't see why it wouldn't. Oh wait, it's FedEx lol. But yeah I'm pretty sure it counts, or at least counts just as well as if you messaged dispatch for a stop.

 

[59 Dano]

But my manager told me after a couple weeks that I had to take a break because if I didn't, I would end up waiting for some of my drop boxes to open. Waiting at a drop box for 15 minutes or so kills my SPH rate so I needed to make sure they were open by the time I got there. So for the past few months, I have taken a nightly break, the length of which is determined by the number of on calls I had. No on calls=45 minute break, lots of them=20 minute break.

You are not required to take a break due to a lack of work:

Employees cannot be required to take a non-meal break because there is no available work, however, employees can voluntarily go into break status during such periods. -- People Best Practices, Section 6

It's not your responsibility to punch out while waiting for work. Your manager can come up with something for you to do if he doesn't want you sitting around doing nothing.

He said I can work the system by not ending stops so quickly after making pickups. After a pickup, I should drive to the next pickup before actually ending the stop. And if I have two pickups right next to each other, throw the second in the truck and scan it in later. Don't do them both together quickly; put some gap time in between.

A pickup time is registered when you open the stop, not when you close it. The exception to this is for your dropboxes that have packages in them. The registered pickup time in that case is when you end the stop. If you complete 10 stops in an hour, that's 10 stops for that hour regardless of how you space them out.

Fiddling with your scan times does you no good and can get you fired.

 

[Operational needs]

You are not required to take a break due to a lack of work:

Employees cannot be required to take a non-meal break because there is no available work, however, employees can voluntarily go into break status during such periods. -- People Best Practices, Section 6

It's not your responsibility to punch out while waiting for work. Your manager can come up with something for you to do if he doesn't want you sitting around doing nothing.



A pickup time is registered when you open the stop, not when you close it. The exception to this is for your dropboxes that have packages in them. The registered pickup time in that case is when you end the stop. If you complete 10 stops in an hour, that's 10 stops for that hour regardless of how you space them out.

Fiddling with your scan times does you no good and can get you fired.

Thank you. I didn't realize that was in writing anywhere, I just know I've always refused to do it. Lol.

 

[!Retired!]

Give them no time, do as Jackal says. If your under the time you have to take a break, then dont. Ef them!

I never said, nor did I imply to Ef them. Don't get that attitude, because it can only get you in trouble. Just learn how to play their game.

Fiddling with your scan times does you no good and can get you fired.

Fiddling times are not necessary. Just slow down. Don't have large gap times.

 

[59 Dano]

I recently ran 109% on my new route (deliveries and a pickup route) but my manager was upset that I was at my FASC for 30 minutes at the end of my day. So now, I slow down and still run over 100% but don't have a 30 minute gap at the end of the day. I take my required break so they really have nothing to complain about, now do they?

I ran into that type of situation once. I told my manager I can take the 25 minutes all at once waiting for a stop to open and run 110% or I can take 45 minutes broken up throughout the day and give him 100% and be that much later to the reload. He said that if I can hit 110% consistently, then to take the 25 because it makes him look better and we both laughed.

 

[59 Dano]

Fiddling times are not necessary. Just slow down. Don't have large gap times.

Slowing down isn't necessary. You have no obligation to take a break if you have to wait on ready times. I'd rather burn it up and take a long breather as opposed to slowing down. It's not a courier's problem if there isn't enough work for him. Management can give him more stops to occupy the time, have him come off the road early and assign his stops to another courier, or have him go into an offroad code and read the SRG companion (crazy, but true).

 

[MAKAVELI]

Slowing down isn't necessary. You have no obligation to take a break if you have to wait on ready times. I'd rather burn it up and take a long breather as opposed to slowing down. It's not a courier's problem if there isn't enough work for him. Management can give him more stops to occupy the time, have him come off the road early and assign his stops to another courier, or have him go into an offroad code and read the SRG companion (crazy, but true).

Or he can just simply slow down, take an extra min here and there between stops and not worry about them putting more work on him or having him come in early. Its really not that complicated.

 

[59 Dano]

Thank you. I didn't realize that was in writing anywhere, I just know I've always refused to do it. Lol.

Haven't yet run into an ops manager or senior who has required it but I know that some drop some pretty obvious hints that they'd like couriers to do it.

 

[59 Dano]

Or he can just simply slow down, take an extra min here and there between stops and not worry about them putting more work on him or having him come in early. Its really not that complicated.

The reality is that they will do neither to him if he's making his SPH.