Some Saturday Air Questions

[km3]

Signups for Saturday Air Drivers went up this past week, and I put my name on the list. I don't really expect to get a call, but you never know.

Anyway, I had some questions that I didn't see addressed in any of the other topics regarding Saturday Air.

1) Shift concerns: I wasn't aware at the time that I put my name down that Midnight people can't do Saturday Air (particularly if they work the Midnight shift on Fridays). I spoke with my supervisors and they said I can't be granted special permission to miss or switch my shift on Fridays. The only way, according to them, is to completely change my regular shift altogether.

As far as I am aware (and I may be wrong), changing shifts is ordinarily a matter of seniority. I'm not particularly confident that I have the seniority necessary to change to a different shift, so my question is this: Is there an exception to the normal rules if I get offered a Saturday Air position that makes it possible to change shifts even though I wouldn't be able to otherwise?

2) I'm worried about qualifications and their effect, if any, on attempts to go FT in the future. I've read around here, and heard throughout my hub, that if you fail to qualify you have to wait a year before trying again...for FT. Does this apply to Saturday Air? If yes, does that one year apply only to trying to get a Saturday Air position again, or does it also apply to trying to go FT? I'd hate to fail to qualify as a Saturday Air driver and simultaneously botch my chances of going FT. And how about the other way around? If I fail to qualify for a FT driving gig, does that necessarily disqualify me for Saturday Air as well?

3) Hypothetically, if I was a little stressed out at the time that I got my DOT physical done, and as a result my BP was just barely over the limit, say 141/90 or something similar, what are the implications? Does UPS make you wait, for any length of time, before doing the DOT again? Does the DOT make you wait before taking the physical again?

I would appreciate any input on these matters. Thanks in advance!

 

[Jack4343]

I wasn't aware that midnight shift workers couldn't drive on Saturdays. I used to work midnights, leave at 330am, sleep til 7am then work Sat. air and pickups til around 5pm. Its been about 13 years ago though and maybe things have changed but then again our hub is so desperate for Saturday drivers that I wouldn't be surprised to see sups grab people off the streets on the way in to cover the shift.

 

[PT Car Washer]

I wasn't aware that midnight shift workers couldn't drive on Saturdays. I used to work midnights, leave at 330am, sleep til 7am then work Sat. air and pickups til around 5pm. Its been about 13 years ago though and maybe things have changed but then again our hub is so desperate for Saturday drivers that I wouldn't be surprised to see sups grab people off the streets on the way in to cover the shift.

DOT hours of service rules say you must have 10 hours off between jobs. My building has no problem finding FT package car drivers to come in to cover Saturday Air. We had two come in today out of six routes.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Signups for Saturday Air Drivers went up this past week, and I put my name on the list. I don't really expect to get a call, but you never know.

Anyway, I had some questions that I didn't see addressed in any of the other topics regarding Saturday Air.

1) Shift concerns: I wasn't aware at the time that I put my name down that Midnight people can't do Saturday Air (particularly if they work the Midnight shift on Fridays). I spoke with my supervisors and they said I can't be granted special permission to miss or switch my shift on Fridays. The only way, according to them, is to completely change my regular shift altogether.

As far as I am aware (and I may be wrong), changing shifts is ordinarily a matter of seniority. I'm not particularly confident that I have the seniority necessary to change to a different shift, so my question is this: Is there an exception to the normal rules if I get offered a Saturday Air position that makes it possible to change shifts even though I wouldn't be able to otherwise?

You can work the midnight shift and Drive Sat Air. However your 14 hours work day limit starts when you first punch in so if you start at 12 am you can't work past 2:00 pm Sat so that could be a problem. As a PT in my area you can switch shift by asking your SUP and if there is a opening on the other shift. PT don't bid jobs they are assigned jobs... So if you wantto change shift just tell them your interested in moving to another shift....

2) I'm worried about qualifications and their effect, if any, on attempts to go FT in the future. I've read around here, and heard throughout my hub, that if you fail to qualify you have to wait a year before trying again...for FT. Does this apply to Saturday Air? If yes, does that one year apply only to trying to get a Saturday Air position again, or does it also apply to trying to go FT? I'd hate to fail to qualify as a Saturday Air driver and simultaneously botch my chances of going FT. And how about the other way around? If I fail to qualify for a FT driving gig, does that necessarily disqualify me for Saturday Air as well?

You don't attempt to qualify for a Sat Air position if you win the bid it's yours if you can pass a DOT physical and pass driving school. You can't fail to qualify for a Sat Air Position.

3) Hypothetically, if I was a little stressed out at the time that I got my DOT physical done, and as a result my BP was just barely over the limit, say 141/90 or something similar, what are the implications? Does UPS make you wait, for any length of time, before doing the DOT again? Does the DOT make you wait before taking the physical again?

There is no wait time to take another DOT Physical if you failed. Usually the person giving you the DOT physical will tell you what you need to do before you come back and retake it. You could go back the next day if the DOT examiner said to..

I would appreciate any input on these matters. Thanks in advance!

Good luck

 

[km3]

Good luck

Thanks. I appreciate the answers. What I meant by "qualify" was passing driving school, DOT, etc.. Which brings me to a follow-up question, what if I do fail the driving school aspect? I'm not a bad driver or anything, but I don't have much experience driving larger trucks like a UPS package car either. In fact, my experience is pretty much limited to driving a 14' U-Haul when moving. And only once, at that.

I didn't realize that I could just ask about changing shifts. Unfortunately, that may actually hurt my chances. The midnight shift around here is severely understaffed. On Friday nights, most people stick around until 5:30 or 6 on Saturday mornings--easily. And our shift starts at 10:45.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Thanks. I appreciate the answers. What I meant by "qualify" was passing driving school, DOT, etc.. Which brings me to a follow-up question, what if I do fail the driving school aspect? I'm not a bad driver or anything, but I don't have much experience driving larger trucks like a UPS package car either. In fact, my experience is pretty much limited to driving a 14' U-Haul when moving. And only once, at that.

I didn't realize that I could just ask about changing shifts. Unfortunately, that may actually hurt my chances. The midnight shift around here is severely understaffed. On Friday nights, most people stick around until 5:30 or 6 on Saturday mornings--easily. And our shift starts at 10:45.

If your shift starts at 10:45 your not going to be able to do Sat Air. It doesn't hurt to ask to move shift especially if you say it's because you want to drive Sat Air. The worst they can say is not right now.

If you made it to driving school you passed a road test your not going fail driving school because you can't drive.

Just a FYI stop thinking about all the reason why you might fail. Stay positive like you know it's not going to be a big deal because it isn't. In my area in when I went to driving school Sat air drivers only went to school for 2 days while Ft driver went for 4 days.

Good luck

Think positive you can do it...

 

[Anthonysg0113]

I didn't even go to school for Saturday air. Depends on where you're located I guess.

 

[Box Ox]

Whatever you do, don't switch to 5 days a week of preload just so you can get the necessary 10 hours off going into Saturday. Preload sucks and wouldn't be worth it just to get some Saturday air action in. Especially if you'd be signing up for on-call air exception work (as needed) rather than a sure thing every Saturday bid.

 

[UPSGUY72]

I didn't even go to school for Saturday air. Depends on where you're located I guess.

That is the case in many areas.

 

[km3]

Whatever you do, don't switch to 5 days a week of preload just so you can get the necessary 10 hours off going into Saturday. Preload sucks and wouldn't be worth it just to get some Saturday air action in. Especially if you'd be signing up for on-call air exception work (as needed) rather than a sure thing every Saturday bid.

What makes the preload so bad, anyway? I load right now, and in an area described by the supervisor of another area as being the "heaviest in the building." Everybody seems to want out, and I'm no exception.

I was leaning in that direction, though. Twilight would force me to readjust my personal schedule, but the Sunrise could work out but it would most likely mean preloading.

 

[MendozaJ]

If you fail the road test in my hub, you're disqualified for six months. They test you in manual package cars even though Sat Air is done with automatics. It's the same test for FT. Passing once qualifies you for both.

 

[UPSGUY72]

What makes the preload so bad, anyway? I load right now, and in an area described by the supervisor of another area as being the "heaviest in the building." Everybody seems to want out, and I'm no exception.

I was leaning in that direction, though. Twilight would force me to readjust my personal schedule, but the Sunrise could work out but it would most likely mean preloading.

The preload isn't that bad IMO. Like any job it all what you make of it. I worked the Preload before driving. Unloading trailers, splitting belts, and loading cars. The jobs aren't hard they just continuous work like most jobs at UPS your aren't sitting around waiting you are doing...

 

[Oak]

1) Shift concerns: I wasn't aware at the time that I put my name down that Midnight people can't do Saturday Air (particularly if they work the Midnight shift on Fridays). I spoke with my supervisors and they said I can't be granted special permission to miss or switch my shift on Fridays. The only way, according to them, is to completely change my regular shift altogether.

While your supervisor may have one idea, his boss may have another.

 

[Anthonysg0113]

Sat air was the easiest money I ever made at UPS. Especially when I got top rate.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Sat air was the easiest money I ever made at UPS. Especially when I got top rate.

I always tell people that but we still do not have enough PT Air drivers. Out of six drivers yesterday two were FT package car drivers and we should have had a seventh driver.

 

[Anthonysg0113]

I always tell people that but we still do not have enough PT Air drivers. Out of six drivers yesterday two were FT package car drivers and we should have had a seventh driver.

Yeah, I was asked if I wanted to drive yesterday also.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Yeah, I was asked if I wanted to drive yesterday also.

They stopped asking me when I insisted upon delivering Monday air at the same time.

 

[Anthonysg0113]

They stopped asking me when I insisted upon delivering Monday air at the same time.

Nice!! You would just be helping them out.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Nice!! You would just be helping them out.

I do it just to piss them off although there was one time that they actually told me to do it. There was a stop along the border that had a couple of Saturday NDA's and a ton of Monday. I got rid of them all.

I remember one time having 2 and 18 for Best Buy. Delivered all 20.

 

[cosmo1]

I do it just to piss them off although there was one time that they actually told me to do it. There was a stop along the border that had a couple of Saturday NDA's and a ton of Monday. I got rid of them all.

I remember one time having 2 and 18 for Best Buy. Delivered all 20.