Supervisor asked me to DQ myself from driving

km3

Well-Known Member
You're supposed to know how to drive stick before trying to become a driver, but whatever. If you ask me, moving from a dead stop is the hardest part about learning how to drive manual. Even if you're just doing Saturday Air, one day in a package car should be all you need to get it down. Don't DQ yourself. Don't yell at your supervisors either; just tell them that you're not going to give up.

If you don't make it this time, consider saving up a bit of cash and buying the cheapest beater with a stick that you can find off craigslist. Drive it until you're a pro...or it blows up. Doesn't really matter. Just work on getting that experience before you have to go through this again.
 

Orion inc.

I like turtles
Damn, I think you actually nailed it with this.
It explains her "knowledge " of driving and her exposure to ups terms and culture.

Two or three seasons as a gypsy driver pulling Xmas loads and I'm sure you hang out in the yard talking to a few ups feeder drivers.

But a 25 year feeder driver with 2.5 million miles and over a million miles with "other" trucking firms???

Nope. Her math disproves her statements. What did she start driving at 12 to be able to "retire early " as she claimed?
 

underworked1

Well-Known Member
This is more than a union thing..some people truly do not belong behind the wheel.
Yes I know sometimes a Sup has a dislike for certain people bit sometimes I have to agree when they don't let certain people qualify.
What about when it's a woman who is hired seasonal and she gets into an accident during peak. And then they hire her on full time. That's my favorite, is it yours?
 

NXA

Well-Known Member
I can get it going fine according to the other sup and one of our FT drivers who had driven with me after the class before peak the FT said I was letting the clutch out to fast which was what made it "jump" which is what i'm assuming the issue the main sup has because once i get going i'm fine. Some of the other drivers I talked to said its easier to start in second vs first. And unfortunately I don't know anyone who still has a manual car/truck and the fact that they had previously told me to practice driving the truck in the yard on saturday (off the clock) after the drivers had left to get the starting right. Its even more irritating to me that we have a bunch of auto trucks that sit inside on saturday unused. I would rather not DQ myself but not sure If i can just tell him that if he wants me off Sat air list to DQ me himself or not without getting written up.
Then go in on Saturday and practice your ass off in the yard, off the clock. Every fourth parking line is a stop sign. Full stop, lrl, lrl again, take off, use the horn, gear up thru third, then stop at the next line. Plan several hours of it. Doesn't cost you a dime. Or call down to Budget pr Avis and ask to rent a stickshift, oldest biggest vehicle they can find. Don't tear your friend's clutch up, that's rude.

Do you want this or not? You should NOT self-dq, but neither should you be driving 5 tons around in traffic and you can't operate the controls.
 

NXA

Well-Known Member
Downshifting puts so much wear and tear on the synchros. Only people who should downshift pcs or true trucks are people who understand how to rev match. In older diesel rigs, if you miss a downshift going down hill you could burn up the brakes and end up in a run off area if you are lucky enough for one to be there.

It amazes me the stupidity of most management when it comes to actual driving of a truck.
We don't have many standards left in the center. So I use them for practice when I cover those routes. Up and down, keep my left foot on the floor as much as possible. It adds interest to the day.
 

jbg77

Well-Known Member
I drove a stick for my everyday driver for 12 years and that still doesn't prepare you for a PC. They all shift like shiot!!!
 

rod

Retired 22 years
I drove a stick for my everyday driver for 12 years and that still doesn't prepare you for a PC. They all shift like shiot!!!


It was always fun trying to rock a P800 back and forth when you got stuck. Plug your ears
 

FilingBluesFL

Well-Known Member
Some new dude got moved to PC before the holidays...

Supe got in the car with the guy, in a 1300, stick...

dude just sat there and didn't know what to do.

Guess they don't teach that in Integrad these days...
 

opie

Well-Known Member
You already passed the class, and if you already reached book. Then there's nothing really they can do. On Saturday's our building only uses automatics, all air drivers drive an automatic. Maybe depends on your building on whether there is enough automatics to go around. If you just want to do PT air/Saturdays, then you probably would never see a manual truck. But if you want to be FT driver, then you'll likely have to drive a stick shift at some point, so you got to practice and get comfortable. I would say hills is the hardest part, might not be any hills in your building. So you might have to find a hill, and practice going from a stop without stalling or rolling back.
 
Top