Supes doing observations in Rental Cars

[Catatonic]

UPS pays about 50 cents a mile to sups on their expense account. If a sup is going to put on 150 miles on an observation, it may be cheaper to rent a car with unlimited miles than to pay the expense account miles.

Often the finance department will provide a simple program where the management team can enter the estimated miles and rental cost and it will tell them if it's cheaper to rent a car or drive their own.

It becomes even a better deal if that rental is used by two sups (am, pm) in the same day.

Bingo ... finally, somebody on this thread that can think. We always rent a van when we visit a Call Center and it saves UPS about $100 for the 2 day trip and $150 for a 1 day trip.

 

[Bubblehead]

No, they'll be running your route.

Then I'll be grieving it at double time.

 

[Catatonic]

Then I'll be grieving it at double time.

You must not have heard ... in the next contract, supervisors who were drivers will be allowed to go back into the driver ranks and dovetail in with their previous driver start date.

 

[Bubblehead]

You must not have heard ... in the next contract, supervisors who were drivers will be allowed to go back into the driver ranks and dovetail in with their previous driver start date.

...and UPS will rent me a car to observe them.

 

[upsgrunt]

You must not have heard ... in the next contract, supervisors who were drivers will be allowed to go back into the driver ranks and dovetail in with their previous driver start date.

Supervisors that were drivers? How many could that be--8?

 

[Catatonic]

...and UPS will rent me a car to observe them.

More than likely, you will be dispatched to help them finish up since the only reason they went into management is because they couldn't do the job in the first place.

 

[beentheredonethat]

This was mentioned in another thread and I witnessed it the other day. A Supe came to pick up a misload (great use of mgmnt) and he was driving a car with out of state plates. I said what's up with the ILL. plates and he said it's so drivers don't recognize us. As a shareholder I'm outraged. What is with this mgmnt obsession with being sneaky? What is the long term objective of this policy? When they observe you and they ask if you saw them (yes them, it sometimes takes 2 to accomplish this important function) they get all pumped up over their stealth. Give me a break. I love it when they don't find anything and they have to dig deep to come up with something. Rental Cars? Come on.

I recall other threads you mentioned about supervisors doing on area observations. There were many drivers you said they call the police saying an unknown person is following them. They thought this was really funny. Yet no drivers called them out saying how this was wrong to do. Similarly, you say we can't use technology (since it's in the contract) to reprimand our drivers. So how is an on road supervisor supposed to monitor the work a driver does? If he follows in his own car, many of you on this board say you call the police. That's a waste of taxpayer and company money. If we use technology you claim no fair. Renting a car is usually $40 plus fuel. As someone else mentioned, if the supv drives much more then 100 miles or so it's actually cheaper to rent then pay mileage charges.

 

[brownmonster]

Bingo ... finally, somebody on this thread that can think. We always rent a van when we visit a Call Center and it saves UPS about $100 for the 2 day trip and $150 for a 1 day trip.

I don't know where you rent your vehicles but when I rent a car I have to return it with a full fuel tank. Unlimited miles is one thing, but if you still have to buy the gas? Using rentals to observe drivers is only so they don't recognize you. It has nothing to do with saving money.

 

[brownmonster]

Here's an idea to save some money. UPS could contract out to some clown in each community to do an observation on his local driver. Pay the guy $25 once every 2 weeks to follow the driver for an hour or just watch him out his front window. He could mail the result of this important audit in after each observation. This could serve 1 of 2 functions. Eliminate about $100K in pay and benefits per center or open up a Supe to concentrate on something meaningful.

 

[Catatonic]

I don't know where you rent your vehicles ...

No reason you should but it is Avis.

 

[soberups]

So how is an on road supervisor supposed to monitor the work a driver does? If he follows in his own car, many of you on this board say you call the police. That's a waste of taxpayer and company money. If we use technology you claim no fair. .

You are allowed to use the technology to make rational decisions on which drivers might need a followup on-area observations. You just arent allowed to use the raw data itself for disciplinary purposes.

The problem we drivers have with the observations is that in many cases they are repetitive, they are pointless, and they are selectively used.

There seems to be a convenient lack of such observations on the drivers who skip their lunch, drive unsafely and cut all sorts of corners in order to burn thru 10 hours of work in 8 or less.

It is obvious to anyone with a brain that the supes are doing these rides in order to meet a quota. And to make it easier on themselves, they tend to target the drivers in tight urban areas that will be easier to find and spy on. There are legitimate circumstances where observation are certainly warranted, but for the most part that isnt whats going on anymore.

 

[Six Sides]

If the miles a supervisor drives in a given day are more then 50 it is cheaper to rent a car; rather then be reimbursed on an expense account per mile.

 

[tourists24]

Bingo ... finally, somebody on this thread that can think. We always rent a van when we visit a Call Center and it saves UPS about $100 for the 2 day trip and $150 for a 1 day trip.

Is that really the sense you got out of that? The fact that they are putting so many miles to spy on drivers to begin with is no concern at all? I can only speak for my center, but with 4 driver supervisors on the road at least 4 days out of the week, this seems to make sense to you? This is the most effective way to use an on car. I know they are on car sups, but I didnt imagine this kind of "on car"

 

[Catatonic]

Is that really the sense you got out of that?

No, not really but I do like being a smarty pants.

But given the fact that on-area observations are elements of an on-car sups responsibilities and that if the mileage per day on a rental car is over 100 (definitely high but to be safe) it cost justifies to use a rental car.

And I do find it "amusing" when people stress out over things they have no control over. I look for it in myself and try not to and I look for it in others around me and coach them to not let it get to them. It just seems to be in some people's nature.

But by all means, if it helps you and others to vent, please go ahead. I've always felt that was an important function of Brown Cafe.

 

[tourists24]

No, not really but I do like being a smarty pants.

But given the fact that on-area observations are elements of an on-car sups responsibilities and that if the mileage per day on a rental car is over 100 (definitely high but to be safe) it cost justifies to use a rental car.

And I do find it "amusing" when people stress out over things they have no control over. I look for it in myself and try not to and I look for it in others around me and coach them to not let it get to them. It just seems to be in some people's nature.

But by all means, if it helps you and others to vent, please go ahead. I've always felt that was an important function of Brown Cafe.

You are definitely right about your post. I was once told by an old mentor years ago 2 things to remember in the bigger picture. 1; dont sweat the small stuff. 2; most of it is small stuff.

I use this forum mainly for two reasons. One is to vent and see if others in other parts of the country (and other countries) experience the same types of issues. The second is using the forum to gain information about what goes on in the company. This place is a wealth of information.

Btw, I cant believe you would be a smarty pants. Never seen that one coming

 

[satellitedriver]

Here's an idea to save some money. UPS could contract out to some clown in each community to do an observation on his local driver. Pay the guy $25 once every 2 weeks to follow the driver for an hour or just watch him out his front window. He could mail the result of this important audit in after each observation. This could serve 1 of 2 functions. Eliminate about $100K in pay and benefits per center or open up a Supe to concentrate on something meaningful.

.
BM,
What a brilliant concept!!!
I am going to steal your idea and fund my retirement.
My LLC will be called "Stealth Brown".
I will only hire retirees or drivers that have gone out on permanent disability.
We will have a collective knowledge of the routes and know the "tricks of the trade".
My LLC will cut the sups road time/rental down by 100%, and keep them in the office doing the remf stuff they do so well.
We will only bill extra on the drivers they wish to "catch".
It will take me a few days to set up the LLC.
Corporate monitors of this site will just have to wait, until I give my business proposal to Atlanta.
All applicants will also have to wait for employment, but applications for employment will be accepted and reviewed.
The name of the corp is not set in stone.
Names are open for suggestion;
Ole Brown Eye- (motto: the unseeing eye) ect.......

OK, the joking was fun, but in some weird way the longer I played with the idea I can almost see a business.

 

[tourists24]

Here's an idea to save some money. UPS could contract out to some clown in each community to do an observation on his local driver. Pay the guy $25 once every 2 weeks to follow the driver for an hour or just watch him out his front window. He could mail the result of this important audit in after each observation. This could serve 1 of 2 functions. Eliminate about $100K in pay and benefits per center or open up a Supe to concentrate on something meaningful.

Problem with that around here is we have 4 on cars that do it 4 days a week here. The cover every driver at some point however the math works out. Been doing it here all year now. You would have to have several clowns driving around full time to do what these guys are doing.....

 

[brownmonster]

Problem with that around here is we have 4 on cars that do it 4 days a week here. The cover every driver at some point however the math works out. Been doing it here all year now. You would have to have several clowns driving around full time to do what these guys are doing.....

Sums it up.

 

[brownmonster]

.
BM,
What a brilliant concept!!!
I am going to steal your idea and fund my retirement.
My LLC will be called "Stealth Brown".
I will only hire retirees or drivers that have gone out on permanent disability.
We will have a collective knowledge of the routes and know the "tricks of the trade".
My LLC will cut the sups road time/rental down by 100%, and keep them in the office doing the remf stuff they do so well.
We will only bill extra on the drivers they wish to "catch".
It will take me a few days to set up the LLC.
Corporate monitors of this site will just have to wait, until I give my business proposal to Atlanta.
All applicants will also have to wait for employment, but applications for employment will be accepted and reviewed.
The name of the corp is not set in stone.
Names are open for suggestion;
Ole Brown Eye- (motto: the unseeing eye) ect.......

OK, the joking was fun, but in some weird way the longer I played with the idea I can almost see a business.

I was only half joking when I made that post. I don't think you would get an accurate observation using a retired UPS driver. Plus, they would probably file a grievance on you for expecting too many OPORH.

 

[brownmonster]

It is obvious to anyone with a brain that the supes are doing these rides in order to meet a quota.


I was told by my on car he has to do 3 a week. I would have thought it would be more.