Time Studies

[toonertoo]

So many mis-conceptions about timestudies. It is actually called elemental time study. The observer measures the characteristics of the delivery and pickup stops. How fast or slow the driver works makes no difference. The quality of the load and how long the driver takes to select packages makes no difference. Every action is classified, and a pre-determined allowed time is applied.

There is no such thing as sorting time in package select, there never has been. You are allowed 12.5 seconds per package, (.00352 hours) for package handling. This includes the recording time. This is not a variable the time study even measures. This is calculated daily from the total delivery packages recorded in Diad.

What the time study measures is "what did the driver need to do at each stop?" How long were the walks, was a hand-truck needed, did the driver have to knock and wait for a signature? What type of delivery, Signature, DR, NI1? How many and what types of traffic delays did the driver encounter. They all have a pre-determined time. All of the time for each stop is totaled by unit, no matter which driver was measured. The total time is divided by the number of stops in the unit to get the unit stop allowance.

The stop allowances are a part of the calculation for the drivers planned day. Add to that fixed AM, PM, package handling, COD's, over 70's, fueling, call tags, and other items, and a complex travel calculation and it will produce a planned day.

I have a few questions oldster, but I wont be suprised if you do not have the answer, no one ever does, they just diSappear.
Now In this Complex formula you speak of which only some IE guy knows how it is calculated...

The first is travel time to and from area, when our routes have changed significantly since our time study, how much would that affect our allowances, and the big one, DOES SIZE MATTER? Such as if it was time studied in a p6 and is now a p12????

 

[Griff]

Even if a timestudy does come back fair, it will quickly be changed again. The route I'm doing right now used to max out at 130-135 stops for a 8.5 hour day. (130 stops, 220ish pkgs / 16 pu's 70-100 pkgs, 110-115 miles) It's the most rural route in the building, basically no docks, handtruck all day long, long windy driveways.

I was running bonus on this everyday for a month, magically the bonus started gradually heading towards scratch and now i'm sitting at 30-50 clicks over allowed everyday. It's not worth it, just stay out there all night long, if you build your workethic around their numbers you will lose (the longevity game and the $ game).

 

[705red]

How come on time study days the truck is loaded perfect? Bulk under shelves stop for stop, nothing in the middle. I am interested in a fair days work for a fair days pay, i havent bonused in 5 years its almost impossible now.

 

[toonertoo]

I hear ya 705 RED, although I havent had a perfect load since some guy who never loaded it, loaded it. So I know my charts are right. Having spent 8 yrs on pre load, I know its a tough job, but my load absolutely sucks. I have a 1000 and the shelves are empty, he chucks all the crap in the middle, and I have to fight it all day. I havent run scratch since the numbers changed. Im sick of it. I want a time study on a day like today and yesterday, but even when I get a ride, it never is like an ordinary day. I think we should be able to say "OK I want a ride today. Welcome to my world this is what I deal with, Now you were going to show me how to run scratch, right.........""""" Yeah I thought so.

 

[705red]

I hear ya 705 RED, although I havent had a perfect load since some guy who never loaded it, loaded it. So I know my charts are right. Having spent 8 yrs on pre load, I know its a tough job, but my load absolutely sucks. I have a 1000 and the shelves are empty, he chucks all the crap in the middle, and I have to fight it all day. I havent run scratch since the numbers changed. Im sick of it. I want a time study on a day like today and yesterday, but even when I get a ride, it never is like an ordinary day. I think we should be able to say "OK I want a ride today. Welcome to my world this is what I deal with, Now you were going to show me how to run scratch, right.........""""" Yeah I thought so.

Since the california lawsuit over lunches they now pay us if we dont take our 1 hour lunch and 10 minute break. Most days i will just work through them now so i can see the family, thats my bonus now.

 

[satellitedriver]

So many mis-conceptions about timestudies. It is actually called elemental time study. The observer measures the characteristics of the delivery and pickup stops. How fast or slow the driver works makes no difference. The quality of the load and how long the driver takes to select packages makes no difference. Every action is classified, and a pre-determined allowed time is applied.

There is no such thing as sorting time in package select, there never has been. You are allowed 12.5 seconds per package, (.00352 hours) for package handling. This includes the recording time. This is not a variable the time study even measures. This is calculated daily from the total delivery packages recorded in Diad.

What the time study measures is "what did the driver need to do at each stop?" How long were the walks, was a hand-truck needed, did the driver have to knock and wait for a signature? What type of delivery, Signature, DR, NI1? How many and what types of traffic delays did the driver encounter. They all have a pre-determined time. All of the time for each stop is totaled by unit, no matter which driver was measured. The total time is divided by the number of stops in the unit to get the unit stop allowance.

The stop allowances are a part of the calculation for the drivers planned day. Add to that fixed AM, PM, package handling, COD's, over 70's, fueling, call tags, and other items, and a complex travel calculation and it will produce a planned day.

In our center each driver lost about an hour after the new time study for PAS/EDD. I personally lost 2hrs. I load my truck out of a drop trailer and return and reload and send my DIAD back with the trailer and punchout over the phone when I am finished. There is no time allowance anymore for loading/unloading my truck. What use to be a 10 hour day isn't even an eight now. For 20+ years I was a daily bonus driver, now I am an hour over allowed everyday.
I had my first OJS ride in 10 years last month. The Sup told me it was the best ride he had ever been on. He said he could only find 2 things I did wrong all day. Over revving the engine(going up hill into the wind) and 1 unnecessary back.
I ran over allowed that day by 1 and 1/2 hours. This, plus the fact that I can run 20% more SPORH daily over any driver that has ever run this route, tells me, the new time study numbers are BOGUS.

 

[Ms Spoken]

Here are some national UPS numbers on time allowances. These figures are all per piece.
Over 70's: 0.75
COD'S: 1.38
Call Tags: 0.96
High Value: 0.39
Imternational: 0.79
OCA (On Call Air) 3.10

Inside AM Time: 8.71
Inside PM Time: 4.17

 

[rod]

That's what I'm looking for roght now is the list of the methods. Any one know where to find them????????

There isn't enough room on the internet to post ALL the methods.

 

[diesel96]

In our center each driver lost about an hour after the new time study for PAS/EDD. I personally lost 2hrs. I load my truck out of a drop trailer and return and reload and send my DIAD back with the trailer and punchout over the phone when I am finished. There is no time allowance anymore for loading/unloading my truck. What use to be a 10 hour day isn't even an eight now. For 20+ years I was a daily bonus driver, now I am an hour over allowed everyday.
I had my first OJS ride in 10 years last month. The Sup told me it was the best ride he had ever been on. He said he could only find 2 things I did wrong all day. Over revving the engine(going up hill into the wind) and 1 unnecessary back.
I ran over allowed that day by 1 and 1/2 hours. This, plus the fact that I can run 20% more SPORH daily over any driver that has ever run this route, tells me, the new time study numbers are BOGUS.

Why sweat it?You've been around long enough to know Over-allow pays more than bonus.I would look at it as a pay raise.
Bonus pay--straight time
Over allowed pay----time and a-half
You have a history of running bonus prior to time study,let Mngt gripe,if they harrass you over production,file grievances on your behalf.I'd run an Hr and 1/2-2hrs. over everyday(just like you ran with a supervisor)
The only negative is not getting home earlier.It's up to you.

 

[Jones]

Why sweat it?You've been around long enough to know Over-allow pays more than bonus.I would look at it as a pay raise.
Bonus pay--straight time
Over allowed pay----time and a-half
You have a history of running bonus prior to time study,let Mngt gripe,if they harrass you over production,file grievances on your behalf.I'd run an Hr and 1/2-2hrs. over everyday(just like you ran with a supervisor)
The only negative is not getting home earlier.It's up to you.

Just so ya know, in some centers (like mine) bonus pays time-and-a-half. I have no idea why that discrepancy exists.

 

[Griff]

Just so ya know, in some centers (like mine) bonus pays time-and-a-half. I have no idea why that discrepancy exists.

Still doesn't pay to run bonus because UPS controls the numbers. If you're a known bonus runner and a break skipper, they'll adjust your time study behind the scenes to make you do more work for less money.

There's a guy in my center who does 220 stops everyday and its just barely 8.5 on paper. Nothing fishy about that at all!

 

[samiam]

Since the california lawsuit over lunches they now pay us if we dont take our 1 hour lunch and 10 minute break. Most days i will just work through them now so i can see the family, thats my bonus now.

Yes but here in So Cali I do believe they write you up for not taking your lunch......WE must clock out for a 30 min. lunch everyday, and it has to be within a certian time depending on your start time.

 

[browniehound]

I happen to think time studies are a big waste of the company's resources. They simply are not fair. (IE people, please correct me if I'm wrong) If you have a driveway that is 1/8 of mile long that you must walk off (never mind the "stay out of driveways rule") you are only given a certain allowance such as a "long walk" which amounts to about 30 yards for the delivery.

Second, you are given 12.5 seconds to select a package? I'm sorry but you can only do that if that truck is set up stop-for-stop and we all know this is never the case!

Thirdly, I forget who the knowlegable person who was that posted this, said "time studies, study the elements of the route and have no allowances for 'mistakes'" (I may have paraphrased that). So my question is, the allowance assumes us HUMANS are not going to make mistakes?

We are getting screwed because the preload makes mistakes, drivers make mistakes, and dispatch sups make mistakes, yet there is no allowance for this "element"!?????

Obviously we are going to be over-allowed. How can we not be?

I have a suggestion. Get rid of the time studies. Instead, give each driver a 3-day ride with his or her sup. Whatever the average SPORH was for the 3 days should be the standard. Do this every few years and I think the company can get an accurate bead on the amount of work said driver can do.

Sorry for the rant!

 

[SmithBarney]

...Instead, give each driver a 3-day ride with his or her sup. Whatever the average SPORH was for the 3 days should be the standard. Do this every few years and I think the company can get an accurate bead on the amount of work said driver can do...

They do that already... the problem is that the load is massaged
and splits are even removed.. I was a loader when this happened to one
of my drivers, the sup loaded that car from 4am in the morning until
drivers showed up, the inside of the car looked like a training video
and we all know how realistic those are.

 

[Steelheader]

Just don't sweat it and forget about it. LOL. We had our timestudies. Was a joke. Funny how I kept hearing "You're next for a time study". Funny that they kept putting it off (my route was consistantly normal and heavy as usual). Guess what my truck looked like the day they said "You'll be getting your timestudy today"???? Yup. No bulk, shelves loaded perfect, and my handtruck literally was left in the car all day (I use my handtruck about 80% of my deliveries, and about half my pickups). My pickups were usual, thankfully. But was odd to have a "paperroute" day. Was totally unfair, and was told "You'll get the allowance on heavy days, since this is calculated for a light day". Hmmmm, so they will automatically know my bulkstops are handtruck stops (I have about 7 a day that require multiple handtruck loads to get bulk in).

I actually got 30 minutes back. It's a joke. Mostly since I did the last time study on this route (as a coverdriver mind you, now I'm the bid driver), and the same load I am doing used to be a 10.5 day. Now it's barely an 8 hour day. Funny how it works. I just work safely, do my job, and keep my customers happy.

 

[oldster]

Here are some national UPS numbers on time allowances. These figures are all per piece.
Over 70's: 0.75
COD'S: 1.38
Call Tags: 0.96
High Value: 0.39
Imternational: 0.79
OCA (On Call Air) 3.10

Inside AM Time: 8.71
Inside PM Time: 4.17

The AM & PM time are developed locally. for AM time, PCM, get EDD, pretrip and such are fixed times, but then you add average walk distances and on-property travel. Bigger buildings usually have a higher time.

 

[wyobill]

Time studies are the biggest lie UPS has to offer! Making us take the phantom lunch hour is also a sneaky way of doing buisness. Do we really have time to take a full hour out of our day.
We sometimes have to rap up the sort on our A.M time then drive 3 miles to the airport and do a sort up there on our on road time. We get a 45 minute late start everyday and we have to eat that time on road. nothing like being honest!
I agree with Browniehound on the time study. Im sure UPS will go for that one.

 

[oldster]

Tooertoo =

Does size matter? Well yes and no, and I don't know.

If you drive a P3 because of long, tight driveways, and had a timestudy. Then you are switched to a P7 and now have to walk a lot further, it does matter. You would need a new study.

If you are in a P12, there is more distance to walk inside the cargo area. But P12's are usually on bulk routes. If 20-30% of your packages are rear door dock stops, generally the driver is selecting these 2-3 times faster than the 12.5 seconds allowed. So it may average out.

If you drive a P12 and every package is selected through the bulkhead, my opinion would be that 12.5 seconds is not enough time.


On Travel - Your to/from time and miles are developed from the geographic units.

Unit miles time total miles driven 70

101 5 .25
102 10 .38
103 20 .50

To/From travel time is calculated by taking the unit with the highest miles that the driver was in. In this case unit 103.

70 - 20 = 50 miles for on-area time.

On-area time is a variable minutes/per mile determined by the amount of non-travel work. ---Confused yet?

A shopping mall route would have very few miles travelled and lots of delivery/pick-up work. That route might get 10 minutes/mile for each mile driven.

An extended route might have 200 miles on-area, and very little delivery/pick-up work. That route might get 2 minutes/mile.

 

[omega man]

I have a suggestion. Get rid of the time studies. Instead, give each driver a 3-day ride with his or her sup. Whatever the average SPORH was for the 3 days should be the standard. Do this every few years and I think the company can get an accurate bead on the amount of work said driver can do.

I disagree; SPORH does not give a fair indication of production level. SPORH varies too much. Do you want your 3 day average to be done during peak? How about in June when the stop density is low? Your SPOHR will be very different at these two extremes. What we need are allowances that take into account what actually occurs, not what UPS hopes. Our current over\under time study system takes into account some variables in ones day; it just doesn't go far enough. When you model something, which time studies are doing, you increase the models accuracy by increasing the variables that are looked at. UPS' time studies look at too few variables to be very accurate.

 

[toonertoo]

Oldster
And yes Im still confused, but...
I appreciate very much your concise knowledge, and you have finally answered a few of my most perplexing questions.
You get a big YEE HAW for that. I for my own personal selfish reasons wanted to know.
No one on this site, or at work has been able to answer these questions. I was in pt mgmt and we covered a little bit on time study, not much. I also had a sup who was very intelligent who had been on a time study team, and had knowledge, but at that time I wasnt measured a whole lot, so it breezed pretty much over my head.
My route was studied in a p6, 15 yrs or more ago, as thats when I came to the center and one hasnt been done since.
I am now in a 1000. I thought I should get some extra clicks for steps inside, but no one could answer.
Most of my dock deliveries were given away, I know have low budget, convienience, and small home owned businesses. And none of them would be the area numbers I used to have. And I start five miles further south than The route did when studied.
But my main concern is the car size, although more convienient, it is longer and takes more time to take off, sort, walk through and deliver out of. Plus they can stuff a whole bunch more in it. But since many of my area numbers arent even on the car anymore, , how accurate can they be? I used to think the #s were fairly close, then they changed the 5.6 per pkg and changed all the routes, and they are totally off, as are most on here. Now if someone had changed the runs in the bldg, with some area knowledge and any thought of loop concept, they may still be close, but in my bldg, it was and is horrific.
So thank you for your time and input. Its good to know, although everyone says dont care, why our numbers went to H*** overnite.