X-Mas helper stories...

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NHDRVR

Well-Known Member
At the center the other day we were mentioning how UPS is surprised that peak comes every December and, in a strange way, the company is always shocked by this fact, Translation: NOT PREPARED

It reminded me of the worst helper I ever had, 3 years ago, and I know a lot of you have better stories than this one. I would love to hear them...

I get the message to meet 'M' at our previously agreed upon location at the beginning of peak and was happy to hear that he was a helper the previous year. Meaning, of course, there would be less I would have to explain.

I pick 'M' up on time and 3 stops later, this part is embedded in my memory since I had to give a deposition about it for a court case (no joke), he comes back to the pkg. car (I was sorting) and he said he wiped out on the front steps. He then raises his helper jacket to show me 2 puncture wounds in his side. He also mentions that he hurt his shoulder. 3 freakin' stops in....***
So, I ask what he wants to do, he says he doesn't want to lose the bonus for missing a day (100 bucks) but I call my on-road just to let him know what happened. He asks me what was up. I didn't see anything since I was in the truck but I go to where he fell (no one was home) and I can see where he walked since there was a dusting of snow and so began the next 4 weeks of having to explain why we driver release packages in the safest possible places. The front of this house had degraded railroad ties for front steps, up a slope, with snow. Again, ***...
I further explained the importance of side doors and common entrances and, again, for the next 4 weeks made uncomfortable small talk with someone I had nothing in common with.

I could tell he found my (our) job beneath him since he fancied himself a 'white collar' individual. After I told him about my annual avg. and benefits pkg. he shut-up a bit...

So, he ends up suing the homeowners and looking back I am not surprised. I get called by the court to give a deposition about what I saw/knew/heard but I don't think I helped either 'M' or the homeowner too much. And now comes the funny part...

'M' doesn't want to return to Nashua to turn in his uniform and get his last paycheck so he asks if I will bring it back for him. I said ok but explained to him that the center might not mail him his last check. Any ways, As I am filling out his paper time card I turn around to see 'M' in a wife beater and bright blue boxer's handing me a d-r bag with his uniform and trying to shake my hand at the same time. It had to be about 40 degrees out and he drove home half-naked.

Sorry if this was a bit long...
 
Last year, I had a helper who was a pitcher in one of the A's minor league teams. He didn't need the money, but his trainer said that working for UPS for a month or so would do wonders to keep him in shape. I learned more about baseball than I ever knew from him, and he told me one very comical fact about travelling with his team. He told me that when travelling on the team bus, they are allowed to "number 1" all they want in the small bathroom. But they are supposed to use bus stops for or truck stops for "number 2." Anyone who does the old "number 2" on the bus, is fined $100.
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
More than a few people take the job so they can get an opportunity to sue someone or end up on workers comp.
 

wornoutupser

Well-Known Member
I really missed a helper one year that only worked a few days. Good helper-did the job smart.
I asked my boss later why the helper disappeared and I was told that the background checks were late that year and that a murder 2 warrant was out on her!
 

MC4YOU2

Wherever I see Trump, it smells like he's Putin.
I had one good one a few years back that got dog bit at a front door when handing the customer the pkg. I heard a commotion and leaned out to see him hobbling back to the truck where I explained we have to call it in and he says "No I'll be okay, just drive on, I yelled the friend word and I don't want to get in trouble"

I said anybody would probably do the same if they got bit, but he insisted on working through it. Told my center manager that night just to be safe. That helper never missed a day!
Incredible.

A buddy of mine had his helper fall asleep in the jumpseat at a stop sign! Lots of contrast year to year.
 

QKRSTKR

Well-Known Member
You know you have a bad one when you can't wait to drop them off so you can get some work done. I hate having a helper. 11 months out of the year we are on our own, then the most stressful time of year they give us somebody with no training on our 1st bad day of peak.
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
Had a helper last year for one day. They told me I could have him for one hour. The 7 minutes that saved me really made my peak.
 

pudg00

pudg00
A couple of days after Christmas I still had my helper. He was to work as long as I needed him. First air stop, I am getting a sig. and he jumps out runs around the truck and starts taking a leak. I drove him to the bus stop and said you don't work here anymore.
 

City Driver

Well-Known Member
A couple of days after Christmas I still had my helper. He was to work as long as I needed him. First air stop, I am getting a sig. and he jumps out runs around the truck and starts taking a leak. I drove him to the bus stop and said you don't work here anymore.

things worked out for me in the end though, but ill never forget that day
 

Raw

Raw Member
One year I had a helper that ran across a lawn to deliver a pkg. Well the poor kid ran between 2 trees ( it was dark ) and caught a wire right in the mouth, cutting the sides of his mouth to a Joker ( Batman ) type smile! I really felt sorry for him as it looked worse the next day! :knockedout:
 

GeorgiaBrown

Well-Known Member
One peak many years ago when I was a swing driver (running a garbage route of about 8 or 10 splits, covering three zip codes) we (my helper and myself) delivered one of the few business stops we had on the car.... it was a multiple package stop..... I had been to the location before and knew that the secretary was "hot" and blessed with a large chest....we go inside.... we place the packages and I get the signature..... just as we exit the door my helper exclaims "Man, did you see the &^% on her"....really loud....... I might add....I know she heard him and I was dreading a contact from the Center but it never came.....Priceless!
 
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rossco

Active Member
i do enjoy working alone, as the helper always slows me down, so last christmas i tried telling my sup i didnt want a helper. That didnt work. So of course i was given this helper from a rough area of boston, who would miss atleast 1 day a week. I ended up having to teach 4 people how to use diad 3 last christmas. i hate having helpers
 

T-Bone

Member
My least favorite helpers are the guys that have this constant need to eat all the time, all day long. I can see it's going to be bad when I pick up the helper and he's got basically a grocery bag full of food and a 44oz. Big Gulp. And I'm driving a POS P8 from the Reagan Era so he has no cup holder.
Last year's helper was like that. He had to jam his Big Gulp and the food he thought he was going to have time to eat by the heater. About three stops later, his bag of Cheetos ripped and went everywhere (after I told him it was a bad idea to eat them since everything he touched would turn orange) and the Big Gulp spilled. He wised up a bit after that, bringing drinks that wouldn't spill, but he still constantly had to eat!
 

No such person

Southern Ct.
My first helper last year asked if we could stop at a mini- mart so he could get a soda, this was about halfway through his first day. I said sure and did some sorting while he went inside.
After about 5 minutes he hadn't come back so I went in to find him. Sure enough, he had walked right through the store and gone out the back door.
 

Box_Junkie

Well-Known Member
This didnt happen to me but a co-worker... About 2 peaks ago he got a helper that was at least 55, overweight and had a heart condition. He said after about the first 10 stops the guy was complaining about his knees and breathing... Why in the hell would UPS think it to be a good idea to send this guy on the road?
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I am known in my center as the driver you don't want to ride with during Peak as I tend to expect my helpers to work just as hard as I do. I had this one helper who I just could not motivate . No matter what I did he just wouldn't pick up the pace so I dropped him off at a convenience store, handed him $10 and told him to call a taxi for a ride back to the center.

The kid I had last year will be coming back this year. His Dad is a 22.3 and the kid actually asked to work with me. Brandon's only problem is his obsession with texting but we took care of that. I am hoping that they will hire him after Peak as he is a good worker.
 

Jim Kemp

Well-Known Member
The driver next to me said the helper he had last year informed him when she got on the car that she was pregnant and she would be lifting pkgs. over 35 lbs. She had shoes with heel that got stuck in the mud when walking in yards. Then to top it off she told him that she didn't want to be dropped off and for him to go make a del. at the end of the street and come back to pick her up.
After that he said he turned around and not saying a word drove her back to her car and told her to get out. Her UPS career lasted about 15 minutes.
 
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