Discuss: UPS delivers by bike this holiday season

[cheryl]

UPS delivers by bike this holiday season - Blogging Stocks
UPS can only deliver 25-50 packages per day by bicycle, compared to up to 150 by truck, but Portland area spokesman Jeff Grant says UPS will save $38,000 in vehicle operation and upkeep costs for every three delivery bicycles used.

After all, UPS started using bicycles to deliver packages 100 years ago in Seattle, and started a pilot program in Atlanta and Seattle last year. Bicycle delivery is ideal for the holiday season as it allows the company to expand its service without having to expand its fleet of expensive delivery vehicles; bikes are about $600 each, and judging by the reaction to popular biking blogs, the company will have no trouble filling the available jobs with bikers eager to prove their mettle. It's not only sensible economics, but fantastic PR for a company that struggles with a rather stodgy image. Expanding the bike delivery program for all the company's busy seasons would be a fiscally responsible plan that could also pay big dividends in customer goodwill.

[UpstateNYUPSer]

150 per truck? I have done 150 just at WalMart.

[UpsSuP1]

150? LOL!!!! Id love to see a pkg. car with just 150 during peak.. haha that was a good one.

[gandydancer]

Quote from article's comment list has a bit more info:

12-02-2008 @ 10:08PM
BrownMac said...</STRONG>


package car supervisor here at UPS ... 19 yrs at the company drove for over 9...I know what its like to work hard for this company...I just set up 3 of these bikes in my garage that 3 delivery "riders" will be delivering... Along with every other new idea that UPS starts all the factors have been considered(inclement weather, theft, safety etc.) The riders here will be delivering in high volume residential neighborhoods, not business' downtown or "hilly" areas... UPS is a great company to work for and they know what they're doing otherwise they wouldn't have been in business for over 100 yrs...all the angry ex employees posting here must not of been able to handle hard work for good pay...

[gandydancer]

And another:

12-03-2008 @ 2:02AM
Crash said...</STRONG>


As a 23 yr employee at UPS, we stared using bikes for peak season over 15 yrs ago, and we used a 80.00 bike and home made trailer, we now use golf carts in high residentual areas with custom trailers. A average driver delivers 150 stops and over 300 pieces, the golf carts are delivering 50 to 150 pieces a day. I am located in the florida panahandle and the weather is a little better I would'nt like to freezing my but off in the the northwest. The facts in the story are off a little bit, and this is not really new news.

[New Englander]

What they are not saying is that these will not be "drivers" UPS uses them on the "helper" pay scale.