What is considered a "small"

Pkgrunner · 08-19-2007, 12:05 AM

Is it just me, or are all pkgs in general getting way too big.
I just read that a small is anything smaller than a 2 slice toaster and less than 8 lbs.
A small used to be: anything that could pass through a coat hanger and less than 3 lbs.
Next it will be anything that can fit into a p300 and less than 70 lbs.; especially considering all the furniture we now deliver. Just the other day I had 2 full sized storage sheds that took up at least 70% of the center of a p700 -- good thing I wasn't very bulky that day or they would have had to go for a ride in our satellite tp60 for a few days

retired2000 · 08-19-2007, 01:58 AM

just like any other job at ups they went more and more out of you. the smalls job is where folks close to retirement go for a year or so. yes, it use to be a small was a small but, a few years ago big brother figured out that the small sort was to easy. they want bigger "smalls" to fit inot those slots that were meant for an enevlope.

longlunchguy · 08-19-2007, 04:39 AM

We were always told a small is anything shoe box sized and smaller. Unless it was more than 7 lbs. Of course, I stopped working reload about 14 yrs ago. Has a small grown?

PopCan · 08-19-2007, 04:41 AM

Up here it's around that size (maybe a little smaller), but it's down to five pounds or less (from eight pounds a few months ago). And what's this about a smalls sort? Sounds wonderful, at least for a local sorter.

big_arrow_up · 08-19-2007, 04:54 AM

I was in smalls for about two years in another hub and the definition we were givin was "anything you can hold easily with one hand and that will fit into the smalls bin." The building I'm in now, which answers to the sups in my prior hub, is supposed to small anything 10 lbs or less if it will fit into a small bin. Smalls has become a corporate issue. They are watching it like a hawk. They want smaller centers to hit the 90% mark for smalls. Four years ago our sups were happy if we containerized 25% but sometime around 3 years ago the regionall sups decided to triple that number. When smaller centers are short of people it is very difficult to reach those percentages. There are no other areas that can send people to us to help. There have been some days when we had to let smalls pile up all night and we'd have to sort and bag all of them at the end of the shift. We don't come anywhere near hitting our smalls percentage on nights like that but the regional sups expect us to even if we only have one person show up for work that night. What a joke. LOL!

over9five · 08-19-2007, 05:12 AM

Last definition I heard was "able to be handled with one hand, and 9 lbs max".

moreluck · 08-19-2007, 05:22 AM

Over....you just described my dog !!

over9five · 08-19-2007, 05:29 AM

"Over....you just described my dog !!"

Well make sure you tote it, so it doesn't sufficate in a plastic smalls bag!

(That would be considered "damaged")

DS · 08-19-2007, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

Last definition I heard was "able to be handled with one hand, and 9 lbs max".

Anything that can be handled with one hand thats under9five ....

JustTired · 08-19-2007, 06:49 AM

We get smalls bags in our center that don't belong to us. I'm sure it happens everywhere. So instead of one or two missorts (service failures) if they were loaded individually, you get 10-25 missorts. And that's just one bag. Usually, there are several. Seems once someone mistakes what trailer they're directing it to, they just keep repeating it. Of course they could also be miss-tagged.

I'm just waiting for the RAS to come into existence. (reload assist system?) That will solve all of the problems (he says sarcastically)!!!

big_arrow_up · 08-19-2007, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustTired

We get smalls bags in our center that don't belong to us. I'm sure it happens everywhere. So instead of one or two missorts (service failures) if they were loaded individually, you get 10-25 missorts. And that's just one bag. Usually, there are several. Seems once someone mistakes what trailer they're directing it to, they just keep repeating it. Of course they could also be miss-tagged.

I'm just waiting for the RAS to come into existence. (reload assist system?) That will solve all of the problems (he says sarcastically)!!!

I like how centers are creating bags for packages that were picked up in area and are going to be delivered in area and sending them out with the outbounds. It's just a matter of time before the hub we feed miss-sorts one of those bags. How do we explain to all of the customers for those packages that UPS sent their packages to another state when they never should have left our building in the first place.

30andout · 08-19-2007, 08:07 AM

Anything smaller than a basketball here, no wt. was mentioned.

westsideworma · 08-19-2007, 11:33 AM

from UPSers.com

To help you identify smalls, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Key Messages

§A small is defined as a package with a maximum size of 16 inches by 16 inches by 7 inches, weighing less than eight pounds. That’s about the size of a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and the weight of a gallon of milk.

§Smalls typically can be handled with one hand.

§Smalls can never contain hazardous materials.

§It is everyone's responsibility to containerize smalls, starting with the drivers during pickups.

Conclusion
Remember, smalls are a big deal because they carry items that are important to our customers and are a large portion of our daily package volume. When smalls are handled properly, our efficiency is increased while damages and losses are decreased.

16x16x7??? that doesn't sound too small to me lol

Cole · 08-19-2007, 12:26 PM

It amazes me how silent the union as been on UPS significantly raising the size of pkgs.

feeder · 08-19-2007, 01:17 PM

Definiton: Any package that can pass through a clothes hanger and weighs less than 5 lbs....I hope that resolves this issue......

DS · 08-19-2007, 04:35 PM

[quote=feeder;233050]Definiton: Any package that can pass through a clothes hanger and weighs less than 5 lbs....I hope that resolves this issue.....[/quote]
Yo feeder.......Glad to see the "God of all knowledge of smalls "has come to our rescue.Did it occur to you that it may vary from center to center? state to state? manager to manager?
Sorry,I just hate know it alls

Channahon · 08-19-2007, 05:05 PM

Smalls have been redefined over the years due to automated small sorts in some of our larger buildings.

The more packages that can be containerized, it reduces handling costs. And less chance of damage due to less handlings.

On the flip side a missorted smalls bag can be more costly when giving customers a guaranteed service refund based on service levels and time in transit.

Very important for loaders to double check and scan bags tags at the outbounds to ensure the right bag of smalls goes to the right destination.

dudebro · 08-20-2007, 02:42 PM

The 5 lbs and can fit through a coat hanger was the old school definition. Now it's exactly as westsideworma described: 16x16x7 inches or less, 8lbs or less, no hazmat. There's no variance anymore by building, this is the corp standard. I think the biggest reason is the transition from the old plastic bags on a roll to the new(er) reusable nylon bags.
The reason it's on everyone's hot list is that due to the lane enhancements, we've taken volume out of day sorts and moved them to twilight and night sorts. All over the country now, buildings are claiming they're out of capacity. One (cheap) way to raise capacity in a building is to increase the smalls % so there are fewer handles on the belts. It's cheaper than building new facilities.
I guess you can tell by the post I'm an IE guy. I've lurked on here for awhile and I know how most of you view the department. Go ahead, let fly. I can take it...

govols019 · 08-20-2007, 07:24 PM

We don't hate all of y'all. Just most.

westsideworma · 08-20-2007, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dudebro

The 5 lbs and can fit through a coat hanger was the old school definition. Now it's exactly as westsideworma described: 16x16x7 inches or less, 8lbs or less, no hazmat. There's no variance anymore by building, this is the corp standard. I think the biggest reason is the transition from the old plastic bags on a roll to the new(er) reusable nylon bags.
The reason it's on everyone's hot list is that due to the lane enhancements, we've taken volume out of day sorts and moved them to twilight and night sorts. All over the country now, buildings are claiming they're out of capacity. One (cheap) way to raise capacity in a building is to increase the smalls % so there are fewer handles on the belts. It's cheaper than building new facilities.
I guess you can tell by the post I'm an IE guy. I've lurked on here for awhile and I know how most of you view the department. Go ahead, let fly. I can take it...

welcome to brown cafe. We don't get too many people from IE around here (well that actually register for the forum), hope you stick around

local804 · 08-21-2007, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dudebro

The 5 lbs and can fit through a coat hanger was the old school definition. Now it's exactly as westsideworma described: 16x16x7 inches or less, 8lbs or less, no hazmat. There's no variance anymore by building, this is the corp standard. I think the biggest reason is the transition from the old plastic bags on a roll to the new(er) reusable nylon bags.
The reason it's on everyone's hot list is that due to the lane enhancements, we've taken volume out of day sorts and moved them to twilight and night sorts. All over the country now, buildings are claiming they're out of capacity. One (cheap) way to raise capacity in a building is to increase the smalls % so there are fewer handles on the belts. It's cheaper than building new facilities.
I guess you can tell by the post I'm an IE guy. I've lurked on here for awhile and I know how most of you view the department. Go ahead, let fly. I can take it...

Your the first IE guy that actually has made any sense.
gratz

brownmonster · 08-21-2007, 05:04 AM

Hard to tote em if you can't find any totes. No I will not use forever bags, too hard to load.