Wrong shipping weight

04-21-2008, 04:09 AM

Every week about half of my paycheck amount goes uncollected from a shipper who puts a fraction of the true weight on their packages. I tried repeatedly over and over again to let my superior and BD know about this but nothing is being done. They tell me that all packages are being audit it and corrected, but I seriously doubt that. Once they are on outbound truck they are gone. And now he is faxing the label to his supplier with same fraction of the weight on it.
This not only loss of revenue but also a safety hazard as you could lifting a 70 lbs box that has a 10 lbs number on it
any thoughts

scratch · 04-21-2008, 06:09 AM

We have Revenue Recovery Auditors where I am at. They pull packages off the belt to weigh and measure them. Maybe you could turn this shipper over to Loss Prevention or use them as a Sales Lead and get a reward....

mattwtrs · 04-21-2008, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

Maybe you could turn this shipper over to Loss Prevention or use them as a Sales Lead and get a reward....

Scratch; Great idea, I like the sales lead idea if that's the flavor of the week. The LP idea sounds good too especially if local management can't or won't do anything!

looper804 · 04-21-2008, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Cardinal

Every week about half of my paycheck amount goes uncollected from a shipper who puts a fraction of the true weight on their packages. I tried repeatedly over and over again to let my superior and BD know about this but nothing is being done. They tell me that all packages are being audit it and corrected, but I seriously doubt that. Once they are on outbound truck they are gone. And now he is faxing the label to his supplier with same fraction of the weight on it.
This not only loss of revenue but also a safety hazard as you could lifting a 70 lbs box that has a 10 lbs number on it
any thoughts

Tell them you won't pick them up until they put the correct weight on it.If it says 1 pound and it is actually 50 pounds tell the shipper they are stealing from UPS by doing that.Most likely they will either fix the problem or call in a complaint.If they call the complaint you can explain to your manager the situation.It puts the shipper on the radar.Sometimes they will assign a revenue recovery specialist to your truck every night to check that shippers pkgs.

local804 · 04-21-2008, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by looper804

Tell them you won't pick them up until they put the correct weight on it.If it says 1 pound and it is actually 50 pounds tell the shipper they are stealing from UPS by doing that.Most likely they will either fix the problem or call in a complaint.If they call the complaint you can explain to your manager the situation.It puts the shipper on the radar.Sometimes they will assign a revenue recovery specialist to your truck every night to check that shippers pkgs.

Its not his problem. His job is to pick up the packages and to service them. He should let his management team know about the problem, but thats it. How half of his check goes uncollected is beyond me.

Dutch Dawg · 04-21-2008, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

We have Revenue Recovery Auditors where I am at. They pull packages off the belt to weigh and measure them......

We also have them and that supervisor is judged almost solely on the $$ figures of recovery they can statistically prove. I'm willing to wager if you mention the specifics to that person, recovery would be on those packages like a Pit Bull on a Poodle.

I believe you'll find that unfortunately management in all other areas of operations are so preoccupied with making themselves look good just for survival, that unless they can be blamed for the problem they no longer desire to intervene.

tieguy · 04-21-2008, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Dawg

We also have them and that supervisor is judged almost solely on the $$ figures of recovery they can statistically prove. I'm willing to wager if you mention the specifics to that person, recovery would be on those packages like a Pit Bull on a Poodle.

I believe you'll find that unfortunately management in all other areas of operations are so preoccupied with making themselves look good just for survival, that unless they can be blamed for the problem they no longer desire to intervene.

If that were true then this is one way they could make theirselves look great. There are some accounts revenue auditors can not touch. Everything has to go through the BD person. This sounds like one of them.

Someone above said to tell the shipper they are stealing from us. Not a good idea.

supercool · 04-21-2008, 10:55 AM

They could be audited at the next point in their journey (hub). The hub I worked at has computerized scanners that scan the label, and measure the width, length, and height and calculate the "dimensional weight." After they installed these, the RR people got moved to other jobs (except a couple guys who audit irregs). If your building doesn't have RR, the hub you send stuff to probably does.

Tony31yrs · 04-21-2008, 11:08 AM

We used to have a shipper like that in our center. He would have them listed as 5-10 lb packages and they would weigh 30+. One time the driver saw 3-7 pounders and went to pick up all 3 off the floor-he almost put his back out. They shipped out grinding wheels so the packages were small. The best idea is to contact your manager or customer service rep and make them aware of it before someone gets hurt. You'll also cover your butt in case someone else discovers this and tries to stick it to you for not telling UPS about it.

freeloader · 04-21-2008, 11:12 AM

They got revenue auditors for that kinda stuff. But there is only a few of them and a zillion packages, so obviously not everything will get caught. Still, I hear the revenue auditors are worth their weight in gold as the revenue they recover pays their salary 10 times over.

There are some clever shippers out there who will continue to find ways to cheat the system. Some will get caught and some will never get caught. Here are some of the tricks that I saw when I worked at UPS:

Voiding packages after they have been picked up by the driver.
Re-printing labels (for multiple packages going to same person).
Using the test label as a shipping label.
Never transmit PLD.

thebrownbox · 04-21-2008, 02:17 PM

I see this almost about 4 times a month.. most of the time it's a label that says the package is more then it weights.. however you get a few you pick up and say No way in hell is this 25Lb or whatever weight.

UpstateNYUPSer · 04-21-2008, 03:35 PM

looper, I have to disagree with you on this one. It is not our place to arbitrarily decide not to P/U pkgs because of a weight discrepancy. I agree with you in theory but I like my job so I would suggest to Cardinal that he turn this account in to Loss Prevention and let them have fun with it.

looper804 · 04-21-2008, 03:56 PM

I stand by my reply.I would change stealing to cheating.I have dealt with this issue many times and this is how I dealt withit.Of course I was always Kind in my conversations and always have a smile.As an eaelier post stated,he attempted to pickup 3 pks that stated 3-5 pounds when they were 25 pounds each.I explain to the customer that by putting the low weight they are messing with my health in that if I think it is 3 pounds which the label states and it is 50,I am preparing to pick up 3 pounds.I would prepare differently for 50 so there is some possible bodily harm that could come about.Most of us that have been around a long time know who these customers are.My goal is to look out for the next driver who isn't aware.

1080Driver · 04-21-2008, 04:26 PM

Heres a similair story--I have a shipper who'se a
Xmas time stiff. One day I pick up a good size box, PU record says 90 pounds....no way. I take it to another PU that has a accurate digital scale. We get it on the scale, it says 153 (over the limit). I call the CM tell the story behind them, he says do whatever you want..............next stop back at their door, having them get it off the truck.

looper804 · 04-21-2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1080Driver

Heres a similair story--I have a shipper who'se a
Xmas time stiff. One day I pick up a good size box, PU record says 90 pounds....no way. I take it to another PU that has a accurate digital scale. We get it on the scale, it says 153 (over the limit). I call the CM tell the story behind them, he says do whatever you want..............next stop back at their door, having them get it off the truck.

Had similar last week,box the size of a refrigerator.Weight says 60.I carry a scale so I go and get it.Have customer help me roll it on to the scale.Actual weight 165.Then he says aw come on can't you take it.I explained very nicely that it wasn't going to happen.

browniehound · 04-21-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by local804

Its not his problem. His job is to pick up the packages and to service them. He should let his management team know about the problem, but thats it. How half of his check goes uncollected is beyond me.

Its actually his problem if he is a shareholder and $500/week in revenue is going out the window. This is stealing from UPS and I don't think it should be tolerated by any driver, shareholder or not.

Its a highly competitive environment out there and we need any advantage we can obtain. Think about this when you see a $.35 raise this August instead of the $1 you recieved last August.

If a customer is putting 5lbs on a 55lb parcel, then hell yes, its all of our problems. You want more $$ in your paycheck? Sorry Local804, but the only way that is happening is when revenue increases. When we get cheated out of revenue, I take it personal.

rod · 04-21-2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniehound

Its actually his problem if he is a shareholder and $500/week in revenue is going out the window. This is stealing from UPS and I don't think it should be tolerated by any driver, shareholder or not.

Its a highly competitive environment out there and we need any advantage we can obtain. Think about this when you see a $.35 raise this August instead of the $1 you recieved last August.

If a customer is putting 5lbs on a 55lb parcel, then hell yes, its all of our problems. You want more $$ in your paycheck? Sorry Local804, but the only way that is happening is when revenue increases. When we get cheated out of revenue, I take it personal.

No arguing with this logic

04-21-2008, 06:17 PM

Thanks for all the reply
I have for sure cover my butt as I told my supervisors 2 of them more than once. one of the sups carried a 1 lbs package that actually weighed 65 lbs !!!. then I mentioned it in the sales lead meeting with area rep present.
I have to agree with the one of who said that it is not up to me to refuse a pick-up. but cant help to be angry he is cheating out of revenue. the worst part is when they look at you and think that I don't know. can you give suggestion as how to Effectively deal with this problem without angering the customer.
I thought about imposing a penalty classifying it as WEIGHT ADJUSTMENT FEE after of course we adjust the wight. also I thought about generate a red sticker that we as a drivers can put on any package that me feel have an incorrect weight to be audited.

barnyard · 04-21-2008, 06:54 PM

For a while, I had a black marker in my truck and I was writing 'audit' next to the label. After a couple of weeks, the sales guy told me that I did not have to do that, they were being caught.

The one's that do not get caught are the one's that are pick up and delivered from our center. Granted, that number is very small, but there are still some.

TB

looper804 · 04-21-2008, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The cardinal

Thanks for all the reply
I have for sure cover my butt as I told my supervisors 2 of them more than once. one of the sups carried a 1 lbs package that actually weighed 65 lbs !!!. then I mentioned it in the sales lead meeting with area rep present.
I have to agree with the one of who said that it is not up to me to refuse a pick-up. but cant help to be angry he is cheating out of revenue. the worst part is when they look at you and think that I don't know. can you give suggestion as how to Effectively deal with this problem without angering the customer.
I thought about imposing a penalty classifying it as WEIGHT ADJUSTMENT FEE after of course we adjust the wight. also I thought about generate a red sticker that we as a drivers can put on any package that me feel have an incorrect weight to be audited.

Years ago we were given little round red sticker to put on boxes we believed were the wrong weight.That idea didn't last too long because we kept running out of stickers.

trplnkl · 04-22-2008, 01:38 AM

One thing to keep in mind also is that if a shipper is sending out 10 boxes to one consignee that ave different weights, we allow them to use the average weight for that shipment.
Now as far as the safety aspect, I can see a problem with incorrect weights on O/70s but doesn't our work methods tell us to test all packages for weight and possible shifting contents before actually lifting? I very seldom look at the weight on a package label before picking it up, I would much rather trust my weight test.
Aren't all O/70s supposed to labeled with highlight tape?