preload

I`ve been a driver a long time and one of the worst problems I have is with preload.They hire people that have no clue and give them no training.Only after working with the drivers do they form a real idea of where to put the packages in each car.If you ever do get a good one,they move them after a few weeks.In my loop,theres 3 trucks to load,and I`ve been going in at 7:45 and doing sort and load.Life is so much easier to take when you can plan your own day.Between the 3 of us and necessity we now have an excess car that does all the stops that we cant handle to stay under 12 hours.At ups preload is everything,and they should either put more effort into training or let us drivers go on the clock a half hour early to fix the mistakes and regulate the dispatch.An accurate stop count is essential unless you want 15 drivers calling for help.

I totally agree with you.

I agree, preload can make or break your day...

I came in 30 minutes early one day, it saved me
an hour off the end of the day, our CTR MGR seems
to really like the idea of allowing us to
"train" the preloader for a couple days...
can't do it all the time, but its helped on the
two routes I've run.

Preload is the make or break of a drivers day, I learned that being a pt sup. I actually listened and learned alot, to the drivers which is unheard of anymore it seems.
I got a new loader a month ago. She is very good and smart, considering we knew my loader was leaving and the day she started she did not even have charts. I have worked with her and she does well, yet my sup said she is a terrible loader . Her load is so tight, it doesn not fall all over, you would think she had done it a while. But before her 1st day she never had a clue about ups. She rarely puts anything in the wrong place, except maybe a street that is the same with a different zip, or occasionally an air. It does take awhile to learn it all. Then we have a swing driver on the car adjacent and he starts telling her, no tooner gets this, and he is up there making love to his load way before start time, and he leaves at start time, then I find things he threw on my truck that he doesnt want to deliver, like anything he has to pull for, and they blame the stop count being off on her? I dont think so. Plus it confuses her as I am not up there before start to condition my load. So she listens to him, and tells me, I only did what I was told.
I have given up on telling mgmt that hes f-ing me as he is a runner, and he posts great numbers for them, so much so that they have him in group 9, and we only have 2 groups, so no one can see his numbers. They hide that page. But to call her a bad loader, when I have had loaders miss my count by 30 consistently, and no one is held accountable, I think is unfair. End of rant.

Tooner,
Show up early one day and GRIEVE the time he is working off the clock.

Just one day.

Yes, I suppose I should GRIEVE it. Im not being given any choice here. And as my former friend once told me when I was a fraid to say anything in fear of retalition, "what else can they do to you, they are already doing it" Amen

<font size="+2">PAS will solve all your problems
Signed:</font>
Anonymous Management

I'll come early to help my preloader, IF I GET PAID FOR IT!!!I don't understand those who will show up early to go through the loads and not get paid for it. Why do we have a preload? To be blunt for those who don't understand....I'm UPS's whore from my start time 'till I end. I don't give free service.



(Message edited by rushfan on October 08, 2005)

rush,
Don't be so arrogant.
There are those in management who will humble you by saying "....you're lucky to have a job..."
In 27+ years I've heard it 2-3 times.

I'm new to preload 6mo's. But part of the problem I see is they puy way too much work on you. I load 5 trucks. 700-1000 packages a day. some days I'm lucky to get it on the right shelf. let alone in order. the charts are not right, so I try to remember how the driver wants the truck if I loads his way it makes his day better.

My drivers understand but dont come in early. Most days they cant walk the truck from front to back anyway so they just fix the load as they go. I know I do all I can but the problems are not all preload's fault.

Father of 4, welcome to UPS. The drivers know it is not all your fault. And many of the loaders I have known suffer the same as you with the chart situation. And that you remember in your head how everyone wants the load is great. But in theory any loader should be able to go to any truck and be able to load it by a chart, Period. And any driver should be able to go on any route and deliver it in sequence. Period. But that is just how it used to be. When you go on vaca, your mind is not at work and the person replacing you gets blamed coz the load isnt right, and thats coz the only person who has a chart is you,...... in your head. And in a company as large as UPS it is ludicrous, that simple things like load charts are not correct and up to date. I know when I was a sup I got audited on it, and not only did I have to show charts, but three levels of dispatch, and they would interview the drivers to see how close they were loaded to those charts. I never failed it, but management above me had to give me the time to get them right. And I feel that now, no one is held accountable for anything except the drivers. I know that there are alot of preloads out there that could have happier loaders and drivers if things were in sync, like they should be. But Oh yeah, PAS will fix it all!!!

And in a company as large as UPS it is ludicrous, that simple things like load charts are not correct and up to date.

yep
When i was a preloader 19yrs ago I was given the tools to be successful...now thats not the case

Ditto Pkgdriver.

When I was a preloader in the late 70's, I loaded three pkg cars by memory and area knowledge. Now preloaders are expected to load five cars with the help(?) of PAS and the missed and off area packages have increased dramatically. How long will it be before the customers (you know....those people with the money) get tired of this?
Think of the money the company has/will save with PAS/EDD (sarcasm intended)!!!

EArly 70's I used to load three 800's 1 600 and a Hon car. Or a 400 if the Hon car was down. The guy above me pulled three smaller cars and split the belt. Between us we never had a problem. We worked together as a team and each of us knew enough about the others loads to help out. I loaded at least 12-1400 each day on my trucks, rarly a misload, and pretty much where the driver needed them. it was a mental and physical challenge.

It would seem to me that with the passage of PAS, the mental challenge is gone and it just becomes a physical job, much like unloading a trailer.

d

The package cars and the packages continue to get bigger and heavier and it is all supposed to be done faster.

Such is life.

We haven't gotten PAS yet here although the PAS team is in the building and it's coming by spring after they build and destroy some belts, etc.

So I have a few questions for any preloaders here that are on PAS already or drivers in PAS centers that know or could find out for me.

They keep talking about how it will make it easier for the preloaders.

From my years of experience with UPS if the job becomes simpler that means you can do it faster, which means you will be doing more work in less time.

Question One:

So by "easier" they mean it is easier mentally, but really the job will become harder physically, right?

I have been told once PAS is established in a center anyone can load the package cars with no knowledge.

Question Two:

So in PAS centers does this mean the preloader position is stripped of it's classification of a "skilled" position?

Question Three:

If the answer to question two is yes, has the company successfully take the additional dollar per hour wage rate for "skilled" position jobs away from existing preloaders?

I am interested in answers from actual real UPS world experience, not hypothetical thoughts.

Thank you.

As a driver, I was never trained to read the PAS label. The loader's don't load by the address, and the driver's don't load by the PAS label. Just let the computer go down, or the power go out, and you'll soon learn how important a driver really is. I still say a color coded system on the labels would speed it up; but then, who would listen to a driver?

We do not yet have the horror of PAS in our building.
We DO have the horror of a preload with a severe senority problem.
Our top loader just hit his 10 month mark. He is the MOST senior loader that we have.
Peak is going to be another nightmare this year. Our volume never dropped over the summer and we are almost at peak driving plan already.
Atlanta- are you listening???

So by "easier" they mean it is easier mentally, but really the job will become harder physically, right?

A preloader will usually load 3-5 cars. Since most PAS implementations include relooping, their current loop could be shrunk or expanded requiring additional cars for them to be productive. So, instead of loading a whole loop, the loader may even load cars from totally separate loops.

I have been told once PAS is established in a center anyone can load the package cars with no knowledge.

This may sound like a disadvantage, but remember when your loader was on vacation and his replacement couldn't get wrapped up until 9:30? Not a problem. Your loader wants to move to a different position in the sort? No biggie. Staffing is more flexible.

So in PAS centers does this mean the preloader position is stripped of it's classification of a "skilled" position?

Yes and no. In my center the pre-PAS preloaders are grandfathered and still paid at the skilled rate. New hires are paid at the non-skilled. But also, the sorter positions become unskilled as do the SPA (scan-print-apply) positions.

If the answer to question two is yes, has the company successfully take the additional dollar per hour wage rate for "skilled" position jobs away from existing preloaders?

The answer to this question, at least in my building, is no. I believe it is contractually impossible.

Glad to see ups is finally making it so that even a monkey could load your truck.Up till now they`ve been through 9 trillion preloaders that were overworked and underpaid.(PCM)... we`d like to recognize George Putnam today because he has gone over and above our acceptable preload production standards.At ups we pride ourselves in showing our appreciation for employees that go that extra mile to ensure our customers needs and expectations are met.On behalf of the management staff,and most of all the customer,we`d like to present George with a letter of recognition,a little ups truck,a Dale Jarrett coffee cup,and approve the optional you requested so you can finally go to the doctor about your back problem.

Iload, thanks, yes the contract doesn't address the situation as "skilled", but actually classifies it as preloader/sorter.

So I didn't think they would challenge this, but for the same reason they should have to give the dollar to anyone doing that position pre or post Spa.

Regardless, the company will correct this unforetunate wording (in their opinion ),look for the dollar to be effectively taken away in language change next contract.

laoding package cars is basically a combination of knowledge &amp; methods. the way the volume is shoved down our throats these days it's difficult to do the job even with no-chart knowledge and sound methods. many of the pt supes in our building are not very good at teaching the methods needed to load cars; it's a good thing that they're not swimming teachers. when pas hits our building in '07 then methods (belt-to-car in our case) will be more critical than they are now and i imagine that our m.a.r. will be higher. boy, i can't wait!

Obviously there are pluses to the company with a successful PAS system and that is a good thing in many ways such as in competing economically with the costs of competition.

However, the truth is the pluses to the workforce are a bit more mixed knowing that anything that makes the worker's job simpler or quicker at UPS means more actual physical work in a job that already is very physical.

It stands to reason if this improves the preloader's efficiency they will cut the amount of preloaders rather than getting them chairs and those working will gain more routes, ie: they will lift, load, move, handle more packages, hence more weight, etc.

So be it,but saying it will make the preloader's job easier is a misnomer.

The wage issue is separate concern.

Article 22, Section 5, Subsection (b) of the National Master United Parcel Service Agreement states Preloader/Sorter get a dollar more per hour than all others.

Technically there is no such thing as "grandfathering" and the legal/contractual term is "past practice", but why would such be even an issue here?

The wage issue states Preloader/Sorter.

It doesn't state if they are "skilled" positions.

Have no stewards in current PAS centers grieved this issue regarding not paying new preloaders the additional dollar?!?

If it has to wait for my centers to get PAS so be it I will grieve it, but I cannot believe this hasn't been grieved by a steward somewhere!

Anyone have any information regarding this wage issue/contention and is this policy/wage separation action happening elsewhere as well?

[webterractive]

I work preload in the Vancouver Hub in BC, Canada and I really agree. I have seen people come and go, and UPS seems really desperate to hire new people, especially since the Christmas season is coming. Currently I'm loading 5 cars, keeping stop counts, and scanning. My areas are really busy ones with industrial weight packages 80+lbs. And $10.50 is hardly worth all that effort. So this will definitly attract unqualified workers looking to last 2+ years to get the top rate.

I dont have an assigened route so im on 3 diffrent routes for the most part. I stiil tip my preloaders a 5 dollar gift card to mcdonalds. it might not seem like much. but it makes a diffrence even with the most overworked preloaders. that small tip stops that many missloads and little tighter load so it makes it to your first stop. say thank you to them it helps everyone be safe. i'll tip them like once a month a lot more at xmass holiday.