DIAD GPS

filthpig · 05-31-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by satellitedriver

The average American male dies 3 years after retirement.
It's the slowing down after retirement that gets ya.
It's better to wear out than rust out.

Truer words were never spoken. Retire?! Ha! Right after they throw a spade of dirt in my face. Wait a minute, my CM did that the other day....

55andout? · 05-31-2008, 11:20 AM

One very good thing about ODSe is the effect it has had on lunches. Before we put it in our center averaged about 65% for drivers recording lunch. Now we have used it and our average is over 90% recording a lunch.

DiadDude · 05-31-2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

DiadDude,
Sometimes my DIAD will give me that "wrong address" alarm for a whole subdivision, even though I am at the correct address. Does the GPS program periodically do this to recalibrate itself for some reason?

The DIAD 4 GPS does occassionally get into a state where the readings are offset by a fixed distance. If you look at it on the map, it looks like you're driving parallel to the road but through everyone's back yard. We're working with the hardware manufacturer to try to eliminate this issue. There has been one firmware update for the GPS since it was originally released, and it seems to lessen the occurances of this problem, but not completely eliminate it.

I'm not sure how to verify the version in your DIAD, but if there is a way to check it, I'll post it here.

Speedo · 05-31-2008, 06:19 PM

I drive a new P12. It has a bulkhead door sensor and a seat belt sensor. All of the vehicles will be equipped with what management calls the "Black Box". They will also know your speed and if you are sheeting while driving. The best thing you can do is slow down and use the methods they teach you. The union doesn't recognize their time standards. In our station the new big thing is "Stops per car". We are getting loaded up like crazy. I can't take it any more- it's feeder time!

What'dyabringmetoday??? · 05-31-2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 55andout?

One very good thing about ODSe is the effect it has had on lunches. Before we put it in our center averaged about 65% for drivers recording lunch. Now we have used it and our average is over 90% recording a lunch.

Now if you can get the 90% to actually TAKE their lunch. Even better, get them to take it in the middle of the day instead of at the end.

govols019 · 05-31-2008, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiadDude

The DIAD 4 GPS does occassionally get into a state where the readings are offset by a fixed distance. If you look at it on the map, it looks like you're driving parallel to the road but through everyone's back yard. We're working with the hardware manufacturer to try to eliminate this issue. There has been one firmware update for the GPS since it was originally released, and it seems to lessen the occurances of this problem, but not completely eliminate it.

I'm not sure how to verify the version in your DIAD, but if there is a way to check it, I'll post it here.

Which is why I voted No on this contract. If they can use GPS to help terminate a driver then it damn well should be an infallible technology.

DiadDude · 05-31-2008, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by govols019

Which is why I voted No on this contract. If they can use GPS to help terminate a driver then it damn well should be an infallible technology.

It is not infallible, but you could certainly not be terminated with evidence from a trace exhibiting this problem. In order to prove that you did something wrong, the points would have to be plotted on a map. It's obvious from looking at the trace on a map that the data points are incorrect.

soberups · 05-31-2008, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by govols019

Which is why I voted No on this contract. If they can use GPS to help terminate a driver then it damn well should be an infallible technology.

The people who I have seen successfully terminated for driving off of their route weren't fired for actually being off route....they were fired for lying about where they were and why they were there.
The company can use the GPS as probable cause for following you. They cant just arbitrarily fire you because a GPS said you were somewhere you weren't supposed to be.
I once drove over 12 miles off route because I ripped my pants and needed to go home to get a new pair. I called in and told management where I was going and why. As long as the driver is honest, I dont think there is any reason to fear GPS.

JustTired · 06-01-2008, 04:59 AM

Back in the old days, before all of this technology, it's a wonder any of us were able to get the job done and the company show a profit at the same time!!

The ones making the big profit on all this stuff are the ones selling it to the company. And I'm sure they're located somewhere other than the U.S. (or at least that's where the profits end up).

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-01-2008, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by govols019

Which is why I voted No on this contract. If they can use GPS to help terminate a driver then it damn well should be an infallible technology.

The key word in your post is help, as in "...help terminate a driver..." GPS alone cannot be used to discipline a driver but can be used in conjunction with other measures to discipline him.

I prefer to focus on the positive aspects of this technology, whether it be to make the routes more efficient, to make the dispatches more balanced, or to make the overall operation run much more smoothly.

Employees must be able to accept these technological changes and adjust to them in order to be successful. Those unable or unwilling to accept these changes may find themselves on the outside looking in.

Mike Hawk · 06-01-2008, 11:07 AM

What qualifies as off route? Would driving to a restaurant on lunch break that’s a mile off route be considered going off route?

big_arrow_up · 06-01-2008, 11:31 AM

Our center OMSs can now see when we take our lunches, where our stops were completed, what is left in EDD..ect. It's actually quite cool to see. Our OMSs sends on calls to the closest driver by using the GPS instead of guessing. It has pretty much stopped drivers from overriding them. We've always had a few that would just flat out refuse them because they didn't want to back track. Or simply because they din't want to make the pickup.

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-01-2008, 04:26 PM

That is where the OMS needs to grow a pair and stand by her OCA dispatch decision and, if it is still an issue, bring an on-car or CM in to the discussion. However, if the driver has a legitimate reason as to why he cannot complete the OCA that needs to be taken in to consideration and the OCA should be redispatched. Our OMS has no problem with dispatching OCAs as she uses common sense and doesn't take no for an answer.

cino321 · 06-01-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Hawk

What qualifies as off route? Would driving to a restaurant on lunch break that’s a mile off route be considered going off route?

If it's a mile off route, yeah. Our center generally is pretty loose with this, they'll let you go somewhere within your loop, and surrounding loops since everything is so close together.

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-01-2008, 05:20 PM

It is amazing how the philosophy on this has changed since I first started working here. My kids used to play youth hockey and the rink was about 3 miles off of my area but I used to take my lunch there so that I could watch them practice. The center team knew and could have cared less just as long as I kept making my numbers. My daughter played HS softball and I used to stop on my way back to the center and watch as much of her games as I could and, again, they didn't mind as long as the numbers were there.

soberups · 06-01-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Hawk

What qualifies as off route? Would driving to a restaurant on lunch break that’s a mile off route be considered going off route?

There is no hard and fast rule. One mile is a number I hear thrown about, but it is a guideline only and isnt really applicable to rural routes. A guy whose route covers 250 miles a day in Death Valley or rural Wyoming is probably going to have to go more than one mile "off route" in order to find a restroom or a place to eat. The people who have gotten in trouble for being off route were the ones who lied about where they were and why they were there.

ol'browneye · 06-01-2008, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

It is amazing how the philosophy on this has changed since I first started working here. My kids used to play youth hockey and the rink was about 3 miles off of my area but I used to take my lunch there so that I could watch them practice. The center team knew and could have cared less just as long as I kept making my numbers. My daughter played HS softball and I used to stop on my way back to the center and watch as much of her games as I could and, again, they didn't mind as long as the numbers were there.

So are you saying the driver who runs two hours late everyday would get pulled in to the office and eventually reprimanded for driving 3 miles off route to watch his kids play hockey or his daughter play softball? Nowvoyager reminded us in a post that mngmt lets a lot of stuff slide if they like you or you run scratch. I've seen a driver get the okay to take his diad home and clock out because he still had lunch left at the end of the day. (this is at a satelite) "just bring it back early in the morning and don't spread it around what you did." And another driver get a warning letter for doing the same thing. The difference-the supervisor liked the first driver and the second driver is 50 years old, has had back problems, and usually runs over 2 hours late.

I will answer my own question. Yes that kind of thing happens everyday. It's sad when mngmt pulls that stuff. The consistency with which mngmt enforces it's own policies is ridiculous to non-existant. This philosophy still hasn't changed. They will use this GPS technology to get who they want to get and let other drivers slide.

I think many people overlook the wording of the contract. If I am wrong someone please correct me, but I think it says something like "No one can be disciplined using the GPS technology for the first offense. What's to keep mngmt from giving every driver a warning letter for the first minor gps infraction and then firing them for the second?

I think soberups says it best. Keep your nose clean and you don't have to fear GPS.

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-02-2008, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol'browneye

So are you saying the driver who runs two hours late everyday would get pulled in to the office and eventually reprimanded for driving 3 miles off route to watch his kids play hockey or his daughter play softball?

Yes.

browniehound · 06-02-2008, 07:41 PM

I am a little worried about the GPS. I am THE 'master' of alternate routes to every town if my center. The is so much traffic in my area it drives me crazy.

So on the way out, I take a back road that takes 27 minutes from 'leave building' (this includes sitting in line waiting to leave the grounds) to first stop. If I didn't do this, 4 out of 5 days I would sit on the interstate in traffic which causes a 40-45 minute ride from 'leave building' to first stop. If there is no traffic, the interstate takes me 22 minutes. I've come to the conclusion that I'm better off takeing the 'back road'. First off, its less miles and no traffic. It may take 5 minutes longer, but I always know to the minute how long it will take for me to get on route. The interstate is a crap-shoot, it could take as little as 22 minutes or as much as 45+ minutes.

Can I get disciplined for taking alternate routes coming from MY judgement? These are logical routes. Its not the interstate but are always state routes and always headed directly to route or to building.

I'm guessing its OK, but you never know from some of the inbeciles (talking about people outside the center that don't know anything about me or the center), can I be fired for taking the alternate routes?

soberups · 06-02-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniehound

I'm guessing its OK, but you never know from some of the inbeciles (talking about people outside the center that don't know anything about me or the center), can I be fired for taking the alternate routes?

No, as long as the "alternate route" isnt going 50 miles in the wrong directon or something crazy like that. The worst thing that could happen is that they could intstruct you on what route to driveand you would have to work as directed. You dont need to fear being fired as long as you have an honest and reasonable explanation for what you are doing.