Can anyone explain this one to me? Please?

[bellesotico]

This has been an absolutely exhausting week on the preload. I don't bother with forecasts because they are rarely accurate and I have found the driver manifests to be most helpful in loading efficiently...up till now...

When I review the manifests I can get a pretty good picture of how much will go on what shelf so I can make a good load plan. Unfortunately this week it's been like peak!! Now usually I can look at the number of stops and figure they will come in a few over or under that number..but this week it has been horribly off. Yesterday one of my trucks had 4 bulk stops that were not on the manifest and the combined total of those pkgs was over 170. The truck already had a pkg count of 340 planned.
Same situation with my other two trucks put stop counts over 200.
So at 8:30..dispatch comes running down the belt with add/cuts of course..and 4 of us were there until after 9.

So today..same thing happens again. I get hit with bulk. But no sign of it on manifests..and not send agains.
So I ask the preload sup and she tells me that the reason it doesnt show up on the manifests or forecast sheets (even though they are printed up AFTER the sort begins) is because the companies don't send ups the information.

Now..I'm extremely confused by this. You mean to tell me that this multi million dollar computer system has no idea that these packages, that have been scanned at pick up,and are sitting on a ups trailer out in our parking lot, are supposed to be unloaded and loaded on trucks for delivery??
I mean seriously..

Did I miss something here..can anyone please explain what I obviously missed...

[Storm723]

Originally Posted by bellesotico

This has been an absolutely exhausting week on the preload. I don't bother with forecasts because they are rarely accurate and I have found the driver manifests to be most helpful in loading efficiently...up till now...

When I review the manifests I can get a pretty good picture of how much will go on what shelf so I can make a good load plan. Unfortunately this week it's been like peak!! Now usually I can look at the number of stops and figure they will come in a few over or under that number..but this week it has been horribly off. Yesterday one of my trucks had 4 bulk stops that were not on the manifest and the combined total of those pkgs was over 170. The truck already had a pkg count of 340 planned.
Same situation with my other two trucks put stop counts over 200.
So at 8:30..dispatch comes running down the belt with add/cuts of course..and 4 of us were there until after 9.

So today..same thing happens again. I get hit with bulk. But no sign of it on manifests..and not send agains.
So I ask the preload sup and she tells me that the reason it doesnt show up on the manifests or forecast sheets (even though they are printed up AFTER the sort begins) is because the companies don't send ups the information.

Now..I'm extremely confused by this. You mean to tell me that this multi million dollar computer system has no idea that these packages, that have been scanned at pick up,and are sitting on a ups trailer out in our parking lot, are supposed to be unloaded and loaded on trucks for delivery??
I mean seriously..

Did I miss something here..can anyone please explain what I obviously missed...

Belle~
It isn't just you, the same thing is happening at our center and on my belt. I have several loaders that utilize the driver manifests everyday and they have pretty much gone out the window this week. We have several, several bulk stops of like 40-50 and sometimes more coming down our line that are not on the bulk sheets for the day... Even a heads up from the unload would be wonderful at least we could prepare for it that way... this has been going on all week. I don't understand it either. Also the projected volumes not just for my building but for my belt is waaaayyyy off.

My guys don't mind the work but the heads up would be fabulous! They take great pride in their work (like you) and when this happens it really throws things and them off kilter.

[Mike Hawk]

Yea I never figured out why splits were done at the end of the day rather than the beginning, every package has been scanned at some point in its journey so they should know it's coming.

[hangin455]

the only way UPS "knows" where the package is going is IF the customer sends the address information for each package at the end of the day. Many don't send the information or send it a day late after the package has arrived in your building which obviously doesn't do much good. But like any business with customers, you are at their mercy as far them doing the right thing every day.
On the other side of the coin, there are those customers who send the information but don't give UPS the package on the same day which also leads to forecasting errors.

[bellesotico]

Originally Posted by hangin455

the only way UPS "knows" where the package is going is IF the customer sends the address information for each package at the end of the day. Many don't send the information or send it a day late after the package has arrived in your building which obviously doesn't do much good. But like any business with customers, you are at their mercy as far them doing the right thing every day.
On the other side of the coin, there are those customers who send the information but don't give UPS the package on the same day which also leads to forecasting errors.

Ok. So then you are saying when ups picks up the packages and scans them in..at that moment ups is not receiving any destination information?
This makes no sense. How would ups know to ship it from point A to point B if the customer sends the information after the packages have arrived at its destination?
Or does ups just pick up a bulk run of packages and say..hmm..lets send these to ________..and then when they arrive hope that the customer has sent destination information.

What am I missing here?

[Storm723]

A person wants to ship a package. Prior to doing so they require the following information:

• The shipper
• The destination
• The weight is measured
• The size

That information is not only right on the shipping label but it is also within the bar code and 2 dot matrix smart square that you see on every shipping label.

Based on what has been processed at the original locations all over the world, UPS can forcast volume. The forcasted volume vs. the actual volume tends to vary daily. Maybe a small percent of this volume requires some sort of clerk address correction. You can also imagine how many people print out their shipping label, afix it to thier package and then wait a day or two (a week) before actually getting it to the UPS drop off or UPS store.

I don't however, think that this would account for the mass differences between what is seen on the planned volume/forcast and the forcasted bulk sheet. I think the issue may come in when a shipper ships a mass quantity and labels each package "1 of 1" when it is really "1 of 50". AND if 500 shippers do this....for whatever reason....eventually it becomes a nightmare!! lol

It probably has to do with the volume that is missing the hubs due to the flooding in the Midwest. There are a number of TOFC loads that have been delayed a day or more.

[bellesotico]

Originally Posted by Storm723

A person wants to ship a package. Prior to doing so they require the following information:

• The shipper
• The destination
• The weight is measured
• The size

That information is not only right on the shipping label but it is also within the bar code and 2 dot matrix smart square that you see on every shipping label.

Based on what has been processed at the original locations all over the world, UPS can forcast volume. The forcasted volume vs. the actual volume tends to vary daily. Maybe a small percent of this volume requires some sort of clerk address correction. You can also imagine how many people print out their shipping label, afix it to thier package and then wait a day or two (a week) before actually getting it to the UPS drop off or UPS store.

I don't however, think that this would account for the mass differences between what is seen on the planned volume/forcast and the forcasted bulk sheet. I think the issue may come in when a shipper ships a mass quantity and labels each package "1 of 1" when it is really "1 of 50". AND if 500 shippers do this....for whatever reason....eventually it becomes a nightmare!! lol

Ok..yeah. I can see how that happens. And that makes sense..and in the past I have gotten alot runs like that and I don't trust those labels!!
But this week the unforcasted bulk as been labeled 1 of ___. And that is what prompted me to ask mgmt what was going on. Especially since everyday they are smacking us with late add/cuts and then complaining that our times are terrible.
I guess if the unforcasted bulk was 10 or 20 pieces over I may not wonder..but everyday a few of us on my belt have been grossly over.
One of the guys on my belt was unable to load all of the bulk on his truck yesterday..he got 3 times what was scheduled.
We all just thought..wow..how could they not know with all of ups' sophisticated technology.

[toonertoo]

I heard from my sup we have 7 trailers sitting in Toledo bound for us tomorrow from the back lash of the flooding in the mid states. should be fun. This is when I dont mind the 11-12 hr days, there is a reason.
But today was absolutely brutal, glad tomorrow is Friday!!

[helenofcalifornia]

Same thing here in California. A ton of trucks (TOFC's) didnt' make it West. Incredibly light today, like after Christmas-light. Should get slammed tomorrow or Monday.

Originally Posted by bellesotico

This has been an absolutely exhausting week on the preload. I don't bother with forecasts because they are rarely accurate and I have found the driver manifests to be most helpful in loading efficiently...up till now...

When I review the manifests I can get a pretty good picture of how much will go on what shelf so I can make a good load plan. Unfortunately this week it's been like peak!! Now usually I can look at the number of stops and figure they will come in a few over or under that number..but this week it has been horribly off. Yesterday one of my trucks had 4 bulk stops that were not on the manifest and the combined total of those pkgs was over 170. The truck already had a pkg count of 340 planned.
Same situation with my other two trucks put stop counts over 200.
So at 8:30..dispatch comes running down the belt with add/cuts of course..and 4 of us were there until after 9.

So today..same thing happens again. I get hit with bulk. But no sign of it on manifests..and not send agains.
So I ask the preload sup and she tells me that the reason it doesnt show up on the manifests or forecast sheets (even though they are printed up AFTER the sort begins) is because the companies don't send ups the information.

Now..I'm extremely confused by this. You mean to tell me that this multi million dollar computer system has no idea that these packages, that have been scanned at pick up,and are sitting on a ups trailer out in our parking lot, are supposed to be unloaded and loaded on trucks for delivery??
I mean seriously..

Did I miss something here..can anyone please explain what I obviously missed...

I have been out of work injured for 2 years, but these damn missed forecasts affect me every day, too. Why just yesterday I made the 200 yd. walk from my apt. to the apt. pool, carrying a cooler with my Mexican friend Jose Cuervo along for the ride. ( See, I aint racist against Mexicans) Also had to lug a big azz twin bed float to lay out on. I laid there for a good hour on my back and was just fixin to turn over when bam, it clouded up and started raining like all get out. Now the forecast had said sunny to partly cloudy ALL day, but NOOO, I had to walk my behind all the way back to my apt carrying all my stuff, PLUS my front was nice and tanned but my back was still light white! Dang incompitent forecasters!

[Storm723]

Originally Posted by hseofpayne

I have been out of work injured for 2 years, but these damn missed forecasts affect me every day, too. Why just yesterday I made the 200 yd. walk from my apt. to the apt. pool, carrying a cooler with my Mexican friend Jose Cuervo along for the ride. ( See, I aint racist against Mexicans) Also had to lug a big azz twin bed float to lay out on. I laid there for a good hour on my back and was just fixin to turn over when bam, it clouded up and started raining like all get out. Now the forecast had said sunny to partly cloudy ALL day, but NOOO, I had to walk my behind all the way back to my apt carrying all my stuff, PLUS my front was nice and tanned but my back was still light white! Dang incompitent forecasters!

There is definately something wrong with you....LMAO!

[Storm723]

Today Was Another Brutal Day! But The Day Is Over! Better Yet It Is Friday........thank Freakin God!

[bellesotico]

Originally Posted by Storm723

Today Was Another Brutal Day! But The Day Is Over! Better Yet It Is Friday........thank Freakin God!

Yes today was horribly brutal!

Originally Posted by Storm723

There is definately something wrong with you....LMAO!

Yeah dude, thats why I go to therapy every day, physical therapy that is! They say a sense of humor is a sign of a tough life, and 23 years of UPS show qualifies!

[Fnix]

If the packages arent accounted for anyone can steal them and they wouldnt be noticed? UPS wouldnt let this happen would they?

[Mike Hawk]

Originally Posted by Fnix

If the packages arent accounted for anyone can steal them and they wouldnt be noticed? UPS wouldnt let this happen would they?

They are accounted for, they are just not showing up on the bulk report/manifest.

[Storm723]

Originally Posted by Fnix

If the packages arent accounted for anyone can steal them and they wouldnt be noticed? UPS wouldnt let this happen would they?

I am a UPSer and I gaurd my package with my life! I try not to let anyone near my package...unless they ask nicely of course! Even then sometimes I still say no....lol!

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by Storm723

I am a UPSer and I gaurd my package with my life! I try not to let anyone near my package...unless they ask nicely of course! Even then sometimes I still say no....lol!

That's enough small talk for now.

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Originally Posted by ???

It probably has to do with the volume that is missing the hubs due to the flooding in the Midwest. There are a number of TOFC loads that have been delayed a day or more.

I believe we have a winner.

p.s. to the newcomers to UPS, enough guessing games.