Signs of............. PEAK!!!!

over9five · 09-19-2008, 10:37 AM

Let's face it, summers gone. And with that we have to start planning for the season we as UPSers love most of all. PEAK!!!

Already heard the big guy here is looking for CDL drivers in package to come on over to feeders for Peak. I took that offer last year, and ended up staying.

What have YOU seen in Peak planning so far this year?

outamyway · 09-19-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

What have YOU seen in Peak planning so far this year?

iowa boy · 09-19-2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

Let's face it, summers gone. And with that we have to start planning for the season we as UPSers love most of all. PEAK!!!

Already heard the big guy here is looking for CDL drivers in package to come on over to feeders for Peak. I took that offer last year, and ended up staying.

What have YOU seen in Peak planning so far this year?

"Peak" and "planning", two words that just dont go together in a sentence!!!!!!!!!!

Big Babooba · 09-19-2008, 11:47 AM

You're not supposed to use 4 letter words in this forum. I'm surprised that the filters and moderators let it get by them.

MonavieLeaker · 09-19-2008, 12:03 PM

Only planning they'll do is overdispatch the drivers

sortaisle · 09-19-2008, 12:10 PM

Peak has gotten progressively worse each year over here in Spokane. When I first started utility driving, the hired peak drivers...lot's of them. Up to 20 my first peak as a driver. Then they hired 10 the next year. Last year, they hired none off the streets and trained a few part time sups (apparently they're going to advance through the ranks of management...) and they loaaaaaaded up the drivers and they all had helpers. I'm glad I'm not part of the peak driving brigade this year, cause last year was a nightmare. Thank God that my wife is back to full time work and I get to watch my girls. I only have to deal with peak holidays for air drivers. And I park cars so the worst thing I have to look forward to is drivers showing up at exactly 12 hours so I can get my line parked.

haydendavid380 · 09-19-2008, 12:23 PM

We have already had bunches of fireplaces come through sicce about 2 weeks ago. That usualy means that the cold is coming, and unfortinantly, peak...

UpstateNYUPSer · 09-19-2008, 01:11 PM

Yeah, the Amish have been busy as we have had quite a few of them come through here as well.

Mellen24 · 09-19-2008, 02:44 PM

OMG... That's what those stupid fireplace things mean. I've been seeing a fair share of them lately. I started last year during PEAK. I had a reaccuring nightmare about a fireplace. Actually, I lived the nightmare. I kept loading this stupid thing on a truck and it kept coming back for three days. I am so gratefull I no longer load trucks.

But, planning, what's that....I noticed last year it was just planned choas.

Baba gounj · 09-19-2008, 02:50 PM

Volume never dropped from last peak.

browniehound · 09-19-2008, 03:00 PM

Over,
I'm with you. Once we hit labor day, peak is here in a blink of an eye! Just like the summer is over after 4th of July weekend.

As for peak planning, I've only heard one thing so far. There will be no more helpers riding bikes ever again here in MA. They tried it last and it was a failure and worse, it was a complete embarassment of the company. A 60 year-old woman peddeling a bike loaded with packages through an apartment complex? I wish I could have filmed it!

Another thing they have done lately was to put big signs on our winshield (billboard anyone?) advertising driver helper jobs for $9.50 an hour. I'm sorry but this is a mistake also. Nobody wants to make $9.50 an hour for any job. I would get them to the interview and then drop this bombshell on the ingnorant souls!

I heard we are hiring a limited amount of temps so my guess would be an emphasis on hiring helps, and lots of them. Last year they had helpers on more routes than ever in the past. Routes with 2 hours of pick-ups were getting helpers during some part of the day!

I think the key is finding quality helpers. We have all seen the useless ones that UPS still insists on hiring because its a body. You know, the 450 lb man, the 19 year-old girl constantly on the phone, the 66 year-old great-grandma, and your run-of-the-mill lazy pot head.

If you give me one of these we are going to struggle. If, however, you give me a decent preloader, a P12000, and a GREAT helper (I had one last year so they do exist) and I'm good for 380-400 stops a day.

I mention the P12 because I've learned over the years of helpers and house calls that too much time is spent looking for packages. The P12 will reduce selection time significantly and allow us to do 40/hour easily.

Forty an hour may seem like a stretch, but my area has some serious stop density.

Brownie

barnyard · 09-19-2008, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniehound

I mention the P12 because I've learned over the years of helpers and house calls that too much time is spent looking for packages. The P12 will reduce selection time significantly and allow us to do 40/hour easily.

Forty an hour may seem like a stretch, but my area has some serious stop density.

Brownie

I had a P12 last year at peak. It was beautiful. I had several 40/stop per hour afternoons with my helper and had a couple of 30 stop/hour afternoons alone.

I almost cried when they took away the p12 and gave me back a p1000....

Last year I had 3 different helpers. 1st one worked for a week, then called in, said he wrecked his knee playing volleyball (turned out he was hung over). The next one was great, but was driving 20 miles, one way and as soon as a route needed a helper closer to home, he switched. He was with me 3 days.

The last guy I had was great!! Former IT guy that lost his job and used government retraining to get his commercial pilots license. He was done with school, but had 2 months before his job started. I showed him the board one time and he hit the ground running.

He made the job so much easier that I bought him lunch the last 2 days and gave him a 10-lb country ham.

TB

DS · 09-19-2008, 06:23 PM

The only way a helper could be an advantage for me is if I could tow a snowmobile with a trailer to my area.Load him up and when hes done he could come back for more.

longlunchguy · 09-19-2008, 07:20 PM

What's a fireplace?

looper804 · 09-19-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

Yeah, the Amish have been busy as we have had quite a few of them come through here as well.

Have you checked out that web site.Too funny.

DS · 09-19-2008, 07:58 PM

Why is not walmart on top of this?

kene1024 · 09-19-2008, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by looper804

Have you checked out that web site.Too funny.

scratch · 09-19-2008, 08:24 PM

The only Peak Planning I have seen is over dispatching drivers all Summer. They have cut routes out here and loaded everybody up to get us in practice. Last year I got the first of my three Helpers in October. I haven't heard when this stupid idea will start up again.

browniehound · 09-19-2008, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

The only Peak Planning I have seen is over dispatching drivers all Summer. They have cut routes out here and loaded everybody up to get us in practice. Last year I got the first of my three Helpers in October. I haven't heard when this stupid idea will start up again.

Hey Scratch,
I remember you mentioning last year that you got a helper in October.

Doesn't the contract state the driver helpers will only be used from Thanksgiving until the week after December 25?

If I remember correctly the union was touting this as a contract success when the news broke of the new agreement? The company wanted helpers 365 days/year and the union is against this obviously.

I was going to call you a liar Scratch

until it dawned on me while I was writting this thread that I read the helper statement in the New England supplemental agreement. It must read differently in Atlanta and I'm assuming helpers can't be used before October 1st?

Is this correct? Does your stop density warrant it? Is management continually seeking better results because of the helper?

I would be OK with a helper in October as long as management didn't expect December production. I would almost welcome the October helper because it would mean less entering and exiting of the vehicle for me.

I'm thinking an extra 5-7 stops/hour starting Oct. 1st and then let that number increase once the stop count starts increasing in the SAME AREA. I think I could do an extra 3-5 stops without ever leaving the package car by just letting the runner deliver. Add in some density so I can run off a few, and we can achieve the 7 more stops, but this doesn't become effective untill at least mid-November where I'm from.

So Scratch, what does the contract state down there in GA?

cino321 · 09-19-2008, 10:48 PM

I'll tell you one thing, you'll never catch me doing 25 stops an hour with a helper, let alone 30-40, I don't care what freaking time of the year it is.

soberups · 09-19-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by looper804

Have you checked out that web site.Too funny.

Ah yes, the "authentic" Amish electric fireplace. Just like the real Amish families use. And you can order one for yourself, right off of the Amish Website. Or you can call the toll-free Amish hotline, where Amish operators are standing by. But wait....there's more! If you act now, we will include at no extra cost, the authentic Amish cell-phone charger!