Driver Helper - Brown Cafe

But Benefits Are Great! · 11-18-2008, 05:56 PM

This is my first "peak"

Had the pleasure of meeting some driver helpers today. I am frightened for the future of this company.

helenofcalifornia · 11-18-2008, 06:10 PM

Are they "outside" hires or UPS PTers? Makes a huge difference. Outside hires have no idea of what they are walking into, making our PTers looking like friggin' genius athletes!

rocket man · 11-18-2008, 06:11 PM

THEN QUIT.

But Benefits Are Great! · 11-18-2008, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helenofcalifornia

Are they "outside" hires or UPS PTers? Makes a huge difference. Outside hires have no idea of what they are walking into, making our PTers looking like friggin' genius athletes!

Outside hires - and I agree.

Re-Raise · 11-18-2008, 06:21 PM

What do you expect to get when you are looking for someone to be on call for a couple of hours a day only when we need you.

If you are lucky you might have a college kid on break or something but otherwise there isn't much to choose from.

Just hope they show up when we need them!!

New Englander · 11-18-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by But Benefits Are Great!

This is my first "peak"

Had the pleasure of meeting some driver helpers today. I am frightened for the future of this company.

These are helpers who get what $8.50 an hour? No set schedule. No guarantee of hours. Most times they will be asked to drive to a new area to meet another driver if they want more hours, off the clock and on their own gas. Pretty much forced to run our packages off while we sit in a warm truck waiting for them.

What do you expect? I'm sure they were left with the same impression from you.

But Benefits Are Great! · 11-18-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by New Englander

These are helpers who get what $8.50 an hour? No set schedule. No guarantee of hours. Most times they will be asked to drive to a new area to meet another driver if they want more hours, off the clock and on their own gas. Pretty much forced to run our packages off while we sit in a warm truck waiting for them.

What do you expect? I'm sure they were left with the same impression from you.

Ah, another member of the "Fantastic Four". Was almost a logical, well thought, meaningful post, till the end there. You do not disappoint.

New Englander · 11-18-2008, 06:45 PM

Who's the smart one fearing for the company over some seasonal driver helpers?

The sky is falling!

evilleace · 11-18-2008, 06:48 PM

UPS has been using helpers for awhile now and the company is still around.

Box_Junkie · 11-18-2008, 06:49 PM

At my center helpers make $12.88/hr this year. Also, we are having alot of trouble getting enough helpers. I guess the HR people are actually calling back the people who didn't show for the first helper orientation in the hopes they'll show for the second.

dannyboy · 11-18-2008, 06:57 PM

helpers i understand. they are here today, gone tomorrow. the better ones get put on the list for call backs.

my fear is the people that are actually hired as an employees. you know, the ones that after being here for a year or so that still dont have a clue.

like if he is full time, part time, a bonafied driver and the list goes on and on. and from what i read, we still keep them on. and cant figure out what his pay is, how much he should be taking home.

that is what scares the hell out of me.

d

Re-Raise · 11-18-2008, 06:59 PM

I 'll take a UPS part-timer as my helper any day. You know they understand the pace of a UPS job and they are going to show up.

Outside hires tend to think it is cool to ride around in the big brown truck and wave at their friends.

And if they find out it is more work than they thought they might just say screw it and leave you hanging on a day with morw than you can get done alone.

I always told my helpers if you are thinking about giving up that is fine but you are going to tell me.

finaddict · 11-18-2008, 07:02 PM

A bit of advice from a vet. Use them long and hard. A good helper is worth his weight in gold. Others suck ass and cost you time. I refused helpers for the longest time and was forced to use one just so the guy/gal got a call and didn't quit. You're not going to make bonus at Christmas so just suck it up, get a helper, run two hrs over time and get a decent check until new years. Hell, my helper my first year on delivery was getting over 40hrs! UPs pisses away money at Christmas, might as well spread the wealth.

But Benefits Are Great! · 11-18-2008, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyboy

helpers i understand. they are here today, gone tomorrow. the better ones get put on the list for call backs.

my fear is the people that are actually hired as an employees. you know, the ones that after being here for a year or so that still dont have a clue.

like if he is full time, part time, a bonified driver and the list goes on and on. and from what i read, we still keep them on. and cant figure out what his pay is, how much he should be taking home.

that is what scares the hell out of me.

d

Boo!

And it's Bonafide

dannyboy · 11-18-2008, 07:09 PM

yup!

d

writer · 11-19-2008, 03:36 PM

They may also think about leaving you hanging on a busy day if they are treated like

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Re-Raise

I 'll take a UPS part-timer as my helper any day. You know they understand the pace of a UPS job and they are going to show up.

Outside hires tend to think it is cool to ride around in the big brown truck and wave at their friends.

And if they find out it is more work than they thought they might just say screw it and leave you hanging on a day with morw than you can get done alone.

I always told my helpers if you are thinking about giving up that is fine but you are going to tell me.

New Englander · 11-19-2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by writer

They may also think about leaving you hanging on a busy day if they are treated like

.

First you have to understand something. They can put 400 stops on me. I don't care this year.

I am only going to do what I can do in 11 to 12 hours depending upon what they want us working to this year. Nothing more nothing less.

If my helper quits.....not going to bother me. I'll actually be happier.

Can't finish all my deliveries? Not going to bother me. There always tomorrow. I'm not getting stressed out this peak for my kids sake.

writer · 11-19-2008, 06:23 PM

I don't have to understand anything. I was responding to what someone else said.

However, I do agree with your sentiment and if more would respond this way to loads of crap being put on everyone, things would change.

Quote:

Originally Posted by New Englander

First you have to understand something. They can put 400 stops on me. I don't care this year.

I am only going to do what I can do in 11 to 12 hours depending upon what they want us working to this year. Nothing more nothing less.

If my helper quits.....not going to bother me. I'll actually be happier.

Can't finish all my deliveries? Not going to bother me. There always tomorrow. I'm not getting stressed out this peak for my kids sake.

over9five · 11-19-2008, 06:34 PM

I've never had an "inside" helper.

Most of my helpers have been adequate. I think that's the best you can hope for, and I think a lot of that depends on YOUR attitude. I try to have fun out there. I try to make it fun for my helper, too. People having fun will work harder.

One "bad" helper that stands out in my mind didn't want to get out of the truck in the rain. He didn't understand that the packages have to get delivered, rain or shine. I took him back to his car and told him to go home. UPS rewarded him for this by having him go help deliver a mall the next day.

Two really "good" helpers stand out in my mind. One was a young girl in great shape who wanted to work fast, and could do so all day.
One was a guy just out of the Air Force. Same thing. In great shape, and could work hard all day.

All in all, the good far outnumbered the bad.

brownmonster · 11-19-2008, 07:08 PM

How "great" was her "shape". I had a girl helper once that lived on my area. After peak was over she invited me over to her house and made me lunch. It was innocent (we were both married) but it was kinda uncomfortable. She was a good helper though.

over9five · 11-19-2008, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownmonster

How "great" was her "shape". I had a girl helper once that lived on my area. After peak was over she invited me over to her house and made me lunch. It was innocent (we were both married) but it was kinda uncomfortable. She was a good helper though.

LOL! This girl lived on my route too. Her MOM made us both lunch every day!!!

brownmonster · 11-19-2008, 07:17 PM

How did Ma look?

over9five · 11-19-2008, 07:18 PM

Ma looked great! She worked on my route at a health club.

Re-Raise · 11-19-2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by writer

They may also think about leaving you hanging on a busy day if they are treated like

.

You are a preload supervisor ? You don't mind when people don't show up ?

I guess that is how you play. If someone treats me like

I tell them to stop .

I don't abandon my job to get back at them. That is what a child might do , a child that won't have a job anymore.

dilligaf · 11-19-2008, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyboy

.....my fear is the people that are actually hired as an employees. you know, the ones that after being here for a year or so that still dont have a clue..............d

Daniel, I am going to take you to task on this statement. I started driving 3 yrs ago next March. It wasn't until this year that I got even halfway proficient at delivering. I learned on my own. I learned the diad, I learned the rtes, and I am still learning the methods (all on my own). The first 2 years I put up with drivers being pissed at me because the had to come and help. Now I am the one to go help if need be.

I show seasoned drivers things in the diad that they didn't know about. Even tonite I showed a driver something they didn't know but, it took me time to learn. More time than, apparently, you are willing to allow. I had a customer, today, come and give me a big hug. I would not have ever gotten that hug if I wasn't given the chance (NO, not the chance..... TIME). So, I beg to differ with you. Sometimes, people can become the best employees if given the time to learn. And proper training from peers such as yourself. To be sure, this is something that I never got. I value your advice and wisdom, but you need to remember, that not everyone learns at a fast pace.

This is one of the problems that I have with UPS requiring everyone to know DOK verbatim. I can't remember them but I know them. I can't tell you verbatim my next 5 stops but I know them. I don't like the fact that UPS doesn't like us to pre-record stops. The truth is pre-recording is a very effective tool to learning the rtes. I pre-recorded for forever. I still do it on a rte that I don't know very well. The better I know the rte the less I pre-record.
So the next time you are 'afraid', STOP and ask yourself "Am I being fair to that person?".