Does this happen.. - Brown Cafe

robinchun · 11-05-2009, 01:39 PM

I work out of Bristol centre in the UK..recently been going to the Gloucester centres to help out..so after traveling up the M5 for an hour get to centre to find P80 or sprinter with between 39 and 56 stpos on them.."Ok ,off you go" they say.. but NO maps!!
Does this happen on the other side of the pond?

Robin

tarbar66 · 11-05-2009, 02:54 PM

Not if they can help it. Back when we were on paper in the 80's I would go out blind with a copy of delivery records from the day before, no maps.

The manager said you know the routes all around this one so you'll be fine.

Call in when you stop for lunch.

BLACKBOX · 11-05-2009, 03:18 PM

Here in the good ol' USA we do not go on the road unprepared. Going out on a route blind will always end up in disaster. Time is so tight here and help is not always going to be there. If you are assigned to drive at a different center in your area, bring your own map.

39 to 56 stops? Is this some kind of a rural run? Seems like a retirement route from our side of the pond.

BLACKBOX · 11-05-2009, 03:20 PM

Robin..are you the girl or the guy in your avatar?

soberups · 11-05-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinchun

I work out of Bristol centre in the UK..recently been going to the Gloucester centres to help out..so after traveling up the M5 for an hour get to centre to find P80 or sprinter with between 39 and 56 stpos on them.."Ok ,off you go" they say.. but NO maps!!
Does this happen on the other side of the pond?

Robin

No, it only happens to you guys because you drive on the wrong side of the road and drink warm beer.

Just kidding

satellitedriver · 11-05-2009, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinchun

I work out of Bristol centre in the UK..recently been going to the Gloucester centres to help out..so after traveling up the M5 for an hour get to centre to find P80 or sprinter with between 39 and 56 stpos on them.."Ok ,off you go" they say.. but NO maps!!
Does this happen on the other side of the pond?

Robin

Not having maps is not only common, it is the rule. Drivers build their own hand drawn maps or just buy one and wing it.
BTW, stop by the Courage Pub that is in front of the old slanted church in Bristol and raise a pint for me. I spent several nights having great conversations there.
I loved the etched glass on the front window of the "Courage" Pub. The etching looks like the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz.
The oxymoron still makes me smile.
"Ok, off you go.",
pretty well sums up the UPS dispatch philosophy.

brownmonster · 11-06-2009, 05:01 AM

Still happens. Young guy went out blind on the route next to me Monday. Came back at the same time as the Slug, I mean Driver who usually runs it.

grgrcr88 · 11-06-2009, 05:50 AM

Does not happen near as often as it used to, but it does from time to time!

trouble maker · 11-06-2009, 06:38 AM

Going out blind with a map was common practice 20 years ago. It sucked, but you learned the route quicker by yourself than if you had an on car with you. That's the problem today with the new drivers. The company coddles them like 3yr olds. They have no idea wht it's like to be absolutely slammed with stops. Like xmas yrs ago when you would go out with 350+ stops and work from 8:30- 10:30 every day in the month of December.

tarbar66 · 11-06-2009, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trouble maker

Going out blind with a map was common practice 20 years ago. It sucked, but you learned the route quicker by yourself than if you had an on car with you. That's the problem today with the new drivers. The company coddles them like 3yr olds. They have no idea wht it's like to be absolutely slammed with stops. Like xmas yrs ago when you would go out with 350+ stops and work from 8:30- 10:30 every day in the month of December.

Amen to that about training compared to the 70's & 80's. I used to like it when Thursday morning during peak when you were told we lightened you up so be off the clock by 19:00 so you'll have 9 hours available for Friday.

ups2000 · 11-06-2009, 07:14 AM

i was sent to another hub a few weeks ago and they had me going out in a non power steering 800 with 180 stops. cm came out to check on me and said i we need to pick up the pace just a little. yea thats gonna happen. they took 30 syops off me and i still didnt clock out till 845. only good thing they didnt ask me to come back to help since

whiskey · 11-06-2009, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinchun

I work out of Bristol centre in the UK..recently been going to the Gloucester centres to help out..so after traveling up the M5 for an hour get to centre to find P80 or sprinter with between 39 and 56 stpos on them.."Ok ,off you go" they say.. but NO maps!!
Does this happen on the other side of the pond?

Robin

Over here, on this side of the pond, someone would make an attempt to look for a map, but half the time they wouldn't be able to find one. The hint being, with a required blind SPORH of about 18, who has time to look at a map? Just keep spinning with right hand turns, and the street signs will eventually pop up.

robinchun · 11-07-2009, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACKBOX

Here in the good ol' USA we do not go on the road unprepared. Going out on a route blind will always end up in disaster. Time is so tight here and help is not always going to be there. If you are assigned to drive at a different center in your area, bring your own map.

39 to 56 stops? Is this some kind of a rural run? Seems like a retirement route from our side of the pond.

yeh Rural in different areas..like an hour between stops!!

Robin

robinchun · 11-07-2009, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACKBOX

Robin..are you the girl or the guy in your avatar?

Male..the other is my wife

Robin

robinchun · 11-07-2009, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trouble maker

Going out blind with a map was common practice 20 years ago. It sucked, but you learned the route quicker by yourself than if you had an on car with you. That's the problem today with the new drivers. The company coddles them like 3yr olds. They have no idea wht it's like to be absolutely slammed with stops. Like xmas yrs ago when you would go out with 350+ stops and work from 8:30- 10:30 every day in the month of December.

How does that work in a tacho vehicle?

Robin

dilligaf · 11-07-2009, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trouble maker

Going out blind with a map was common practice 20 years ago. It sucked, but you learned the route quicker by yourself than if you had an on car with you. That's the problem today with the new drivers. The company coddles them like 3yr olds. They have no idea wht it's like to be absolutely slammed with stops. Like xmas yrs ago when you would go out with 350+ stops and work from 8:30- 10:30 every day in the month of December.

Not sure where you are coming from but here it isn't like that. The new drivers never get coddled. I didn't. The biggest reason it isn't like it was 'years' ago is because of DOT laws. That is not molly-coddling. We simply cannot work more than 60 hrs a week. As far as the map thing............ I bought my own map because I could never get one out of the office. I still keep one with me today because I am on different rtes all the time.