cell phones - Page 2 - Brown Cafe

raceanoncr · 08-14-2007, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diesel96

And also,dispatch needs constant communication with their drivers for scheduling and O/T opportunities..

Diesel, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Here we've got, at least 5 f/t supes, two managers, one f/t scheduler. What is their job? To me, it's to dispatch and dispatch correctly! When I go out that door, I expect them to have done their job and not have to continually call me to update or change route when that should have been done before.

If they need additional p/u's or runs or overflows, they should know about this well ahead of time or...hire more people that can figger it out!

I just don't need them trying to skirt their responsiblities by calling me to bail them out.

rushfan · 08-15-2007, 07:41 AM

Happens here all the time. That's how everyone knows the gossip. For example, we had another on road sup quit yesterday. I didn't know about it since I don't talk on my cell phone to the office.

diesel96 · 08-15-2007, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raceanoncr

Diesel, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Here we've got, at least 5 f/t supes, two managers, one f/t scheduler. What is their job? To me, it's to dispatch and dispatch correctly! When I go out that door, I expect them to have done their job and not have to continually call me to update or change route when that should have been done before.

If they need additional p/u's or runs or overflows, they should know about this well ahead of time or...hire more people that can figger it out!

I just don't need them trying to skirt their responsiblities by calling me to bail them out.

I see your point,however holding a vacation cover bid run I am constantly contacted by dispatch(located in another hub 40 miles away) as to what run I want to choose for the following week. Sometimes I call them looking for more o/t than some of the routes offer. Also some of our local runs are work as directed.Lots of times we need trailer and bay numbers for the hub, rail-yard and airport .And with my cell the communication is quick and efficient.Also,when I need my next assignment the less I show my face in the dispatch office the better.I'm sure the more senority I gain,the more stable bid run I'll choose and eventually with hardly any cell communication with dispatch.

over9five · 08-15-2007, 05:48 PM

Does having a cell phone get you more choice OT than a senior driver without a cell phone?

Seems to me it should go by seniority, NOT who they can contact the fastest via cell phone.

brown bomber · 08-15-2007, 08:12 PM

received a call on my cell this afternoon while on vacation in upstate New York, from one of my pickup customers in NE Ohio....he had not been picked up since Friday...apparently the swing driver had just done a drive-by..and never even got out of the pkg. car

the customer was frantic..several items were late..he tried calling the 800 number to no avail....I gave him phone # to center...this is one reason why I have a cell...to take care of the people and businesses on MY route

diesel96 · 08-15-2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

Does having a cell phone get you more choice OT than a senior driver without a cell phone?Abso-freaking-lutely,especially when you have a time sensitive trailers hanging at the airport or rail-yard

Seems to me it should go by seniority, NOT who they can contact the fastest via cell phone.

It's determined by urgency, logistics,and availabilty. If you don't have a cell phone you can not be contacted.

We have an expression called "kill a railbox" which means to take an empty railbox trailer back to the rail-yard,it;s always available for the taking(senior or non-senior drivers).....that's an hr--hr and half worth of o/t....I know of only one senior driver in my center w/o a cell phone.....and he only wants 40hrs/per week, thats it.All other senior drivers already have built in o/t on their runs...When dispatch is in a jam and has time sensitive trailers hanging,then yes the first driver they contact will be assigned the work.Work is always offered to senior drivers first when a route opens up due to illness or comp.

VTBrown · 08-16-2007, 04:10 AM

"It's determined by urgency, logistics,and availabilty. If you don't have a cell phone you can not be contacted."

Actually it's determined by seniority. Ask your Union rep. The cell phone issue is an absolute cop ut and would not hold up.

brownmonster · 08-16-2007, 06:11 AM

How do you claim it for tax purposes?

raceanoncr · 08-16-2007, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diesel96

I see your point,however holding a vacation cover bid run I am constantly contacted by dispatch(located in another hub 40 miles away) as to what run I want to choose for the following week. Sometimes I call them looking for more o/t than some of the routes offer. Also some of our local runs are work as directed.Lots of times we need trailer and bay numbers for the hub, rail-yard and airport .And with my cell the communication is quick and efficient.Also,when I need my next assignment the less I show my face in the dispatch office the better.I'm sure the more senority I gain,the more stable bid run I'll choose and eventually with hardly any cell communication with dispatch.

Ok, I concede on that point. Being a vac or on-call feeder driver is a little different, at least here.

Most of our lower senior drivers that don't have bid run or are on-call, essentially, HAVE to give company cell personal #'s. It's simply a matter of working or not working in many cases. Yes, it has come back to bite them in many instances also but that's part of being on the bottom.

I am required to call in my trailers from meet point every Sat morn. Why? Cuz when I get back, the place is a ghost town...no one there...I'm the last one in. They want #'s sos they can put them in puter. Well, I take company phone. It's shut off til I get there, turned on when I call #'s, turned off when I leave. The didn't want to give me company phone. I said, "Fine, you don't get #'s til I get here or you call origin". I get phone every Sat.

Sooo, yes, I understand the possible need if you're covering or on-call BUT, I also encourage all that get seniority and get bid run, that that number gets lost in their rolodex.

JustAnotherBody · 08-16-2007, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty Savage

We actually had to sign a waiver indicating that we promised not to talk on the phone AT ALL, period. No cell phone calls during work hours . . . yet we get paged all the time to call the centre or dispatch or whatever, so I guess it's ok to drive around for ten minutes looking for a pay phone . . .

Nor are we allowed to listen to MP3 players or even have a radio for that matter.

UPS is the death of fun.

Article 18
Section 8
Transistor radios will be allowed in package cars.

over9five · 08-16-2007, 06:53 PM

"Abso-freaking-lutely,especially when you have a time sensitive trailers hanging at the airport or rail-yard"

If I were a senior man, I would greive this and abso-freaking-lutely win.

LPGuy · 08-18-2007, 07:05 PM

This is one of many issues where UPS tends to speak out of both sides of the mouth. In many of the buildings, UPS understands that there are theft issues related to cellular phones. This is a big problem in many of the metro buildings, and many of these thefts, statistically, tend to be committed by inner city, part-time, hub employees. At many of the facilities, UPS has implemented procedures for eliminating cellular phones that are brought in to the facility. The exception to this "policy" are full-time drivers, mechanics, management (to include part-time supervisors.). From a security standpoint, I would like to see cellular phones eliminated in all of the metropolitan facilities. The reality, however, is that UPS knows that cellular phones are a necessity for communications between service providers and their managers/supervisors. This is a typical "have our cake and eat it too" scenario, which is common at UPS. If I were a package car driver, my communications with center management teams would be via ODS, or else, I would demand compensation for my business related cellular phone charges.

Regards,

LPGuy

Harry Manback · 08-18-2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPGuy

This is one of many issues where UPS tends to speak out of both sides of the mouth. In many of the buildings, UPS understands that there are theft issues related to cellular phones. This is a big problem in many of the metro buildings, and many of these thefts, statistically, tend to be committed by inner city, part-time, hub employees. At many of the facilities, UPS has implemented procedures for eliminating cellular phones that are brought in to the facility. The exception to this "policy" are full-time drivers, mechanics, management (to include part-time supervisors.). From a security standpoint, I would like to see cellular phones eliminated in all of the metropolitan facilities. The reality, however, is that UPS knows that cellular phones are a necessity for communications between service providers and their managers/supervisors. This is a typical "have our cake and eat it too" scenario, which is common at UPS. If I were a package car driver, my communications with center management teams would be via ODS, or else, I would demand compensation for my business related cellular phone charges.

Regards,

LPGuy

Oh noes, Himmler and the gang has invaded our sanctuary. Might as well DEMAND a golden toilet in the men's room while we're at it. And since we're making demands, can we demand that UPS not force us to "vandalize" our personal property (cell phone) with that ridiculous sticker. I wonder if LP ever considered that cell phones are not permanent fixtures. They do require replacing from time to time. There's nothing I enjoy more after a 12 hour day of busting mine to go help someone else wipe their's than, a 20 minute cavity search because I acquired a new phone.

over9five · 08-18-2007, 08:08 PM

"..I would demand compensation for my business related cellular phone charges."

Hmmm.....maybe you should consider the UPS discount on cell phone plans IS compensation. (you probably save far more than you lose on business related phone charges. I do.).

LPGuy · 08-18-2007, 09:10 PM

I apologize. It would seem that I have commented on something for which Harry Manback has taken issue. Perhaps he has misunderstood my post. I am not attempting to spar with him. Also, I am not "Himmler", but I laughed at the premise that, because of my job, some how that makes me a Nazi. The fact is that I have visited this site for several months and see postings that involve topics to which I can give an objective point of view. I look forward to our future conversations. Who knows, perhaps Harry Manback will finally experience heat for milking the clock during all of those alleged 60 hour work weeks that he complained about, and need some advice. Harry, regarding the sticker residue on your cellular phone, try some soap and water. Guess what? I am even required to have one of those stickers on my phone.

Regards,

LPGuy

upsgrunt · 08-18-2007, 09:13 PM

Be careful! There are lots of drivers on here that will take the "milking the clock" comment the wrong way- I know I did. How many years did you deliver?

LPGuy · 08-18-2007, 09:30 PM

UPSGrunt,

I drove for less than one year. This was back when only NDA packages had tracking numbers. It amazes me that people do that job for 30 years. Make no mistake, it is definately a hard and demanding job. I still have bad dreams about being on a route that is not familiar to me. In my dream, I look at my watch and realize that I have spent an hour looking for an address that does not exist. Regarding the remark about "milking the clock", I was just joking, as I am sure that Harry Backman was joking about me being with the Gestapo.

Regards,

LPGuy