30 Over, Part 2

[MrFedEx]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a courier who had been 30 over on his 195, delivered everything, but was threatened with an OLCC because he didn't get a lunch. Since then, management dropped the OLCC.

Earlier this week, the same courier went out 36 stops over his 195, but this time he learned his lesson, which is to play the game according to their rules, and then watch the fun begin.

Anyway, he told them he'd need outbound help when he left the building, and then called and left messages twice that afternoon. At 1705, when he'd delivered his last stop, he started his break. When he arrived at the station extremely late, with lots of outbound MEM P1, he'd already missed the first shuttle, so they had to send a second shuttle. "Cost effective" and service effective too, because I don't think the freight made the plane. Plus, the rookie shuttle driver probably drove like a crazy person trying to make it to the ramp. Oh yes, he had to take a rider so they could use the carpool lane. More wasted $$$.

What a smart person this courier has become. By doing exactly what he was told to do, management had to eat a second shuttle that probably never made the aircraft. Bad for the customer, bad for the station, but good for this courier who had already almost been burned by doing the right thing. By turning-off his brain and thinking like management, he did all the "right" things yet had an awful result. Wow, what a surprise.

That's what happens when you treat employees like children and take away their discretion on how best to do the job. In a highly variable position (courier), blanket rules and policies never make sense because so much can happen during the day to change the scenario. There are exceptions, but employees will generally rise to the occasion if given the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, at FedEx, you must lower your intelligence to their level just to keep your job.

When penny-pinching morons take the helm, the ship is probably going to crash. Eventually, it will crash hard enough to sink. What will the morons do? Keep pushing for more compliance, more group-think, and less reliance on individual job skill and intelligence. The RMS Titanic steams onward.

 

[vantexan]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a courier who had been 30 over on his 195, delivered everything, but was threatened with an OLCC because he didn't get a lunch. Since then, management dropped the OLCC.

Earlier this week, the same courier went out 36 stops over his 195, but this time he learned his lesson, which is to play the game according to their rules, and then watch the fun begin.

Anyway, he told them he'd need outbound help when he left the building, and then called and left messages twice that afternoon. At 1705, when he'd delivered his last stop, he started his break. When he arrived at the station extremely late, with lots of outbound MEM P1, he'd already missed the first shuttle, so they had to send a second shuttle. "Cost effective" and service effective too, because I don't think the freight made the plane. Plus, the rookie shuttle driver probably drove like a crazy person trying to make it to the ramp. Oh yes, he had to take a rider so they could use the carpool lane. More wasted $$$.

What a smart person this courier has become. By doing exactly what he was told to do, management had to eat a second shuttle that probably never made the aircraft. Bad for the customer, bad for the station, but good for this courier who had already almost been burned by doing the right thing. By turning-off his brain and thinking like management, he did all the "right" things yet had an awful result. Wow, what a surprise.

That's what happens when you treat employees like children and take away their discretion on how best to do the job. In a highly variable position (courier), blanket rules and policies never make sense because so much can happen during the day to change the scenario. There are exceptions, but employees will generally rise to the occasion if given the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, at FedEx, you must lower your intelligence to their level just to keep your job.

When penny-pinching morons take the helm, the ship is probably going to crash. Eventually, it will crash hard enough to sink. What will the morons do? Keep pushing for more compliance, more group-think, and less reliance on individual job skill and intelligence. The RMS Titanic steams onward.

We were told the other day to not REX any cellphone pkgs. Bring them to CSA. Next day had one that used east instead of west on address. Very small town, people on east side of street knew recipient, pointed out his house. 03ed and returned to station.

 

[quadro]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a courier who had been 30 over on his 195, delivered everything, but was threatened with an OLCC because he didn't get a lunch. Since then, management dropped the OLCC.

Earlier this week, the same courier went out 36 stops over his 195, but this time he learned his lesson, which is to play the game according to their rules, and then watch the fun begin.

Anyway, he told them he'd need outbound help when he left the building, and then called and left messages twice that afternoon. At 1705, when he'd delivered his last stop, he started his break. When he arrived at the station extremely late, with lots of outbound MEM P1, he'd already missed the first shuttle, so they had to send a second shuttle. "Cost effective" and service effective too, because I don't think the freight made the plane. Plus, the rookie shuttle driver probably drove like a crazy person trying to make it to the ramp. Oh yes, he had to take a rider so they could use the carpool lane. More wasted $$$.

What a smart person this courier has become. By doing exactly what he was told to do, management had to eat a second shuttle that probably never made the aircraft. Bad for the customer, bad for the station, but good for this courier who had already almost been burned by doing the right thing. By turning-off his brain and thinking like management, he did all the "right" things yet had an awful result. Wow, what a surprise.

That's what happens when you treat employees like children and take away their discretion on how best to do the job. In a highly variable position (courier), blanket rules and policies never make sense because so much can happen during the day to change the scenario. There are exceptions, but employees will generally rise to the occasion if given the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, at FedEx, you must lower your intelligence to their level just to keep your job.

When penny-pinching morons take the helm, the ship is probably going to crash. Eventually, it will crash hard enough to sink. What will the morons do? Keep pushing for more compliance, more group-think, and less reliance on individual job skill and intelligence. The RMS Titanic steams onward.

Curious how he did exactly what he was told to do. Was he told to go out 36 over? Was he told to take his break at 1705? Not being facetious just trying to fill in some other info. Doing what you're told to do (i.e. doing what you're trained to do) is to take out what the 195 says. Of course, you can take out more as long as it makes sense to do so. Your station must really have a piss poor management team or some piss poor couriers or both. 36 stops over is about 2 to 3 hours of work (on the average) so if you would normally get done at 2pm and your reload starts at 6:30 pm, it normally isn't an issue. Obviously not the case in your example. Shame on the managers and the dispatchers for allowing other routes to clear when this courier needed help. And shame on the managers for not adjusting the work before leaving the building.

 

[LTFedExer]

This is making me think. Why would a 30+ year employee put himself in that situation to begin with? I'm sure he's seen this happen to someone before.I don't know a single veteran courier that would, or could, go out with that many more stops and not have problems. I've had more than 1 SM tell me, "Drop what you have to and let the managers worry about it, that's what they get paid for" Either the management of that station is worse than I'm thinking they are or there is more to the story.

 

[MrFedEx]

Curious how he did exactly what he was told to do. Was he told to go out 36 over? Was he told to take his break at 1705? Not being facetious just trying to fill in some other info. Doing what you're told to do (i.e. doing what you're trained to do) is to take out what the 195 says. Of course, you can take out more as long as it makes sense to do so. Your station must really have a piss poor management team or some piss poor couriers or both. 36 stops over is about 2 to 3 hours of work (on the average) so if you would normally get done at 2pm and your reload starts at 6:30 pm, it normally isn't an issue. Obviously not the case in your example. Shame on the managers and the dispatchers for allowing other routes to clear when this courier needed help. And shame on the managers for not adjusting the work before leaving the building.

Management knew he was 36 over, and everyone else in his loop was in a similar situation. I don't know their stop counts, but they were all over 195's by a significant amount. His choices boiled-down to either blowing-off his break (again) and risking a letter, bringing back Code 1's, or doing what he did. Piss-poor management, because these are all good couriers. Some are excellent. No "B" team members.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Two questions--what is a 195 and what is a REX?

 

[quadro]

Two questions--what is a 195 and what is a REX?

195 is the number of the report that is used to show how many stops a courier should go out with and what time they should be back in the building. Along with a few other things on it. A REX is a revenue exception. It's a scan that's done if an address or service, etc needs changing on a package. Normally results in a revenue change, hence the name.

 

[quadro]

Management knew he was 36 over, and everyone else in his loop was in a similar situation. I don't know their stop counts, but they were all over 195's by a significant amount. His choices boiled-down to either blowing-off his break (again) and risking a letter, bringing back Code 1's, or doing what he did. Piss-poor management, because these are all good couriers. Some are excellent. No "B" team members.

Could he have not done what you are supposed to do and drop the extra stops before leaving the building? I realize his manager probably said to just take them, but at least the 195 would show him going out way over capacity and would help protect him from any discipline should he have code 1's or late return to building. You said he twice left messages. Did he send dispatch a message that he needed help?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

195 is the number of the report that is used to show how many stops a courier should go out with and what time they should be back in the building. Along with a few other things on it. A REX is a revenue exception. It's a scan that's done if an address or service, etc needs changing on a package. Normally results in a revenue change, hence the name.

Thanks.

 

[MrFedEx]

Could he have not done what you are supposed to do and drop the extra stops before leaving the building? I realize his manager probably said to just take them, but at least the 195 would show him going out way over capacity and would help protect him from any discipline should he have code 1's or late return to building. You said he twice left messages. Did he send dispatch a message that he needed help?

He left messages on the managers' cell phones and also made a PowerPad notification/request to dispatch. He was not allowed to leave any stops behind, nor were any of the other couriers in the loop. IMO, one of the managers should have had them drop a baseline route that he (the manager) could deliver himself. At the very least, one of them should have done a meetpoint for the outbound. Neither manager went on-road that day. All of these couriers are 10+ year employees who are very good at what they do, so competency wasn't an issue.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

Nice to know that Fedex and UPS management think alike. I thought it was just UPS.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Nice to know that Fedex and UPS management think alike. I thought it was just UPS.

I can't speak for other centers/depots, but in my center our mgt team makes it a priority that all outbound freight make service by sending out messages and setting up meet points if needed.

The OP did the right thing the first time and was chastised for it. The OP took his break and lunch the second time and the customers suffered as their outbound did not make service. The mgt team was clearly at fault in both cases.

 

[LTFedExer]

Management knew he was 36 over, and everyone else in his loop was in a similar situation. I don't know their stop counts, but they were all over 195's by a significant amount. His choices boiled-down to either blowing-off his break (again) and risking a letter, bringing back Code 1's, or doing what he did. Piss-poor management, because these are all good couriers. Some are excellent. No "B" team members.

We have one particular loop that this happens to every now and again. 9/10 times there's either a PT willing to volunteer or a baseline is stuck in there. Sounds like this loop has a manager that plans poorly.

Could he have not done what you are supposed to do and drop the extra stops before leaving the building? I realize his manager probably said to just take them, but at least the 195 would show him going out way over capacity and would help protect him from any discipline should he have code 1's or late return to building. You said he twice left messages. Did he send dispatch a message that he needed help?

He left messages on the managers' cell phones and also made a PowerPad notification/request to dispatch. He was not allowed to leave any stops behind, nor were any of the other couriers in the loop. IMO, one of the managers should have had them drop a baseline route that he (the manager) could deliver himself. At the very least, one of them should have done a meetpoint for the outbound. Neither manager went on-road that day. All of these couriers are 10+ year employees who are very good at what they do, so competency wasn't an issue.

Tough situation. After the first time, I would have asked "If this happens again, what would you like me to do?". DEFINITELY should do it now. I guess I'm glad the outbound stuff needed a 2nd shuttle. Try and cover that up.

What's the SM like? If he's anything like, what it sounds like, the managers sounds like...........this could end up bad if it keeps happening. If he's a good one, loop/manager/SM should sit down together and get a plan in place.

I wonder what would have happened if he had dropped anyway?

 

[MrFedEx]

I can't speak for other centers/depots, but in my center our mgt team makes it a priority that all outbound freight make service by sending out messages and setting up meet points if needed.

The OP did the right thing the first time and was chastised for it. The OP took his break and lunch the second time and the customers suffered as their outbound did not make service. The mgt team was clearly at fault in both cases.

At FedEx, outbound always has the priority. On rare occasions, like weather emergencies, dispatch will actually send a message directing everyone to essentially stop delivering and concentrate on pickups only. Someone asked about the Senior Manager at the station I'm talking about, and in my opinion he's completely incompetent. What covers him is that his station has a huge number of bulk stops, which have always been a means for management to look good even if they're morons. Let's compare a big urban station with multiple inbound bulk shipments and a much smaller suburban station which has very few bulks. An overall high service level is a lot easier for the big station manager to achieve, because as long as he makes sure those bulks get-off on time, his ass is covered for service.