340 Methods

atatbl

Well-Known Member
Many stories shared on this board focus on disciplinary action taken by management due to drivers not following proper methods.

I've been through driver's training recently. Technically speaking, none of the material memorized is technically a method. For example, the ten point commentary is in the 340 methods (spread out), but a single method is NOT "follow ten point commentary while on road." This may or may not have to do with the answers to the questions I pose, but for some reason I felt the need to preface my questions with it.

During five days of DIAD training, not ONE single element of it was considered a method PER the ACTUAL modules. Yet, I assume proper DIAD procedure is part of the 340. Furthermore, if you broke down DIAD procedure (just from these simple modules) there would be roughly 300 "methods" in the DIAD alone. Clearly, the 340 CANNOT cover proper DIAD usage. Isn't it possible for a driver to be reprimanded for making errors with his/her DIAD? On average, if you do fail to use your DIAD properly, is it "forgiven" the first time with just a T/W that says "Don't do this anymore, do it this way"? Or, could you possibly get suspended?

So..... my questions continue. This question usually seems to be one of two things: stupid or loaded. Hear me out though. Are the 340 methods something you are held accountable to every day? Obviously, methods dictate your livelihood at UPS. However, who here knows the 340? *<-- Hold on, I will get to this later.* To further elaborate..... one method is NOT parking directly in front of driveways.

Why is this? Because civilians hit UPS trucks while they are backing out of their own driveways on a daily basis. Normally, the first thing the person says is "I didn't see you there." Obviously, the psychology here is basic: they have pulled from their driveway 50,000 times without you there, when you are there, you are not really there to them. Stupid or not, it will continue to happen whether we call them idiots or not, so I would rather not. NOW, I know center manager's and on-car sups that tell drivers to do EXACTLY the opposite. Their goal: the exact same as the method's. --> To make sure the truck doesn't get hit. The logic is "how in the hell could someone possibly do a straight back into a brown wall?

When you park your car in front of a driveway and it gets hit, will you get fired as pretense to not following methods? Keep in mind, you did not follow UPS methods and your center manager certainly did not put his/her "method" in writing for you. See what I mean? What happens here?

So who the hell knows the 340? I know why UPS does not want to make 340 methods required knowledge. We would lose half the drivers. Let alone, how long can a human retain that many methods? I would have them partially memorized for a week and then I would know about 20 of them a week later.

But why limit access to them? Why not put them on UPSers with 10 point, 8 keys, 5 keys, 5 seeing habits, etc., etc.? Why do you have to be an on-car sup and go to POST to be able to get them? I know, I know... some of you have gotten them. There are exceptions to every rule. To those of you that have liberated those note cards and think everyone can get them, do something for me. Go into your center next time you work and get all the other drivers in the center to ask for the note cards simultaneously or on the same day. Then come back here and tell me what your center team's response was. You will have plenty of time to type on here, if you know what I mean.
 

Leftinbuilding

Well-Known Member
Many stories shared on this board focus on disciplinary action taken by management due to drivers not following proper methods.

I've been through driver's training recently. Technically speaking, none of the material memorized is technically a method. For example, the ten point commentary is in the 340 methods (spread out), but a single method is NOT "follow ten point commentary while on road." This may or may not have to do with the answers to the questions I pose, but for some reason I felt the need to preface my questions with it.

During five days of DIAD training, not ONE single element of it was considered a method PER the ACTUAL modules. Yet, I assume proper DIAD procedure is part of the 340. Furthermore, if you broke down DIAD procedure (just from these simple modules) there would be roughly 300 "methods" in the DIAD alone. Clearly, the 340 CANNOT cover proper DIAD usage. Isn't it possible for a driver to be reprimanded for making errors with his/her DIAD? On average, if you do fail to use your DIAD properly, is it "forgiven" the first time with just a T/W that says "Don't do this anymore, do it this way"? Or, could you possibly get suspended?

So..... my questions continue. This question usually seems to be one of two things: stupid or loaded. Hear me out though. Are the 340 methods something you are held accountable to every day? Obviously, methods dictate your livelihood at UPS. However, who here knows the 340? *<-- Hold on, I will get to this later.* To further elaborate..... one method is NOT parking directly in front of driveways.

Why is this? Because civilians hit UPS trucks while they are backing out of their own driveways on a daily basis. Normally, the first thing the person says is "I didn't see you there." Obviously, the psychology here is basic: they have pulled from their driveway 50,000 times without you there, when you are there, you are not really there to them. Stupid or not, it will continue to happen whether we call them idiots or not, so I would rather not. NOW, I know center manager's and on-car sups that tell drivers to do EXACTLY the opposite. Their goal: the exact same as the method's. --> To make sure the truck doesn't get hit. The logic is "how in the hell could someone possibly do a straight back into a brown wall?

When you park your car in front of a driveway and it gets hit, will you get fired as pretense to not following methods? Keep in mind, you did not follow UPS methods and your center manager certainly did not put his/her "method" in writing for you. See what I mean? What happens here?

So who the hell knows the 340? I know why UPS does not want to make 340 methods required knowledge. We would lose half the drivers. Let alone, how long can a human retain that many methods? I would have them partially memorized for a week and then I would know about 20 of them a week later.

But why limit access to them? Why not put them on UPSers with 10 point, 8 keys, 5 keys, 5 seeing habits, etc., etc.? Why do you have to be an on-car sup and go to POST to be able to get them? I know, I know... some of you have gotten them. There are exceptions to every rule. To those of you that have liberated those note cards and think everyone can get them, do something for me. Go into your center next time you work and get all the other drivers in the center to ask for the note cards simultaneously or on the same day. Then come back here and tell me what your center team's response was. You will have plenty of time to type on here, if you know what I mean.

Could you repeat the question? :happy2:
 

DS

Fenderbender
I would love to see the list of all 340 methods.
I remember a few I think about from time to time...
how about"thumbs up" its to remind you not to drive with your thumbs in the steering wheel.Have you ever seen that sucker spin when you hit a curb on a weird angle?Or how about"never back in to a residential driveway"...I'd like to hear them all
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
There aren't 340 "Methods", thats just the name of the booklet that IE put together to describe step by step how to do a Package Driver's job. The Pretrip would take twice as long as what we have AM time for. I have a copy of the "340 Methods", but it is from the early 80's when I started driving. I understand it has been updated because of all the technolgy that has happened since.

A lot of the Safety Lists are on UPSers.com. Look under "My Workspace", then "Health and Safety", and "Safety Focus".
 

BigBrownSanta

Well-Known Member
I also have a booklet entitled Package Delivery and Pickup Methods. Nowhere in it it does it refer to 340. This one's dated 1993 and has a picture of diad 1 on the cover. I found it in the pouch of my truck a few years ago along with a notebook for QSC. Does anyone remember that program?

BTW, pretrip (in this booklet) has 34 steps.
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
There aren't 340 "Methods", thats just the name of the booklet that IE put together to describe step by step how to do a Package Driver's job. The Pretrip would take twice as long as what we have AM time for. I have a copy of the "340 Methods", but it is from the early 80's when I started driving. I understand it has been updated because of all the technolgy that has happened since.

A lot of the Safety Lists are on UPSers.com. Look under "My Workspace", then "Health and Safety", and "Safety Focus".
I was going through the '340' methods earlier this year with a sup that is no longer here. We never did make all the way through the manual. He left before we were done. He was supposed to give me a copy which he didn't do. LOL
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
Volume 3,
Chapter 40.
Methods of delivery.
1980's edition even tells you when to put your pen in your pocket.
The pre-trip list takes 2.5 minutes to read and much longer to do properly.
340 is an abbreviation, not an numerical.
 

atatbl

Well-Known Member
Alright, let me clear something up. There ARE 340 methods. The only format I have seen them in, or even heard of them in are note cards. They are VERY real :). If any of your on-car sups have been moved/promoted to on-car sup in the last 3 years (maybe even longer) they knew these methods very well in their week long training for on-car sup. However, this training is usually done AFTER they have been on-car for quite sometime.

Also, the pre-trip falls into another category (like the DIAD). To make this perfectly clear: UPS policy holds 47 elements to a pre-trip. It is your management team's choice as to how many of those affect you. Here is why: There are only 9 elements to a DOT pre-trip (8 if you dont have a trailer or other coupling device). Its that simple. 47 is what UPS came up with. I am sure we could debate for years as to exactly why they did this.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
.. Isn't it possible for a driver to be reprimanded for making errors with his/her DIAD? On average, if you do fail to use your DIAD properly, is it "forgiven" the first time with just a T/W that says "Don't do this anymore, do it this way"? Or, could you possibly get suspended?

DIAD errors will generally only warrant a discussion with on on-car for further training but may advance to a T/W if similar errors persist.

When you park your car in front of a driveway and it gets hit, will you get fired as pretense to not following methods?

Depends but I would bet that you would have a couple of days without pay rather than lose your job.
 
J

jeblatz

Guest
There are not 340 methods. It is Section 340 in the manual I.E. came up with to describe delivery procedure. The reason why UPS does not share a copy of the procedures with drivers is because it can be used against the company on three day rides, arbitration cases etc. If a driver learns all those methods and truly follows all of them including a full pretrip, the day will be a very long one. And yes, this is hypocritical.
 

atatbl

Well-Known Member
There are not 340 methods. It is Section 340 in the manual I.E. came up with to describe delivery procedure. The reason why UPS does not share a copy of the procedures with drivers is because it can be used against the company on three day rides, arbitration cases etc. If a driver learns all those methods and truly follows all of them including a full pretrip, the day will be a very long one. And yes, this is hypocritical.

Dammit. I figured this was the answer. Why is it that it always has to be from someone anonymous that can't really back it up. Not saying you are wrong. But by definition its kind of a 'conspiracy' and therefore cannot be proven wrong or right.

I once heard that appeals from the union built on "methods defenses" (saying the driver was following trained methods) never held up. Yet, whenever I hear a manager talking about discipline it will most certainly involves the words "he/she didn't follow the methods".

What the hell?
 

Forty6and2

I'm Broken
the reason they are called the 340 methods is because when UPS started using them there actually were 3hundred and forty of them. they have since been updated and there are actually more than 340 now, but the name remained the same.
 

Coldworld

60 months and counting
I have sups that say say the methods are "guidelines". But to fire you for not doing one method...come on. Has anyone ever known a driver to be fired for not doing one method??
 

JustTired

free at last.......
I had 1 method that served me well for 25 years. Deliver and/or pickup the customers pkg in a timely, professional manner as safely as possible.

Of course, this method would have put a lot of people out of work. Those that think up and write out rules...and those that run around trying to catch you breaking them.
 
There are not 340 methods. It is Section 340 in the manual I.E. came up with to describe delivery procedure. The reason why UPS does not share a copy of the procedures with drivers is because it can be used against the company on three day rides, arbitration cases etc. If a driver learns all those methods and truly follows all of them including a full pretrip, the day will be a very long one. And yes, this is hypocritical.

If you don't know the facts...don't be hypocritical...I.E. did not create the 340 methods. They were accumulated by drivers as suggestions on the best way to deliver and pick-up, ect. during the day. I sure someone from management or I.E could expand upon this. How about it pretzelman?
 

beentheredonethat

Well-Known Member
If you don't know the facts...don't be hypocritical...I.E. did not create the 340 methods. They were accumulated by drivers as suggestions on the best way to deliver and pick-up, ect. during the day. I sure someone from management or I.E could expand upon this. How about it pretzelman?

You're exactly right, these methods were written down over a period of time after observing drivers out on the road and seeing what they did right and wrong. For example, one driver may have put his keys in his pocket and 5 times that day he spent time getting them after sitting down and it taking a few extra seconds here or there to get the keys. Then they see the driver that kept the keys on his pinky finger of his non dominant hand. Never any extra time digging for keys in pocket etc. Hence one of the 340 methods.
 

UPSGUY72

Well-Known Member
If you followed all the methods everyday you never finish your route. Of course you follow them as best you can. I don't even know all the methods. They don't teach you them as methods. They are call things like 10 point commentary, 5 keys to slips and fall, etc.
 
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