A question for mechanics

[GuyinBrown]

I'm curious to know if you guys are generally aware of which routes are the "training routes" in the centers. The reason I ask is this... My route is a training route and in the last 17 months they've used it to train 4 different drivers. In that timespan, they've also had to repair or replace the clutch just as many times. After being off of the route for a week, they didn't have the volume to work him on Monday and Tuesday of last week ( according to them... ) so I was back on my route. I noticed the clutch felt a little different, but I attributed that to being in a different truck for a while. It also would occasionally pop out of 5th gear when I let out the clutch, so I wrote it up. Friday night they pulled it out of the lineup for it's latest rebuild ( 4th ) and it's also scheduled for transmission work. Of course, the trainees leave it to me to write the truck up every time. One of them had the clutch slipping so badly by the time I got back on my route, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get it off the boxline.... Anyway, I rarely see the mechanic that works on my truck ( great guy by the way ) but I'm beginning to feel obligated to seek him out and say "Hey, it's not me!!" Nobody from the shop has said anything to me, but I'm wondering if they're over there thinking, "WTF is this guy doing to the truck??"

 

[02hawk]

I had a part time sup. train on my rte a few years back,all i know is when i got the rte back I could not go over 25 mph.I turned around,brought the truck back(ctr mgr was pissed).The body was coming off the frame.And also the engine was replaced while sup. had it.

 

[DorkHead]

I`m sure the mechanic knows its not you by the signature on the car condition report.

 

[DS]

Good idea for a thread Guyinbrown.I`ve been driving the same p800 for about 10 years now.Its got around 520,000 kilometers on it and every time I go on va-ca or take a day off,they mess up the clutch/tranny.
This is a pretty tough truck,and it almost seems to me that someone would have to deliberatley try to mess it up! I know everyone has different driving habits but come on now.
Just like you my mechanic is great,and I often wondered if he thought
it was me that keeps screwing up the tranny.

 

[GuyinBrown]

I`m sure the mechanic knows its not you by the signature on the car condition report.

Well that's just it... they won't write the truck up for anything. I end up having to write it up when I get back on the route.

I mean, it's not that big of a deal, I'm not worried about getting in trouble or anything. I know what's going on and so does management. I was just curious if the mechanics were generally aware of where the newer drivers were training.

 

[Pip]

I try to have a good working relationship with the drivers. The center I'm in is small enough that I can mingle with the drivers and over time you pretty much have a good idea of ones driving habits. You can tell who takes care of the car and those that don't. I can usually tell when a driver is on vacation, just by the writeups i get... or don't get.

Knowing the history of these cars and drivers, you can tell when somebody else is in them.

 

[hondo]

Pip (or any other mechanics), what series Allisons are in the new package cars? 1000, 2000, or 3000 series? Any other auto units used-ZF,Aisin-seiki,Jatco,etc?

 

[Pip]

Hondo, I can't speak company wide, but the Allison 1000, 2000 are used in my center for the most part. Probably pushing close to 60% of our fleet is running the Allison with a lot of success. The drivers love them. I'm not having to rebuild a tranny and clutch package every other year. I can put my efforts elsewhere.

About the only problems I have seen up to date with the Allison has been do to shifter cables and the neutral safety switches needing replaced. Far as the internal tranny parts, it has been bullet proof so far to date.

 

[scratch]

My '06 P7 has the Allison Trans in it too, I think it is a 2000 Series and is a 5-Speed. For the most part I love it, but if you shift too fast, it will ocassionally miss going in gear. This usually happens at the worst possible time, like trying to put it in Reverse in heavy traffic to back into a stop. I have to put it into Park and shift into gear again. Back when I drove a straight-shift, I never burnt up a clutch, although I did break off a shifter handle twice and also had a transmission lockup once in a P5. Off topic a little, but for the folks new to the automatics, be aware that they will can possibly miss gear if you shift too fast.

 

[dragracer66]

In big center's such as mine we are saying (wtf) because there are so many driver's we never know who is in what or who is being trained in what. But I have noticed since working day's now that I do see sup's training people in automatic's which was a request that we suggested at a driver safety meeting that we attend. Maybe some of you other mechanic's on here should try to go to there meeting's also and maybe suggest the same thing by putting these new people in automatic's. But to answer the other question the allison 3000 is in our new big block P-1000.

 

[upsdude]

I try to have a good working relationship with the drivers. The center I'm in is small enough that I can mingle with the drivers and over time you pretty much have a good idea of ones driving habits. You can tell who takes care of the car and those that don't. I can usually tell when a driver is on vacation, just by the writeups i get... or don't get.

Knowing the history of these cars and drivers, you can tell when somebody else is in them.

…………………….and the drivers need to maintain a good relationship with their mechanic. I try and talk to my mechanic before I write up a non-safety issue. If I can’t talk to him first I begin the write up with “When Time Permits”. Let’s remember folks, the mechanics are just as “worked” as we are. Most of us can’t handle anymore work, neither can the mechanics.

UPS Mechanics, BEST in the Business!

 

[Channahon]

A clutch is not a footrest, which can be a security blanket to a new driver. Just don't want to stall the truck in traffic.

And even the slightest pressure on the clutch will wear it out, even in your personal car.

UPS mechanics are the best

 

[ExupserNaples]

Drag, I understand your point but its flawed. Lets put a new hire in a newer car with an automatic and put the 20 year driver in a pos 800. NOT

 

[dragracer66]

Drag, I understand your point but its flawed. Lets put a new hire in a newer car with an automatic and put the 20 year driver in a pos 800. NOT

I'm not saying it's going to be forever just during the training period. We have a training car that's just for newby's and it's a automatic...

 

[toonertoo]

I cant see how putting a newby in an automatic does anything besides save a clutch. It doesnt teach them how it needs to be done with a standard. And that is what they need to learn. Anyone can jump in an auto and go. You need to learn the hard first. Just call it job security.

 

[ExupserNaples]

Well said tooner.

 

[DS]

I cant see how putting a newby in an automatic does anything besides save a clutch. It doesnt teach them how it needs to be done with a standard. And that is what they need to learn. Anyone can jump in an auto and go. You need to learn the hard first. Just call it job security.

I agree ,I`m still drivin a p8 and they should be training in my car and give me a fresh one.

 

[RockyRogue]

I agree ,I`m still drivin a p8 and they should be training in my car and give me a fresh one.

ANYONE that drives a P8 (high step 8)...you have my deep respect. I rode in one as a helper and I couldn't believe the thing still ran! My driver said he'd been driving the thing for 3 or 4 months and hadn't had a problem with his back or shoulders but that probably changed after our blizzards. I saw him last week ago and he was still driving the same truck. He told me the new cars the center is getting are either too big or too small for his route. He thought management would wait to give him a new car til the d*mn thing died on him in traffic! -Rocky

 

[dragracer66]

I cant see how putting a newby in an automatic does anything besides save a clutch. It doesnt teach them how it needs to be done with a standard. And that is what they need to learn. Anyone can jump in an auto and go. You need to learn the hard first. Just call it job security.

Tooner...You make it sound like changing a clutch is no big deal, no problem go to your mechanic and tell him you want to do the next clutch job on a spicer tran's and let's see how you feel afterward!!! We have job security with driver's having accident's, rubbing curb's and popping tire's, breaking and bending mirror's, roofing truck's on low bridge's and tree limb's, riding the brake pedal, stopping the truck with the hand brake, should I go on? We don't need the security this company hire's enough idiot's to keep us going for a long time. I'm not saying all driver's are idiot's most of you guy's are GREAT!! but it seem's like lately that hasn't been the norm. Automatic's are the future that's what they need to learn how to use!!! No clutch's to wear out, park brake's don't get ripped out the back of the tran's and no over revving the engine causing it to blow up!!!

 

[over9five]

"Automatic's are the future that's what they need to learn how to use!!!"

Don't you think the older in seniority people should get the nice cars? As a mechanic, you have no concept of how much wear and tear your body takes after years of driving some POS. It seems to me, UPS tests your driving on a standard before they hire you. If you can't drive a standard, you shouldn't be here.

The new guys can do their time in a POS, just like we all had to.