add cuts and edd

browniehound

Well-Known Member
When your dumb dispatch sups do the add cuts do they put yours in order in your trace or do they just dump them into the 8000 section and expect you to make your own route? When it is a route I know it's not as annoying but when covering a route I don't know it's always nice finding 8 businesses in the 8000 section then being told it's your fault because you should have seen it while sorting your truck....

You should then feed them this line that they fed us when PAS/EDD first came out: You will not need to sort your truck now. We are asking you to do an extra 10-20 stops now but it won't matter because you will not need to sort your truck now. The packages will be loaded stop for stop.

"How can it be my fault because I should have seen the businesses when I was sorting the truck when I'm not supposed to sort the truck because you don't give me a time allowance to sort the truck and I now have 10-20 more stops to do because I gained all that time because I don't have to sort the truck?"

As we all know the reality is we still have to sort and we spend too much time searching for packages (some are there and some are not) and we still get the extra 10-20 stops. So, as usuall its the driver who has to fix the mis-management problems.

All this could be avoided if the dispatch sup simply put businesses where they belong in the load. If they want us to follow trace, then why would put business at the end of the trace? In what other world could this possibly be the driver's fault. Its like they constantly want their cake and eat it too and then have it cleaned up too.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Why can't you alter certain number breaks in a DOL? For example: we want to run the even side of the main street in a neighbourhood but the odd on the way out.

You absolutely can write the loop this way. Every address has a sequence number assigned to it creating the order. DMS follows that order rain or shine. If your route needs to be re-written that happens in the DPS system, DPS is where plans are altered before preload starting. Your dispatcher gets measured on how well trace is followed they should want it to flow as best as possible and be willing to change it.

Ha!! Asking ours to fix anything is like asking him to move Heaven and Earth. It was the same with the previous dispatcher too.
 

cosmo1

Perhaps.
Staff member
First, business shouldn't be moved willie nillie, only resi. Perhaps there was some exception like a normal bid route was cut due to a train missing. If it wasn't an extreme case it sounds like poor dispatching. I wonder if you have this happen on a regular basis?

I would love to shed some light on how add cuts work! Knowledge is power!
When you make a cut you have 3 options
BEG, DOL, END.
As an example, if I am cutting 20 resi stops from 22A to 22B if I select BEG it will throw all that work in the front, before all air/business. That's dumb and "obviously" not the right option. If I select DOL and the loop flows properly it will put this additional work in front or as the start of the 22B's normal resi. This should be the correct option, again if the loop is written decently. Lastly I can just say screw it and select END cause I don't care this will put the work at back, 8000 shelf and not be the right move. This is the perfect scenario and as we all know UPS doesn't like to be too effective.

Addcuts get complicated and messy FAST!
Let's say you are the 23C route and I need to give you those 20 resi stops from 22A. The wonderful DMS system sees 22 is before 23, so those 20 stops will be put in some silly spot that makes zero sense. Often the best option is to assign it END. Another thing that screws this process up is parts of the route being air then ground and other parts air and ground together, DMS just doesn't understand it.

Personally whenever I addcut and the work ends up in a stupid spot I make sure to give that driver a heads up...hey you have this split on the XXXX shelf, sorry.

TL,DR: You can't always assign the work in the right dol (edd) order, but usually you can assign it to a specific spot. If you encounter a problem especially reoccurring just let your dispatcher know. I really appreciate it when I mess something up and driver tells me so I'll be aware for the next time and problems can be fixed/avoided. You can't fix something you don't know it's broken.

You absolutely can write the loop this way. Every address has a sequence number assigned to it creating the order. DMS follows that order rain or shine. If your route needs to be re-written that happens in the DPS system, DPS is where plans are altered before preload starting. Your dispatcher gets measured on how well trace is followed they should want it to flow as best as possible and be willing to change it.


It looks to me as though you are a dispatch supe who actually cares about your job. Most of us have had to deal with dispatchers that just wanted to wrap the preload and go home. Kudos to you.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Precisely the reason why i reload my truck every morning. Idiot dispatchers and super idiot loaders. Yeah i know whats coming, your stupid for working for free. You could say that but i get that 45 min to an hour back through the day, bulljivin with customers or takin a quick break for a snack or a couple min on internet on phone. Im tellin ya its makes your day so much easier. No stress at all cause you know exactly where everything is at. You can go at a nice relaxed pace all day and not have to waste time looking for stuff all day. Add the fact that if you have to skip over a few things for an air or special account you can do it with ease cause your all set up super fatty in your truck. Im not lazy just a lil extra effort to have a stress free day for myself. WORD lol.

Its supposed to be set up that way without you touching a package. Its what they pay the loaders to do and its part of their job. Why does the pre-load management allow their employees to get away with very (and I stress VERY) sub-par, totally unacceptable job performance.

Can you just imagine if drivers performed as poorly as the pre-loader or the dispatch managment? We make one error and we're in the office.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
But as long as u work for free there is ZERO incentive to fix it. At least I u raise hell and put load quality unacceptable there is a slight chance something could get done.

Load quality unacceptable is one of the biggest tools we have. If I use it I notice the next day my load is better and often time the PT sups are even asking how it is. This puts them on a report and they perk up when it's used. I encourage all to use this tool.

Totally opposite for me. When I use "Load Quality Unacceptable" my pre-loader sabbotages my load the next day.

Don't you just love how some people deal with criticism and their own utter incompetence?
 

FilingBluesFL

Well-Known Member
As we all know the reality is we still have to sort and we spend too much time searching for packages (some are there and some are not) and we still get the extra 10-20 stops. So, as usuall its the driver who has to fix the mis-management problems..

That look on peoples face when they see the truck sitting out in front of their house for 5-10 minutes... and you walk out with nothing in your hands and drive away...

Priceless.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
First, business shouldn't be moved willie nillie, only resi. Perhaps there was some exception like a normal bid route was cut due to a train missing. If it wasn't an extreme case it sounds like poor dispatching. I wonder if you have this happen on a regular basis?

I would love to shed some light on how add cuts work! Knowledge is power!
When you make a cut you have 3 options
BEG, DOL, END.
As an example, if I am cutting 20 resi stops from 22A to 22B if I select BEG it will throw all that work in the front, before all air/business. That's dumb and "obviously" not the right option. If I select DOL and the loop flows properly it will put this additional work in front or as the start of the 22B's normal resi. This should be the correct option, again if the loop is written decently. Lastly I can just say screw it and select END cause I don't care this will put the work at back, 8000 shelf and not be the right move. This is the perfect scenario and as we all know UPS doesn't like to be too effective.

Addcuts get complicated and messy FAST!
Let's say you are the 23C route and I need to give you those 20 resi stops from 22A. The wonderful DMS system sees 22 is before 23, so those 20 stops will be put in some silly spot that makes zero sense. Often the best option is to assign it END. Another thing that screws this process up is parts of the route being air then ground and other parts air and ground together, DMS just doesn't understand it.

Personally whenever I addcut and the work ends up in a stupid spot I make sure to give that driver a heads up...hey you have this split on the XXXX shelf, sorry.

TL,DR: You can't always assign the work in the right dol (edd) order, but usually you can assign it to a specific spot. If you encounter a problem especially reoccurring just let your dispatcher know. I really appreciate it when I mess something up and driver tells me so I'll be aware for the next time and problems can be fixed/avoided. You can't fix something you don't know it's broken.

All that being said, why don't you just leave all the routes alone? In the days when your route was your route (remember those days) everything worked just fine and everything ran smoothly. So what if driver A is a little heavier than driver B? The total man hours it takes to deliver A and B is not going to change no matter how you split the work up and everybody earns the same wage so why the big to-do to get both drivers at 9 hours instead of leaving it alone and one driver work 8.5 and the other work 9.5? You're still paying 18 hours in labor each way.

Instead, now your causing all these problems and pissing away production profits with these add/cuts. Consistent costly add/cut mistakes like 1) them not being done at all by the pre-load and the drivers having to break trace to meet and switch the work, 2) the 1 or 2 packages the pre-loader can't find (in his own load for the good lord's sake. if he can't find his own packages how am i supposed to find them, lol) creating the scenario where two different UPS drivers are delivering to houses that are 100 yards apart, 3) an add/cut that contains a school (all the splits seem to have one) forcing the driver to break trace to make it by 5 and certainly not between 2-330, 4) the add/cut is not adjacent to the driver's route and he must drive through 1 or 2 other add/cut areas to get to the add/cut area they gave to him this day.

All these problems happen in every center everyday at UPS. Everyday!

And you write : "you can't always assign the work in the right dol order". Well, why don't you or somebody make it so you CAN. Fix or design the system so you can put it in the right dol order. Why wasn't it created right off the bat to be able to do that?

That's it for now.
 

_Mayday_

Yes Really
And you write : "you can't always assign the work in the right dol order". Well, why don't you or somebody make it so you CAN. Fix or design the system so you can put it in the right dol order. Why wasn't it created right off the bat to be able to do that?

That's it for now.

The right order specifically referring to a DOL that makes sense and that goes back to the DMS system having flaws. When the center manager tells me at 7:45 oh btw I forgot to let you know John Smith has an 8 hour day better pull some work off him sometimes you have to get creative which is a pretty way of saying not doing what will make other drivers happy. I don't like addcuts, the loaders don't like getting addcuts, I see them as a last resort and they shouldn't be a supplement to proper dispatching. Unfortunately I see dispatchers for the other centers in my building doing boat loads of them daily which is really just making up for the fact they didn't get in early enough before preload started to set a good plan.
 

_Mayday_

Yes Really
It looks to me as though you are a dispatch supe who actually cares about your job. Most of us have had to deal with dispatchers that just wanted to wrap the preload and go home. Kudos to you.

Thanks, I do care. I know there are some who don't give a shoot but I think there are plenty of not just dispatchers but I'll say situations daily where there isn't enough communication. Again it goes back to I can't fix something if I don't know it's broken.
 

TooTechie

Geek in Brown
All that being said, why don't you just leave all the routes alone? In the days when your route was your route (remember those days) everything worked just fine and everything ran smoothly. So what if driver A is a little heavier than driver B? The total man hours it takes to deliver A and B is not going to change no matter how you split the work up and everybody earns the same wage so why the big to-do to get both drivers at 9 hours instead of leaving it alone and one driver work 8.5 and the other work 9.5? You're still paying 18 hours in labor each way.

Your problem is that you think they are trying to level off workloads. The main reason we see crazy add cuts is from them cutting out routes being greedy. We shouldn't have more people over max on a Friday than a Tuesday when the volume is lower...
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
I don't pretend to know anything about being a dispatcher or how to most efficiently dispatch the routes or the # of routes to run as a function of volume. However with all these add/cuts it looks like to me they are spending way to much time and money to fix a problem that they don't ever end up fixing.

I would just make a plan and stay with it for better or worse. If the dispatcher is good at his job, over the course of the year his daily plan produce a profitable, steady result. And as time goes by he should get better at making his daily plan.

It would eliminate all the bullcrap waste that comes with all those add/cuts.

Somedays I see a stack of add/cuts 1/2 of an inch thick. Nothing good can come out of that. Can it?
 

_Mayday_

Yes Really
It would eliminate all the bullcrap waste that comes with all those add/cuts.

Somedays I see a stack of add/cuts 1/2 of an inch thick. Nothing good can come out of that. Can it?

The day is a comin' the plan is within the next 3-4 years to completely eliminate dispatchers. The computer will decide! IE will say here's the car level and the system will do it, no more dumb dispatchers putting 1 or 2 more routes out that number crunchers feel aren't good for their bottom line. More decisions being made by people in ivory towers with big calculators totally detached from reality.
 

oldngray

nowhere special
One thing that really messes up dispatch is the mandate of X stops per car. A route may be just a couple of stops below that and get 4 or 5 stops miles out of his way added just to meet that arbitrary number. And the original plan was with fewer miles and stops in same area. Stupid things like that make plans explode.
 

ORLY!?!

Master Loader
I don't pretend to know anything about being a dispatcher or how to most efficiently dispatch the routes or the # of routes to run as a function of volume. However with all these add/cuts it looks like to me they are spending way to much time and money to fix a problem that they don't ever end up fixing.

I would just make a plan and stay with it for better or worse. If the dispatcher is good at his job, over the course of the year his daily plan produce a profitable, steady result. And as time goes by he should get better at making his daily plan.

It would eliminate all the bullcrap waste that comes with all those add/cuts.

Somedays I see a stack of add/cuts 1/2 of an inch thick. Nothing good can come out of that. Can it?

UPS is great at creating huge problems for themselves, and then goes on blaming others for them.

I love getting those 3-5 page long add / cuts. Sometimes getting them at like 6:30 or 7am. I get at least one page long everyday. They take time away from dealing with cages. And some people are so feed up with handling something they already did, they choose not to do them.

I believe if dispatch is handing out that many add/cuts, as they do here as well, they need to be moved else where. They are just asking for problems.
 

cosmo1

Perhaps.
Staff member
The day is a comin' the plan is within the next 3-4 years to completely eliminate dispatchers. The computer will decide! IE will say here's the car level and the system will do it, no more dumb dispatchers putting 1 or 2 more routes out that number crunchers feel aren't good for their bottom line. More decisions being made by people in ivory towers with big calculators totally detached from reality.


​And once again I am sooooooo glad I'm gone.
 

_Mayday_

Yes Really
One thing that really messes up dispatch is the mandate of X stops per car. A route may be just a couple of stops below that and get 4 or 5 stops miles out of his way added just to meet that arbitrary number. And the original plan was with fewer miles and stops in same area. Stupid things like that make plans explode.

Amen, the SPC they want us to hit is effing ridiculous 3-7 SPC than last year, that's 1-3 less cars on road on any given day with the same or more volume/stops. The technology hasn't changed since last year, our building doesn't have Orion yet, so there isn't that excuse to fall back on. Just the other day I got into it with our IE number wizard telling him what do you expect more and more work you are asking for injuries and accidents. He got wide eyed and told me to keep my voice down. Such a joke.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
One thing that really messes up dispatch is the mandate of X stops per car. A route may be just a couple of stops below that and get 4 or 5 stops miles out of his way added just to meet that arbitrary number. And the original plan was with fewer miles and stops in same area. Stupid things like that make plans explode.

Amen, the SPC they want us to hit is effing ridiculous 3-7 SPC than last year, that's 1-3 less cars on road on any given day with the same or more volume/stops. The technology hasn't changed since last year, our building doesn't have Orion yet, so there isn't that excuse to fall back on. Just the other day I got into it with our IE number wizard telling him what do you expect more and more work you are asking for injuries and accidents. He got wide eyed and told me to keep my voice down. Such a joke.

IE is the biggest problem at UPS. Among many.
 

FilingBluesFL

Well-Known Member
I figure you guys would like this:

Center Manager told me this morning, "Your route is on x belt, here's an add cut, go put it behind your car before you leave."

So I get up to the belt, and I ask him, "Hey, where is this car at?" "It's this one, right here, now go in that car, and pull that work off, so you can get going." "Ummmm... are you SURE???" "Yes, take those packages off, and put them under the belt..."

So I went into the car, pulled off the work, and said "OK, all the work that you told me to take off is here." As I said that, the drivers who's car that was came walking up. "Um... this is my car." "Nope, he said specifically that this is my route, even asked him twice, and he told me to take THIS work off of THIS car."

So the center manager is just staring at me with his mouth open... "So, now that I've pulled this work off... are you SUUUURRREEEEE this is the car I'm taking out??" "uhhhh uhhhh uhhh uhhhhh.... I don't know, hold on, I need to find your car..."
:funny:
 

tiredofhelping

Well-Known Member
I remember about a year ago, went into work and it looked more chaotic than usual. My on-road then tells me that they had to bust out a route at 8:30 cause they were 1/2 SPC under where they were supposed to be. A HALF STOP. I asked him about all the different apartment and suites that have the same address bringing up the average. He says 'I know that, and you know that' but we have to take it out'.... Face palm...
 
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