Any advice to make it as a Full-Time Driver from the more experienced drivers?

Brownpride816

Well-Known Member
I am on my second week of training for a permanent FT driver, my Sup says i am doing good. I am really trying to make it. any advice?. I have been doing great, I get all my air on time, I am getting better with my deliveries (area knowledge) and my pick ups are always good, for some reason the part that I am not good at at all is getting out the building! the carts are parked so damn close I am afraid Im going to scrape my vehicle with the one next to me, mt sup always helps me and other drivers laugh at me. how can i get better?

thank you .

and my respect to all of you, driving is no joke.
 

Ouch

Well-Known Member
Let them laugh. Dont let someones arrogance laugh you out of a job. Dont do the bad habits your training supervisor showed you. He can get away with cheating the system you on the other can not.
 

Jackburton

Gone Fish'n
Screw them, let them laugh if they want but hitting anything while making book is a sure fire way to be disqualified. Keep doing what your doing and don't worry about what they think, they aren't going to pay your bills if you get sent back to the hub. You're doing just fine, keep it between the lines, doing what your doing.
 

opie

Well-Known Member
I'm just an air driver, but I used to have the same problems. Just inch your car forward, and pull your mirrors out as soon as you have room. And use your mirrors to see your way out. I've seen guys grind the sides of their truck on their way out, even break a mirror.
 

downtime8763

Well-Known Member
My advice is to not let your self get into a rut as that's when thing can happen. Do the methods work smart not FAST and remember work as if you have to do this for THIRTY years. Retirement is what you make of it ! :)
 
I am on my second week of training for a permanent FT driver, my Sup says i am doing good. I am really trying to make it. any advice?. I have been doing great, I get all my air on time, I am getting better with my deliveries (area knowledge) and my pick ups are always good, for some reason the part that I am not good at at all is getting out the building! the carts are parked so damn close I am afraid Im going to scrape my vehicle with the one next to me, mt sup always helps me and other drivers laugh at me. how can i get better?

thank you .

and my respect to all of you, driving is no joke.
Befriend your steward right away. If he's anything like me he will exchange phone numbers with you and check on you at nausea. Also find an older driver who knows his :censored2: to be a mentor.
 
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jumpman23

Oh Yeah
Especially when backing. I tell these young guys when you back and if you have to, as soon as you question whether you should back any farther, if theres a sec or 2 that you have a doubt in your mind, shut the truck off and don't back any farther. That extra couple feet aint worth the headache of an accident and time you and your steward have in the CMs office the next day. Read this paragraph and don't forget it. Its an important lesson to learn.
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
Especially when backing. I tell these young guys when you back and if you have to, as soon as you question whether you should back any farther, if theres a sec or 2 that you have a doubt in your mind, shut the truck off and don't back any farther. That extra couple feet aint worth the headache of an accident and time you and your steward have in the CMs office the next day. Read this paragraph and don't forget it. Its an important lesson to learn.

When on doubt, get out.
 

Brownpride816

Well-Known Member
Thank you very much for your advice, I will do that every time :).. some of my pick ups are in caves, its really difficult to see on the mirrors and also on the rear vire monitor.
 

Brownpride816

Well-Known Member
I noticed that, like for example. walking in front of the vehicle instead of going to the back he said "ahh its fine you can do it"... forget that though, thats one of the things that they reinforce the most
 

Brownpride816

Well-Known Member
Man i finally went out by myself today, I was doing great, up until my last 10 pick ups, these people had sooo many boxes! I mean I loaded every package nice and tight to the top and including the middle ( i had no access to the front of the truck). I literally filled up the truck to the point where I couldnt fit an envelope. I still had about 9 packages left off my last pick up. I was struggling for 30 mins trying to make room but it was useless. I called my sup and he said " make room". I sat there and tried to fix them up but I couldnt, I called him again and he was pissed, he had to send someone out to pick up the rest. i ended up getting back to the building at 7:30. It was bad :/ It went from being a good day to messed up in 5 stops.
 

scisector9

Well-Known Member
I just made my seniority about two weeks ago. All the advice here is sound. Do not stress the bad days, I had several of them and still do. Had to have a driver come take ten stops from me this week on a new route I was on. It happens. Just do your best, show improvement, ask questions, and ask for feedback. I asked daily how my progress was, and asked for feedback on what I could do to be better. Just keep going. One box, one stop at a time. I worked through my lunches besides a quick five minute snack break, took time while on break to organize the truck (gotta love the quality loads we get!). Area knowledge will improve as you go through your progression. Practice makes perfect!

And as far as the parking the trucks and leaving the building: I had a porter park my truck at the end of the day for me for the first two weeks, literally. I, like you, didn't want to hit anything in that thirty days. One day I even had a supervisor in the morning start yelling at me when I was leaving because I was inching the truck forward and backwards. "Are you going to leave the building today!!!" It's all good. I made it, and I'm sure you will too.

PS-Don't let mgmt bring you down. I got worked up a few times over messages in the diad or rude and threatening comments while going for seniority. Nothing is more disheartening then getting several messages on the board "Are you going to make it?".... "You are an hour over already, pick it up". I told myself it was UPS bootcamp, and they were just trying to see if I could hang. Have thick skin, and do your best. Good luck!!!
 

MangoMango

Well-Known Member
Prepare to take it without any kind of lube after 30 days. They are giving you the same route for 30 days, after that be prepared to do a different route everyday with a truck that is bricked out.
 
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