Any other PVDs having issues with the phones?

0ssu

Member
Not sure if there has been a thread made about this or not. I worked as a PVD last year and I'm doing it again. Last year I could get the app on my own phone but the entire app is a glitchy piece of :censored2:. This year I'm using their phones and the issues are even worse. It takes me at least an extra 1-5 minutes per stop due to the app being slow, freezing, camera blurring, not scanning, etc. Today the navigation wouldn't work at all and I had to manually input the addresses I couldn't find into my personal phone to navigate. It also logged me out and wouldn't log me back in until I drove half an hour back to the center costing me over an hour of time. It was not uncommon for this to happen last year, I would guess about 20-30% of my work time was dealing app related issues instead of delivering packages. I had hopes that the app would be fixed as it naturally should have been by now, but it's worse.

Is there anyone knowledgeable of the app or are there any fellow PVDs who can give me some pointers or information of how to mitigate these issues? Or at least let me know it's not just me or the phones at my center? Also can I not use my own device this year? My center said they don't think so. Overall I'm not surprised the app is trash, it probably is poorly integrated into their old school logistics system and basically thrown together when they created the PVD position.
 
Hey there!

First and foremost - ignore the rude and ignorant comments that will inevitably be made by some of the guys on this forum. I learned the hard way myself that these guys don't take kindly to PVDs. Not our fault though. Maybe if they'd do their job better they wouldn't need PVDs.

I worked as a PVD last year and am returning this year as well. I am 100% in the same boat as you when it comes to app issues. Last year I spent a significant amount of time dealing with issues related to the app. I tried using the phones that they provided but they were even worse. I had all of the same problems that you're describing.

This year, the app so far is only available on Androids. I called the support number on their site about it and they were clueless. My boss said that he heard the app would be available for iPhones on November 17 or 18 but I'd take that with a grain of salt. So far this year I've been using the DIADs that the regular drivers use and have been forced to manually enter in addresses that I'm unfamiliar with as well until I get the route memorized. Pretty tough considering 75% of my route is in areas with no cell service. I had to download offline maps from Google Maps.

If I remember correctly from last year, the app always logged me out any time I went somewhere without cell service. I'm not sure if this is applicable to you or not but the app actually works without internet. What worked for me was switching my phone into airplane mode before I logged in or before entering areas of spotty coverage. Of course you lose the turn by turn navigation functionality but the map should should still be available.

Worst case scenario I would end up taking pictures of the shipping labels on my phone and would scan them all in on a DIAD from the pictures once I got back to the center if I really couldn't get the app to cooperate.

Hopefully UPS will release the iPhone app and some of these issues will mitigate themselves as the app seemed to work significantly better on my own personal device. In the meantime though, know it's not your fault and it's not just you. Don't stress over it. The slower the app goes the more you get paid, and we're being paid to put up with it.
 

0ssu

Member
Hey there!

First and foremost - ignore the rude and ignorant comments that will inevitably be made by some of the guys on this forum. I learned the hard way myself that these guys don't take kindly to PVDs. Not our fault though. Maybe if they'd do their job better they wouldn't need PVDs.

I worked as a PVD last year and am returning this year as well. I am 100% in the same boat as you when it comes to app issues. Last year I spent a significant amount of time dealing with issues related to the app. I tried using the phones that they provided but they were even worse. I had all of the same problems that you're describing.

This year, the app so far is only available on Androids. I called the support number on their site about it and they were clueless. My boss said that he heard the app would be available for iPhones on November 17 or 18 but I'd take that with a grain of salt. So far this year I've been using the DIADs that the regular drivers use and have been forced to manually enter in addresses that I'm unfamiliar with as well until I get the route memorized. Pretty tough considering 75% of my route is in areas with no cell service. I had to download offline maps from Google Maps.

If I remember correctly from last year, the app always logged me out any time I went somewhere without cell service. I'm not sure if this is applicable to you or not but the app actually works without internet. What worked for me was switching my phone into airplane mode before I logged in or before entering areas of spotty coverage. Of course you lose the turn by turn navigation functionality but the map should should still be available.

Worst case scenario I would end up taking pictures of the shipping labels on my phone and would scan them all in on a DIAD from the pictures once I got back to the center if I really couldn't get the app to cooperate.

Hopefully UPS will release the iPhone app and some of these issues will mitigate themselves as the app seemed to work significantly better on my own personal device. In the meantime though, know it's not your fault and it's not just you. Don't stress over it. The slower the app goes the more you get paid, and we're being paid to put up with it.

Glad it's not just me. I have an iPhone and it was definitely faster using it than their phones. I will keep that airplane mode idea in mind because that was exactly the issue is that I dipped out of service way out in the boonies and I got logged out. It's bull:censored2: that it has to have service every second, as if that's realistic at all in rural areas. I wish they would just give all PVDs a regular DIAD and an app with just your manifest by itself on your personal phone which you can click each address to go to Google Maps.
 
Hey there!

First and foremost - ignore the rude and ignorant comments that will inevitably be made by some of the guys on this forum. I learned the hard way myself that these guys don't take kindly to PVDs. Not our fault though. Maybe if they'd do their job better they wouldn't need PVDs.

I worked as a PVD last year and am returning this year as well. I am 100% in the same boat as you when it comes to app issues. Last year I spent a significant amount of time dealing with issues related to the app. I tried using the phones that they provided but they were even worse. I had all of the same problems that you're describing.

This year, the app so far is only available on Androids. I called the support number on their site about it and they were clueless. My boss said that he heard the app would be available for iPhones on November 17 or 18 but I'd take that with a grain of salt. So far this year I've been using the DIADs that the regular drivers use and have been forced to manually enter in addresses that I'm unfamiliar with as well until I get the route memorized. Pretty tough considering 75% of my route is in areas with no cell service. I had to download offline maps from Google Maps.

If I remember correctly from last year, the app always logged me out any time I went somewhere without cell service. I'm not sure if this is applicable to you or not but the app actually works without internet. What worked for me was switching my phone into airplane mode before I logged in or before entering areas of spotty coverage. Of course you lose the turn by turn navigation functionality but the map should should still be available.

Worst case scenario I would end up taking pictures of the shipping labels on my phone and would scan them all in on a DIAD from the pictures once I got back to the center if I really couldn't get the app to cooperate.

Hopefully UPS will release the iPhone app and some of these issues will mitigate themselves as the app seemed to work significantly better on my own personal device. In the meantime though, know it's not your fault and it's not just you. Don't stress over it. The slower the app goes the more you get paid, and we're being paid to put up with it.
You will never be an RPCD
 

MECH-lift

Union Brother ✊🧔 RPCD
Not sure if there has been a thread made about this or not. I worked as a PVD last year and I'm doing it again. Last year I could get the app on my own phone but the entire app is a glitchy piece of :censored2:. This year I'm using their phones and the issues are even worse. It takes me at least an extra 1-5 minutes per stop due to the app being slow, freezing, camera blurring, not scanning, etc. Today the navigation wouldn't work at all and I had to manually input the addresses I couldn't find into my personal phone to navigate. It also logged me out and wouldn't log me back in until I drove half an hour back to the center costing me over an hour of time. It was not uncommon for this to happen last year, I would guess about 20-30% of my work time was dealing app related issues instead of delivering packages. I had hopes that the app would be fixed as it naturally should have been by now, but it's worse.

Is there anyone knowledgeable of the app or are there any fellow PVDs who can give me some pointers or information of how to mitigate these issues? Or at least let me know it's not just me or the phones at my center? Also can I not use my own device this year? My center said they don't think so. Overall I'm not surprised the app is trash, it probably is poorly integrated into their old school logistics system and basically thrown together when they created the PVD position.
YOU’RE SEASONAL , YOUR OPINION MEANS NOTHING!

YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SEEING BIGFOOT RIDING A UNICORN THAN EVER BECOMING A RPCD!

YOU WILL NEVER become a RPCD!!!!

✊🧔
 
YOU’RE SEASONAL , YOUR OPINION MEANS NOTHING!

YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SEEING BIGFOOT RIDING A UNICORN THAN EVER BECOMING A RPCD!

YOU WILL NEVER become a RPCD!!!!

✊🧔
giphy (2).gif
 

0ssu

Member
YOU’RE SEASONAL , YOUR OPINION MEANS NOTHING!

YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SEEING BIGFOOT RIDING A UNICORN THAN EVER BECOMING A RPCD!

YOU WILL NEVER become a RPCD!!!!

✊🧔
Dude the last thing I'd want in this world is to be a RPCD. I get to sleep in until 10 and whip around in my car thumping rap while I deliver. The boss had me drop a few extra packages that came in late from the center with an RPCD and he just about beat me up because they were out of his way. He glanced at the label and I believe his exact words were "You've gotta be absolutely g0d damn :censored2:ing kidding me". Y'all seem mad stressed I just wanna work a little seasonal gig and jerk around after that.
 
Dude the last thing I'd want in this world is to be a RPCD. I get to sleep in until 10 and whip around in my car thumping rap while I deliver. The boss had me drop a few extra packages that came in late from the center with an RPCD and he just about beat me up because they were out of his way. Y'all seem mad stressed I just wanna work a little seasonal gig and jerk around after that.
That's the way it always starts. Soon enough you will be out until 10PM while a sup wants to know what takes you so long. Had 1 PVD quit today while 2 didn't show up and another dropped off his undelivered packages when he thought it was Miller time. Time to pick up the slack.
 
Dude the last thing I'd want in this world is to be a RPCD. I get to sleep in until 10 and whip around in my car thumping rap while I deliver. The boss had me drop a few extra packages that came in late from the center with an RPCD and he just about beat me up because they were out of his way. He glanced at the label and I believe his exact words were "You've gotta be absolutely g0d damn :censored2:ing kidding me". Y'all seem mad stressed I just wanna work a little seasonal gig and jerk around after that.
How very adult of you. Keep up the good work!
 
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