Bid driver vs Cover driver mentality

[Brownsfan]

I just recently bid my own route after 14 years of floating. I have a few questions

1. How do you guys deal with mentally being in the same place doing the same thing daily? Same streets, people, towns.

2. How do you see your customers? Do you treat them as friends, co workers, or obstacles in your day?

3. Do you feel like apart of the community or just passing though?

4. Anything else you would like to offer to me on this new journey.

Thanks much.

 

[ManInBrown]

1. It's great. It was kind of monotonous in the beginning but you get used to it. Just stand by the route board in the morning and watch the chaos ensue of this driver wanting this route instead of this. You'll be thankful to have your own route.

2. I treat my customers fine. I never see any of the resi customers, and I just give the business stops the normal hello. Nothing more. I'm not real outgoing

3. Passing thru collecting a check

4. They're going to be watching you more closely. I don't know if you're a 9.5 driver but in my center they tend to leave cover drivers alone, as long as you're not 2 hours over everyday. When you win a bid and they can lock in on you they will. They'll want consistent production. Just do the right thing as far as not sorting off the clock and follow the methods and you'll be fine. Never try to run around on a day you need to be off early. Be CONSISTENT

Congrats on winning a bid

 

[Notretiredyet]

Years ago I would've given you completely different advise, like get to know your customers/become part of the community ect. But those days are gone now that ORION has been implemented. Just become that robot ORION forces you to be because you have no control over delivery order or customer wants or needs. It will be a different route every day still so it will be like you never got a bid route. good luck

 

[Brownsfan]

1. It's great. It was kind of monotonous in the beginning but you get used to it. Just stand by the route board in the morning and watch the chaos ensue of this driver wanting this route instead of this. You'll be thankful to have your own route.

2. I treat my customers fine. I never see any of the resi customers, and I just give the business stops the normal hello. Nothing more. I'm not real outgoing

3. Passing thru collecting a check

4. They're going to be watching you more closely. I don't know if you're a 9.5 driver but in my center they tend to leave cover drivers alone, as long as you're not 2 hours over everyday. When you win a bid and they can lock in on you they will. They'll want consistent production. Just do the right thing as far as not sorting off the clock and follow the methods and you'll be fine. Never try to run around on a day you need to be off early. Be CONSISTENT

Congrats on winning a bid

Thank you for the informative post. I was one of those cover guys that management loved to see get a route. It was like playing bumpers cars every morning. Lol.
So far they have treated me pretty fair. We do have a difference of opinion on what a fair day looks like though. But st UPS that is normal.
I have found that being on the same route has really allowed me to focus on the methods and becoming very much a robot. Once again thanks for your post.

 

[Brownsfan]

Years ago I would've given you completely different advise, like get to know your customers/become part of the community ect. But those days are gone now that ORION has been implemented. Just become that robot ORION forces you to be because you have no control over delivery order or customer wants or needs. It will be a different route every day still so it will be like you never got a bid route. good luck

Wow!!! Orion has really removed the personal touch from this job hasn't it. What a shame. I'd love to follow Orion and I try to. But most of the time I'm flabbergasted because Orion makes decisions that waste so much time I would had fired myself for being so dumb and thoughtless pre Orion. The company should had invested their money into a super Edd vs an ever changing pile of data soup.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It is up to you how much effect you allow Orion to have on the degree with which you interact with your commercial customers.

 

[Brownsfan]

It is up to you how much effect you allow Orion to have on the degree with which you interact with your commercial customers.

Can you elaborate please?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Can you elaborate please?

It is still possible to chat with the customers while delivering. The idea is to keep those interactions short and move on.