Broken HT

[rod]

I have one in my shop. Old style with the"tongue" flap that was held with a metal clip.
I did not steal it.
I bought it at an estate/garage sale in the early eighties for $5.00.
I guess it just fell off a truck, (using my best Jersey accent, if you know what I mean, if not, keep your yap closed.)
I converted it to hold my small Oxy/Acet rig in my shop.
It still works great for moving around in tight areas.
I just noticed, that all my sentences in this post started with I.

I still have mine also. When the aluminun ones came out they said to throw all the old steel ones away. I threw it away alright---right in the back of my pickup. I couldn't throw away an old friend could I?

 

[satellitedriver]

I still have mine also. When the aluminun ones came out they said to throw all the old steel ones away. I threw it away alright---right in the back of my pickup. I couldn't throw away an old friend could I?

Rod,
I am an old scrounge.
They use to throw away leaf springs, bumpers and all sorts of metal in the dumpster behind the building.
When I asked my center manager if I could "recycle" what was thrown away, he said sure.
I have made knives, tomahawks and various blacksmith art projects out of my old friends from UPS.
I still have a treasure trove of rims, spring steel, axle rods in my shop for the day I have time to do metal work again.
In fact, today I was looking at an old 1980's P6 bumper in my stock pile and thought it's upraised expanded metal grip style would make a great grill surface.
Sorry to rattle on, but I hate waste and I see potential in my old friends.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I have the HT with the tongue and the air tires. It's not the newer version, where small pkgs don't quite fit in the second row. I load that baby to the hilt when I need to. I have cracked the weld at the bottom, due to too much weight and dropping it off the tailgate with all the weight. After having old faithful repaired, I stopped dropping it down with all the weight, but still load it up. Just like upstate, I have my name written on it, and not just on the bottom.

 

[Covemastah]

I used to keep two locked up at customers place so I always had mine!!!!

 

[rod]

Rod,
I am an old scrounge.
They use to throw away leaf springs, bumpers and all sorts of metal in the dumpster behind the building.
When I asked my center manager if I could "recycle" what was thrown away, he said sure.
I have made knives, tomahawks and various blacksmith art projects out of my old friends from UPS.
I still have a treasure trove of rims, spring steel, axle rods in my shop for the day I have time to do metal work again.
In fact, today I was looking at an old 1980's P6 bumper in my stock pile and thought it's upraised expanded metal grip style would make a great grill surface.
Sorry to rattle on, but I hate waste and I see potential in my old friends.

I ALWAYS peeked in the scrap iron pile for tearsures as I was leaving work. For being penny pinchers they sure threw away some good stuff.

 

[soberups]

The new aluminum ones are way tougher than the old green "iron maiden" carts we had back in the late 80's-early 90's. I busted the welds on the iron maidens so many times I lost count. I have had my aluminum one for 6 yrs now, I beat the hell out if it and it still holds together.

As far as there being a shortage of handcarts, or having yours stolen...the best way to force management to supply an adequate number of handcarts is to just do your route without one if it comes up missing. 20 missed stops and 4 missed pickups will help supply your management team with the "sense of urgency" it needs to order some new ones.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

Someone stole my HT over the Christmas season and replaced with it with a much inferior one. I was too busy to "find" it then. You all reminded me how much I missed it. I am going to work early on Monday to find my dolly, with my name and route number all over it.

If you like your HT, put your name, or at least your route number on it so it won't be "misplaced."

 

[scratch]

If you like your HT, put your name, or at least your route number on it so it won't be "misplaced."

I have done just that, and people still take mine. Mine "disappeared" New Years Eve, so I took one of three that was in the Center Office for some reason the next work day. Where I work, handrails were installed and most people lock them to these. I had my mechanic install a couple of eyebolts at the front of my 4000 shelf, and I have always just bungeed mine in place. I am going to go to the extreme of getting a bycycle lock or something to lock it in my package car, I'm not going to drag a handtruck around the building to lock it up somewhere else.

 

[soberups]

The people who go to the extremes of locking up or marking their handtrucks are missing the point.

The question is not "how can I keep my handtruck safe?"

The question should be "why has my management team made a business decision to refuse to purchase an adequate supply of necessary tools?"

I am paid by the hour. If my management team wants me to use a handtruck, they will supply me---and ALL of my fellow drivers---with one. If they dont want to spend the money on an adequate number of handtrucks, I will simply do my job without one and they can then pay refunds for all of the service failures that result. For $45 an hour on overtime I will carry the boxes one at a time and miss service on multiple deliveries and pickups. Management will then have the opportunity to reevaluate the wisdom of their decision and act accordingly. UPS as a company has the ability to supply every driver with an adequate hand truck. All it lacks is the motivation. Service failures will help to supply that motivation. Nobody wants to do their route without a handtruck, but it is idiotic for us as drivers to have to hide or lock up necessary items of equipment that we need to do our jobs. Sometimes, the only way to force management to stop acting like idiots is to shove the consequences of their stupidity so far up their asses that they will do anything to make the pain stop. Its called "tough love" and it can be just as tough on the giver as it is on the reciever.

 

[Cementups]

You all are missing the fact that is not always other drivers thatt take your carts. sometimes inside employees feel the need to use our carts. Then instead of returning them theywill just leave them in the spot where they were going to with the packages they needed to move. happens all the time in our building.

 

[soberups]

You all are missing the fact that is not always other drivers thatt take your carts. sometimes inside employees feel the need to use our carts. Then instead of returning them theywill just leave them in the spot where they were going to with the packages they needed to move. happens all the time in our building.

The underlying problem still remains the same; a shortage of handtrucks. The solution is simple; buy more. We are in the business of moving, delivering and sorting millions of packages a day. There is no rational excuse for not having enough handtrucks.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The underlying problem still remains the same; a shortage of handtrucks. The solution is simple; buy more. We are in the business of moving, delivering and sorting millions of packages a day. There is no rational excuse for not having enough handtrucks.

You are exactly right but when you have drivers leaving them at bulk stops or simply taking yours because they either broke or lost theirs it can make for an awfully long day.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

A few years back, someone wrote in their DVIR to have a chain installed in the truck to lock up their 2 wheeler. The mechanics actually installed a 24" chain at the beginning of section 4. Since then almost every truck in our building has had a chain installed for locking up their 2 wheeler.

Since then, chains have been welded under the belts with a driver's name over each chain. The company also issued combo locks to each driver to lock up their 2 wheelers.

The funny thing is, if you walk under the belts after everyone leaves in the morning, you can find probably 50 2 wheelers locked up. It seems everyone likes to have a backup just in case someone takes theirs. Whenever someone asks for a 2 wheeler, management will get out their list of lock combinations and take the closest 2 wheeler from under the belts.

The contract requires management to provide a 2 wheeler upon request. I won't leave the building until I have all the tools I need to do my job efficiently and/or effectively. To date, a 2 wheeler has always been provided when I have asked for one. If I am ever told to leave without one being provided, then Soberups scenario would become valid. At that point, I would make sure they are fully aware that I will have to take longer to get done without the 2 wheeler. Always CYA.

 

[trplnkl]

BBS and Sober, you both are of course correct that it is managements responsibility to supply the proper tools of the job. However, they could have half as many extra HTs as they have drivers and one would still have to search for one everyday. What a PITA !

 

[New Englander]

My ctr we stay parked all day and the handcart is like your best friend.

Has nothing to do with it.

 

[705red]

I guess if i had to pick between the old tongue and the newer tongue i would have to ask myself.

Do i want experience in the older tongue?
Or would i like to trade up for a newer younger tongue?

 

[soberups]

I guess if i had to pick between the old tongue and the newer tongue i would have to ask myself.

Do i want experience in the older tongue?
Or would i like to trade up for a newer younger tongue?

I think it depends upon the length and the strength of the toungue, and whether or not it helps the handtruck to remain in an upright position.

 

[SmithBarney]

BBS hit it on the head... If you see your HT missing, say to your oncar "I need a hand truck, its misssing" They will find one, cause its their responsibility, its your responsibility to notify them. And then if they don't well then its a long day.

 

[leastbest]

We had the same problem with locks on the old 500s. In the morning I'd do my pretrip and no lock. I'd go back in the building and notify management. They's spend fifteen minutes trying to find a lock. Never enough.