Can I Refuse to Go "Help"?

[ManInBrown]

There is nothing worse than having 10 or 20 stops left and then seeing the dreaded green light on the DIAD. 9 times out of 10, it's a desperate sup asking me to contact them at which point I will be told to go take some stops from someone else. I have ceased all communication via cell phone and don't answer when they call me. I normally respond with "No cell service. Please direct all communication through DIAD." If they want to talk on the phone, they can issue me one. Last night was a complete s*it show, and many of the routes were blown out. I finished around 19:20 and was told to go take a ridiculous amount of stops from a kid that just started last week. I was pissed, but proceeded to take about 30 stops, drop anchor, and deliver around 8 stops an hour. Is there any language on refusing to take on more work? If I refuse, can they get me on not working as directed?

I’ve posted this before. There’s a few ways to handle this problem.

option 1. When they send you the message asking you to help, reply with are you asking, or directing? If asking, reply no. If directing you have no choice.

option 2. Flat out reply with no. Not interested. At which point they might make you. Or they might not say anything and you might find yourself in the office the next morning.

option 3. Drop anchor. Get done at 9pm every night. Then you can’t help anyone.

option 4. 9.5. get on it and file every single week you are violated. When they ask you to help, and it will be your third day, tell them helping someone will result in me filing a grievance.

here is what some drivers don’t understand. The person asking you to help most of the time is a night OMS. They don’t care who it is, they just want to find someone. You might run into a situation where you tell them no one night, and you’ll never be asked again. They’ll move on. But I can guarantee you one thing, if you bend over, and go help someone. You’ll be doing it for the rest of your career. Once you agree to do it, they’re watching you to see when you’re almost done, and they have you all lined up to be their biotch.

there’s only three way to stop it. Fight back with grievances. Fight back by refusing to help. Or finish at 9pm every night.

 

[Dracula]

In my hub, an average day for a utility route is 200-250 stops depending how close it is. During peak those numbers will swell to 400-500. Some of our local extended centers never go above 200 even during peak because of the amount of miles put on.

Thats insanity. When I was in package car, if I had 200 stops, I wouldn’t be in until 9 or 10. And that was only 9 years ago.

 

[SLW]

I don't mind helping people that are trying hard and are actually *ed. But I get pissed having to help the same people everyday who just flat out suck or are intentionally tanking it.

As a person who flat out sucks, I actually get kind of annoyed when they keep sending help, because I know people like you are pissed about it.

Part of what I've noticed though is that I always take my lunch during the day, whereas everyone who has to help me is the type to "save" their lunch for the end of the day. Seems like a poor strategy to do that.

 

[Fido]

You can do whatever you want. You will probably get fired for it though

 

[Poop Head]

To deliver the package, one must first become the package

 

[Sixth Punch Sense]

As a person who flat out sucks, I actually get kind of annoyed when they keep sending help, because I know people like you are pissed about it.

Part of what I've noticed though is that I always take my lunch during the day, whereas everyone who has to help me is the type to "save" their lunch for the end of the day. Seems like a poor strategy to do that.

You're allowed to tell the helper you don't wan't help. I've done it a few times and I've heard it from a few drivers I've came to help.

I used to tell the driver on the phone how many stops I was grabbing. After I got to one driver he proceeded to give me the amount of stops. I asked how many he had left? After the transfer I was going to have more work then him. I adjusted the number and took half his work. So now I get a look at the truck before I give them a number.

 

[over9five]

To deliver the package, one must first become the package

Think...like a package.
What would the package do?
WWPD?

 

[Whither]

As a person who flat out sucks, I actually get kind of annoyed when they keep sending help, because I know people like you are pissed about it.

Part of what I've noticed though is that I always take my lunch during the day, whereas everyone who has to help me is the type to "save" their lunch for the end of the day. Seems like a poor strategy to do that.

You can refuse help. Of course make sure you won't have any service failures when doing so.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I’ve posted this before. There’s a few ways to handle this problem.

option 1. When they send you the message asking you to help, reply with are you asking, or directing? If asking, reply no. If directing you have no choice.

option 2. Flat out reply with no. Not interested. At which point they might make you. Or they might not say anything and you might find yourself in the office the next morning.

option 3. Drop anchor. Get done at 9pm every night. Then you can’t help anyone.

option 4. 9.5. get on it and file every single week you are violated. When they ask you to help, and it will be your third day, tell them helping someone will result in me filing a grievance.

here is what some drivers don’t understand. The person asking you to help most of the time is a night OMS. They don’t care who it is, they just want to find someone. You might run into a situation where you tell them no one night, and you’ll never be asked again. They’ll move on. But I can guarantee you one thing, if you bend over, and go help someone. You’ll be doing it for the rest of your career. Once you agree to do it, they’re watching you to see when you’re almost done, and they have you all lined up to be their biotch.

there’s only three way to stop it. Fight back with grievances. Fight back by refusing to help. Or finish at 9pm every night.

Agree minus the "dropping anchor" part. I've never been a fan of laying down on the job. Especially with all the technology they use to track us. Gradual and occasional drops in a driver's average speeds and tendencies are basically negligible. But a sudden/drastic drop immediately after being instructed to help another driver (or for whatever reason at any time) is a red flag and makes it easier for them to put a large target on the back of drivers that, if they don't have balls of steel and adequate knowledge of the contract, will end up folding like a cheap suite under the pressure of production rides and whatever else they get thrown at them.

Yes, we can say "it was dark, I don't know/remember the area, I was tired, etc" but like I said....I don't think many of the drivers that ask about this have the knowledge and/or guts to hold up under the pressure that comes from management that is out for blood. My advice for them is to consistently follow the methods as much as humanly possible and NEVER speed up or cut corners. Even if given an unreasonable amount of extra stops. That makes it harder for them to give more work or being sent to help others. And the consistency in methods/tendencies will make them think twice about sending such a driver as much as one that is known to lay down. The difference is that its much harder to discipline the the driver that is consistent.

 

[Fuzzy Brown]

The one thing 99.9% of people who are sent to help someone have in common is they are humper dumper lunch skippers they finish early and just can’t understand why they always have to help someone.

 

[Poop Head]

The one thing 99.9% of people who are sent to help someone have in common is they are humper dumper lunch skippers they finish early and just can’t understand why they always have to help someone.

.1%er

 

[MECH-lift]

GET READY UNION BROTHERS!!! PRIME DAY VOLUME WILL BE CRUSHING US THIS WEEK

 

[barnyard]

I always reply with: Extra work is offered from the top down and forced from the bottom up. I will only help if you are forcing me and will file a grievance if anyone with less seniority punches out before me. My phone also quits working.

If they do not specify how many stops to take, I take as few as possible.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I always reply with: Extra work is offered from the top down and forced from the bottom up. I will only help if you are forcing me and will file a grievance if anyone with less seniority punches out before me. My phone also quits working.

If they do not specify how many stops to take, I take as few as possible.

I don't mind helping sometimes, I just don't like getting taken advantage of. There's a few slackers that I have no desire to help at all because they are deadwood.
and when they go overboard on it I say I'll go help them but I can't help but if I might call off tomorrow because I'll be too tired to work

 

[DumbTruckDriver]

The one thing 99.9% of people who are sent to help someone have in common is they are humper dumper lunch skippers they finish early and just can’t understand why they always have to help someone.

My experience has been the opposite. I don’t mind helping others (and I often volunteer) because I’m working towards being completely debt free. I’ve never skipped a lunch to make that happen though. The drivers I go help are cover drivers that are terrible at their job (and haven’t taken a lunch by the time I meet them), or bid drivers who have ruined their routes by running all day and not taking a lunch.

 

[barnyard]

I used to help all the time. Then I asked for help because of an atrocious dispatch during a snowstorm. No help. Punched out at 2100. I was asked to help someone the next day and said no and have been saying no ever since.

Now when I am asked, I reply: Only if being forced and only if you I am the lowest seniority person that can help. The only people that get help in my center are the clowns that should have never have made seniority.

 

[Est.1998]

I used to help all the time. Then I asked for help because of an atrocious dispatch during a snowstorm. No help. Punched out at 2100. I was asked to help someone the next day and said no and have been saying no ever since.

Now when I am asked, I reply: Only if being forced and only if you I am the lowest seniority person that can help. The only people that get help in my center are the clowns that should have never have made seniority.

This happened to me as well.
I felt like an adolescent boy in Sparta.
Clocked out at 11pm.
Even caught hell the next day about going over 14.
Later that day, I rcv a message to help (insert known slacker) in which i said no can do, i clocked out at 11pm, if they aren't hurt or broke down, so can they.

 

[MECH-lift]

 

[JoesUPSacct]

As always, it depends on the route. 200 stops in downtown resi's on one of the routes I cover would be done by 5 hours. 200 stops on another route would have me out til 10pm

this. every day last week i went out with well over 200, thursday i ended with 237. it's a mixed route probably 20% business 80% resi and 90 miles total driving. the businesses and older neighborhoods with long walks uphill to the front door are pretty slow but the newer neighborhoods with townhouse right on the street even it out and i end up 20-22 SPORH

 

[MECH-lift]

5 STOPS AN HOUR MAX