Changing start times

Hangingon

Well-Known Member
I just received a letter from District informing us that all start times for drivers will be changing to increase service. Some drivers will start earlier to give us a presence in the morning before other carriers are on the road, and routes that are out late anyways will have their start time moved back so they can do late PU's and have the last presence on the road in the evening. I was just curious how much of a change in start time on a route warrants it being re-bid? I thought I was told half an hour a while back. (BTW this is FT drivers not air drivers.)
Not sure what they are going to do with the early routes since we don't finish loading until around 9:30.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
I haven't heard anything about this, its a great idea if its true. From a competitive standpoint, where I am at, Fedex Express is making their first stops by 8AM, an hour before most of our drivers get out of the building. I work EAM before my regular route, and I see Fedex Home on the road after 7AM. My Hub is less than five miles from the airport, so we do have the advantage of our NDA hitting the building by 6:30. PAS/EDD has slowed down the "down time" by an hour though, they used to be done by eight, we are lucky now if they are done by 8:40.

As far as bidding routes, I don't know how a different Start Time will effect everyone involved. I would think that your present route would remain the same for the most part, although someone starting earlier would probably get some NDA stops from the Late Starters......
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
We just got a PCM on this yesterday, it's all part of an initiative called TSP (Total Service Product?). In our building driver start times will be moved back to 0800, currently they are all between 0845 and 0900 depending on center. One of the stated goals is to have all drivers off the road by 1800.

Of course, this is all predicated on getting the preload closed out early. The word is they are planning to have the preload down by 0630....

It kicks off April 16th, should be interesting.
 

tonyexpress

Whac-A-Troll Patrol
Staff member
Back in the day, say about 6 or 7 years ago or so it was called the TOTAL SERVICE PLAN.:cool:

This plan was implemented by a district manager who had success in other districts using it when he brought it to ours. When finally implemented in our district it was very successful. We were getting drivers out on time, improving service, and getting time in transit to work. In other words Twilight hubs had to pull on time so preloads could go down on time, so drivers could get out on time etc. There were also many service elements track and enforced.

The best thing was that drivers were getting in and management hours were getting better and morale was going up.

Unfortunately that district manager left and things were not the same. It needs to be done on a National level.:thumbup1:
 
W

westsideworma

Guest
one question...how do they plan on getting the preload down by 6:30?.....our last loads don't even get to the yard until then (not counting the air, lately we haven't even been seeing the air...).

even if they somehow get all the loads there, what time would they start the preload?
 

DS

Fenderbender
one question...how do they plan on getting the preload down by 6:30?.....our last loads don't even get to the yard until then (not counting the air, lately we haven't even been seeing the air...).

even if they somehow get all the loads there, what time would they start the preload?

I`ve always thought they should do this...as far as preload goes,these guys could do resi areas that dont usually get
multiple pkg deliveries...take the burdon off the 8Am starters.
One thing that will be impossible to change where I am is a 18:30 cutoff time for oncalls.I never get back to the bldg
before 19:00 .
 

25yrvet

Well-Known Member
I can't for the life of me find the language in the contract--it's gotta be in there; but I think I've heard if the company changes the start time by more than an hour the rt has to be re bid. Sorry I'm not more help.
 

canon

Well-Known Member
I can't for the life of me find the language in the contract--it's gotta be in there; but I think I've heard if the company changes the start time by more than an hour the rt has to be re bid. Sorry I'm not more help.
That's the way it is in my bldg. Maybe it's in the rider.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
I can't for the life of me find the language in the contract--it's gotta be in there; but I think I've heard if the company changes the start time by more than an hour the rt has to be re bid. Sorry I'm not more help.

Yup, that's something that must be covered in a local area supplement. In the Atlantic Area a permanent start time change of more than one hour means the route gets rebid. That's why, in my building, they're making the start time change on the same day we start our annual bids. Crafty Bastards :wink:.
 

tonyexpress

Whac-A-Troll Patrol
Staff member
one question...how do they plan on getting the preload down by 6:30?.....our last loads don't even get to the yard until then (not counting the air, lately we haven't even been seeing the air...).

even if they somehow get all the loads there, what time would they start the preload?

They have to start with the twilight hubs that bring loads to your building. Those loads have to pull on time. If you have drivers out till all hours of the night it does not work because their pick up packages have to go into those loads. If the loads don't pull on time the preload gets late trailers and goes down late, the drivers don't get out on time and in turn are out too late to get their pick up packages in the trailers that need to pull- and the beat goes on..

The whole theory is based on the cycle of all the operations working together, an important part of the Total Service Plan, with one operation being the next operations inside customer. Everyone has to work together, preload managers with hub managers and so on. If the preloads trailers are on time then they will have no excuse but to go down on time. Rear doors on package cars are locked at driver start time and away you go. If there is a problem packages can be shuttled or other plans put in place.

Some drivers start early and deliver eams and have a meet point to pick up the rest of their packages. Some drivers start late, can do late pick ups or hardly any pick ups depending on the need. The rest of the drivers (the majority) start at their regular start time and all drivers have a specific RTB time or return to building time and if they can't make it they're required to call in. This enables the hub to get most of the volume at a resonable time so they can get their loads out on time.

Believe me there is a lot planning, accountability and many conference calls for management but the end result is more family time for management and hourly and it's like working for a different company.:thumbup1:



I'd love to see UPS restore this plan Nation wide!
 

tonyexpress

Whac-A-Troll Patrol
Staff member
I`ve always thought they should do this...as far as preload goes,these guys could do resi areas that dont usually get
multiple pkg deliveries...take the burdon off the 8Am starters.
One thing that will be impossible to change where I am is a 18:30 cutoff time for oncalls.I never get back to the bldg
before 19:00 .

DS,

How about a P.M. OCA pick up driver to handle the eams after 18:00 so you can get back in to the building?? Not sure what your area is like but the P.M.OCA pick up driver would perhaps be able to give more flexibility to a number of drivers in your area by doing their oca's as well.:cool:
 
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