cutting trips- not enough work!!!

[sinkingfast]

I have been a driver for 7 years- up until the past year I had no problem working everyday. Now between cutting trips and hiring more drivers we don't need - I am lucky to get 3 days of work a week. Those few days I get are a fight everyday between bumping and arguing to be able to work.
I NEED to work everyday - any suggestions would be greatly appriciated

 

[CTOTH]

If the new drivers are the reason you are getting cut, you should be able to bump them since you have more seniority, right?

Or, maybe I don't understand the question.

 

[ups79]

This guy is not even an employee, let alone a driver. He probably has shorted a lot of UPS stock. What center do you work out of, and who is your division manager?

 

[sinkingfast]

UPS79- not sure if you were referring to me as "not even an employee- let alone a driver" I am a driver, have been for 7 years now. I'm not quite sure why you'd react as you did. I was just looking for some advice from our senior drivers who may have some wisdom to share.
I am certainly not telling you where I work out of - it's irrevelant

Thankyou to the other poster who was trying to help. Yes- I bump other drivers everyday I get to work. The biggest problem is with them cutting trips. I guess my only hope at this point is to be able to bid a trip next time around- I should be able to get one this time. But any other info you may have to share would be great. It just seems to me that I was hired for full time employment that I should be able to work.

Again to anyone else who reads this. I was just hoping for insight- not trying to do or ask anything innapropriate.

 

[30andout]

UPS79- not sure if you were referring to me as "not even an employee- let alone a driver" I am a driver, have been for 7 years now. I'm not quite sure why you'd react as you did. I was just looking for some advice from our senior drivers who may have some wisdom to share.
I am certainly not telling you where I work out of - it's irrevelant

Thankyou to the other poster who was trying to help. Yes- I bump other drivers everyday I get to work. The biggest problem is with them cutting trips. I guess my only hope at this point is to be able to bid a trip next time around- I should be able to get one this time. But any other info you may have to share would be great. It just seems to me that I was hired for full time employment that I should be able to work.

Again to anyone else who reads this. I was just hoping for insight- not trying to do or ask anything innapropriate.

Can you explain what you mean by cutting trips? I am from a small center and I don't get it.

 

[over9five]

Are you a senoirity employee? You are GUARANTEED 8 hours of work each day. Tell your sup you want your 8 hours. This is a strange post. Don't you have a shop steward?

 

[dannyboy]

If you really were a UPS employee, you would call them routes, not trips. Trips are what we take with our families when we go on vacation.

As for seniority, if you have it, then use it. If you dont, then you lose. Its your choice.

d

 

[helenofcalifornia]

Yeah, I don't quite understand the post either. If you have 7 years seniority, you should be driving everyday. Regardless if you know the route. Isn't EDD supposed to let anyone be able to drive a route cold? There seems to be more to the story. Enlighten us. Most of us are willing to help you.

 

[tieguy]

If you really were a UPS employee, you would call them routes, not trips. Trips are what we take with our families when we go on vacation.

As for seniority, if you have it, then use it. If you dont, then you lose. Its your choice.

d

dhl takes a lot of trips usually with empty cars.

 

[over9five]

"dhl takes a lot of trips usually with empty cars."

The DHL guy compares his damn near empty car to my full one every day. He walks away laughing, saying, "And I'll still get 2 hours OT"!!!

How do they stay in business???

 

[tieguy]

sinking fast your answer was somewhat evasive. In todays world most centers are bursting at the seams. Yours sounds like its light on work. In todays world most centers have drivers working long days in july due to vacations and personal days. Why not yours? You claim to have been a driver for 7 years but don't seem to know too much about the bidding/ bumping process.

Can you at least tell us what state or building it is you have problems finding work in the summer?

 

[rod]

if you really are a UPS driver( I don't think so) with 7 years under your belt, it sounds to me like your center manager is about to disappear. UPS is not noted for having too many employes. In the mean time just enjoy it because when you get a "real" manager you will be begging for time off and you won't get it.

 

[UPSBOI]

Maybe he is a feeder driver... trips = feeder runs? 7 years... (full-time/part-time?) Please these guys are like sharks when you don't give pertinent info....

 

[Cezanne]

Could be that he was hired off the street and that the newer drivers are higher seniority package car drivers going into the feeder department. Seven years seniority in feeders doesn't mean squat, he will be on the bottom of the seniority list for a long time. With drivers' vacations during the summer it is hard to understand why he would be only working 3 days a week?

Suggestions are to grin and bear it, get a little more whiskers and wait for the annual bid and get a permament run. The other is to go down to packages if you are capable of that kind of work. Get with your business agent and see what your options are, lanuage in these different supplements and regions can be hard to figure out.

 

[sinkingfast]

Ok...I guess I am not wording things correctly- using the right terms route vs. trip. I do have 7 years - and no I wasn't a direct hire from the street- I worked pre-load for 5 years.
To those who tried to help - thankyou. I guess I will try talking to my shop steward. My center is the worst in our hub- has way too many floaters
Where all the paranoia is coming from that I am not a driver- I don't know what to tell ya.

 

[dannyboy]

If it does not look. sound, feel like a driver, it aint a driver. And from what you have posted, you aint, thats all.

And for someone that has suposedly worked preload for a while, that really does not help your case any.

I guess you been a "trippin" there?

d

 

[speeddemon]

..........busted...........

 

[wily_old_vet]

Ok...I guess I am not wording things correctly- using the right terms route vs. trip. I do have 7 years - and no I wasn't a direct hire from the street- I worked pre-load for 5 years.
To those who tried to help - thankyou. I guess I will try talking to my shop steward. My center is the worst in our hub- has way too many floaters
Where all the paranoia is coming from that I am not a driver- I don't know what to tell ya.

I'm curious abot the term floaters. Not a term I ever heard at UPS in 32 years. In my area they were called cover drivers and reg temps. In other areas I know they are called swing drivers but I've never heard floaters. Why do you resist telling us what area you are in. I drove out of Burtonsville Md.

 

[ups79]

The man(or women, what ever the case might be)is not an employee. He has no answers. He's shorting stock.

 

[trickpony1]

I'm not defending this person but his use of the term "trips" may be indigenous to his facility.
We have a bunch of new feeder drivers, fresh out of package cars, that continue to refer to feeder "runs" as "routes"
In an abstract way, I could see how one might refer to a "run" or a "route" as a "trip" albeit not necessarily an enjoyable one.

And, yes, I am a feeder driver......just ask me some questions that only a feeder driver would know.