Driver helpers

[Brownslave688]

So our building is pretty much letting us choose our driver helper this year. They sent us with a sheet to fill out. Name number and such.

Supposedly we are doing this because all of our part timers were terrible as helpers. Also they had trouble getting part timers back for twilight.

Is anyone else's center doing this? Do part timers have a right to this work before off the street hires?

 

[jaker]

That is what we do here , drivers picks go first and if the driver doesnt have anybody they get a PT

 

[jumpman23]

Same here

 

[barnyard]

same here.

 

[Brownslave688]

Cool. I'm really trying to get my wife to do it this year. She graduates this winter and this is pretty much our only chance. I know she knows I work hard but there's something different about experiencing it.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Are you going to let her take a turn at driving?

 

[upschick95]

I am assuming it is just your center since we are in the same building and they haven't even mentioned helpers to us yet. Also my center manager told me last year that family could no longer be helpers. Husband and wife or girlfriend and boyfriend. There is a little more to that second part that I cannot really go into without giving up too much information about myself. If they are off the street they get to be helpers first before UPS part timers.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

Cool. I'm really trying to get my wife to do it this year. She graduates this winter and this is pretty much our only chance. I know she knows I work hard but there's something different about experiencing it.

If I could get my wife to do that, I could probably save a few bucks on couples therapy.

 

[whiskers]

I'm part-time, and I've done driver helper since I started. I use it as a learning opportunity, and of course a little extra money. I'm next in line to go to driving school at my center, and getting to use the diad and learning how to DR can't hurt. It's my understanding that PTers do have first choice over outside hires, but I don't know of any language to back that up.

 

[Brownslave688]

I am assuming it is just your center since we are in the same building and they haven't even mentioned helpers to us yet. Also my center manager told me last year that family could no longer be helpers. Husband and wife or girlfriend and boyfriend. There is a little more to that second part that I cannot really go into without giving up too much information about myself. If they are off the street they get to be helpers first before UPS part timers.

Only 1 center in my building.

 

[you aint even know it]

In my local pters have seniority over outside hires.

 

[scratch]

We use Preloaders and night shift over off the street hires here. They get the same lousy pay as a new hire over their regular shift pay, I have never understood that.

 

[Wally]

Who would work as a helper? Most of the time, they don't get many hours and get low pay. Around here, they have to drive to meet points on drivers route, sometimes far from where they live. We have helpers that work one day then never show up. I think I had 3 "no shows" last peak.

 

[laffter]

Who would work as a helper? Most of the time, they don't get many hours and get low pay. Around here, they have to drive to meet points on drivers route, sometimes far from where they live. We have helpers that work one day then never show up. I think I had 3 "no shows" last peak.

We get overtime pay (at the helper rate) when the total for the day exceeds 8 hours (only the first 5 hours of preload count). So, let's say that during peak, I work 6 hours in preload, then I go help for another ~6. My first 3 hours of helping will be at 8.50, everything after that is overtime at 12.75. Slightly better than being an outsider, since they're unlikely to work over 8 hours helping.

Last year, my typical meet point was about 8 miles away by local streets- more by highway. At most, it's a 20min drive. Since then, I've gotten my yearly wage increase, but my typical preload paycheck was $200 after taxes. During the last week of October, I started helping, and that rose to the upper 300's. After that, weekly paychecks in the $400's were typical. At my max, I got about ~$650 in a week. That's pocket change compared to driver pay, but going up from 200 to that is a pretty damn big difference. I count on peak every year now to save some money, or buy something I couldn't afford otherwise (like a new computer that I built after my first peak).

Of course, to earn something like $650 means sacrificing every bit of personal time including weekends, since I just sleep all day. For the most part, during peak, I sleep about 3 hours a night during the week. Add knee/shin pains to that, it makes for a pretty miserable season, but I'm happy that I did it- when it's all over.

 

[you aint even know it]

We get overtime pay (at the helper rate) when the total for the day exceeds 8 hours (only the first 5 hours of preload count). So, let's say that during peak, I work 6 hours in preload, then I go help for another ~6. My first 3 hours of helping will be at 8.50, everything after that is overtime at 12.75. Slightly better than being an outsider, since they're unlikely to work over 8 hours helping.

Last year, my typical meet point was about 8 miles away by local streets- more by highway. At most, it's a 20min drive. Since then, I've gotten my yearly wage increase, but my typical preload paycheck was $200 after taxes. During the last week of October, I started helping, and that rose to the upper 300's. After that, weekly paychecks in the $400's were typical. At my max, I got about ~$650 in a week. That's pocket change compared to driver pay, but going up from 200 to that is a pretty damn big difference. I count on peak every year now to save some money, or buy something I couldn't afford otherwise (like a new computer that I built after my first peak).

Of course, to earn something like $650 means sacrificing every bit of personal time including weekends, since I just sleep all day. For the most part, during peak, I sleep about 3 hours a night during the week. Add knee/shin pains to that, it makes for a pretty miserable season, but I'm happy that I did it- when it's all over.

3 hours of sleep? That's dreadful. I wouldn't do that unless its really urgent.

 

[JL 0513]

I don't mean to jack the thread, but I have a basic question regarding driver helpers. Sorry, I just became a driver this year.

What does a driver helper do? Do they mainly run the package(s) to the doorstep? Do they know enough to select packages?

Just curious, thanks!

 

[Brownslave688]

Helpers here make almost $13 an hour. Not a terrible gig.


Yep helpers pretty much just run (ok briskly walk) the packages to the door. This gives the driver some time to sort the truck.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Saw a poster inside the building advertising driver helpers at $12.88 an hour.

 

[laffter]

I don't mean to jack the thread, but I have a basic question regarding driver helpers. Sorry, I just became a driver this year.

What does a driver helper do? Do they mainly run the package(s) to the doorstep? Do they know enough to select packages?

Just curious, thanks!

It depends on the driver and how much the helper understands/is capable of.

Last peak, my driver dropped me off at an office building with a few cartloads of crap and a diad. She went off and delivered to some businesses while I took care of the building. Other than that, I just ran boxes to residential doors. And, depending on the driver, I may be in charge of scanning/stop completing everything.

Drivers tend to be very impatient with teaching a helper how to use the diad, so they just hand them a box and point them to the door. Helpers also tend to be slow learners, so it's a bad combination.

 

[JL 0513]

Helpers here make almost $13 an hour. Not a terrible gig.


Yep helpers pretty much just run (ok briskly walk) the packages to the door. This gives the driver some time to sort the truck.

It depends on the driver and how much the helper understands/is capable of.

Last peak, my driver dropped me off at an office building with a few cartloads of crap and a diad. She went off and delivered to some businesses while I took care of the building. Other than that, I just ran boxes to residential doors. And, depending on the driver, I may be in charge of scanning/stop completing everything.

Drivers tend to be very impatient with teaching a helper how to use the diad, so they just hand them a box and point them to the door. Helpers also tend to be slow learners, so it's a bad combination.

Thanks guys, I've been curious about this. I was hoping they wouldn't just be in the way.