drivers don't get help with over 70s anymore?

[Forty6and2]

After working preload, my center needed me to do a bit of driving for them on friday. As my day was winding down at around 15:30, i still had 3 or 4 stops left. My center manager had instructed me to go run these "shags" and try and be back and punched out by 16:00. At sometime around 15:30, i get a text message from my center telling me to call such and such driver and set up a meet point to go help him with two over 70 packages he had.

Longer story shortened, I ended up meeting up with him to help with these two heavy packages and then I had to hustle back to building and punch out afterwards. ( I had 4 missed stops because they told me to go help him. )

As I was helping this guy, he was explaining to me that our center is trying to convince him that "drivers getting help for over 70 packages (from other drivers and what not)" is no longer in the contract. Anyone heard this too?

 

[FromBluetoBrown]

That sounds like something you should take up with your safety center team.

 

[Cementups]

I don't evn bother trying to ask for help with those. 1. I have a handcart 2. It takes to long to get help when you do ask for it.
If I see something really heavy in the morning that I may need help with I will ask the driver that I meet up with everyday at 9:30. If it's close and it won't screw up his day too much I will ask him to run and deliver it with me before he heads back to his area.

 

[trplnkl]

I have requested help with O/70s maybe two or three times since they became a legal weight. The answer is always the same, " Get the customer to help you we have no one to send for that". So now I just get them delivered anyway I can without hurting myself. You should see the look on some customers faces when I roll their new computer or TV out of the back of the brown truck.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When we first started delivering the O/70s, we had one driver who decided to make a statement. He had a 71lb pkg and requested help in delivering it. He was told that there was no help available and to do what he could to get it delivered. Well, he ended up bringing the pkg back because he was not given help. He longer works here (not related to this incident).

Common sense has to prevail. Most bulk stops are more than willing to lend a hand. Residential stops are, of course, a different story but proper planning (hand cart) and use of the methods should ensure safe delivery of the O/70.

WalMart, with its Ship to Store program, has been receiving over 70s for quite some time, which is not a big deal, but the receiving clerk at our local store should really be home babysitting her grandchildren so delivering these pkgs is all on me, to include not only getting them off the car and on to their dock but moving them to where she wants them. Did I mention I love WalMart?

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

Don't worry. Before it's over, the UPS Freight guys will be delivering these. Just like their subsidiaries have been delivering Dell for us.

 

[longlunchguy]

I delivered a sofa from Pottery Barn last week. Second floor apartment, no elevator, no help. I didn't want to keep this thing in the middle of my p700 all day, so I go there first thing in the morning and the lady is about 90 yrs. old. (we are in Fla. ...God's waiting room) . The box is tattered so I convince her to shuffle down and look a it before we go any further. The thing is some assembly required, so I take it up in pieces and toss the box in the recycle dumpster. How she got it put together I'll never know. You do what you gotta do.

 

[rocket man]

IN YOUR post you said i had to hurry back to punch out WRONG you get back as safe as possible if you hurry back and mess up your screwed you get back safe.the company will have more for you the next day,

 

[rod]

I always found that after asking for help with a really heavy pkg at a stop and the customer refused or couldn't spare anybody to help me that if I said "ok I will bring it back the next day" they usually found someone to help. Getting any help out of the center was next to impossible.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

IN YOUR post you said i had to hurry back to punch out WRONG you get back as safe as possible if you hurry back and mess up your screwed you get back safe.the company will have more for you the next day,

Punctuation...capitalization...PLEASE!!!

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

If the terrain between the truck and the delivery point allows it I will use the hand cart for over 70s but if there are hills and steps involved, or anything else that will cause me to need help, I will ask for help. I've haven't had anyone refuse yet but its bound to happen. I'm just curious as to how to sheet a package that weighs more than 100 lbs if I can't get it to where it goes? NR1? I would rather get it done the first time but I've had some packages before that I couldn't lift alone. Dragging them isn't always an option either. Especially when they weight close to 150 lbs.

 

[Ibt804Hammer]

Its in the contract that UPS will get you union assistance and they never violate the contract. What happens if the customer gets hurt moving the over 70 in the UPS truck? is he covered under liberty mutuals insurance policy?
send a message and request help.

 

[Forty6and2]

Its in the contract that UPS will get you union assistance and they never violate the contract. What happens if the customer gets hurt moving the over 70 in the UPS truck? is he covered under liberty mutuals insurance policy?
send a message and request help.

thats what my question was though- our center supervisors claim that it WAS in the OLD CONTRACT that you could get union assistance, but they are now saying that it ISN'T IN the NEW CONTRACT.

 

[outamyway]

Non delivery
Other
Over 70


Never actually did that before, but I told a sup one day before I left if I didn't have a hand cart I would sheet it up that way. He found one for me.

 

[scoobypanda]

Why in the world would you violate your own contract? Getting help with over 70 is in the contract. Asking customer for help is unprofessional. If you can't set up meet with neighboring driver, center will have to send help. I had a 135 lb. crate in my truck for 4 days before my supe made sure my neighbor was meeting me at noon to deliver it. If you get hurt lugging an overweight U.P.S will blame you and you will never forgive yourself. Don't be your own worst enemy, use the contract for your protection and your neighbor will thank you for the extra 10 bucks he made.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

I still can't believe they raised the weight limit to 150lbs. You would think all the safety classes we are forced to do and all the jargon about how we have to take care of our bodies because we are useless hurt to them, that they would subject us to these packages once in a while.
I would think they would take care of us a little better than that, knowing the smallest mistake with these can put our careers in jeopardy.

Again, THE MIGHTY DOLLAR IS WORTH MORE THAN US

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Why in the world would you violate your own contract? Getting help with over 70 is in the contract. Asking customer for help is unprofessional. If you can't set up meet with neighboring driver, center will have to send help. I had a 135 lb. crate in my truck for 4 days before my supe made sure my neighbor was meeting me at noon to deliver it. If you get hurt lugging an overweight U.P.S will blame you and you will never forgive yourself. Don't be your own worst enemy, use the contract for your protection and your neighbor will thank you for the extra 10 bucks he made.

It's not unprofessional to ask a customer for help when the only other option is to not make service on the package because management won't, or "can't", arrange for someone to come help me carry it. In most cases the customer would rather help us and get their package on time (which is what they paid for) than have to wait another day (or more) for UPS to arrange for the package to be delivered safely. It looks bad on us when a customer pays for service and we don't provide it. If I know I can't get help from another UPSer I will ask the customer. If they say no (never happened) then, and only then, will I bring the package back to the center.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

...If they say no (never happened) then, and only then, will I bring the package back to the center.

This was asked above but not answered--how would you sheet it?
outamyway said to use "other, other, over 70" I would advise against using that, as using "other, other" will get you a chat with my center manager and a piece of paper in your file. So, how would you sheet it?

 

[Hangingon]

Personally when mgm't refuses to send help I just sheet it as missed. These are normally resi's with a flight of steps to the front porch or my apartments.
If I can make service on an O'70 I will, but 3 or 4 125+ packages I won't even try if steps are involved.
When we started delivering O'70's we were told not to ask for help since if the customer was hurt helping us we would be personally liable. Since that time mgm't has said the proper method is to ask the customer first, but they will not answer when I ask about the liability issue.

 

[DorkHead]

This was asked above but not answered--how would you sheet it?
outamyway said to use "other, other, over 70" I would advise against using that, as using "other, other" will get you a chat with my center manager and a piece of paper in your file. So, how would you sheet it?

You sheet it as missed.