Drivers, how do you sort your car/next day airs?

Alk

New Member
/title
Rookie Driver here, I recently got done with my driver training and had the opportunity to run my route by myself. Needless to say without my supervisor with me, I got overwhelmed and it didn't go well. My route is fairly industrial heavy, a lot of bulk stops and backing up to docks with pickups. I know how the car is laid out, 1-8ks. My loader doesn't, considering he frequently loads stuff in the wrong area and buries important packages like next day airs under stuff. I've made a complaint and will be following it up on Tuesday.
When my supervisor was with me, he commented on the loader issue as well and told me not to worry about it, despite that he was a beast at sorting and putting things where they needed to be. Without him there I felt lost and overwhelmed. I spent so long looking for packages digging through the back of my truck, wasting time in the process.

My route started with the next day airs, followed by business deliveries which all needed to be done by 2pmct because most of them open at 6 in the morning, so naturally they close early. Leaving at 9amct that leaves me about 4 hours to get those done, the next day airs done, and the pickups done as well before they all close, and then finishing out with residentials.

I guess my main concern is not knowing what to tackle what when I'm front loaded with bulk stops and next day airs. It doesn't help when I go deliver I'm also picking up if they have it early, up to 12 packages at a time that I'm forced to lob into the back of the car because I simply don't have enough room. The new DIAD doesn't help, because when I sort by commit time and go to the stops that are the closest with commits it doesn't take into account the normal deliveries that I will eventually have to come back to and complete later.

Any experienced drivers been in this situation before, any tips would be appreciated.
 

...

Nah
/title
Rookie Driver here, I recently got done with my driver training and had the opportunity to run my route by myself. Needless to say without my supervisor with me, I got overwhelmed and it didn't go well. My route is fairly industrial heavy, a lot of bulk stops and backing up to docks with pickups. I know how the car is laid out, 1-8ks. My loader doesn't, considering he frequently loads stuff in the wrong area and buries important packages like next day airs under stuff. I've made a complaint and will be following it up on Tuesday.
When my supervisor was with me, he commented on the loader issue as well and told me not to worry about it, despite that he was a beast at sorting and putting things where they needed to be. Without him there I felt lost and overwhelmed. I spent so long looking for packages digging through the back of my truck, wasting time in the process.

My route started with the next day airs, followed by business deliveries which all needed to be done by 2pmct because most of them open at 6 in the morning, so naturally they close early. Leaving at 9amct that leaves me about 4 hours to get those done, the next day airs done, and the pickups done as well before they all close, and then finishing out with residentials.

I guess my main concern is not knowing what to tackle what when I'm front loaded with bulk stops and next day airs. It doesn't help when I go deliver I'm also picking up if they have it early, up to 12 packages at a time that I'm forced to lob into the back of the car because I simply don't have enough room. The new DIAD doesn't help, because when I sort by commit time and go to the stops that are the closest with commits it doesn't take into account the normal deliveries that I will eventually have to come back to and complete later.

Any experienced drivers been in this situation before, any tips would be appreciated.
I just ran those bulk stops off first. I'm not gonna spend 10 minutes looking for a package that's buried under a 20 pc bulk stop (and for all you know, may not even be on the truck.). Clear the bulk, give yourself some space to work with, and keep going.
 

DriverNerd

Well-Known Member
You feel you failed because your first time by yourself doing a job you've never done before didn't go the way thought it should? Man, that's how it works. You can't beat yourself up about it, especially your first week solo. Everyone struggles. You don't have a (somewhat) experienced person there to guide you through it. You learn as you go. Keep sliding everything up throughout the day and no, you don't need to get to your commercial stops by 1400...you need to get there before 1700. Not your problem if they close early.

Air followed by as much bulk as possible is the easiest way to set up the rest of your day.
 

Alk

New Member
You feel you failed because your first time by yourself doing a job you've never done before didn't go the way thought it should? Man, that's how it works. You can't beat yourself up about it, especially your first week solo. Everyone struggles. You don't have a (somewhat) experienced person there to guide you through it. You learn as you go. Keep sliding everything up throughout the day and no, you don't need to get to your commercial stops by 1400...you need to get there before 1700. Not your problem if they close early.

Air followed by as much bulk as possible is the easiest way to set up the rest of your day.
I feel as if I've failed because when I was with the instructor he had such high hopes for me on my first day. I'm actively looking over my route on maps right now and feel like such an idiot letting the diad guide me instead of just hitting airs and bulk first. I wanted to be cautious so I let the diad hold my hand and freaked out when I couldn't find :censored2:.
I was talked up and let my supervisor and his manager down. I didn't even mention the talk the supervisor had with me, because I came back at 7 instead of 5. He was going to rip me a new one but saw how distressed I was and took the blow. I had to dirt like 12 business stops because they were closed by the time I got to them. 12 stops averaging 4-8 packages. That's almost 30 packages not counting the pickups I still had left on the truck when I got back to the hub. I know it happens to everyone but I can't make that same mistake again. I can't. I felt embarrassed when I opened up the back of my car when I came back. I feel even more like a :censored2: because the projected stops for that day were only 62 deliveries with 32 pickups. Half of those pickups aren't smart pickups so it's a gamble if they have :censored2: or not, but I had a relatively light day and still managed to :censored2: it up.
 

DriverNerd

Well-Known Member
Stop. Seriously stop. This "I am so disappointed that I disappointed them" stuff has got to stop now. You had one day on your own and it didn't go as swimmingly as you'd hoped. Welcome to the club. I was flying through my first day solo when I got to "tangle town" as it was known on that route. What should have taken 30 minutes took me almost two hours that put me way behind the rest of the day and I had to get bailed out by another driver. Don't act and talk like you're a failure because you can't do a route on your first day as well as someone who has been here for years.

And 32 pickups is a :censored2:load. 62 deliveries can be a lot depending on the number of industrial business stops within them. Your manager wasn't going to ream you out after your first day solo. You brought back business stops? Ok, did you sheet any of those missed? Because if you didn't you did fine.
 

BadIdeaGuy

Moderator
Staff member
I know how the car is laid out, 1-8ks. My loader doesn't, considering he frequently loads stuff in the wrong area and buries important packages like next day airs under stuff. I've made a complaint and will be following it up on Tuesday.
You're either an off the street hire, or a local sort guy.

Dude, you don’t want to try to get your preloader in trouble. Nothing will happen to him, except he’ll get mad and trust me. The load can always get worse.

Bring him food. Talk to him. Make him want you to succeed, if you can.
 

...

Nah
Dude, you don’t want to try to get your preloader in trouble. Nothing will happen to him, except he’ll get mad and trust me. The load can always get worse.
I made mine quit. Drivers were trying to hand me their DIADs saying "run mine off too!"
 

pkgdriver

Well-Known Member
I feel as if I've failed because when I was with the instructor he had such high hopes for me on my first day. I'm actively looking over my route on maps right now and feel like such an idiot letting the diad guide me instead of just hitting airs and bulk first. I wanted to be cautious so I let the diad hold my hand and freaked out when I couldn't find :censored2:.
I was talked up and let my supervisor and his manager down. I didn't even mention the talk the supervisor had with me, because I came back at 7 instead of 5. He was going to rip me a new one but saw how distressed I was and took the blow. I had to dirt like 12 business stops because they were closed by the time I got to them. 12 stops averaging 4-8 packages. That's almost 30 packages not counting the pickups I still had left on the truck when I got back to the hub. I know it happens to everyone but I can't make that same mistake again. I can't. I felt embarrassed when I opened up the back of my car when I came back. I feel even more like a :censored2: because the projected stops for that day were only 62 deliveries with 32 pickups. Half of those pickups aren't smart pickups so it's a gamble if they have :censored2: or not, but I had a relatively light day and still managed to :censored2: it up.
Had a similar route…65 stops and 30 pickups…25 min away from center….all commercial….planned over 8 hrs with 65 stops….picked up 500-1200…keep on plugging…dont crash or hurt yourself…as of a few years ago….closed after 5 doesnt count as missed…this may vary….always be at the stop if sheeted(recorded) as closed.
 

pkgdriver

Well-Known Member
I feel as if I've failed because when I was with the instructor he had such high hopes for me on my first day. I'm actively looking over my route on maps right now and feel like such an idiot letting the diad guide me instead of just hitting airs and bulk first. I wanted to be cautious so I let the diad hold my hand and freaked out when I couldn't find :censored2:.
I was talked up and let my supervisor and his manager down. I didn't even mention the talk the supervisor had with me, because I came back at 7 instead of 5. He was going to rip me a new one but saw how distressed I was and took the blow. I had to dirt like 12 business stops because they were closed by the time I got to them. 12 stops averaging 4-8 packages. That's almost 30 packages not counting the pickups I still had left on the truck when I got back to the hub. I know it happens to everyone but I can't make that same mistake again. I can't. I felt embarrassed when I opened up the back of my car when I came back. I feel even more like a :censored2: because the projected stops for that day were only 62 deliveries with 32 pickups. Half of those pickups aren't smart pickups so it's a gamble if they have :censored2: or not, but I had a relatively light day and still managed to :censored2: it up.
Dont let the DIAD guide you….Use common sense….After seniority do what you want.
 

Brownwind

Well-Known Member
You're either an off the street hire, or a local sort guy.

Dude, you don’t want to try to get your preloader in trouble. Nothing will happen to him, except he’ll get mad and trust me. The load can always get worse.

Bring him food. Talk to him. Make him want you to succeed, if you can.
Yep if you don’t want a worse load tomorrow follow up with a breakfast sandwich or a coke.
Don’t worry about production and looking for a box that might not be there.
 

SorryLazyPOS

Big Kahuna Burger
/title
Rookie Driver here, I recently got done with my driver training and had the opportunity to run my route by myself. Needless to say without my supervisor with me, I got overwhelmed and it didn't go well. My route is fairly industrial heavy, a lot of bulk stops and backing up to docks with pickups. I know how the car is laid out, 1-8ks. My loader doesn't, considering he frequently loads stuff in the wrong area and buries important packages like next day airs under stuff. I've made a complaint and will be following it up on Tuesday.
When my supervisor was with me, he commented on the loader issue as well and told me not to worry about it, despite that he was a beast at sorting and putting things where they needed to be. Without him there I felt lost and overwhelmed. I spent so long looking for packages digging through the back of my truck, wasting time in the process.

My route started with the next day airs, followed by business deliveries which all needed to be done by 2pmct because most of them open at 6 in the morning, so naturally they close early. Leaving at 9amct that leaves me about 4 hours to get those done, the next day airs done, and the pickups done as well before they all close, and then finishing out with residentials.

I guess my main concern is not knowing what to tackle what when I'm front loaded with bulk stops and next day airs. It doesn't help when I go deliver I'm also picking up if they have it early, up to 12 packages at a time that I'm forced to lob into the back of the car because I simply don't have enough room. The new DIAD doesn't help, because when I sort by commit time and go to the stops that are the closest with commits it doesn't take into account the normal deliveries that I will eventually have to come back to and complete later.

Any experienced drivers been in this situation before, any tips would be appreciated.
Pay your loader 10% off your paycheck from now on.
 

Whither

Scofflaw
I had to dirt like 12 business stops because they were closed by the time I got to them. 12 stops averaging 4-8 packages. That's almost 30 packages not counting the pickups I still had left on the truck when I got back to the hub.
Dirt business stops? Do you mean turf them, e.g., you didn't sheet the packages?

As for the rest: 1. make you sure you are in probation/attempting to qualify for a permanent FT job and not a seasonal/casual that will be let go after peak 2. supes are generally bad trainers so even with supe-training you will have to learn the route the hard way 3. ORION dispatching is generally nonsense and on most routes, the shelf-sequencing makes a lot more sense, but even then you will learn that running a route efficiently requires adjustments. There's a learning curve to the job, and once again, to every single route.
 

Whither

Scofflaw
I agree with you but You make a copy of what you are instructed to do then let the chips fall as they may. My point was the system does not show as missed after 5. It used to. Not rocket science.
Hmm I hadn't heard that the system no longer records closed after 5 as missed. I won't test it, and I've never heard otherwise except from you. But I have a bid route and it's been over a year since I had a legit (non-misload) missed. Within the last couple months they were still reminding us here not to sheet closed between 12 and 1.
 

pkgdriver

Well-Known Member
Hmm I hadn't heard that the system no longer records closed after 5 as missed. I won't test it, and I've never heard otherwise except from you. But I have a bid route and it's been over a year since I had a legit (non-misload) missed. Within the last couple months they were still reminding us here not to sheet closed between 12 and 1.
May be different in your center. It should be missed but it appears that it no longer is. I was at the location(misload) after I was instructed to sheet as closed. On road said it no longer showed as missed. Maybe Covid related.
 
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