Elijay, Ga. satellite Center

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
This is a photo I shot of a Satellite Center located in Elijay, Ga., which is in the North Georgia mountains. This "Center" is located at a local wrecker service off Hwy 515. It was put in this last year and I think is run out of the Blue Ridge Center. This is the first Satellite Center I have seen, I posted this for anybody who doesn't know what a Satellite Center looks like.
IMG_0379.jpg
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Hehehe, on friday they had the first meetings in our center on satelite routes. One on the tennessee side, four or 5 on the virginia side. Be interesting to see how that plays out.

On a side note, ever see the florida keys center? A MDC is all it is.

Or I think it is/was the morristown center? This was a converted gas station/7-11 type building. Really high tech.

I and several of the guys from our center went to Nashville for a BOD meeting. The company rented a van. If you went more than 45MPH, the roof would start sinking in, as much as 24 inches. Finally broke down about 40 miles from our center. Sent a mechanic in a 500 from their center to help, but we ended up riding back to the center, and then to the bus station.

10 guys in the back of a P500, plus luggage.

But we managed to make it there.

BTW, we did a pond rehab for Doc J not to far from there. (ellijay) Place called Koi LAB. The place used to be a sleezebag motel until he bought it and changed it to an office/research complex.

d
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Our satellite center was the parking lot of a resturant with one big truck backed up to a little truck. Outside sort year around no matter if it was 30 below or pouring rain.The satellite pkg car was kept over night in a workbay of the small town service station We only saw the satellite driver a couple of times a year and he NEVER saw any management. (lucky him):peaceful:
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
I will have to take my camera to work.
Not much to see, though.
P5 in a tire store parking lot.
Alley behind a Walmart to load.
Rain or shine ect...
 
S

Still young

Guest
Hey satellite... what is an average day for you hours, stops and miles?? May have a chance to bid on one in our area. Thanks for your input cause there isn't any satellite's in our area.
 

tvick

Gravy Boat Captain
I will have to take my camera to work.
Not much to see, though.
P5 in a tire store parking lot.
Alley behind a Walmart to load.
Rain or shine ect...

this describes our sattelite center to a tee, all except for the Wal-Mart, the town it is in only has about 900 residents
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
There was talk several years ago of building a satellite center in the Lake Placid/Saranac Lake NY area, which would service towns currently delivered out of both the Plattsburgh and Potsdam centers. This never came to be but I wouldn't be surprised if rising fuel costs brought this idea off of the back burner.
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Actually only the satillite drivers are more of what they want to bring into our area. They will have a regular driver take the deliveries to the satillite driver, and then pick up their volume later on that day for return.

I figure the only time they will ever see a sup is if they wreck the truck.

Wonder who is going to do the PMI and regular maintainence on the truck?

d
 

UPS Lifer

Well-Known Member
There was talk several years ago of building a satellite center in the Lake Placid/Saranac Lake NY area, which would service towns currently delivered out of both the Plattsburgh and Potsdam centers. This never came to be but I wouldn't be surprised if rising fuel costs brought this idea off of the back burner.

That may be a slippery slope! The more satellite centers you have the bigger the feeder network has to be. Fuel cost or alternative fuel sources may be more plentiful in brought in bulk to one location and the package cars come from there. The facility I worked at had CNG package cars as well as diesel and gas.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
where is the service station and where do you fuel?
They use the local gas stations, probably have a fuel charge card. There are a few fast food restaurants and a supermarket across the street for rest room breaks. No office or covered dock area. Just a parking lot "load and sort" in all kinds of weather.
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
They use the local gas stations, probably have a fuel charge card. There are a few fast food restaurants and a supermarket across the street for rest room breaks. No office or covered dock area. Just a parking lot "load and sort" in all kinds of weather.
Yep, you are correct, except for the restroom thing,
one has to creative with that situation.
Loading in rain, with a bulk load, is the worst.
 

25yrvet

Well-Known Member
Our 2 sat centers are leased buildings. They are heated--not the best heaters, but they keep the chill off. One ctr has a porta potty, the other one has a bathroom. Lottsa long hours in both ctrs, we go down the 9.5 grievance trail every couple of months. It's even more difficult trying to find reliable newhires in these sat ctrs; it's hard enough trying to get them to show up everyday--let alone working till 8 many nites.

Three things to think about if you're interested in sat ctrs:
1 You are on an island---ya can't just call for help. Having said that, you NEED good, reliable & trustworthy co-drivers

2 You don't see or hear from mgt much, unless something goes wrong.

3 LATE START TIMES---The company has no sympathy, they will try to load you up with their avg work day (10 hrs) regardless of of how late you start. There are ways to fight 'em on this though.
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
Im assuming the p/c is backed up right to the back of the trailer in rainy conditions so packages dont get wet? :dissapointed:
The p/c has a bumper. The tp5 has a bumper.
Big gap between and no roof.
Under the best of conditions during a rain storm, things get wet.
The biggest problem is the loading, when it rains.
Bulk load in the trailer is always the last loaded and the first thing I have to dance around to load my car.
On a clear day, no problem. I set them on the ground and load.
On a wet day, I have to move the same package three times before I can even load it in my car.
It is really fun every other Friday.
A guy gets 2,000lbs of beef jerky and he wants to be called for time of delivery.
When you delivery, all of his labels must face in the same direction to make his life easier.
If you don't, he will call in a corporate complaint.
When it rains on those Fridays, well I just scream and cuss a lot.
 

1989

Well-Known Member
The p/c has a bumper. The tp5 has a bumper.
Big gap between and no roof.
Under the best of conditions during a rain storm, things get wet.
The biggest problem is the loading, when it rains.
Bulk load in the trailer is always the last loaded and the first thing I have to dance around to load my car.
On a clear day, no problem. I set them on the ground and load.
On a wet day, I have to move the same package three times before I can even load it in my car.
It is really fun every other Friday.
A guy gets 2,000lbs of beef jerky and he wants to be called for time of delivery.
When you delivery, all of his labels must face in the same direction to make his life easier.
If you don't, he will call in a corporate complaint.
When it rains on those Fridays, well I just scream and cuss a lot.


Let him call a corporate complaint. Those arn't ups methods.
 
Top