Fedex Furniture

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switchoff

Guest
In Canada, we are now not allowed to bring any radio of any type into the vehicles. Apparently someone brought a radio that was hooked to a small R/C battery and left that it in the cab of his truck. It tipped over and started leaking acid which eventually caught fire and burned out his cab. It sucks that the rules seem to vary from area to area.
 
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ups_gal_710

Guest
Now why would someone use a wet cell battery?? We all know it contains ACID. As for you FE guy I also listen at PCM's and we were told that if you use a radio that is powered off UPS wires that it is "Stealing Power". I could understand the safty issue of a radio but, the stealing power is bit extreme in my view.
 
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trickpony1

Guest
"Stealing power" has, honest to God, got to be the dumbest thing I think I have ever heard. An alternator/generator charges continuously. The flow of electricity is regulated by the regulator (hence the name).
I will get with my feeder division manager tomorrow and advise him that he needs to fire all 100+ feeder drivers who use the power cord (mandated in the contract language) in the tractors to power their am/fm and CB's.
Does it get any more ignorant than this?
 
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isdrone

Guest
The reasons behind the corded 'appliances' is pure safety. As one poster pointed out people were hurt, sometimes fatally by these items.
Sometimes the rules seems strange but everyone has to remember UPS's policy is to react by pulling the reins too tightly and them easing them out slowly.
This is nothing new. UPS feels it is easier to stop everything to be on the safe side.
 
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ok2bclever

Guest
Hey, wouldn't talking during a pcm be considered stealing power as well?
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We have lost people, even permanently to packages falling off over full belts and trying to relieve jams from the same and the results are power unloaders and a speed up loading the belts even more full.

I wonder what percentage of UPS personel has been hurt by falling packages versus plugged in radios oooooooh!
 
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upsdude

Guest
Part timers are allowed to use "company" power for their radios. The maintenance guy is required to check the cords for safety, torn, frayed etc.
 
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upsdawg

Guest
What happened to FedEx Furniture? Why do we have to throw Feeder Drivers into the mix------they are in a tractor not a package car-----kinda like apples and oranges??

I knew that when I became a driver, that there were no radios in the package cars---everybody keeps crying for more...and more...radio how about a radio with surround sound---bungee the surround sound speakers to ...something....how about satelite radio-------now they won't let me have a big screen t.v----it's only in the cargo area and I wil only watch it on my lunch hour!!
 
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ddomino

Guest
If safety were truly a consern of any management person, more than half the package cars would be red tagged. I'm sure more people were hurt in or buy the truck than anything else at UPS. The old trucks have no power stearing or power brakes. The newer trucks, mostly the P700, has turn signals that don't turn themselves off. Most trucks only have lap belts instead of lap shoulder belts. These are all safety measures required to be in autos bought by the general public, but UPS doesn't have to go by standards? Isn't safety the top concern? or is it MONEY?
 
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air_upser

Guest
There's always a balance between safety, cost and practicality. Why not retrofit all package cars with shoulder straps, air bags, and head restraints? Then require all the drivers to wear helmets and neck braces.
Seriously, I think UPS truly does not want to see employees injured. Also, it wants to protect us and the company from some of the stupid lawsuits that are filed these days .....remember the hot coffee? If a driver gets into the accident with a radio tied to his dash, they'd be accused of being distracted. Never mind the other driver had a cell phone in each ear...UPS would be at fault.
Are there cases where the "safety" concerns are abused? Of course. The manager probably doesn't like the music you are playing on the radio thats sitting out of the way with an approved power source. Change the station and try again.
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ok2bclever

Guest
Actually, I would say UPS cellphone use while driving is a far more serious safety issue than the possibility of a stupid radio causing a safety issue in an accident.

You see drivers everywhere, on the road, highway, exiting the building and entering it at night on their cells yakking away.

It doesn't matter whether they are talking to mom, wife, mistress, their lawyer or work, many are on the cells constantlywhile driving and it is a proven attention hazard.
 
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trickpony1

Guest
upsdawg,
This feeder driver was just trying to lend support for the cause expressed by some of your fellow pkg drivers......that being allowed to have a radio powered by the vehicle's electrical system in your cab.

I'm sorry if I offended you.

The tractors didn't have power steering when I went into feeders but they do now. So that I may experience the zen of a spartan work area that you seem to so enjoy, I will ask the automotive shop if they can disconnnect the power steering in my tractor. Perhaps I will have them remove the microwave, refrigerator and hot tub as well.

Have I ever kept you from signing a feeder bid sheet?

(Message edited by trickpony1 on August 26, 2005)
 
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fredly00

Guest
We have drivers(package car) with stereos... even some with XM and sirius... pretty cool if you ask me.. light music keep moral up, and the beats(if fast enough) encourage you too work faster.. ;)
 
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trickpony1

Guest
I agree.
I can't quote the research but I know there is some regarding just what you have mentioned.....keeps morale up, keeps mood and tempo up.
 
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dannyboy

Guest
From what I understand the issue to be is not the radio or the way it is wired into the circuit, it is the fact that when you sweat, there are salts in the moisture that conduct electricity. There have been several cases (6 I think) where loaders, unloaders, sorters have reached up to the radio for what ever reason, sweat running down their arms, and been killed by the shock. So this is not some joking matter like FE's post. It is a really serious problem. After the fact it is usually traced back to a problem with the radio, but that is not much consolation to the dead employee or UPS.

You could/would have the same problem stepping out of a hot tub, reaching down to turn on a light switch. All it takes is a little sweat into the switch and you get zapped.

BTW FE Your post " When I'm walking down the belt, I'd like to know there isn't some stray voltage waiting to knock me down. " spoke volumes about your knowledge base. But I am sure it is not some stray voltage that you really need to worry about that would be waiting to knock you down.

And of course we all knew "Yes, you guessed it, I'm on the CHSP committee."

Im sorry. I get this picture of a little guy with a pee wee herman look skipping down the belt, keeping a sharp lookout for bolts of stray voltage that are shooting out from everywhere to knock him down. Damn you are just too funny. I bet the guys in your building get a real kick out of you every day!

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