Forging signatures on MY route?!

M

Mike23

Guest
Alright, this is kind of a whiny post, which is fine, because it has me steamed up pretty good (and not in the good way).

Whenever I'm on holidays or what not, I have a regular cover guy. I have one of the harder routes in my city and usually manage 300-450 pkgs a day and over 100 stops by 1630 (including my pickups in that total). There are MAYBE 2 - 3 more routes busier then mine. Usually I travel about 60-70KM a day, which isn't too bad for someone who was pretty much just 'thrown on a truck' and told to deliver, at least in my opinion, about a year ago.

So, while on vacation this guy covers for me and starts claiming he does +18 stops an hour to all of my customers. Well, good for him. My customers hate his guts because of his bragging since they all know that it's impossible to do (except in the morning when the first hour I usually average 20-25 stops).

I come back from vacation and find a driver follow up with his name on it. Ok, no big deal, everyone makes mistakes. I then checked the signature and name. The name is (names have been changed to protect the ID of the made up people) Bob. Well, I KNOW that there's never been a Bob that's worked there. I then ask the customer about the signature. They say that no one signs their name like that. Hmm, kind of fishy I think. I make a casual mention to my sup about it and make a mental note of it.

Now, today. I got ANOTHER driver follow up (2nd in 2 weeks) from when he delivered. The address is fine but he put 'unit 4289'. Well, I ask security about where unit 4289 would be. I even check, in the security office, their listing of unit numbers. There is no unit 4289. Ok, no biggy, I then go to where it was supposed to be delivered (lets say 874). I ask if they ever received a pkg from such and such company. The receptionist told me they weren't too sure. So I ask if a 'Steve' has ever worked there. I'm told that he did not. I then show them the signature and they say, 'well, we don't have anyone that signs their name that way'. She then says they DID receive a pkg from such and such a company though. She takes me to it and behold, it's the right pkg!

Now, it really peeves me off because I've wasted TWO stops in TWO weeks on a driver followup that shouldn't happen because this 'superman delivery man' (in his own head) obviously forges signatures. I called my sup immediately and told him what occured (without stating that the guy forged signatures of course). I also made note of it on the driver followup sheet.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want the guy fired but I DO NOT want him back doing my route if he can't take care of, what I consider, MY customers. It also creates more work on a busy enough route because he's too lazy to do his job properly. I was also covering my bottom because if a year down the road they pull all his (which are probably numerous) driver followup sheets, I didn't want to be brought in to question and asked why I didn't report it before and be termed on account of that.

My personal feelings also are that if you don't report a dishonest act you're just as dishonest. If it was done only to me and only harmed me, then no big deal. Since it harmed innocent people (my customers) it really got my goat.

I REALLY doubt my sup will do much more then just put a little scare into him by saying, 'don't do it again or else' which is all to become of it. I do feel I could have called the 'rat line' but that's just not me and as I said, it was mostly done to cover my own behind.

Did I do the right thing or not? Or am a horrible driver who should now be labled a 'rat'? :anxious: :not_fair::dont_know:
 

overallowed

Well-Known Member
You are probably going to be viewed as a rat. By management. I learned a long time ago, that what you really do is not important to management. It is what you can make it look like on paper.
It's not fair. But that's the way it is.
 

bigbrownhen

Well-Known Member
Just keep doing your job the best you can, you can't help what others may do.

A mention to the cover driver as to what may become of his UPS career if he continues his current work habits may be in order, but he most likely doesn't care anyway. His work habits will catch up to him eventually.

You have done your job, that's all you can do.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Your management team knows damn well that this guy is dirty, but since he is making them look good on paper they will ignore it...until he winds up making a mess that is too big for them to hide any more. Once that happens and the jackals from Loss Prevention start sniffing around, your management team will promptly throw the guy under the bus for being "dishonest."

Your best course of action is to just keep your mouth shut and do your job the right way. Dont worry about whether or not he looks better "on paper" than you do....the only "paper" that matters is the paycheck that you will continue to receive long after he has been fired. If he is forging signatures and generating follow-ups it is only a matter of time. It has nothing to do with you and it is not your problem.
 

DS

Fenderbender
Your management team knows damn well that this guy is dirty, but since he is making them look good on paper they will ignore it...until he winds up making a mess that is too big for them to hide any more. Once that happens and the jackals from Loss Prevention start sniffing around, your management team will promptly throw the guy under the bus for being "dishonest."

Your best course of action is to just keep your mouth shut and do your job the right way. Dont worry about whether or not he looks better "on paper" than you do....the only "paper" that matters is the paycheck that you will continue to receive long after he has been fired. If he is forging signatures and generating follow-ups it is only a matter of time. It has nothing to do with you and it is not your problem.
yea
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
Since he makes numbers, they wont do anything. You will look whiny.
Let it go.
Do your job, go home. You cannot keep the guy off your route, and its not Your route, Its ups's. You may be accused of caring too much, sorry that is a thing of the past:sad-very:
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
This will catch up to him eventually, we just had another driver get walked to the gate for the same thing. That's two so far this year. As others have said, just do your job and don't get caught up in it.
 

raceanoncr

Well-Known Member
OK, my opinion, whiny or not, rat or not, managment do anything or not? Well, here goes.

Be sure to document all of this in YOUR little logbook, you know, the one you keep of all of the days activities, the one where you write down your start time, your stop count, your actual stops, your pickup times, pickup stops, package count, messages sent from domicile, etc. You DO have a logbook to document all of this, don't you?

You will be asked to recount these events a year, two years, maybe more after the actual event. Is your memory that good you can recall? DOCUMENT!!!!
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
In my opinion this is not proof that the driver is not obtaining signiatures. It is proof of improper delivery methods.

Oftentimes, what the consignee scribbles on that DIAD could not be considered a signiature. It's usually just an unintelligible scribble. And the driver walks away doing his best to decipher the mess. Perhaps this is what your cover driver is doing. If that is the case then he should stop to ask the consignee's name before running off.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
In my opinion this is not proof that the driver is not obtaining signiatures. It is proof of improper delivery methods.

Oftentimes, what the consignee scribbles on that DIAD could not be considered a signiature. It's usually just an unintelligible scribble. And the driver walks away doing his best to decipher the mess. Perhaps this is what your cover driver is doing. If that is the case then he should stop to ask the consignee's name before running off.


BINGO
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
A couple of things

First off, its not your route, its UPS's. There is not one damn thing at UPS that belongs to you. Dont believe me? Then walk in and quit and see what you get to take home with you.

Secondly, while we can all be pretty sure what is going on, there is this little thing called proof. Before you ever dare to make accusations against another, you had better make sure you have enough proof to choke UPS. If not, it will come back to bite you big time.

Third, UPS pays you to be a delivery driver. Your job does not include functions that LP or management provides. You are not, or do you get paid to play CSI. Jumping to conclusions and gut feelings will hurt you long term.

Fourth, you have been given good advice by sober. Ignore the crap. He will be caught, or at the very least, he will be like a shooting star. He will burn up and crash. During and after that time, you will still be singing all the way to the bank.

We have a driver here that for 5 years would burn everybody's route, run under by 2-3 hours, be headed back by 4. Funny thing now is that he is broken. Physically he cant do it any more, and even if he could, there are now other younger idiots that are now the "flavor of the day" production wise.

Do your job, focus on making sure that you are not charged with the missing packages, so document as has been mentioned. I would keep a copy of each, and any notes you have regarding the delivery. That covers you should the stink from his poor delivery methods start spreading.

d
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
Ya, what everyone said and document, document, document. Always CYA! You may not ever need it but the minute you don't document is when you will need it. :happy2:
 

rorojo

Well-Known Member
Did you ask the cover driver about these follow ups. Could have saved yourself alot of headaches had you done so. It sure sounds like you are trying to get him in trouble to me.
 
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some1else

Well-Known Member
//Oftentimes, what the consignee scribbles on that DIAD could not be considered a signiature. It's usually just an unintelligible scribble. And the driver walks away doing his best to decipher the mess. Perhaps this is what your cover driver is doing. If that is the case then he should stop to ask the consignee's name before running off.

i cover and even being on some routes for 1-2 weeks i cant remember customer names; and ask them every time. they ask me if im an idiot, and i just say yes...
 

stevetheupsguy

sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
In my opinion this is not proof that the driver is not obtaining signiatures. It is proof of improper delivery methods.

Oftentimes, what the consignee scribbles on that DIAD could not be considered a signiature. It's usually just an unintelligible scribble. And the driver walks away doing his best to decipher the mess. Perhaps this is what your cover driver is doing. If that is the case then he should stop to ask the consignee's name before running off.
This is what you should suggest to the cover driver, instead of getting peeved, which does you no good as well as doesn't fix things. Make the cover driver your buddy and let them know how to survive. Beyond this, it's out of your control.

Did you ask the cover driver about these follow ups. Could have saved yourself alot of headaches had you done so. It sure sounds like you are trying to get him in trouble to me.
I see the cover driver has found the Brown Cafe.:surprised:
 

whiskey

Well-Known Member
UPS promote from within. They promote paid over drivers to fire them. They promote paid under cover drivers to... well, you finish the thought.
 
M

Mike23

Guest
In my opinion this is not proof that the driver is not obtaining signiatures. It is proof of improper delivery methods.

Oftentimes, what the consignee scribbles on that DIAD could not be considered a signiature. It's usually just an unintelligible scribble. And the driver walks away doing his best to decipher the mess. Perhaps this is what your cover driver is doing. If that is the case then he should stop to ask the consignee's name before running off.

A few probs with that:

1. The receptionist wears name tags there
2. It doesn't explain the wrong unit number considering he could punch the unit number while delivering the pkg or even just leave it blank
3. ALL of the receptionists stated that they don't sign like that
4. The signature looks an awful like the one from the previous follow up I had to do for this dingus.

The rest isn't directed at you brownrod, I'm just too lazy to make another post :)

As I said multiple times, I really don't care what happens to the guy, if it doesn't effect me then I don't care. There's only one driver I'd go out of my way to help in our depot and that's only because he's come to my rescue multiple times.

The driver in question is the same driver who had one of the easiest broken routes in the city. He worked until noon then napped for 2 hours in his truck. He did help me at times only because he was ordered to by management. He was ALWAYS done by 1600 and always gave me resi's since I was running about 110 stops by 5 with +450 pkgs. My route was BROKEN and I actually got my sup to admit it (who also did it for a month and couldn't finish it by himself). He has poor work ethic and just a lazy SOB who brags he's the most amazing guy in the world when it comes to driving (everyone has one at their depot, I know they do!).

I have asked the cover driver about the followups and all I get is, 'oh man, I don't forge signatures, there's no way!' which is BS and everyone knows it. He's the type of guy that claims he's been shot at, killed someone and won olympic gold. A compulsive liar through and through.

The ONLY reason I called my sup on this matter was so that I'd be able to say, 'hey, I did my due diligence, don't bring me into this' if management decides to try to point the finger at someone to blame. I noted who the sup was and all that lovely stuff and past that, I really don't care what happens as long as I'm left out of it (which is my biggest fear that I'll be dragged into it again).

I AM peeved about it, only because, like any UPS driver (at least I think so) I care about the customers in my area and get frustrated when they're frustrated by UPS stupidity.
 
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