Full time driving advice

New here. I’m 21 and I’ve worked at UPS as a loader for 2 years. I start driver’s training tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pros/Cons, handling traffic, how to navigate, handle accidents, make things go smooth, ORION, etc. Just kind of nervous because I’ve only driven a UPS truck once, and I’m scared of mistakes.
 

NAHimGOOD

Nothing to see here.... Move along.
Drink lots of water...

Save the water bottles.

Do pull ups off the shelf to keep your sanity.

Most importantly.... Do not throw the diad to the ground when it becomes useless.
 

Yeet

Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
Look, in all seriousness, anything y’all can tell me that the search button won’t?
No. It’s been covered numerous times before that’s why you’re getting snark.

Drink water. Bring piss bottle. Don’t hit anything. One stop at a time. That’s really all there is to it. The rest you’re only going to get from experience. Good luck.
 

Shift Inhibit

He who laughs last didn't get it.
No. It’s been covered numerous times before that’s why you’re getting snark.

Drink water. Bring piss bottle. Don’t hit anything. One stop at a time. That’s really all there is to it. The rest you’re only going to get from experience. Good luck.
A wide mouthed piss bottle was the best advice I got from a veteran..
 
No. It’s been covered numerous times before that’s why you’re getting snark.

Drink water. Bring piss bottle. Don’t hit anything. One stop at a time. That’s really all there is to it. The rest you’re only going to get from experience. Good luck.
Y’all think I’m overthinking this?
No. It’s been covered numerous times before that’s why you’re getting snark.

Drink water. Bring piss bottle. Don’t hit anything. One stop at a time. That’s really all there is to it. The rest you’re only going to get from experience. Good luck.
Thanks, I think I’m just overthinking things.
 

JJinVA

Well-Known Member
New here. I’m 21 and I’ve worked at UPS as a loader for 2 years. I start driver’s training tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pros/Cons, handling traffic, how to navigate, handle accidents, make things go smooth, ORION, etc. Just kind of nervous because I’ve only driven a UPS truck once, and I’m scared of mistakes.

Driving a package car takes about 2 days to get comfortable with if youre not used to driving larger vehicles. Its not like driving a tractor trailer. Theres no hinge mechanism to the rear axle. Its just like driving a longer car.

How to handle accidents. Dont have any. Problem solved. Do your best to stay away from other vehicles even if it means pissing off the person/people behind you. friend 'em. You are driving for YOU, not for them. Who cares if they get upset. 5 minutes after they flick you off and yell a few obscenities at you, theyve forgotten completely about you and have moved on with their lives, and you should too. Think of your following-distance as an "investment in reaction time". The bigger the gap, the greater chance you have of making a good decision to avoid a potential accident. Especially on the interstate. You travel a pretty good distance every second at 60mph, so if you have to check your mirrors, comprehend what youre seeing, then make a decision to avoid an accident, youre gonna want some leeway.

Handle traffic. Drive as if you are the only person on the road that makes good decisions. This will help you avoid "trusting" other drivers to do the correct things. All day long we see ppl turn on a left blinker then dart right. Assume a turn signal means "something is about to happen".

Make things go smooth. If you have a good dispatcher, follow Orion. If you have a crapy dispatcher, and you have time-committed air to run, sometimes it will put deliveries that are nearby your air stops as your next stop on your way to your next time committed air stop. Ignore them. Run straight air everyday and go back to those stops when you get to their respective shelves. Chances are your truck is gonna be so blown out that you wont be able to get to them or find them anyways and all its going to do is make you have late air.
 
Driving a package car takes about 2 days to get comfortable with if youre not used to driving larger vehicles. Its not like driving a tractor trailer. Theres no hinge mechanism to the rear axle. Its just like driving a longer car.

How to handle accidents. Dont have any. Problem solved. Do your best to stay away from other vehicles even if it means pissing off the person/people behind you. friend 'em. You are driving for YOU, not for them. Who cares if they get upset. 5 minutes after they flick you off and yell a few obscenities at you, theyve forgotten completely about you and have moved on with their lives, and you should too. Think of your following-distance as an "investment in reaction time". The bigger the gap, the greater chance you have of making a good decision to avoid a potential accident. Especially on the interstate. You travel a pretty good distance every second at 60mph, so if you have to check your mirrors, comprehend what youre seeing, then make a decision to avoid an accident, youre gonna want some leeway.

Handle traffic. Drive as if you are the only person on the road that makes good decisions. This will help you avoid "trusting" other drivers to do the correct things. All day long we see ppl turn on a left blinker then dart right. Assume a turn signal means "something is about to happen".

Make things go smooth. If you have a good dispatcher, follow Orion. If you have a crapy dispatcher, and you have time-committed air to run, sometimes it will put deliveries that are nearby your air stops as your next stop on your way to your next time committed air stop. Ignore them. Run straight air everyday and go back to those stops when you get to their respective shelves. Chances are your truck is gonna be so blown out that you wont be able to get to them or find them anyways and all its going to do is make you have late air.
Thank you sir, much appreciated.
 

...

Nah
New here. I’m 21 and I’ve worked at UPS as a loader for 2 years. I start driver’s training tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pros/Cons, handling traffic, how to navigate, handle accidents, make things go smooth, ORION, etc. Just kind of nervous because I’ve only driven a UPS truck once, and I’m scared of mistakes.

Plan ahead. Read the CPaD notes for the next stops. When you see multiple stops on the same street, try and recognize those moments when you can walk 3 stops off with one stop of the package car. Try to become familiar with the area because area knowledge still trumps their navigation.
 
Plan ahead. Read the CPaD notes for the next stops. When you see multiple stops on the same street, try and recognize those moments when you can walk 3 stops off with one stop of the package car. Try to become familiar with the area because area knowledge still trumps their navigation.
Efficiency, I see. Thanks.
 

UPSER1987

Well-Known Member
New here. I’m 21 and I’ve worked at UPS as a loader for 2 years. I start driver’s training tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pros/Cons, handling traffic, how to navigate, handle accidents, make things go smooth, ORION, etc. Just kind of nervous because I’ve only driven a UPS truck once, and I’m scared of mistakes.
Once you know the area of your training route, I would make an investment of your personal time to go drive the area in your personal car. Maybe after work or on the weekends in the order the route runs. Every new driver struggles actually finding the packages in the package car, so good area knowledgeable will help you make up some time. Ask a lot of questions of the supervisor training while on road. Aside from your actual on road training days, it will be hard to get your Sups attention, so take advantage of the one/one interaction.
 

UPSER1987

Well-Known Member
New here. I’m 21 and I’ve worked at UPS as a loader for 2 years. I start driver’s training tomorrow and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pros/Cons, handling traffic, how to navigate, handle accidents, make things go smooth, ORION, etc. Just kind of nervous because I’ve only driven a UPS truck once, and I’m scared of mistakes.
And don’t expect much actual help here...mostly a bunch of not funny jokesters and stupid meme guys post here. (I guess I am the exception). Ask to see the wor daily so you can monitor you progress daily. If you can find a driver that looks normal and receptive, ask questions . Most guys don’t mind helping the new guy out with advice if they can. Avoid the negative people and the drivers that try to show off in front of the new guy. Those people will just get in the way of you progressing.
 
And don’t expect much actual help here...mostly a bunch of not funny jokesters and stupid meme guys post here. (I guess I am the exception). Ask to see the wor daily so you can monitor you progress daily. If you can find a driver that looks normal and receptive, ask questions . Most guys don’t mind helping the new guy out with advice if they can. Avoid the negative people and the drivers that try to show off in front of the new guy. Those people will just get in the way of you progressing.
Thanks man, appreciate it.
 

JJinVA

Well-Known Member
Youre also at an advantage having loaded trucks. Knowing damn well you dont read the pal labels and put it in chrono order, you know your loader is likely gonna do the same to you. (If they even get it on the right shelf or truck). Many times youre gonna find NDA's on the back of the 6000 and 8000 shelves cause they turned around in a hurry to get it on the truck but never made it back to putting it on the 1000 shelf if you dont take the time to go through your truck in the morning. Verify your air before you leave the building that you 1.) Have it. And 2.) is in an easy place to get to like slam in the middle of the walkway is where I put mine so all I have to do is open the bulkhead and there it all is.

Many of the vets here will call you a :censored2: for going through your truck off the clock and organizing it. Its all a matter of what kind of day you want to have. Do you have something to do in the evening? Might want to go in an hour to an hour and a half early and sort your truck off the clock. If youre out to make some money, hope for the best from your loader, expect the worst, and make that money
 
Top