Full time driving advice

[JJinVA]

@MisterMisload I shouldn't have to worry about distracting you at work right now, phone should be off and put away. Camera or not, guys have been terminated AFTER qualifying for being observed by a member of management looking down at their phone while at a stop light.

So we're going to keep posting

@JJinVA seriously, this is what I have been doing for years. I get a buy one get one XL coffee from DD and maybe 4 egg wraps (8$) 2 for me, give the other 2 to the preloader. He or she will be very grateful and it doesn't have to be every day. But I did learn that this is more appreciated by the permanent package handlers than seasonal. Peak preload never gave a , just fuel for them to run out of the building faster and never look back after day 2 lol

I will bring breakfast and coffee in for my preloader occasionally too. If they do a REALLY good job Ill kick them a $20 the next time I see them. But as a 22.4, Im on different bays all the time and dont really get to develop a relationship with my loader like that. Usually.

 

[Brownslave688]

Nothing would make me happier than to show up to a preloader, who only had to load MY truck, everything was in chrono order, and I had a walkway.

In other news, nothing would make me happier than coming home to a 1990 Jenna Jameson in my bedroom.

Both completely unrealistic.

It’ll never happen because you go in and do it for free lol.


You’re new I get it but you’re just making excuses. Tens of thousands of drivers nationwide manage to show up 5 min before start time and never see their truck prior to start time.

 

[JJinVA]

It’ll never happen because you go in and do it for free lol.


You’re new I get it but you’re just making excuses. Tens of thousands of drivers nationwide manage to show up 5 min before start time and never see their truck prior to start time.

And alot of the time I do the same. I dont go through it everyday, I get there early everyday, just when I want a good day or need to get off earlier do I go through it. But again, maybe our centers are run differently. Im not convinced we even have a permanent center manager. I think hes gonna be leaving soon so he doesnt really have a long-haulers mentality.

 

[JoesUPSacct]

i can see i'm going to have to pull doubles during my next week vacation, first helping the pre loaders out then checking in with all the drivers to make sure they aren't getting behind. last night i dreamed i drove back to the shop with 4 unscanned packages. is there a code for dreaming about your stops?

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

It’ll never happen because you go in and do it for free lol.


You’re new I get it but you’re just making excuses. Tens of thousands of drivers nationwide manage to show up 5 min before start time and never see their truck prior to start time.

And alot of the time I do the same. I dont go through it everyday, I get there early everyday, just when I want a good day or need to get off earlier do I go through it. But again, maybe our centers are run differently. Im not convinced we even have a permanent center manager. I think hes gonna be leaving soon so he doesnt really have a long-haulers mentality.

Do what you like. But to support @Brownslave688 's point, let us remember that the Maspeth 250 incident all began with a driver clocking in early to sort his truck...

 

[JJinVA]

Do what you like. But to support @Brownslave688 's point, let us remember that the Maspeth 250 incident all began with a driver clocking in early to sort his truck...

Not sure what that is, can you point me to an article?

edit: found one. Im still not convinced that it is outside the scope of my job as a 22.4. If I was a RPCD then I would see the conflict. But as a combo driver, the combo part being inside the building, I dont see the problem

 

[Brownslave688]

Not sure what that is, can you point me to an article?

edit: found one. Im still not convinced that it is outside the scope of my job as a 22.4. If I was a RPCD then I would see the conflict. But as a combo driver, the combo part being inside the building, I dont see the problem

The problem is you’re doing your truck specifically and only.


If they just asked you to help unload or other trucks. Ok maybe but even then
You have a posted start time and anything before that is extra work.

 

[TheBrownNote]

the only advice ill give you is NEVER piss in a bottle.
youre Human (assumably), and you deserve to be treated with repect and dignity (by the company, at least). so Drive to a bathroom and use it. and if anyone has a problem with extra time or anything, you simply tell them, i was using the bathroom. Let them try to discipline you. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE A BATHROOM. just call osha if anyone harassess you about it

 

[...]

the only advice ill give you is NEVER piss in a bottle.
youre Human (assumably), and you deserve to be treated with repect and dignity (by the company, at least). so Drive to a bathroom and use it. and if anyone has a problem with extra time or anything, you simply tell them, i was using the bathroom. Let them try to discipline you. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE A BATHROOM. just call osha if anyone harassess you about it

While I agree in principle, this kind of advice is best suited for after he qualifies...not in his 30 days.

 

[JJinVA]

The problem is you’re doing your truck specifically and only.


If they just asked you to help unload or other trucks. Ok maybe but even then
You have a posted start time and anything before that is extra work.

So if Im helping the loader pull packages for other trucks also while Im sorting mine, does that put me in the clear?

 

[Brownslave688]

So if Im helping the loader pull packages for other trucks also while Im sorting mine, does that put me in the clear?

Not likely because as I said you have a posted start time and any work before that is extra work and should be offered from high forced from low.

 

[TheBrownNote]

While I agree in principle, this kind of advice is best suited for after he qualifies...not in his 30 days.

too bad soo sad.

 

[burrheadd]

Not likely because as I said you have a posted start time and any work before that is extra work and should be offered from high forced from low.

thats how we got it stopped
High seniority guys started grieving to be paid the time that the rookies spent in their cars before start time

only had to pay one grievance and it stopped

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

And alot of the time I do the same. I dont go through it everyday, I get there early everyday, just when I want a good day or need to get off earlier do I go through it. But again, maybe our centers are run differently. Im not convinced we even have a permanent center manager. I think hes gonna be leaving soon so he doesnt really have a long-haulers mentality.

As a preloader, stop stealing my time. For the love of God, it's hard enough some days to get 3.5 during the sort.
I don't need help.
If my area is massively stacked out, that's me letting management know that they have given me far more work than is accomplishable in the time given.
If you clean my area up, all you are doing is helping management to be right in their assessment of how much work *I* should be doing.

They will then expect that of me the rest of the time, even when you are not around to "help".

They can fix these problems with earlier start times, and better staffing. You making it look like they don't need to change anything does me and other preloaders a pretty big disservice.

 

[JJinVA]

As a preloader, stop stealing my time. For the love of God, it's hard enough some days to get 3.5 during the sort.
I don't need help.
If my area is massively stacked out, that's me letting management know that they have given me far more work than is accomplishable in the time given.
If you clean my area up, all you are doing is helping management to be right in their assessment of how much work *I* should be doing.

They will then expect that of me the rest of the time, even when you are not around to "help".

They can fix these problems with earlier start times, and better staffing. You making it look like they don't need to change anything does me and other preloaders a pretty big disservice.

Already argued this point. UPS has been under-staffed since I started, and Im certain long before that. When I was in unload, me and a buddy of mine were unloading 5-6 trailers each a day and sorting another 3. We had TWO unload teams. TWO. We were completely overworked, but wanted to keep our jobs so we made it happen. That was in the summertime on top of that so it was hot as hell to boot. Complaining and letting things pile up doesnt seem to work from my perspective. I watch it happen daily with no change. If I have something to do when I get home, Im not gonna sit back so I can end up with a 14 hour day. If my loader did a decent job I wouldnt help. And on the days when I have one of the vet loaders loading my truck I dont help. I kick them a $20 and then go eat some breakfast. But youd be dishonest if you said that every shatty loader is only shatty because theyre overworked. Some of them just think showing up is good enough and the union will carry them the rest of the way. *shrug* Be offended if youre that kind of loader cause Im definitely going to go through the truck lol

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

Can we get more actual preloaders on this thread to give their perspectives? You were in unload, and I've never done preload. I was on night sort, loading trailers, but even that is a whole other ballgame. Much less skilled work from my perspective.

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

Already argued this point. UPS has been under-staffed since I started, and Im certain long before that. When I was in unload, me and a buddy of mine were unloading 5-6 trailers each a day and sorting another 3. We had TWO unload teams. TWO. We were completely overworked, but wanted to keep our jobs so we made it happen. That was in the summertime on top of that so it was hot as hell to boot. Complaining and letting things pile up doesnt seem to work from my perspective. I watch it happen daily with no change. If I have something to do when I get home, Im not gonna sit back so I can end up with a 14 hour day. If my loader did a decent job I wouldnt help. And on the days when I have one of the vet loaders loading my truck I dont help. I kick them a $20 and then go eat some breakfast. But youd be dishonest if you said that every shatty loader is only shatty because theyre overworked. Some of them just think showing up is good enough and the union will carry them the rest of the way. *shrug* Be offended if youre that kind of loading cause Im definitely going to go through the truck lol

We've all worked in trailers during the summer. Don't act like it's something special.
It verifiably *does* work.

Think about it.
If I take longer to get the job done, UPS has effectively given me a longer shift to accomplish my job.

The fact that you are going to work for free, to avoid a longer paid day is laughable. It makes no sense. Same amount of effort, just less pay. Since the timecard viewer says a smaller number, you'll feel better about it, I guess?

Plenty of preloaders don't care. Sure.

Some of them just think showing up is good enough and the union will carry them the rest of the way. *shrug* Be offended if youre that kind of loading cause Im definitely going to go through the truck lol

I think I'm getting a clearer view here.
Seems like you have animosity towards the union, by your view that they are being "shielded".
If you have a problem with your preloader, you need to address that issue. Not try to steal their time.


I'm a hard worker. But I promise you that you will *not* load my trucks.
I'd have you thrown out on your ear in a New York minute.
And if you did it anyway, I'd have one of the senior drivers I've known all my life grieve it.

I'm not offended. I'm just not going to let stuff like that happen in my area.

 

[SorryLazyPOS]

The problem is you’re doing your truck specifically and only.


If they just asked you to help unload or other trucks. Ok maybe but even then
You have a posted start time and anything before that is extra work.

Bless you

 

[JJinVA]

We've all worked in trailers during the summer. Don't act like it's something special.
It verifiably *does* work.

Think about it.
If I take longer to get the job done, UPS has effectively given me a longer shift to accomplish my job.

The fact that you are going to work for free, to avoid a longer paid day is laughable. It makes no sense. Same amount of effort, just less pay. Since the timecard viewer says a smaller number, you'll feel better about it, I guess?

Plenty of preloaders don't care. Sure.


I think I'm getting a clearer view here.
Seems like you have animosity towards the union, by your view that they are being "shielded".
If you have a problem with your preloader, you need to address that issue. Not try to steal their time.


I'm a hard worker. But I promise you that you will *not* load my trucks.
I'd have you thrown out on your ear in a New York minute.
And if you did it anyway, I'd have one of the senior drivers I've known all my life grieve it.

I'm not offended. I'm just not going to let stuff like that happen in my area.

No animosity towards the union. I love it for the same reason I hate it. There's ppl who deserve protection and ppl who clearly don't, in my opinion. Again, I'm not doing it for volunteer reasons, Im doing it strictly for the selfish purpose of getting home sooner because I have things to do other than eat, sleep, and work at UPS. Has nothing to do with less money or smaller numbers.

And I'm sure there are loaders at my center that feel the same as you. And eventually they might file on me. At that point I'll let it be. Until then, if I need to get home earlier than midnight Im gonna go through it (when I have a weak loader or on Wednesdays).

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

No animosity towards the union. I love it for the same reason I hate it. There's ppl who deserve protection and ppl who clearly don't, in my opinion. Again, I'm not doing it for volunteer reasons, Im doing it strictly for the selfish purpose of getting home sooner because I have things to do other than eat, sleep, and work at UPS. Has nothing to do with less money or smaller numbers.

And I'm sure there are loaders at my center that feel the same as you. And eventually they might file on me. At that point I'll let it be. Until then, if I need to get home earlier than midnight Im gonna go through it (when I have a weak loader or on Wednesdays).

well in that case I figured you wouldn't like feeders... did you ever consider getting some of those things done before work? Maybe breakfast with family or drive kids to school