More attention to fixing the dispatch would be a good start. I feel the drivers aren't given enough respect for the feedback we give on dispatch issues. I try not to take it personal, but when you have mentioned the same problem to supervisors several times and nothing changes, you just give up in frustration. I understand the difficulty of dispatch, with no area knowledge(our guy is new at this), just go off of section numbers and amount of stops. Reality on the street is alot different than on the computer screen.
Moral of the story: Trust your drivers, stop treating us like we are lazy slugs just trying to do less work and steal as much free time as possible. Communication and respect is key, on both sides of the fence.
What you say here is absolutely true.....
Fixing the dispatch is key. It will make UPS more efficient, cut down on paid day, and better serve the customer. That cannot be properly done without input from the driver and that requires two way communication.
That doesn't mean setting up the dispatch the way the driver wants however. I good PDS should listen to the driver's thoughts and use that to make a decision and then explain why the route(s) was set up they way they are. (I believe there is a policy that discusses this).
I agree that this doesn't happen enough.......
On the other hand, the original point of the thread involved going off area for lunch. Even with a good dispatch, that other issue will still remain, and the cost is not "pennies". Even just 2 miles per driver per day at UPS is A LOT of money.
We need a rational, standard policy for lunches that BOTH SIDES must be accountable to....
Its not right to say you have to eat lunch on trace when there is no facility to do so. Its also not right to use UPS equipment and time to drive off trace to lunch when there is an acceptable choice.
I don't think the issue will go away until some policy is drafted......