Hourlies spying on Hourlies in the name of 'Safety'

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
As observant as you drivers are taught to be, I have a hard time believing that you wouldn't be able to tell when you are being followed. These people have absolutely no training to remain invisible. Also, it's not as if they have teams of observers following one package car, switching back and forth so it's never the same car behind you for too long. It's one car... with a pair of noobs.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I notice when I have the same car on my tail for any extended period of time.

1/2 my route is gravel roads, so if they want to follow me they had better be ready to eat my dust and beat the sh$t out of their fancy cars on the washboards and potholes.

They wont do that, of course, so they wait in the parking lot of the Fred Meyer store (what they call Krogers out here) next to the Taco Bell where I usually eat lunch. Its easy for them to park and hide in the middle of the parking lot and they know what time I'm going to show up. They dont have to get their cars all muddy, and they can sit there and watch me drive in and park the truck and make sure I leave my 4-ways on and use the handrail when I get out to go eat. Its a tough job, but somebody's got to do it I suppose.
 
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splozi

Guest
1/2 my route is gravel roads, so if they want to follow me they had better be ready to eat my dust and beat the sh$t out of their fancy cars on the washboards and potholes.

They wont do that, of course, so they wait in the parking lot of the Fred Meyer store (what they call Krogers out here) next to the Taco Bell where I usually eat lunch. Its easy for them to park and hide in the middle of the parking lot and they know what time I'm going to show up. They dont have to get their cars all muddy, and they can sit there and watch me drive in and park the truck and make sure I leave my 4-ways on and use the handrail when I get out to go eat. Its a tough job, but somebody's got to do it I suppose.

You have to turn your "hazard" blinkers on when you're parked in a lot?
 

CharleyHustle

Well-Known Member
Ok, a year ago our hourly co-chair had an accident and was out of work for a while and had to step down from the position. A new co-chair was appointed and myself and a couple other drivers joined the committee hoping we could change a few things. I question our effectiveness, but we are no longer doing hourly observations. We still focus on everyone getting the DOK which is a company priority, and lets face it by practicing it on the job, should make you safer. We also have tried to take a larger role in making the building and worker areas safer. Its a long process, and large companies like UPS move excruciatingly slow on any changes, which keeps you constantly questioning your effectiveness.

UPS doesn't operate in a vacuum. Every large company in this economy has realized that fewer, safer employees are the best ways to show a profit to shareholders. So the reality is this stuff isn't going away any time soon. I respect any persons decision to be suspect of these committees, and like I said I question my commitment also, but I do feel like at least I am trying to make a difference instead of just taking it like usual.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
You have to turn your "hazard" blinkers on when you're parked in a lot?

That was my first thought. Sober, do you keep the 4-ways on the whole time that you are having lunch? Wouldn't it be easier to park in a far corner of the parking lot and put an orange cone to make sure others see you?

We are told to use our 4-ways as needed but that overuse tends to diminish their effectiveness.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
You have to turn your "hazard" blinkers on when you're parked in a lot?

Yes. We have been instructed to have our 4-ways on at all times while parked. If you are hit while parked and your 4 -way flashers arent on, you will be "charged" with an "avoidable" accident. Of course, you will also get "charged" even if you do leave them on, but at least then you force them to invent an even more asinine reason for "charging" you.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
That was my first thought. Sober, do you keep the 4-ways on the whole time that you are having lunch? Wouldn't it be easier to park in a far corner of the parking lot and put an orange cone to make sure others see you?

We are told to use our 4-ways as needed but that overuse tends to diminish their effectiveness.

A: The Taco Bell parking lot is only so big. I do tend to park back in the corner, but it really makes no difference in terms of the likelihood of someone backing into me while parked.

B: My P-700 is a large brown box about 10 feet high and 20-some feet long. Any driver who is so preoccupied with their iphone or getting their taco unwrapped or putting on their makeup that they fail to see the aforementioned vehicle is not going to be deterred from hitting it by the presence of an orange cone.

C: Even if an orange cone did somehow make a difference...I dont have one, and UPS isnt going to spend the money to equip the 200+ package cars in my building with them. I dont want to buy one and I sure as heck dont want to haul one around in the car with me all day.

D: Leaving the flashers on is nothing more than a pointless excercise in following some stupid rule. It serves no purpose other than to give management people something to document and issue warning letters for when they drive around and spy on us.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
There is just no way I would listen to the 4 ways beeping/clicking/whatever for an hour on my lunch.

You dont have to have them on if you are sitting in the vehicle, only if you are away from the vehicle. How your physical presence in the vehicle will prevent another driver from backing into you is a mystery to me, but I dont make the rules I only follow them.
 
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splozi

Guest
You dont have to have them on if you are sitting in the vehicle, only if you are away from the vehicle. How your physical presence in the vehicle will prevent another driver from backing into you is a mystery to me, but I dont make the rules I only follow them.

This implies that management would rather someone be injured in the case of an accident.

Makes sense.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
We just had one of our Safety Committee members quit the company after ten years. He turned 39 and was tired of waiting for a full-time job, after being told by one of my supervisors he had no idea if any more full time drivers would be hired. He was one of my cover drivers and he would scratch my route by an hour or more after downing down a lot of energy drinks. He would call me on my phone and ask me where I would be so that he could come "observe" me. Meanwhile, we have full time supervisors who spend most of their day shuttling around missorts to drivers. Shouldn't they be observing and drivers be hauling packages???????? Makes no sense to me.
 

Coldworld

60 months and counting
A: The Taco Bell parking lot is only so big. I do tend to park back in the corner, but it really makes no difference in terms of the likelihood of someone backing into me while parked.

B: My P-700 is a large brown box about 10 feet high and 20-some feet long. Any driver who is so preoccupied with their iphone or getting their taco unwrapped or putting on their makeup that they fail to see the aforementioned vehicle is not going to be deterred from hitting it by the presence of an orange cone.

C: Even if an orange cone did somehow make a difference...I dont have one, and UPS isnt going to spend the money to equip the 200+ package cars in my building with them. I dont want to buy one and I sure as heck dont want to haul one around in the car with me all day.

D: Leaving the flashers on is nothing more than a pointless excercise in following some stupid rule. It serves no purpose other than to give management people something to document and issue warning letters for when they drive around and spy on us.

Ha..they won't spend 2 bucks on a cone but how much did theh spend on the keyless entry that seems to not work 30% of the time only to be able to have a "reason" to add another 15 stops...
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
Ha..they won't spend 2 bucks on a cone but how much did theh spend on the keyless entry that seems to not work 30% of the time only to be able to have a "reason" to add another 15 stops...
I am from the same district and am amazed he has a cone to use!!! There is no way our DM would knowingly pay for one to be on every truck.
 
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