How Do We Get Enough "Two Wheelers"?

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
We never have enough two wheelers, hand trucks, dollies, or whatever you want to call them in our center. Is it like this everywhere? UPS can afford to supply each and every truck in every center with one but they don't. This problem should be addressed in the next contract. It's hard to deliver bulk stops without two wheelers and without enough to go around it ends up happening to some of us more often then we'd like. Customers even ask why we all don't have them. It's a real drag. I'm wondering what would happen if all the drivers got together on a grievance. Kind of like a class action lawsuit to get enough two wheelers. LOL
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
Periodically we get shipments of new handcarts, and at this point we should have darn near two for every car in the building. I have no idea where they disappear to but it's never long til every other driver is complaining that he doesn't have one again. I don't know if people are taking them home, selling them or what. Some lowlifes actually come to work early just to steal a handcart off another driver's truck.

I keep mine stashed on route just so I don't have to deal with it.
 

tups

Well-Known Member
Most of us keep ours locked up to a pole but management keeps cutting the locks when we are on vacation.

It is in the contract that management needs to supply adequate tools for dong the job. And if you find yourself without one, refuse to start the day until your sup gets one, and then keep demanding that they order more. I know some guys who have actually filed a grievance over this issue.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
I keep mine tied up in back of my Package Car. A lot of the Drivers chain theirs up to rails that were put up for that. I see broken ones all over the building everyday. The shop can only wield them back together so many times.:sad:
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
If a two wheeler is issued to you, lock it up in your package car, ask your management team, automotive, or PE to get you some chain and a lock. Take a marker and either put your name or car# on the cart, so if it does stray it will be easier to find it in your building.

This is the only way I have seen drivers hold onto their 2 wheelers. And I worked in a multi center building which seemed to swallow these things up.

It is the responsibility of the company to provide tools to do the job effectively and it is also the responsibility of the employee to hold onto the 2 wheeler.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
ya want to buy one? They threw them away at my old center rather than spend 5 bucks to do a little welding. P.S. I have also known idiots that threw them under the wheels for traction when they got stuck:)
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
1st of all it is not easy to weld aluminum. just an FYI.

in our building you can pretty much kiss your hand cart goodbye if it is going to be in the shop at all. Everytime my truck goes in for service my dollie disappears. everytime.
 

browned_out

Well-Known Member
I've had this happen a few times over the years, I'll go to deliver a stop, take the packages into the backroom and what do you know, a UPS handtruck all nice and new sitting there. When I inquire about the handtruck, they usually say the driver left it, so we decided to keep it since its so much better then ours. I have even seen some people take off the UPS plaque on the handtruck and try to claim they bought it.
 

wornoutupser

Well-Known Member
I had my old one welded twice- then it dissapeared. I was never paid by the company for the welding.
The cart that I have now has a good frame but the bearings on the wheels are shot. They grind badly. I was told that I can not get a new cart and that bearings are not available. Now I cant put more than @100 lbs per trip on it or it will not roll. Oh well, I am paid by the hour to make extra trips!
 

FromBluetoBrown

Well-Known Member
One of my drivers accidentaly left his at a stop. He left me a note in his truck to steal one from another truck when I start my shift in the morning
 

VTBrown

Well-Known Member
It's pretty obvious....it's in the contract.

If they can not provide one for you, go out do your normal day. Take 1 package or more if you can safely into a bulk stop at a time. If the packages are over 70's message the center ahead of when you will be there - requesting HELP with the delivery. If they do not send help, the packages do not get delivered.

It's as simple as that. Trust me....do that one day and you will have the cart the following one.

It's in the contract, they need to provide one.

They also CAN NOT weld them anymore since it was deemed unsafe by the safety department in that it compromises the structural integrity of the aluminum hand carts.
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
We never have enough two wheelers, hand trucks, dollies, or whatever you want to call them in our center. Is it like this everywhere? UPS can afford to supply each and every truck in every center with one but they don't. This problem should be addressed in the next contract. It's hard to deliver bulk stops without two wheelers and without enough to go around it ends up happening to some of us more often then we'd like. Customers even ask why we all don't have them. It's a real drag. I'm wondering what would happen if all the drivers got together on a grievance. Kind of like a class action lawsuit to get enough two wheelers. LOL

Ask you center manager and he will look at you and say "Can we get that off Oasis?" :confused:1

I know the contract adresses proper equipment for handling over 70s... Is it something you can address in your pretrip inspection?

Tell the onroad supe you are over because you have no hand cart and doccument all the times you requested one.

Now the preload... We can use some carts for send agains/reruns/missed work... We have carts that are all banged up, wheels that go every way and missing chunnks of rubber... As you push the carts the whole thing shakes/bounces to where you can stak packages or they will bounce, vibrate off and on to the floor...:scared:
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
If a two wheeler is issued to you, lock it up in your package car, ask your management team, automotive, or PE to get you some chain and a lock. Take a marker and either put your name or car# on the cart, so if it does stray it will be easier to find it in your building.

This is the only way I have seen drivers hold onto their 2 wheelers. And I worked in a multi center building which seemed to swallow these things up.

It is the responsibility of the company to provide tools to do the job effectively and it is also the responsibility of the employee to hold onto the 2 wheeler.

Here most of the drivers just bungie cord them to the shelf.... I check the truck at the start of preload and make sure they are in there or I ask the belt supe to get one if it is missing...
 
Top