How much work are driver's helpers being given this peak season?

[brownmonster]

I get a message everyday telling me how long to keep my helper. I follow it to a tee. If the plan fails, it's not on me.

 

[JakeD]

I get a message everyday telling me how long to keep my helper. I follow it to a tee. If the plan fails, it's not on me.

sucky for your helper who's got 2 weeks to make a few bucks before getting tossed. If I got sent home with like 30 bucks every day i'd had have been gone. they wonder why helpers quit

 

[Leftinbuilding]

One other reason why I doubt it was my son's work, was because they didn't call him to work at all until a week after orientation. The director of the office told me he was trying to find more work for him, but that our section of the city didn't have as much work as other areas, so I'm assuming that's what it is.

This is an old thread I found that answered a lot of my questions, and made me see this situation is not that uncommon: http://www.browncafe.com/forum/f6/driver-helper-no-work-47790/

Not to be rude, but why are you talking to management about your sons job? How old is your son?

 

[barnyard]

drivers who send their help home either don't care or don't know they can keep them.

or they want the OT.

 

[Ms.PacMan]

The director of the office told me he was trying to find more work for him, but that our section of the city didn't have as much work as other areas, so I'm assuming that's what it is.

You seem like a nice person but it's your son who should be communicating with UPS, not you.

First year as a helper I would go to a pay phone after the drivers were done with me and ask to meet another driver. After the first week I would just go to the building before start time and wait. I was very assertive and there was always someone having a crisis that needed help. I still have the paystubs and worked 155 hrs that peak season.

 

[JakeD]

or they want the OT.

True.. depends on the volume i suppose. my driver does an hour before and at least an hour after he drops me off. air in the morning and picking up a trailer and a break afterward. so he was doing 9-10 hr all week

 

[brownmonster]

sucky for your helper who's got 2 weeks to make a few bucks before getting tossed. If I got sent home with like 30 bucks every day i'd had have been gone. they wonder why helpers quit

Don't want a helper. His 30 bucks cost me 50.

 

[wayfair]

Don't went a helper. His 30 bucks cost me 50.

let the helper make his money.... easy money

 

[JakeD]

Don't went a helper. His 30 bucks cost me 50.

as i said.. depends on the area. you also don't need to rush.. if you want to make hours it's fairly easy to do. walk.. don't set up packages in the cab.. stay off grass.. cover someone's pick up... follow EDD even if there are better routes.

figure, someone has to be getting out of the truck and to a door. you can sit there scan and send the helper. put 35-50 on the helper board and put it away. give your legs a break for a few days and help someone earn some cash

 

[OVERBOARD]

My helper worked 45 hours this week. Plus nice to have a helper when its raining out, This week it rain for 3 days.

 

[brownmonster]

He cost himself 4 hours by being unable to get out of his driveway in an inch of snow on peak day. I went alone, got done earlier and made more money.

 

[Justaname]

You seem like a nice person but it's your son who should be communicating with UPS, not you.

First year as a helper I would go to a pay phone after the drivers were done with me and ask to meet another driver. After the first week I would just go to the building before start time and wait. I was very assertive and there was always someone having a crisis that needed help. I still have the paystubs and worked 155 hrs that peak season.

I was thinking the same thing. I know parents mean well for their kids, but it's pretty much game over when parents start getting involved with work. I'd be embarrassed.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I get a message everyday telling me how long to keep my helper. I follow it to a tee. If the plan fails, it's not on me.

I receive the same message and use my helper as I see fit. We run scratch as a team and they have yet to say a word. He has averaged 30 hrs/week.

 

[barnyard]

It does not make any sense that he would be called to work one day and never called again. In my center, once you are with a driver, you are with him till peak, unless you did not work out with the 1st driver. Once a helper starts, my center makes sure that a helper stays on every day. Sometimes that means cutting routes that do not have helpers.

The more I think about it, the more I think the driver did not like your son or your son did not like being a helper and resigned and is telling you a story. The math does not add up.

 

[pkgdriver]

Drivers are given a finite time limit that they're able to keep helpers, generally ranging from 2-8 hours.

In my center the MATRIX had a range of .6 hrs to 31 hrs this year. Failure to follow was a Talk with, 3 day suspension, then termination.

 

[bldg_floater]

I always ignore their numbers and use the helpers as I see fit. I try to get them as many hours as possible and reduce my overtime. Works for both of us and saves the company money. It's too bad management cares more about numbers than saving the company money.

In my center the MATRIX had a range of .6 hrs to 31 hrs this year. Failure to follow was a Talk with, 3 day suspension, then termination.

I wish I was in your center. I would be enjoying a 3 day vacation during peak.

 

[Grammarly1959]

I realize I should have mentioned this, but this is my son's first job, he is very naive due to being developmentally disabled. He did communicate with them, but I helped communicate with them too for obvious reasons. He is very honest, a hard worker, and just needs to be given a chance. You have NO idea what it is like for people like him, and for their parents....things most people take for granted are three times as hard for people like him. I explained this, btw, to the HR in detail before they hired him, so they knew about his disability. He is fully physically and mentally able to do the job, he just has a naivete problem and the work world is totally new to him.

 

[Grammarly1959]

My son does lie, not even when he probably should. We raised him to be very honest. They told me that when they hired people late in the season, its as fill-ins...I just wish they had told us this BEFORE hiring him, because it got his hopes up.

 

[barnyard]

That paints a whole different picture.

Without knowing the disability it is really hard to say if he was a good fit or not.

Good luck in the future.

 

[Grammarly1959]

That paints a whole different picture.

Without knowing the disability it is really hard to say if he was a good fit or not.

Good luck in the future.

I don't see why it should. He has ADD which is under control; his main problem is he tends to be naive and can be taken advantage of. he is totally new to the work world, as everyone was once.