How to survive peak

[soberups]

Another thing that helps me stay sane is to remember that my immediate management are temporary, transitory figures.

I've worked for 9 different center managers and dozens of on car sups in my time with UPS.

I was already here when they arrived and I will still be here long after they have been promoted, demoted, transferred or fired.

I have job security. They dont.

I have rights. They dont.

I can think for myself. They cant.

I am paid for every minute of my time. They aren't.

If I dont show up in the morning to do my job, over 100 paying customers dont get service.

If they dont show up in the morning to do their job....over 100 paying customers wont even know.

I process and manipulate packages. They process and manipulate statistics.

The bottom line is that, if I am having problems with my management team all I have to do is wait and a different one will come long sooner or later. In the meantime, I can simply choose to feel sorry for them and cut them some slack. They need it worse than I do.

 

[tieguy]

Surviving at UPS is all about managing expectations.

Lot of truth to that statement. Not only at UPS but life in general.

 

[rocket man]

survive peak try to have no late ndas no wrecks no injurys dont fudge numbers, 9 5 is not important. if you come back safe thats a good day.get signatures. if they are not there not in 3 post card it. IF a house dont have a number on box door gate ect i dont deliver it. crosby cross get directions .IF you have a helper? and hes not sure tell him or her bring it back to you you get it done it will save a lot of aggravation.IN january on follow ups. have a good holiday.

 

[barnyard]

This past summer, I was in a courthouse making a delivery. I was walking to my next stop (usually have 5-8 stops in the courthouse) and the sheriff and 2 deputies pushed me aside, with their guns drawn, yelling to get down, running as fast as 40+ year old adults run. 20 minutes later, the gunman that took the county board hostage was dead. Right across the hall from the stop that I was walking to.

That shook me up. For the rest of the summer, I went to work, did my job, came home and went to bed. I didn't go anywhere on weekends, gave up dirt bikes and camping for the summer. I was so afraid to leave the house on weekends, that I couldn't, I stayed home. The couple of times that I did go places, I had a hard, hard time. I was scared to death.

Looking back, it pisses me off that my center manager (I called him while it was happening, as I left me handtruck and a pile of stops when I evac'd), driver supe or even the district manager (he was at our building when I called) told me to go to EAP. No one suggested it (the sheriff dispatcher did, 10 days later.) The people on my route showed more concern than any UPSer. (several strangers said, "I've been praying for you.")

Since then, the job stays at the job. When I work, I work, when I am at home, screw work. As soon as my mortgage is paid, I am done.

TB

 

[dilligaf]

TB, I understand what you went through (as far as the reaction goes, I could not even begin to imagine what the situation was like). Does that even make sense? Not sure I want to word it that way. Anyway, I went down on my motorcycle several years back. Was off work for 8 months (ACL replacement) but when I started riding again, it was very difficult. To put it plainly I was scared to death every time I went out. And it took a very long time to get over it.
Truthfully I have never fully recovered from the fear. But I knew that if I didn't go back to riding I never would. I forced myself to get back into that seat. Still, to this day if I have a car come up next to me or at a stop sign I have to control my reaction. It has gotten easier though.

 

[Catatonic]

Looking back, it pisses me off that my center manager (I called him while it was happening, as I left me handtruck and a pile of stops when I evac'd), driver supe or even the district manager (he was at our building when I called) told me to go to EAP. No one suggested it (the sheriff dispatcher did, 10 days later.) The people on my route showed more concern than any UPSer. (several strangers said, "I've been praying for you.")

Since then, the job stays at the job. When I work, I work, when I am at home, screw work. As soon as my mortgage is paid, I am done.

TB

Hopefully you have got past this and if not, then you should contact the EAP yourself.

Did you discuss with your mgt how you were feeling and how your behavior had changed? As a driver, your mgt probably sees you for 5 minutes a day and during that time they are very busy.

One good thing that seems to have come of this is that you now understand that you are responsible for yourself.

 

[barnyard]

Hopefully you have got past this and if not, then you should contact the EAP yourself.

Did you discuss with your mgt how you were feeling and how your behavior had changed? As a driver, your mgt probably sees you for 5 minutes a day and during that time they are very busy.

One good thing that seems to have come of this is that you now understand that you are responsible for yourself.

My driver supe noticed that 2 weeks following, I had one mood: bad.

The day after, the center manager and district manager asked about it, but it still had not really sunk in.

The biggest help was talking to folks at the sheriff's office. They 'got' it more than any counselor. That is probably the hardest thing, not too many people 'get it.'

TB

 

[leastbest]

Let me share what happened to me.

I've been on the same route for 29 years. I had a center manager tell me he was taking off all my pickups to try to make me more efficient. I told him that they had been my customers for a quarter of a century. He said that I had no customers, UPS had customers. I only had a job.

That was the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Imagine a service job without customers.

I got the pickups back a few months later but everything had changed. They were no longer my customers. My job is incredibly easy. I used to put fires out but now I just give out the 800 number.

Without customers I treat it like the job it really is, above ground coal mining.

 

[barnyard]

I really did not even know that it affected me until 2 days later, the reciever at one of my 1st deliveries gave me a hug and said, "I have been praying for you." Could not stop sobbing. Took a 10 minute break (coded it: break down, on road. look for it in 'other work').

Kind of went downhill from there...... till about the end of September. My daughter spent 3 weeks at Mayo clinic and I was taking Fridays off to be with her and my wife (they were staying at Ron McD house). I rode my cycle down the fast way and came home the scenic way. It was very theraputic.

Tearing down my dirtbike today, so that I am ready for next season (which starts in April.)

TB

 

[trplnkl]

Barn, sounds like you have found your coping mechanisms, good for you. Keep after it and you will find that it is just a bad memory.

 

[Catatonic]

. My daughter spent 3 weeks at Mayo clinic and I was taking Fridays off to be with her and my wife (they were staying at Ron McD house). I rode my cycle down the fast way and came home the scenic way. It was very theraputic.

Tearing down my dirtbike today, so that I am ready for next season (which starts in April.)

TB

Hope your daughter is doing well.

I find riding my cycle is very therapeutic as well.
Make sure I don't get on it when I'm pissed off but it really does bring you back into the moment. I become a sparrow as in Matthew 6:26 - "they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them."
Then I go back to my life of sowing and storing...but for that moment!

 

[barnyard]

Hope your daughter is doing well.

She is mucho better now, thanks.

I commute to work on my cycle, so I frequently ride irritated. The 1st run through the gears usually takes care of that.

I also found that reconnecting with AA was helpful. Been sober for almost 20 years and I could see how that could have easily gone away.

TB

 

[sortaisle]

I think it's funny how a small one month period of my life (peak) can bring about so much angst and fear, not to mention many a pissed off moments. The days come and go just as quickly as any other however and before I know it, I'm at home with my family and enjoying life again. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

[barnyard]

The days come and go just as quickly as any other

I find peak goes by faster and is far easier to 'take' than 10.5 hour dispatches in June, July and August.

TB

 

[toonertoo]

I enjoy peak. The hours dont bother me at peak. I agree with barnyard, it would be even funner if we hadnt had this dispatch all year, but its still pretty at night, and it is my favorite.
Im lucky I have no problems this year.
Except my grandkids are coming to stay with me next week while DAD is at reserves. And I wont be here

 

[dilligaf]

Tooner, when I went driving I didn't like being out at night delivering. It made me more than just a little nervous. But as the past 2 years have gone by and I have gotten more confident, it has gotten easier being out. I have to say that I now enjoy (and am more comfortable) delivering at night.

 

[trplnkl]

Oh geeez, I hate...literally HATE...delivering after dark. Most of the routes I cover are about 50% rural and dirt/caliche roads are just dangerous, especially at night. Sometimes it's so dark that unless you are very familiar with the exact stop you can't even see lights of the house from the road. No mail boxes or house numbers by the driveway and you can't tell if it's a road or a turning row. hate it hate it hate it. I usually end up having to use up all the daylight delivering businesses so it puts half of my routes in the dark..
did I mention how much I dislike delivering after dark?

 

[over9five]

Trplnkl, how do you feel about delivering in the dark?

 

[trplnkl]

Trplnkl, how do you feel about delivering in the dark?

I don't like it, and I don't want to do it. It's not me.

 

[dilligaf]

That is part of the reason that I didn't like del. at nite, TRPL. When I first started I got stuck on the worst rtes there were and had no training on any of them. Most of them were rural rtes. Del. at nite from a map is the worst. We deal with caliche here as well and when it rains............

But, that is only part of it. You guys (and I mean that literally) have an advantage over us gals. Physically you are stronger than I am. I worry (less so now, but it is always at the back of my mind) about all the evil nasty's out there.

Side story: Right after I moved into the house that I have now I had to get up and go to work at 3/4am. One morning I was getting into my car and heard this growling behind. LOW AND DEEP! I slowly turned around to find the neighbors dog behind me, head low and ready. I chased the dog off, but it scared me. When I got home that day I went to the neighbor and told them what happened. I also told them that if the dog ever was on my property again they would never see it again. They got rid of the dog shortly after that.

The point of this is, I remember that nearly every night I am out delivering. I am not sure what I would/could do if someone or something was hell bent on attacking me. That is why I don't like del at nite. Especially on rural rtes. We have mountain lions in our area and though we rarely see them there have still been numerous attack in az. This year I haven't heard of any attacks because we have had alot rain.