How's the crash rate in your center

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Elton, thanks for taking the marbles out of your mouth while typing this time---I could almost understand most of what you wrote.

 

[cachsux]

At my center we call it hiding the real accidents and numbers. My center has had a spike in auto/comp since spring, everybody wants a day-off since they post layoff lists in July! Everybody hits 9.5 except the favorites, so working 4-10hour days is plenty-ergo day off, cuz the daily visits to the office after a 3day ride only servers to stress you out, so lo and behold lotta guys injured-lotta guys wrecked.
Mt division mgr told us that the way you avoid auto accidents and injuries is "dont lose your composure" When mgmnt makes move you dont like or whatever he said, "dont lose your composure"

Actually our numbers now are the real ones. The div mgr we had before charged everything as a crash. Fart in your rig and it was an avoidable. Now even minor trailer rubs,minor ones mind you, are looked at as part of the business of a busy yard.

 

[scratch]

My Center has been the worse in our District for a while. And my Driver's Group is the worse in our Center. We were told last week our accident rate was four times worse than the general public. We have a lot of "hit while parked" and a couple of hits while the other car was involved in running from the police. Working in the 'hood while being way over dispatched seems to have its own set of problems.

 

[iamupser]

In recent months the crash rate in our center has skyrocketed, with most of them coming on Mondays & Fridays when routes are being broken. Our center manager claims it's because none of us care about anything but our wages and benefits (actual statement) but I'm thinking the pace and long hours are beginning to take its toll. At what point does someone in Atlanta realize that having additional drivers on the road costs less than the cost charged to center for crashes. At 45G for a Tier3 crash it doesn't take long to pay for the extra driver to be cost effective.

Didn't that same center manager lead you the drivers in prayer by candlelight a few weeks ago in the conference room?

 

[soberups]

In recent months the crash rate in our center has skyrocketed, with most of them coming on Mondays & Fridays when routes are being broken. Our center manager claims it's because none of us care about anything but our wages and benefits (actual statement) but I'm thinking the pace and long hours are beginning to take its toll. At what point does someone in Atlanta realize that having additional drivers on the road costs less than the cost charged to center for crashes. At 45G for a Tier3 crash it doesn't take long to pay for the extra driver to be cost effective.

$45K is a lot of money. Its a lot cheaper to have us recite safety acronyms instead.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Last week in are district we had 6 Tier 3 Accidents. In are center we had 4 accidents on 4 consecutive Fridays from the middle of Sept to Middle of Oct.

A month or so ago every driver go to sit around with the area manager. He started saying this like we don't tell you to speed do we? He also is the person that said that there shouldn't be any empty space on any shelves if there is we are wasting gas.

They tell us it all comes down to saving money and UPS would rather step over a dollar to save a nickel. But the real fact is that some pencil push geek comes up with all these great plans just to justify them having a job. They don't care what you have to do to meet there numbers just that you have to meet them because on paper it says that they can be achieved.

 

[gman042]

So far in our center of 19 drivers/14/15 daily routes we have had no injuries and 1 in building accident in January. That sound is me knocking on wood.

 

[THETOWN]

In our center, we were informed by our center manager that Telematics was going to be used to save cost. OK. He preceded this comment by saying that UPS, exhausted their cost cutting measures(early retirements, layoffs etc.). And that safety was going to be the next cost cutting program. Then it was followed by the company line "If you follow the methods, make the the correct decision." All is well. This from a center manager who has never pulled a route. However, the center manager knows how it is.

 

[Re-Raise]

I know it is like beating a dead horse at this point, but over dispatching is the only problem I have with my job. It is amazing how easy an 8.5 day feels and how behind the eight ball I feel all day with a 10.5 dispatch.

I feel I am always pressing to catch up and that interferes with my ability to properly do the job. It affects everything from safety to my interactions with customers.

Seventeen years safe driving last week. I work safely in spite of UPS management not because of any acronym or inspirational speech they may give.

 

[cino321]

My center manager does not fit your description. He treats us like adults, sets reasonable expectations and calls us out when we fail to meet those expectations. There are times when the expectations are less than reasonable and he is upfront and honest about it; for example, we had a 90% trailer that nobody knew about on Thursday. We did not have the staffing to add extra areas so we all went out heavy and, for the most part, we all brought it in on time.

I would of brought back missed and worked over 12 that day just to spite him. Pencil pusher should of known about the trailer. (LOL)

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I would of brought back missed and worked over 12 that day just to spite him. Pencil pusher should of known about the trailer. (LOL)

The only ones you would be spiting are the customers.

 

[Backlasher]

In recent months the crash rate in our center has skyrocketed, with most of them coming on Mondays & Fridays when routes are being broken. Our center manager claims it's because none of us care about anything but our wages and benefits (actual statement) but I'm thinking the pace and long hours are beginning to take its toll. At what point does someone in Atlanta realize that having additional drivers on the road costs less than the cost charged to center for crashes. At 45G for a Tier3 crash it doesn't take long to pay for the extra driver to be cost effective.

Completly agree with you.


Big question that I've been pondering:

What is the minimum Stop count, pieces per car and still turn in a profit for a route???????

Base the intel per hour or per 8 hrs. but I think we have a right to know !!


We and our Union should push for this info no matter what side the intel would favor. At least we would have a better understanding either way.

Anyone have a general knowledge of this????? Maybe pretzelman.

I'm sure it's less then we think, just look at the profit rising each quarter with every cut route.

Probably not info that corp wants us to have cause it would be disruptive to their arguements for cutting routes and kill the justification for this system we are in.

But when is enough enough for a profit verses safety???


Also, in reference to profit.

I would like to see proit margine = cut routes including deductions of losses due to service failure commits, injuries, accidents, overtime on remaining routes.

<VS>

Profit margine = without cut routes and fewr or no service failure, etc.....

Commen sence would say higher accidents,especially considering the insurance charges on UPS per tier, injuries, service failures,injuries,etc. looking into also , the customers we lose and new customers that we WON"T GET because of all these issues has to be killing the profits they are trying to gain!!!!!!!!!!

I want to see the real formula worked out and true DATA on this!!!!! info has to be out there.

Take the red pill and see how far the Rabbit hole goes. matrix referance, lol.

 

[Backlasher]

At 45G for a Tier3 crash it doesn't take long to pay for the extra driver to be cost effective.

Yes the cost of a tier 3 and to inhance your arguement, we should think of the cost in the service failures,

having to send out other drivers to pull load out of and reloading and sorting and then delivering the remaining stops. etc..........

or sening out a replacement truck, switching load to it and sorting out and paying additional driver to finish off that routes day.

So much more then just the cost of the accident.

Maybe service failures on pick ups. So much more ill effects on profit loss outside of the charge our insurance gives to UPS.

 

[Backlasher]

Our PCM Friday was about this very topic. $1.8M in our district. I didn't dare ask about the obvious correlation between the production push and the surge in accidents. From what I read on the FedEx Forum they are having the same issues over there.

don't dare as an individual, BUT we should ALL dare to speak this together as one body, even if at a PCM. We have to hear these PCM's, why can't we also speak as one .

Hello union MEMBERS!!!

not just member, but MEMBERS!!!

You know what, forget HOFFa,

Vote ME as President, I would love to fight for this.

I'm very aggressive when there is a great cause to fight 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Their is so much that we need to voice out and we don't speak a word.

We are all afraid to voice our opinion on this yet are subject to hear the corp. voice critic us.

I, or You can't and won't dare speak these things because it is not WE that will speak thes things out load, frustrating to have voice in a forumn but not in reality.

Its not your fault nor mine, BUT it is OUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I'm famous for speaches and quotes. just not when no-one has my back.

 

[Backlasher]

Pardon my skepticism, I am not trying to be a smart ass. How do you consider 42 hours a week as a production push? In my neck of the woods that would almost feel like a vacation. Given the parameters of an almost 9 to 5 job, I could check and double check the 10 point commentary and the 5 seeing habits all day! Guess am still just jealous of your reasonable workloads. Send your management team a little West!

42 hrs sounds good, but what's the work load, sphor, pieces, pick ups, etc.... did it take to get a man's route clean in42 hrs a week????

42 hrs. doesn't = easy in any UPS route. I'm sure it's hard work.

Note: not taking any sides and would love a 42 hr. work week, but we are in UPS were each hr is more then an hrs worth of work.

 

[Backlasher]

Guess we see it differently. I've spoken up when necessary. And IMO, it's disrespectful to treat people like garbage and hold them accountable for expectations that can't be achieved.

I agree, I'm just wondering, If say that I spoke up, how many drivers would ralley with me???

How many would shutter and duck their heads down?? No balls at my center. They keep em in the closet.. Frustrating.

 

[soberups]

...or could it be that stating the obvious would have been pointless? My center manager has no control over the number of cars and stops on those cars that he can put on the road. He also knows that there is a correlation between the production push and the increase in the number of accidents. I respect my center manager so asking the question that everyone already knows the answer would have disrespectful IMO.

I have to agree with Upstate on this. The center manager is just a puppet reading a speech. He knows he is a puppet....all of the drivers know he is a puppet...so why bother humiliating the puppet even further by asking questions that the puppet isnt allowed to answer anyway?

There is a reason that we never see anybody from IE or Operations at our PCM's. They dont want to have to face the people they are screwing, its a lot easier to hide behind a desk and send a puppet in to take the heat for them.

 

[YouKnowWhoIam]

I agree, I'm just wondering, If say that I spoke up, how many drivers would ralley with me???

How many would shutter and duck their heads down?? No balls at my center. They keep em in the closet.. Frustrating.

Most in my center are the same way. They will bitch to the heavens about things to other drivers but when management is around they suddenly have laryngitis!

 

[YouKnowWhoIam]

I have to agree with Upstate on this. The center manager is just a puppet reading a speech. He knows he is a puppet....all of the drivers know he is a puppet...so why bother humiliating the puppet even further by asking questions that the puppet isnt allowed to answer anyway?

There is a reason that we never see anybody from IE or Operations at our PCM's. They dont want to have to face the people they are screwing, its a lot easier to hide behind a desk and send a puppet in to take the heat for them.

You have a valid point there....

 

[cino321]

The only ones you would be spiting are the customers.

No they're happy I deliver when they're home! JK...


Seriously though, how often, especially when you're slammed with a ton of work and working really late do you hear... "Thank god you guys deliver so late I wasn't home the whole day!"