went on the observation ride, it was hard work and i learned a lot. the driver i went with is a very hard worker, he has a great memory and is very organized and prepared to the point of practically being OCD lol!! the route we did was mostly the businesses inside an airport w some stops around the outside of the airport but all within the borders of the airport. there is only like 4 loading dock entrances, so we had to load hand trucks and cart them through the airport, wait on elevators, take back hallways and walk through the inside of airport to get to the deliveries and pickups. some stops we had to do multiple trips walking 5-10 minutes to delivery location. 1 stop had 150 pieces, that took 3 trips w 2 hand trucks. i am a very hard worker so we got the job done in a timely manner without running. the route he does, does not have edd so he has to constantly reorganize his truck throughout the day using area knowledge.
the thing that i learned the most besides the safety aspect of safe driving, lifting & lowering, pushing & pullling, slips & falls, rules of backing etc etc was BE PREPARED & ORGANIZED, find out as much as possible about the route, use your memory and try lo learn and remember area knowledge, location point for deliveries, who to get signature from etc etc. Being friendly with customers can save you lots of time, scratch their back they scratch yours kind of friendly. if you are rude to customers they can make your life hell. organization and spending as less time in the back of truck as possible is key! working hard at a brisk pace and planning ahead will keep you moving and get your work done in a timely manner.
things that you cannot control will pop up during your day, in our case waiting on elevators and waiting on security clearances. every route is different and will have different annoying things that will hold you up. you can make up for these things with working hard and at a brisk pace and area knowledge. sometimes your just going to have a nightmare day, you can either grin & bear it and make a plan to help you get through it or be mad and miserable all day.
all in all it was a great experience and i paid a lot of attention and felt that i learned a lot from the driver. there are some things he did that some of you might not agree with but all in all i felt i learned a lot from him.
things that i will do to avoid getting injured and getting into an accident are, work hard and at a brisk pace but dont rush myself to the point of making a stupid decision, such as speeding or changing lanes at the wrong time etc etc. use the 5 & 10 as i'm driving to use safe defensive driving, NEVER SPEED. use the methods when it comes to entering and exiting truck (3 points of contact) i know it sounds annoying but the different safe working methods if used right could help your body a lot.
also, stay hydrated, keep body fit, try and bring healthy snacks to keep your energy levels up through the day. always eat breakfast, don't eat a huge lunch as this could slow you down and cause your body to crash later in day, plus who wants to be looking for a place to crap all day lol
i did some work with the diad and sheeted about 1/4 of stops but even then it was hard to pick it up and remember everything because of the pace we were working at. so i will continue studying my diad training notes and precourse training.
don't think that i am a know it all, there is still so much for me to learn. i think i learned that 80% of this job is mental toughness. it is by no means an easy job and i think if you realize this and are willing to work hard and do your homework about a route, stay safe, organized and prepared etc etc it will make my life a lot easier. i will take what i learned with me on the road and try my hardest to work smart.
