P-man,
I am not doubting you, and the 6 minutes figure you quote seems at least plausible.
I am wondering how this figure was arrived at and how it will be applied.
I did an experiment and "timed" myself opening the door with the key. I then closed the door without latching it and "timed" myelf opening it without the key. I found that not using the key saved me about 1.5 seconds every time I opened the door.
If we round this figure up to an even 2 seconds, then in order to save 6 minutes I would have to open my bulkhead door 120 times per day.
Is the 6 minute figure an average? Or is it based upon the number of stops done? And does it account for the fact that, in an apartment complex or a high-density residential area, the driver might pull multiple stops out of the bulkhead door and deliver them from one park postion? I can see this being really unfair for rural drivers who dont do a lot of stops, or high-volume drivers who do a lot of work from one park position.
There are lots of rumors and figures being thrown about. Do you know for a fact that it is indeed 6 minutes per driver, and can you shed some light on how this figure was arrived at?
Sober,
I'm not 100% sure, but....
The 6 minutes MUST be an average. The savings has to be based on the number of stops with an average of 6 minutes per driver.
Anyone who says this means 10 stops is wrong. Again on average, 6 minutes is 2 or 3 more stops.
I honestly do not know if the 6 minutes is derived from time studies or if its derived from actual observances.
I do know this though...
They have been testing this for a long time. Some drivers have been using it for years. If they did their job right, they can back up the number from actual observations and results.
Contrary to what many may think, there are many groups in UPS that challenge things like this. They would want proof that its a good thing. Whoever came up with this is requesting many 10's of millions of dollars from the management committee. They would have to prove that its worthwhile.
So, I don't know the specifics on how they calculated the 6 minutes, but as I said, it must be an average.
Your original post was about installing it in an old car. The math I did showed that if the 6 minutes holds true, on average it will pay for itself in about 6 months.
At least on this board, it seems that drivers that have it like it. I take that as a good sign.