Logistics of Driver Start Time

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Just Words On A Screen
This is probably a dumb question, but I am seriously curious.

Dirvers getting out of the building at 9:30 - day seems like it is half over already.

Obviously they can't leave until the trucks are loaded, trucks can't be loaded until everything is sorted. Why can't the whole schedule be twisted back say 2 hours?

Seems then that drivers could actually deliver more packages & still be home earlier than they are now.

I'm assuming obviously the travel times for the big trucks, closing times for the night-befores acceptance of packages.

Please be gentle - I'm sure there is an obvious answer.
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
It's usually late air that holds us back. And the occasional late feeder truck. But it's usually air. Our building has a start time of 8:30. I don't even want to imagine the stress of having to deliver a ton of air by 10:30 if I didn't start until 9:30. It's a wonder we all don't have ulcers.
 
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hseofpayne

Guest
This is probably a dumb question, but I am seriously curious.

Dirvers getting out of the building at 9:30 - day seems like it is half over already.

Obviously they can't leave until the trucks are loaded, trucks can't be loaded until everything is sorted. Why can't the whole schedule be twisted back say 2 hours?

Seems then that drivers could actually deliver more packages & still be home earlier than they are now.

I'm assuming obviously the travel times for the big trucks, closing times for the night-befores acceptance of packages.

Please be gentle - I'm sure there is an obvious answer.

A lot of business stops don't open til after 9AM plus it is to UPSs' and our p/u customers for us to be out past 6PM to make pickups as late as possible.
 

tourists24

Well-Known Member
I think our ground system could handle earlier start times. Some businesses open later in the morning but routes could do residentials if that were a problem. We have some drivers out til 9pm on any given day so no reason some residential sections couldnt be done in the morning. I have a feeling the air arrival time may be what holds us back so much. My center staggers it's start times from 9 to 9:15. The earliest Ive heard is 8:30 on the BC. Is there any earlier?
 

DS

Fenderbender
I knew the regional manager a few years back and I got him to the side on one of his visits,and told him I know how to fix the late air problem...how he says ....I said get them to leave an hour earlier.
He thanked me and said ,I wish it was that easy.
 

Leftinbuilding

Well-Known Member
Our earliest drivers start at 8:20. Most of the time our last shot of air arrives about 7:45, so by the time it is sorted and loaded, 8:20 works ok.
 

tourists24

Well-Known Member
Our earliest drivers start at 8:20. Most of the time our last shot of air arrives about 7:45, so by the time it is sorted and loaded, 8:20 works ok.
Left,,, are you in/near a big city? Our air never gets here that early but our closest "big" city is about 2 hrs away. We are lucky when our air gets here by 8:15
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
This is probably a dumb question, but I am seriously curious.

Dirvers getting out of the building at 9:30 - day seems like it is half over already.

Obviously they can't leave until the trucks are loaded, trucks can't be loaded until everything is sorted. Why can't the whole schedule be twisted back say 2 hours?

Seems then that drivers could actually deliver more packages & still be home earlier than they are now.

I'm assuming obviously the travel times for the big trucks, closing times for the night-befores acceptance of packages.

Please be gentle - I'm sure there is an obvious answer.




There went any chance of promotion..........you are thinking with logic. My biggest problem with the job is the late start. Fedex ground is an hour earlier to the town I deliver than me. We used to have a slogan, first on, last off, now it's last on, lose volume. BM
 

Leftinbuilding

Well-Known Member
Left,,, are you in/near a big city? Our air never gets here that early but our closest "big" city is about 2 hrs away. We are lucky when our air gets here by 8:15

Our "Gateway" is about 50 miles away. If the planes are on time, and everything at the airport runs normally, our last shot can be as early as 7:20. Rare, but it does happen.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Where I am at, which is close to the Atlanta Airport, we have about three air trailers hit the Unload between 6-6:20 AM. The Feeders with ground are in too, so I don't understand the 8:45 Start Time. I run EAMs before my regular route, and it seems to me that most business are open by 8, with someone in the office by 7:30. The exception would be Malls and strip shopping centers. So if you are in a major city with a nearby airport, earlier start times are possible. After all, I see Fedex on the road at 7;45, and Fedex Ground is out at the same time. I understand that it is good to make later Pickups with our shippers. I think we need staggered start times with our drivers. Like maybe start the Preload earlier, then the residential guys sooner and give them some NDA off the commercial routes. Then the commercial guys could start a little later so they would be out later making Pickups. But what do I know?
 

leastbest

LeastBest
Why would there be stress with the NDA? I start at 8:55, usually leave at 9:10 to 9:20 and have a 35 minute drive to my route.

I can only do five or six NDA, more than that I tell them I need air help. It's not my problem. No stress on me, it's managements problem.

Randy
www.leastbest.com
 

Jim Kemp

Well-Known Member
I leave home at 7:45 in the morning to bring children to school and I see the Fredx drivers out del. before 8am every morning. So it can be done, I think UPS doesn't want. What better way to get drivers to skip their lunch. Give them more than they can do in the allotted time.
 

upsgrunt

Well-Known Member
It's more than a coincidence that PCM's on Fridays are ALWAYS longer too. They know that everyone wants to get done and go home so they put you behind the gun off the bat knowing that you will push a little harder to start your weekend as early as you can. We are just dumb drivers though, we could never see them doing something like this.
 
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hseofpayne

Guest
It's more than a coincidence that PCM's on Fridays are ALWAYS longer too. They know that everyone wants to get done and go home so they put you behind the gun off the bat knowing that you will push a little harder to start your weekend as early as you can. We are just dumb drivers though, we could never see them doing something like this.

Yeah grunt, plus they bust out all the splits and load you up to the gills, then give you that "win one for the Gipper" speech. That is followed by,
"I'll get you some help, just call in". Then when you do call, either the sup has gone home or the help he had in mind had to go help somebody else, or had a breakdown.......
 

mikestrek

Well-Known Member
This is probably a dumb question, but I am seriously curious.

Dirvers getting out of the building at 9:30 - day seems like it is half over already.

Obviously they can't leave until the trucks are loaded, trucks can't be loaded until everything is sorted. Why can't the whole schedule be twisted back say 2 hours?

Seems then that drivers could actually deliver more packages & still be home earlier than they are now.

I'm assuming obviously the travel times for the big trucks, closing times for the night-befores acceptance of packages.

Please be gentle - I'm sure there is an obvious answer.
I started in 1984. Then, we were getting out of the building at 8:15. A few years later 8:30. A few years later 8:30, 8:45, 9:00 NOW, Even on a good day were lucky to get out at 9:15

Oh and do they let all you guys start early on Monday? Because the volume all comes in over the weekend? Sometimes even on Monday we get out late. Oh well easy O/T :happy-very:
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
Start times in my building have been all over the place. Late air holds us up a lot. I remember leaving the center at 9:30 once with 18 NDA stops comitted by 1030 :( Most of the time the ground volume is here plenty early. It's late air and preload staffing problems that hold us up...
 

upsdude

Well-Known Member
8:15 start time, leave building time around 8:30-8:35.

The above times may change, pre-load manager says the air is arriving later due to the DHL deal. He says the additional DHL cargo is causing delays at the airport.

Don't yell at me, I'm just posting what the manager said. LOL
 

stealth8

Well-Known Member
It's usually late air that holds us back. And the occasional late feeder truck. But it's usually air. Our building has a start time of 8:30. I don't even want to imagine the stress of having to deliver a ton of air by 10:30 if I didn't start until 9:30. It's a wonder we all don't have ulcers.

Helen,
Why are you getting ulcers? Sounds like management problem to me. We go out with the work we are dispatched with, and it is up to them to correct it if airs can't be delivered by committ time. I was late with airs everyday, and they corrected the situation when customers started to complain. Just make sure you give your customers the right number to call! :)
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Only a portion of our bldg has commit times for NDA so those drivers are asked to go through their NDAs to make sure they can get them all delivered on time and to send down those that they know they will be unable to. The dispatch sup goes through them and assigns them accordingly but may hand some of them back as we have certain drivers who like to "pawn off" their NDA and try to take advantage.

Our start time on Mondays is 8:30 and 8:50 the rest of the week. We normally get out right on time on Monday and NLT 0900 the rest. Our biggest problem, as it appears to be at most centers, is the air, as we are the furthest center from our regional hub (Syracuse). Our local airport recently moved to the former AFB and late air has been significantly reduced as that airport is at higher elevation so fog and other weather delays don't have the same impact at the new facility. We had late air last Thursday and they shuttled it out to us, which is a huge timesaver as we (city drivers) normally have to go back to the bldg to P/U our air, which can be 20-30 min RT and load time.

BBAGs suggestions certainly have merit but reflect the experience (or lack of) of someone who has been here less than a month and doesn't yet fully understand all of the operational intricacies involved, to include pull times. Also, as Scratch said, an earlier start time would not necessarily equate to an earlier end time as more and more of our P/U accounts want a later P/U time so perhaps a staggered start time w/adjusted dispatches may be part of the solution.
 

But Benefits Are Great!

Just Words On A Screen
BBAGs suggestions certainly have merit but reflect the experience (or lack of) of someone who has been here less than a month and doesn't yet fully understand all of the operational intricacies involved, to include pull times.

I did try to make it clear it was a dumb question from a newbie.


Also, as Scratch said, an earlier start time would not necessarily equate to an earlier end time as more and more of our P/U accounts want a later P/U time ...quote]

What is the latest PU time? It SHOULD be no later than 6pm.

  • Twist all schedules, except O/N Air back 2 hours.
  • Ground drivers loaded & ready to leave by 7AM or so
  • Dedicated P/T drivers for air deliveries - leave when loaded, back by 12:30
  • Change latest PU time to 6pm, or have the trucks that returned at 12:30 re-staffed by P/T drivers, and all they do is PU
 
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