Manual Trannys in your center?

[soberups]

My building is 100% power steering, with about 80% automatics.

I couldnt help but chuckle when I overheard a newer driver bitching and whining about having to drive one of our older spare P-700's for peak. The car he was complaining about is a '94 International with power steering, a low step and a full sized lumbar support seat. It has a 5 speed manual and a Powerstroke V-8 diesel. Its old and a bit slow with a lot of miles on the clock, but as a new driver I would have given my right nut for a car like that; I spent the first decade of my career getting beat up in "iron maiden" P-600's with manual steering, high steps, narrow doors and wooden shelves. When the 94 models showed up it was like heaven on four wheels compared with what we had been driving, and the day I cant deal with having to manual transmission is the day I need to find a new career.

 

[cosmo1]

My building is 100% power steering, with about 80% automatics.

I couldnt help but chuckle when I overheard a newer driver bitching and whining about having to drive one of our older spare P-700's for peak. The car he was complaining about is a '94 International with power steering, a low step and a full sized lumbar support seat. It has a 5 speed manual and a Powerstroke V-8 diesel. Its old and a bit slow with a lot of miles on the clock, but as a new driver I would have given my right nut for a car like that; I spent the first decade of my career getting beat up in "iron maiden" P-600's with manual steering, high steps, narrow doors and wooden shelves. When the 94 models showed up it was like heaven on four wheels compared with what we had been driving, and the day I cant deal with having to manual transmission is the day I need to find a new career.

My first "good" package car was a '96 Powerstroke with 3500 miles on it. I (and our mechanic) kind of stole it from the airport run, and I thought I had died and gone to UPS heaven.

 

[wayfair]

You can also tap the trip button after you kill the ignition, and the beeping stops, but the lights stay on.

while waiting on someone at Walgreens to open the door... found all of the alarm speakers and stuffed them with delivery notices and taped over them... they still beep but it's rather faint...

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I have a 1000 version of it. They run great but it's too narrow. I rather have it wider. Also there is annoying beep when you leave the lights on. It's sucks when it is not daylight savings time. It's really loud and annoying

You can stop the lights on beeping by turning the dimmer all the way down.

 

[Rainman]

Yep sounds about right. I keep waiting to see these new 800's everyone is talking about.

I have one but it was taken away at peak for a few weeks. It's a nice car, but doesn't turn as sharp as my old 700. Still, the extra space is nice. It's a Cadillac compared to the old 800s. Automatic and power steering, runs quiet too.

 

[JL 0513]

I'm really surprised to hear some of these centers that are 100% power steering. We're running at least 15 1980's PC's with no power steering. I have to make such a constant effort to do the "push pull" motion in steering (not crossing over). Talk about shoulder destruction when not done correctly. And even correctly, it's still a lot of wear and tear.

One thing that sucks and is likely not considered by management is how those of us driving these dinosaurs are expected to meet the same production expectations as those with new trucks.

No power steering = more backs, more 3-point turns, much slower 3-point turns, slower turns all day, ect...$$ all more time...$$$.

Narrow cab + stick in middle of floor = tripping over packages all day as you try to exit. New wide/clear floors is vastly easier to exit with package on floor.

Another time killer I deal with is an extremely weak engine. Going up even a slight slope is completely ridiculous. And so incredibly loud, while barely moving. I've had a chance to drive a new truck. Literally twice the power with 1/4 the volume. I feel so bad for the people behind me. There's actually many parts of my highway trip that I can't pass 40-45 mph completely floored. It's painful. I can only pass 55-60 when going downhill.

 

[hondo]

What percentage of Package Cars are Manual Trannys in your center?

Package cars, about 40-50% (I'm not counting the air cars, those are all auto).
Package car tranny, 0 in my hub. S/He is at another hub in my Local.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

while waiting on someone at Walgreens to open the door... found all of the alarm speakers and stuffed them with delivery notices and taped over them... they still beep but it's rather faint...

I deliver NDA to our local Walgreens-----why does it take them so long to open their door?

 

[Anonymous 10]

I deliver NDA to our local Walgreens-----why does it take them so long to open their door?

Maybe they do it because they don't like you?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Maybe they do it because they don't like you?

It's nice to see that you continue to add to the discussion in a positive and substantive manner.

 

[HEFFERNAN]

I deliver NDA to our local Walgreens-----why does it take them so long to open their door?

I remember delivering to a Staples years ago. The manager was the only one with the key and took him forever to get back to the dock and open it. Of course, I had 15 NDA stops to go at 10am and wasn't allowed to walk their NDA envelope with paychecks through the front door. LOL

 

[Anonymous 10]

It's nice to see that you continue to add to the discussion in a positive and substantive manner.

Well Dave I know it never crossed your mind so I wanted to through it out there. Sorry to burst your bubble but not everybody is going to like you or I.

 

[jaker]

I'm really surprised to hear some of these centers that are 100% power steering. We're running at least 15 1980's PC's with no power steering. I have to make such a constant effort to do the "push pull" motion in steering (not crossing over). Talk about shoulder destruction when not done correctly. And even correctly, it's still a lot of wear and tear.

One thing that sucks and is likely not considered by management is how those of us driving these dinosaurs are expected to meet the same production expectations as those with new trucks.

No power steering = more backs, more 3-point turns, much slower 3-point turns, slower turns all day, ect...$$ all more time...$$$.

Narrow cab + stick in middle of floor = tripping over packages all day as you try to exit. New wide/clear floors is vastly easier to exit with package on floor.

Another time killer I deal with is an extremely weak engine. Going up even a slight slope is completely ridiculous. And so incredibly loud, while barely moving. I've had a chance to drive a new truck. Literally twice the power with 1/4 the volume. I feel so bad for the people behind me. There's actually many parts of my highway trip that I can't pass 40-45 mph completely floored. It's painful. I can only pass 55-60 when going downhill.

That's because ups plan does not count for real world issues

 

[Alexcross774]

Replaced my favorite auto P7 with a new auto 800 before Thanksgiving
Very nice ride but turning radius not that great
What a difference LED lights make at night

Depending on your route, some drivers complain about the governed speed on the new cars. Most are around 68 MPH.

 

[Alexcross774]

Seriously? How can some centers, such as mine, be 40-50% stick, and another center be 100% auto?

It depends on the size of the Center/Hub, and the Routes. Usually they starting consolidating the old cars into bigger buildings, they become backup cars and they can put them on shorter routes. So if you are in a hub, you might have a high percentage of clunkers.

 

[Brownslave688]

I deliver NDA to our local Walgreens-----why does it take them so long to open their door?

It's painful really. I cover a route that has one. Can't hear the buzzer so one day I was beating on the door with an open hand. Lady chews me out. I said can't hear your buzzer outside sorry.

Like two days later I walked in the front and got chewed out. I said if you continue to take over 3 minutes to get the door open I'm coming in the front. They are a little faster now but still slower than about anywhere else.

 

[oldngray]

It's painful really. I cover a route that has one. Can't hear the buzzer so one day I was beating on the door with an open hand. Lady chews me out. I said can't hear your buzzer outside sorry.

Like two days later I walked in the front and got chewed out. I said if you continue to take over 3 minutes to get the door open I'm coming in the front. They are a little faster now but still slower than about anywhere else.

Many of those stores hear the buzzer but have no sense of urgency to come to door. They will finish what they are doing, or go do something else, or stop to talk to people on the way, etc. And the manager may not let anyone else open the door but himself. And usually he is the only one who can sign for it, so after he opens the door and you are making delivery, he might wander off and you will lose more time tracking him down to get a signature.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I remember delivering to a Staples years ago. The manager was the only one with the key and took him forever to get back to the dock and open it. Of course, I had 15 NDA stops to go at 10am and wasn't allowed to walk their NDA envelope with paychecks through the front door. LOL

When I first started on my route, Staples wanted their NDA delivered to the back door. It always took them forever to answer the door so when I got to know them better I asked if it would be OK if I brought their paychecks through the front door and they said "yes".

 

[barnyard]

Back in September or October, all of our bid routes had a car with PS, surprising percentage have autos. We have 3 or 4 manual steering/HS PCs left and they are all getting crushed before spring.

I was covering a feeder job last summer and noticed the rows of brand new PCs at the hubs. Walked through 1 center and it looked like more than half were non PS, manual trans PCs.

In our area, out state centers get the newest equipment 1st and the crap all trickles through my center on the way to the hub.

I was wondering if the contract covered replacing the POS cars, as it seemed that after July, there was lots of brand new PCs at the hubs.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I would have had another 4 gas lowstep automatics, but they were diverted to California and I got 4 smoking 5speed piles in return.