Mechanic talk

[iamupser]

No. Same company, different location, different rules and different everything. Its crazy how different we can be .

At contract time our local overwhelmingly voted it down but it didn't matter since it passed nationally, which makes no sense because we are all voting on different things. The way contracts and voting are ratified you'd think we were governed under the RLA and not the NLRA.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

At contract time our local overwhelmingly voted it down but it didn't matter since it passed nationally, which makes no sense because we are all voting on different things. The way contracts and voting are ratified you'd think we were governed under the RLA and not the NLRA.

Voting always seems futile.

 

[oldngray]

Voting always seems futile.

Resistance is futile?

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Vogon representation.

 

[oldngray]

Vogon representation.

Try poetry?

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Resistance is useless.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Try poetry?

even worse...

 

[Gear]

At contract time our local overwhelmingly voted it down but it didn't matter since it passed nationally, which makes no sense because we are all voting on different things. The way contracts and voting are ratified you'd think we were governed under the RLA and not the NLRA.

I better check my paycheck. I never look at my check. If my wife doesn't mention anything, I assume its good to go.

 

[olroadbeech]

i always used to wonder if you guys got in trouble because of a breakdown and a tow-in??

One time i had a bracket break and all the lines under the frame were dragging close to the ground on a feeder tractor. the mechanic on the phone told me as long as I wasn't losing air , could i tie the lines up and get it safely to the yard?

i did and the mechanic for that tractor was so happy that he gave me a gift. after that i always tried to get equipment to the yard safely without a tow. the only tow i ever had was because of a failed water pump and they could not fault the mechanic for that.

so , do they reprimand you guys for breakdowns ?

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

i always used to wonder if you guys got in trouble because of a breakdown and a tow-in??

One time i had a bracket break and all the lines under the frame were dragging close to the ground on a feeder tractor. the mechanic on the phone told me as long as I wasn't losing air , could i tie the lines up and get it safely to the yard?

i did and the mechanic for that tractor was so happy that he gave me a gift. after that i always tried to get equipment to the yard safely without a tow. the only tow i ever had was because of a failed water pump and they could not fault the mechanic for that.

so , do they reprimand you guys for breakdowns ?

It used to matter materially when a month passed with no road calls. Now I'm beyond caring.

 

[olroadbeech]

It used to matter materially when a month passed with no road calls. Now I'm beyond caring.

It must still bother you if they give a guy a hard time for a breakdown and it is totally beyond his control. i heard from a mechanic once that one guy got in trouble because of a breakdown resulting from not torguing down some bolts. he was eventually fired for some other reason about 5 years later.

a tire service lost their contract with us because a set of tires came off a dolly on road. fortunately no one was hurt.

 

[Gear]

I know some guys get upset. Most of those guys are the ones who only worked at UPS and believe all breakdowns are preventable. Ive been a mechanic long enough to understand things break. If you have a wheel fall off after replacing tires, you may get written up. Basically you get nothing for having breakdowns and nothing for not having breakdowns. Ive met a bunch of UPS mechs that couldn't fix a sandwich. If breakdowns matter, those clowns would be long gone.

 

[Gear]

It must still bother you if they give a guy a hard time for a breakdown and it is totally beyond his control. i heard from a mechanic once that one guy got in trouble because of a breakdown resulting from not torguing down some bolts. he was eventually fired for some other reason about 5 years later.

a tire service lost their contract with us because a set of tires came off a dolly on road. fortunately no one was hurt.

He was probably fired for straight up not doing his job but putting work in his timecard like he did something. You got to do your job. You can only pretend for so many years

 

[olroadbeech]

I've said this before on these forums; i always thought 99% of you guys at the shop were aces ( great ). you always helped me and didn't laugh when i asked dumb questions. patient enough to explain repairs that were done. and most of the time made repairs fast , if possible.

and a loyal bunch too. when you had a bad apple you guys probably kept it to yourselves because we drivers never knew about it. even after retiring i still bring lunch for the shop guys occasionally. I'd rather BS with the mechanics anyday instead of drivers.

 

[wayfair]

One time i had a bracket break and all the lines under the frame were dragging close to the ground on a feeder tractor. the mechanic on the phone told me as long as I wasn't losing air , could i tie the lines up and get it safely to the yard?

i did and the mechanic for that tractor was so happy that he gave me a gift.

What did you use MacGyver???

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

About 90% of the breakdowns I get are completely beyond my control.

 

[Gear]

I've said this before on these forums; i always thought 99% of you guys at the shop were aces ( great ). you always helped me and didn't laugh when i asked dumb questions. patient enough to explain repairs that were done. and most of the time made repairs fast , if possible.

and a loyal bunch too. when you had a bad apple you guys probably kept it to yourselves because we drivers never knew about it. even after retiring i still bring lunch for the shop guys occasionally. I'd rather BS with the mechanics anyday instead of drivers.

We're skilled workers. You have it or you dont. Being union people think skill comes with seniority. It doesn't work that way. A new guy can be 5 times better then the guy with 20 UPS years. Lately guys have been retiring and they hire who ever shows up to the interview. Kinda like hiring bodies for peak. They hire guys straight out of tech schools. Tech schools are just a money maker business, everyone passes. Then UPS hires them, pays them 35$ an hour in 2 years even though they cant read a multimeter. When they get behind on work, other mechs are forced to get them caught up or they just send work out. I know one guy who sends out alot of work. He does PMIs, LOFs, write ups and light work. Clutches, springs and trans get sent out.

 

[olroadbeech]

i noticed that too over the years. most of the mechanics UPS hired had experience but only in autos. they would start in trailers. they told me it was trial by fire and they would just learn as they went along. once i showed a new guy how to make a short airline/gladhand for me to carry as a spare to replace on rear of trailer if i had to replace in field. he turned out to one of the best mechanics at the shop.

after a couple years they could move over to power depending on retirees. i know very little so i didn't know if they were good or not. the shop crew always helped each other out of jams and seemed to have a lot of comraderie . i envied that.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Remember the $25 worth of stuff for 0 breakdowns in a month? The recognition for high cardays per breakdown? New complex cars with keyless and other features are making that harder all the time to achieve. Impossible for me getting stuck with the VTs.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I used to Frankenstein together 4.3's to keep them going.