New Recruit in the Brown Army.

BrownArmy

Well-Known Member
Hey Y'all,

Long time listener, first time caller, waka-waka-waka.

I've been employed at UPS for just over a year as a 'package car' driver in Massachusetts. Just had my first one week paid vacation, just got my one year dollar-or-so raise...

I'm a cover-driver, not enough seniority to bid a route, so I've learned about twelve routes in three towns. Makes things interesting!

I got a message through the DIAD yesterday that I had a very important meeting with the center-manager this morning and I ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TO RESPOND AFFIRMATIVELY to the message sent by the center. Of course it was for the Fed-Ex Unionization letter-writing campaign.

(I used to work at a food-cooperative, and we wrote letters to whomever and their brother/sister about everything under the sun - save the seals/whales, fight against genetically modified organisms/organic food labeling dilutions/herbal medicine FDA restrictions etc. etc. and on and on and on. I can tell you from experience that form letters go straight into the 'circular file'...so it goes.)

Basically I love driving trucks*, being left to my own devices, and interacting with people on a limited basis. I say the last bit because I've worked in a lot of retail-sales environments where customers hold you captive - I like wearing the browns and having (most) people know that I need to be in about four other places and that I can't really hang out with them. I especially love the ones who immediately put their hands out for the DIAD, know how to write legibly on the thing, and spell their last name without me even having to ask. Priceless!

In case anyone's interested:


  • As a cover driver, I try my level best to leave the trucks I drive cleaner when I leave them than when I found them.
  • I'm a firm believer in the Methods: In my year of delivering packages for UPS, I've realized that I'll be successful not by driving/running around like a jack*****, but by knowing my delivery route, being efficient in my organization, getting it done one stop at a time, and just making it happen. The packages come off the truck at basically the same rate whether I'm running and gunning it or if I just follow the rules, except if I follow the 'rules' my stress about the whole thing drops to a minimal level. I've found that a very steady, forward, in-control pace makes things happen about as fast or faster (and smoother) than some kind of Olympic-time-trial kind of thing. Which was how I got 'trained'.
  • As much as I enjoy the job (the simple job of driving a big brown truck, being more or less left alone, and bringing people what they want), I'd have to say that my biggest complaint so far is the way they run this place: it's like a Russian-midget-monkey circus and something is always on fire (no offense intended or implied to Russians, midgets, monkeys, or objects or people that may be combustible).
  • I take all my breaks. Why would you not?
  • I support Unions wholeheartedly and I support the FedEx workers right to organize if they so choose to do so, which has nothing to do with the Kool-Aid coming down from the top.
I've learned a lot from reading the forum archives and following the discussions, and I appreciate it all.

Just wanted to say Hello...



*except for that one I've been driving for the past week - something in the suspension or the seat or the loose DIAD-holder bolts or who knows what sounds exactly like my cell-phone ring tone. MADDENING!
 
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