Obligations for Air Driver after accident and continued use during week.

[RonBenningtonIsMyCoPilot]

I have been an Air Driver on Saturday for over two years, and have driven FT for two peak seasons. However, at the beginning of 2017 peak (let's say Nov 1), I had a minor at fault accident where I backed into a parked car. I thought I was basically ruined, as my main goal is to become a full time package car driver. However, due to the volume of the season (I assume), I was back out driving/delivering after a day of paperwork and training.

In all of this time, I have still been used on an average of 3 days/week after preload to drive for a variety of reasons: Deliver air that drivers can't get to, shuttling things out to drivers that wouldn't fit when they left the building, delivering ground "mini" routes (anywhere from 20-60 stops), etc.

Last week I was notified that they were adding a FT driver, and I was to begin training this week. I was thrilled, since the last two times over the previous year I've been next in line, only to get passed up by a kid with a few months seniority on me turning 21 and becoming eligible. Then, over the weekend I was told that I would not be starting training, as it supposedly came from higher up the chain that resides in our building that I was ineligible due to the Nov 1 accident, and would not be eligible until Nov 1 of this year. After dropping that bomb on me, they assured me that they would continue using me in the same capacity that they have been, driving after preload, when needed.

I'm so confused by this, and I'm wondering what my options and obligations are. It MAKES NO SENSE to me that, while the company doesn't consider me eligible to become a full time driver, they do consider me eligible to drive as many as 6 days a week in some capacity. How is it in MY best interest to continue to drive AT ALL? I'm not eligible to become FT, but I am somehow eligible to take the risk of another accident, pushing my eligibility even further back? I have confidence in my abilities - the accident was a major lapse that I have focused on not letting happen again - but this hypocrisy is just NOT sitting well with me.

Any thoughts on what my options and obligations are? Other than the Saturday Air, do I have to run things, or, simply as a matter of principle and self-interest, can I refuse? I realize that's not the best way to endear myself, but I have done PLENTY in the past outside of my best interest, and that hasn't helped me at all.

 

[burrheadd]

I have been an Air Driver on Saturday for over two years, and have driven FT for two peak seasons. However, at the beginning of 2017 peak (let's say Nov 1), I had a minor at fault accident where I backed into a parked car. I thought I was basically ruined, as my main goal is to become a full time package car driver. However, due to the volume of the season (I assume), I was back out driving/delivering after a day of paperwork and training.

In all of this time, I have still been used on an average of 3 days/week after preload to drive for a variety of reasons: Deliver air that drivers can't get to, shuttling things out to drivers that wouldn't fit when they left the building, delivering ground "mini" routes (anywhere from 20-60 stops), etc.

Last week I was notified that they were adding a FT driver, and I was to begin training this week. I was thrilled, since the last two times over the previous year I've been next in line, only to get passed up by a kid with a few months seniority on me turning 21 and becoming eligible. Then, over the weekend I was told that I would not be starting training, as it supposedly came from higher up the chain that resides in our building that I was ineligible due to the Nov 1 accident, and would not be eligible until Nov 1 of this year. After dropping that bomb on me, they assured me that they would continue using me in the same capacity that they have been, driving after preload, when needed.

I'm so confused by this, and I'm wondering what my options and obligations are. It MAKES NO SENSE to me that, while the company doesn't consider me eligible to become a full time driver, they do consider me eligible to drive as many as 6 days a week in some capacity. How is it in MY best interest to continue to drive AT ALL? I'm not eligible to become FT, but I am somehow eligible to take the risk of another accident, pushing my eligibility even further back? I have confidence in my abilities - the accident was a major lapse that I have focused on not letting happen again - but this hypocrisy is just NOT sitting well with me.

Any thoughts on what my options and obligations are? Other than the Saturday Air, do I have to run things, or, simply as a matter of principle and self-interest, can I refuse? I realize that's not the best way to endear myself, but I have done PLENTY in the past outside of my best interest, and that hasn't helped me at all.

It’s a blessing in disguiese. Stay doing what you’re doing

No pressure to make any made up numbers

Deliver a few air run some misloads

Get Paid

 

[Indecisi0n]

Nothing you can do. Remember it's their company and they make these dumbs rules. You need to be accident free to qualify as a FT driver but that doesn't mean they can't use you to drive while your classified as something else. So UPS is pretty much using and abusing you for cheap.

 

[Covemastah]

That’s BS. Call your business agent !!

 

[over9five]

.....but I have done PLENTY in the past outside of my best interest, and that hasn't helped me at all.

Nobody will ever remember you being a hero.

 

[RonBenningtonIsMyCoPilot]

Nobody will ever remember you being a hero.

Lesson learned awhile back. Thank you for your feedback.

 

[RonBenningtonIsMyCoPilot]

Nothing you can do. Remember it's their company and they make these dumbs rules. You need to be accident free to qualify as a FT driver but that doesn't mean they can't use you to drive while your classified as something else. So UPS is pretty much using and abusing you for cheap.

If there's ANY silver lining, it's that they're not ALWAYS using me for cheap. At least I get the benefit of top rate pay when they use me for ground. This wasn't always the case, but once I called them on it, they've at least kept their word on that.

Thanks for your reply. I truly appreciate it.

 

[RonBenningtonIsMyCoPilot]

It’s a blessing in disguiese. Stay doing what you’re doing

No pressure to make any made up numbers

Deliver a few air run some misloads

Get Paid

This is how I've been viewing the situation over the last year or so, but STILL, the whole setup just doesn't sit right with or make sense to me. And, at this point, it's simply an issue of mitigating risk.

No pressure to make numbers/get paid seems great in the short run, but for my long term goals, it's a less than optimal setup. ANYTHING can happen at any time, from a 2 min misload shuttle to a 60 stop mini route, that would set back my eligibilty for full time work for another 6 months. Like I said previously - I'm confident in my own abilities, but the risk of waiting another 6 months feels like it's not worth it.

 

[Jones]

My favorite time at UPS was back when I worked preload and then ran airs.

 

[RonBenningtonIsMyCoPilot]

My favorite time at UPS was back when I worked preload and then ran airs.

I get it. I hear that a lot from the guys that came before me. "Enjoy it while you can". That said, I'm a little different from your standard Air Driver, in that I'm significantly older. This is not my first career path, but I want it to be by last. But it seems to me I'm -at BEST- helping delay my eventual progression, and at worst - assuming risk WITHOUT the benefit of working toward my seniority by running after preload, be it 1 stop or 100.

 

[Jones]

I get it. I hear that a lot from the guys that came before me. "Enjoy it while you can". That said, I'm a little different from your standard Air Driver, in that I'm significantly older. This is not my first career path, but I want it to be by last. But it seems to me I'm -at BEST- helping delay my eventual progression, and at worst - assuming risk WITHOUT the benefit of working toward my seniority by running after preload, be it 1 stop or 100.

Just don't hit anything and you'll be fine. If you're that worried about having another accident then tell them you don't want to run airs anymore.

 

[TheMachine]

There are zero issues here. You had an accident, UPS does not like drivers hitting things and they have asked you to wait until November.

So wait until November. In their eyes hitting a parked car is dumb, especially when backing and we all know UPS hates their drivers backing up.

In the meantime I don’t get why you’re worried about risking another accident when you want a driving position. Use this time to get on the road and remain accident free to prove you can do the job accident free.

 

[IESucks]

I have been an Air Driver on Saturday for over two years, and have driven FT for two peak seasons. However, at the beginning of 2017 peak (let's say Nov 1), I had a minor at fault accident where I backed into a parked car. I thought I was basically ruined, as my main goal is to become a full time package car driver. However, due to the volume of the season (I assume), I was back out driving/delivering after a day of paperwork and training.

In all of this time, I have still been used on an average of 3 days/week after preload to drive for a variety of reasons: Deliver air that drivers can't get to, shuttling things out to drivers that wouldn't fit when they left the building, delivering ground "mini" routes (anywhere from 20-60 stops), etc.

Last week I was notified that they were adding a FT driver, and I was to begin training this week. I was thrilled, since the last two times over the previous year I've been next in line, only to get passed up by a kid with a few months seniority on me turning 21 and becoming eligible. Then, over the weekend I was told that I would not be starting training, as it supposedly came from higher up the chain that resides in our building that I was ineligible due to the Nov 1 accident, and would not be eligible until Nov 1 of this year. After dropping that bomb on me, they assured me that they would continue using me in the same capacity that they have been, driving after preload, when needed.

I'm so confused by this, and I'm wondering what my options and obligations are. It MAKES NO SENSE to me that, while the company doesn't consider me eligible to become a full time driver, they do consider me eligible to drive as many as 6 days a week in some capacity. How is it in MY best interest to continue to drive AT ALL? I'm not eligible to become FT, but I am somehow eligible to take the risk of another accident, pushing my eligibility even further back? I have confidence in my abilities - the accident was a major lapse that I have focused on not letting happen again - but this hypocrisy is just NOT sitting well with me.

Any thoughts on what my options and obligations are? Other than the Saturday Air, do I have to run things, or, simply as a matter of principle and self-interest, can I refuse? I realize that's not the best way to endear myself, but I have done PLENTY in the past outside of my best interest, and that hasn't helped me at all.

Lol. Get out now if you don't like it. It will always be one big cluster . You had an avoidable accident, they don't want you full time .