on the truck before start time

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
Isn't this covered by EDD? Doesn't matter how many air you have. Your board tells you where the pkgs are, as for your air, after start time, sort em and deliver em, then figure out your car.


What's EDD ????? My center is still in the dark ages. I have absolutely no idea whats on my truck when I leave unless I sort it.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't AM time charged to the preload? If so, when you work off the clock to fix your load, your helping the preload to skew their numbers.

Funny you mention that. When I first became FT I would come in early and check out my truck. However, when the preloader saw me he stopped loading my truck and tried to hand me packages. I would say "I'm off the clock, I'm not loading, I'm just checking out what I have" but he'd still hand me stuff and not load my truck. Didn't take me long to stop hanging around my truck before start time.
 

buttere

Well-Known Member
I've been a full-time cover driver for almost 3 years and I get to work 2 or 3 minutes before start time. We do have EDD in our center though, which is a numbered list of all of your stops and how many packages each stop has. It's listed in your diad so you know what order to deliver and where they are located in your truck.
I personally don't care if someone wants to show up early and work for free. At our center I'd say about half the drivers show up early, as much as an hour.
 

NaiveRapture

Learning the system
Isn't this covered by EDD? Doesn't matter how many air you have. Your board tells you where the pkgs are, as for your air, after start time, sort em and deliver em, then figure out your car.
Hahahahahahahahah

You're running under the crazy assumption that, the loader ACTUALLY put the packages in the correct order, grouped packages for the same stop together, loaded higher PAL numbered packages behind lower numbers on the floor and shelves, didn't load any RDL or RDR packages on the shelves (they would tell you if they did so right? Right.), among many other things that the loaders DON'T do which totally destroy my day and frustrate me to no end.

Every time I have to go back to a stop because there was one of six packages or whatever that I couldn't find I'm infuriated. Sometimes the truck is totally bombed because of the dispatch, and in those instances I can't blame the loader.

Perhaps when peak is done and I am on a more regular route, or at least, the route isn't crazy heavy, I will attempt to deliver my airs and then re-sort my truck. Part of that problem is, one of the things I do before start time is find all the ground packages that go to my air stops so I don't have to go any of those places twice.

Oh, and have any of your centers started PAL'ing the airs INTO THE LOAD?! I'll have airs PAL'ed 2202 and 3719 and all other kinds of crazy numbers!! This makes finding my airs in the morning very difficult! When a loader attempts to seperate all the airs regardless of PAL the supervisor will yell at them!! I dunno what the friend is up, but it's been like this for a month or two now.
 

stevetheupsguy

sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
Hahahahahahahahah

You're running under the crazy assumption that, the loader ACTUALLY put the packages in the correct order, grouped packages for the same stop together, loaded higher PAL numbered packages behind lower numbers on the floor and shelves, didn't load any RDL or RDR packages on the shelves (they would tell you if they did so right? Right.), among many other things that the loaders DON'T do which totally destroy my day and frustrate me to no end.

Every time I have to go back to a stop because there was one of six packages or whatever that I couldn't find I'm infuriated. Sometimes the truck is totally bombed because of the dispatch, and in those instances I can't blame the loader.

Perhaps when peak is done and I am on a more regular route, or at least, the route isn't crazy heavy, I will attempt to deliver my airs and then re-sort my truck. Part of that problem is, one of the things I do before start time is find all the ground packages that go to my air stops so I don't have to go any of those places twice.

Oh, and have any of your centers started PAL'ing the airs INTO THE LOAD?! I'll have airs PAL'ed 2202 and 3719 and all other kinds of crazy numbers!! This makes finding my airs in the morning very difficult! When a loader attempts to seperate all the airs regardless of PAL the supervisor will yell at them!! I dunno what the friend is up, but it's been like this for a month or two now.

You're just not getting what I'm trying to say. That's all stuff you get paid to do. Take the time to find those pkgs on the clock, get paid. Deliver air and then ground, get paid. If you can't find a pkg and have to go back, get paid. Why get all stressed out? Relax and deliver each stop in the order it goes. If you're waiting for the load to change so you can change, it'll never happen. Have fun working yourself to death for the next 30 years.
 

happyboy

Well-Known Member
I picked up the fall copy of the ups public affairs update, it's like a news letter or propaganda. On one of the back pages there is a quote that reads.

did you know?
Congestion Cost UPS

"if each of Ups's package delivery and over the road drivers in the U,S, were delayed five minutes each day, the cumulative cost to the company would be $100 million per year"

Here is another way to look at it,..... If we could get each of the delivery and over the road drivers to work for free 30 minutes a day we can save $600 milllion a year....

I wonder if the airline pilots who make $220 an hour or better work off the clock, skip their meal period, and run from the plane, to the terminal and back to the plane like a bunch of fools.
 

NaiveRapture

Learning the system
You're just not getting what I'm trying to say. That's all stuff you get paid to do. Take the time to find those pkgs on the clock, get paid. Deliver air and then ground, get paid. If you can't find a pkg and have to go back, get paid. Why get all stressed out? Relax and deliver each stop in the order it goes. If you're waiting for the load to change so you can change, it'll never happen. Have fun working yourself to death for the next 30 years.
Why stress out? So that I don't have to listen to my supervisor bitch and complain at me and make me feel like I'm doing a horrible job. So that I don't get put on a list where I have to report my progress a million times a day to make sure that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be and that I don't go over nine-five. I've only been driving since last August so I'm still learning the system and how to make it work for me.

Right now, the anxiety that I get from performing poorly and inefficiently (not being able to find packages, having to go back to the same place twice, etc) isn't worth the cost of the money I would make if I just did all the sorting after start time. Eventually I will get it, but for right now, with them moving me around from truck to truck and route to route, the way I do it now makes my day easier and much more stress free.

Since I've been driving though, my overall stress levels have dropped dramatically. It's a process that I'm working on. I am actually really glad I found this site though as I feel it will greatly help me along my journey to having a great job that I don't let stress me out as much (which carries into all aspects of my life).
 

Jim Kemp

Well-Known Member
Is your truck number in your DIAD automatically everyday? I have to scana barcode in my truck every morning that autmatically inputs it in the truck number spot. I thought it was like this eveyrwhere.

Back to subject. I used to sort stuff out, but I stopped that a long time ago. Now when I get in, I go to the office anget my Diad(s). Then I go to my locker to get my satellite radio. I walk to my truck, scan the truck number, enter my start mileage (cause I'll forget later), strap down and hookup my radio and put my backpack in the back. then I go to the lunchroom and grab a chocolate milk and head back to the meeting area and wait for PCM. no touching packages since I'm nt getting paid. Even if my boss walks up to me and hands me a package I tell him to set it down and I will get it when I am on the clock.

I get to work about 15 - 30 minutes early (because of Children) and stand around and B.S. with some of the drivers. On occasion a sup. will come up to me with a fist full of reports and start in on me about something and I politely excuse myself get my DIAD and start to change my start time. Sup will ask what I am doing and I tell him if I am going to listen to his B.S. i am going to be paid for it. They usually get the hint and walk away.
They will also walk up and hand me a high value and I won't take it. I tell them to load it in the pkg car. Then they try to get me to sign for it. NO CHANCE OF THAT happening.
 

wolfman

Member
do any of you realize(as i said in previous post) that if you get hurt, you not only gave away money by working for free but you are costing yourself money in benefits(comp vs disability)? this is a safety issue-plain and simple. cover your a..!
 

Paid-over-in-Maine

15 more years of this!
You're just not getting what I'm trying to say. That's all stuff you get paid to do. Take the time to find those pkgs on the clock, get paid. Deliver air and then ground, get paid. If you can't find a pkg and have to go back, get paid. Why get all stressed out? Relax and deliver each stop in the order it goes. If you're waiting for the load to change so you can change, it'll never happen. Have fun working yourself to death for the next 30 years.
You said it! Get paid for what you do! NO EXCEPTIONS! Thats why they call it a START TIME. If you have so much air then don't try to del ground with it. Go back. Once you get it in your head that your air will be delivered on time then you can start your route. It's a lot less stressfull. If your load is so messed up then keep writing up your loader. I'm from a small building, 45 routes at peak, but I've had this temp loader that was absolutly horrible! I wrote him up for a week straight. My loads are better now. If you say that your load was acceptable every day, your loader and his sup. will think he's doing a good job. Nothing will change. My argument with the sups. is if you hold me accountable for what I do, hold my loader accountable for what he does. Remember 9 more days, but who's counting!
 

longlunchguy

Runnin on Empty
This argument is older than the chicken and the egg. We have very good drivers in our building who skip their lunch, and sort the first shelf (or more) off the clock. Then they finish early and want to know if someone else can get their letter box,late pick up, oca etc. etc. I had one guy call me while I was on my way to work. He wanted to know if I could get a couple airs for him on the way to my route. I told him I was on my way, but I didn't know how many of my own I had. He says "6". He was done sorting his own car and now he's in mine!!!!! I was ticked off, so I waited til he left and gave his airs back to the on road sup and said I didn't think I could make service on them. Oh... by the way, I think I made about 15 grand more than this guy in 2008.
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
Why stress out? So that I don't have to listen to my supervisor bitch and complain at me and make me feel like I'm doing a horrible job. So that I don't get put on a list where I have to report my progress a million times a day to make sure that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be and that I don't go over nine-five. I've only been driving since last August so I'm still learning the system and how to make it work for me.

Right now, the anxiety that I get from performing poorly and inefficiently (not being able to find packages, having to go back to the same place twice, etc) isn't worth the cost of the money I would make if I just did all the sorting after start time. Eventually I will get it, but for right now, with them moving me around from truck to truck and route to route, the way I do it now makes my day easier and much more stress free.

Since I've been driving though, my overall stress levels have dropped dramatically. It's a process that I'm working on. I am actually really glad I found this site though as I feel it will greatly help me along my journey to having a great job that I don't let stress me out as much (which carries into all aspects of my life).
Have you made seniority? Then don't worry about it.
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
I get to work about 15 - 30 minutes early (because of Children) and stand around and B.S. with some of the drivers. On occasion a sup. will come up to me with a fist full of reports and start in on me about something and I politely excuse myself get my DIAD and start to change my start time. Sup will ask what I am doing and I tell him if I am going to listen to his B.S. i am going to be paid for it. They usually get the hint and walk away.
They will also walk up and hand me a high value and I won't take it. I tell them to load it in the pkg car. Then they try to get me to sign for it. NO CHANCE OF THAT happening.
For a worthlessdriver sounds like you have it figured out pretty well. LOL
 

dannyboy

From the promised LAND
Originally Posted by NaiveRapture
Why stress out? So that I don't have to listen to my supervisor bitch and complain at me and make me feel like I'm doing a horrible job. So that I don't get put on a list where I have to report my progress a million times a day to make sure that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be and that I don't go over nine-five. I've only been driving since last August so I'm still learning the system and how to make it work for me.

Right now, the anxiety that I get from performing poorly and inefficiently (not being able to find packages, having to go back to the same place twice, etc) isn't worth the cost of the money I would make if I just did all the sorting after start time. Eventually I will get it, but for right now, with them moving me around from truck to truck and route to route, the way I do it now makes my day easier and much more stress free.

Since I've been driving though, my overall stress levels have dropped dramatically. It's a process that I'm working on. I am actually really glad I found this site though as I feel it will greatly help me along my journey to having a great job that I don't let stress me out as much (which carries into all aspects of my life).
coupla things

first, you think you are the only one that has gone through this? what makes you so special that they single you out for the yell sessions?

if you let them decide who, what, how good, etc etc you are, and what you are worth as a person, thats all you will be worth.

kinda like being the cuddlebunny in prison. once you have that position, you aint ever leaving it. you have let them define you as to who you are.

secondly, so what they pester you 200 times a day to see about progress.

each time they do that they are taking your mind off your job. not only stupid time wise, but also from a safety standpoint. each time they do that it takes you at least a minute or longer to get back in the groove. at 200 minutes, thats over 3 hours of dead time they are responsible for. so let them play that game, document the times and let it go. its their problem.

as a side note, that is what is called over supervision. i believe a grievance is in order.

as for the stress of not finding the packages, it sounds like a load problem, again, not your problem. if its that bad, deliver your air, then stop and sort the load. on their time. there is not a thing they can do to you if the load is that bad, and you have to set it up. its a preload issue. and i would put that sort time in the preload time each time i did it. the problem will cease, i promise you.

now, you have been a driver for well over a year. and you have not got it yet? are you slow in getting it, or has your sup just trained you to fall at his feet and scream "i am guilty" everytime you see him walking toward you? after your first year, you ought to be able to "get it" and move with the best of them. so either there is a problem with you not getting it, or you have been positioned to where everything is your fault (btw, the easiest cop out for management misperformance since the early 1920's, blame it on the underperforming driver.)

either way, grow a set. get with the program and learn the methods, or if you do have them down, stand up for yourself like a man.

btw, read your post again. then remember what i said about a child and their blankie and passie?

classic example

d
 

NaiveRapture

Learning the system
I am just slow in getting it. But, like I said, this board (and this thread specifically) is helping me to be more in control of my own destiny in regards to my job. Essentially I have become set in the ways that I do things. I'm good at the methods, and am actually a really fast and efficient driver. Come end of peak season I am going to try and do things a better way. The right way.

Oh and thanks for being a reasonable, compassionate and understand person /not.
 

stevetheupsguy

sʇǝʌǝʇɥǝndsƃnʎ
I am just slow in getting it. But, like I said, this board (and this thread specifically) is helping me to be more in control of my own destiny in regards to my job. Essentially I have become set in the ways that I do things. I'm good at the methods, and am actually a really fast and efficient driver. Come end of peak season I am going to try and do things a better way. The right way.

Oh and thanks for being a reasonable, compassionate and understand person /not.

I'm gonna go on a diet, right after this piece of cheesecake and pizza.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Have any of you actually changed your start times to reflect coming in early and sorting ??? I have. If I'm doing certain routes then I show up early, punch in and sort on the clock. I'm a cover driver and my load quality will often dictate if I sink or swim. Also, have some of the people who sort off the clock thought about just sorting on the clock after PCM ???? I've seen many drivers in my center stay as long as 30 minutes after PCM to make sure their trucks are loaded properly before they leave. I generally don't touch a package off the clock but it does happen every once in a while depending on what I've got going on or if I NEED to be done early for something.


With EDD/PAS comes the addeded efficiency of no sorting. That's what my "center team" trumpeted as they pushed an extra 15 stops to my route.

I do NOT sort. I wouldn't come in early to sort even if I was being paid. Its no longer part of the selection methods. Instead I "dig" for the packages at every stop. If I see packages for my next stops I push those forward. Its always one motion when I push them forward. I don't waste time playing with packages in the load as it only adds to your "paid over" time.

Of course UPS doesn't take into account the time wasted looking for packages that are not there:sad-very:.
 
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