PVD Advice

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I honestly considered renting a van but I have an old SUV that doesn’t owe me anything so I’m probably coming out ok just taking the mileage.

When I was hired they gave me a proof of insurance card and as far as I understand I’m covering under the company policy from clock in to clock out.

I do have a vest but that’s it. Thankfully I have lots of brown hunting clothes so I wear fleece lined khaki’s, a brown Carhartt with my vest, and a brown beanie. Still get some confused looks when they see me in my personal vehicle, but it’s probably better than jeans and a hoodie.



That’s something I was wondering about. I know we only work for a few months but do they hold us to any standard? I usually hover around 20 stops an hour, I cover a very dense area with lots of apartments, but if I have a lot of bulky pieces I might only get 15 stops off before I have to go back and reload.

My supervisor hasn’t said anything, but I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not.

20 SPORH is nothing to sneeze at.
 

scooby0048

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So much dumb hate for PVDs. These guys are just here for a month or 2 to help us out during peak. Same with seasonal drivers, and driver helpers. As long as they do the job well and don't represent UPS in a negative light I'm all for it.

Ask @scooby0048 about that. When they have these scabs working and RPCD sitting at home

In all honesty, I don't blame the PVDs. They are just trying to eek out a living even if it is only for a few weeks or months. Some of these people actually pay dues and initiation fees to the union even though they will never become a unionized employee.

I feel that some of these people DO NOT represent the company or themselves very well and make us all look bad. I also feel that some of these people could care less about taking work from dues paying union members. The ones that come here looking for a union job by doing PVD work not paying dues, are the ones that I would call scabs. No matter what though, ultimately, these people have no control over the operation and contract violating the company does.

The company should be held accountable and the union should be ramming the contract down the company's throat over this.
 
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clean hairy

Well-Known Member
Call the cops when you see an unfamiliar vehicle slowly cruising your neighborhood.
Lots of folks with bad intentions doing that durkng this time of year....
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
OP, don't sweat the hazing. The real beef over PVDs is with the company (and the union for allowing it): they should've hired you guys as seasonal drivers and had you working out of their vehicles, not your own.

Drive and work safely and be professional -- there's not much else to it.

A lot of car insurance policies have a disclaimer that your personal vehicles aren't for the use of delivering packages. It doesn't pertain to pizza delivery. I would think if PVD are forced - the person would have to rent a van so the customer
would know it was proper. The use of PVD's is one step closer to getting the union out of the company. I know people are trying to get jobs, but using your personal vehicle to wear out is not good. Do these people at least have a vest with the company name on it?

Pvd's fall under the category of seasonal driver/seasonal help. They should be paying dues, even if the local doesn't require initiation fees. They are becoming a necessity, considering that penske, uhaul, entetprise, etc. didn't have enough rentals to supply us nationwide for peak last year. Not to mention that many centers simply don't have the space for the extra vehicles.
 

2019PVD

Member
Call the cops when you see an unfamiliar vehicle slowly cruising your neighborhood.
Lots of folks with bad intentions doing that durkng this time of year....

That’s the only thing I don’t like about using my own vehicle. It gets dark early here and I’m sure I’ve scared a few people pulling up to the curb with my unmarked vehicle. I wish they had magnetic placards for us.

I try and save my big apartment street until the end of the day so I can spend most of the dark hours knocking on doors in well lit hallways.
 

Brownsocks

Just a dog
So much dumb hate for PVDs. These guys are just here for a month or 2 to help us out during peak. Same with seasonal drivers, and driver helpers. As long as they do the job well and don't represent UPS in a negative light I'm all for it.
I take it that you haven't had to deliver a pvd route because the driver goes home, quits or doesnt show up. Ours are nothing but problems.
 

Boywondr

The truth never changes.
That’s the only thing I don’t like about using my own vehicle. It gets dark early here and I’m sure I’ve scared a few people pulling up to the curb with my unmarked vehicle. I wish they had magnetic placards for us.

I try and save my big apartment street until the end of the day so I can spend most of the dark hours knocking on doors in well lit hallways.
Get one of those magnetic strobes to go on top of your roof. It least let's people know you're not trying to sneak up to their house.
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
Thanks Dave

You're on my list...
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Get one of those magnetic strobes to go on top of your roof. It least let's people know you're not trying to sneak up to their house.
When pulling into a farm yard after dark in a U Haul I have the high beams on, the four way flashers and honking the horn. No way do I want to be looking at the business end of a 12 gauge.
 

Boywondr

The truth never changes.
When pulling into a farm yard after dark in a U Haul I have the high beams on, the four way flashers and honking the horn. No way do I want to be looking at the business end of a 12 gauge.
We've had drivers meet customers visibly armed after dark when they were driving their package cars...which are hard to distinguish as well.
 

OKLABob

Well-Known Member
We had a PVD get a rifle shoved in his face no helper vest or reflective vest nothing to identify himself as a UPS employee other then his ID needless to say he is no longer a PVD.
 
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