Quick driver helper question

Soundgarden

New Member
Hey everybody, I just had a quick question about being a driver helper. I have my orientation on Friday, and am excited and prepared to work. My question is the procedure when meeting up with your driver. From what I've read you will get a call and will meet your driver at some location. I'll be working in the next county over (a pretty big county too), I'm just concerned that I'll have trouble finding where my driver will want to meet. I would hate to have my driver wait for me and waste precious time because I couldn't find the meeting place. So, what would happen if I couldn't find the meeting place? Have any of yall ever encountered this problem with your driver helper, and how was it resolved? Any information and advice would be great!

Thanks for all your help!
 

Buck Fifty

Well-Known Member
Hey everybody, I just had a quick question about being a driver helper. I have my orientation on Friday, and am excited and prepared to work. My question is the procedure when meeting up with your driver. From what I've read you will get a call and will meet your driver at some location. I'll be working in the next county over (a pretty big county too), I'm just concerned that I'll have trouble finding where my driver will want to meet. I would hate to have my driver wait for me and waste precious time because I couldn't find the meeting place. So, what would happen if I couldn't find the meeting place? Have any of yall ever encountered this problem with your driver helper, and how was it resolved? Any information and advice would be great!

Thanks for all your help!

I get the feeling, this won't be a problem for you. Good Luck !
 
S

serenity now

Guest
Hey everybody, I just had a quick question about being a driver helper. I have my orientation on Friday, and am excited and prepared to work. My question is the procedure when meeting up with your driver. From what I've read you will get a call and will meet your driver at some location. I'll be working in the next county over (a pretty big county too), I'm just concerned that I'll have trouble finding where my driver will want to meet. I would hate to have my driver wait for me and waste precious time because I couldn't find the meeting place. So, what would happen if I couldn't find the meeting place? Have any of yall ever encountered this problem with your driver helper, and how was it resolved? Any information and advice would be great!

Thanks for all your help!

he won't wait
 

upser2

Member
I did driver helper for 5 year, don't worry you will be fine. To make sure the driver isn't waiting on you show up about 10 to fifteen min. early, sometime they will tell you a certain time but they could be early or few min late. If you are unsure where the location is just ask they will tell you where it's at. From my experiances I have never had any problems with any of the drivers and i worked with different ones throughout my years I had 14 different drivers i worked with. I usually worked in a few places, but if they didn't have a helper in a certain area for that day i would help. If you continue doing driver helping they will more than likely put you with a driver(s) through out the years. Good luck.
 

union4life

Well-Known Member
Hey everybody, I just had a quick question about being a driver helper. I have my orientation on Friday, and am excited and prepared to work. My question is the procedure when meeting up with your driver. From what I've read you will get a call and will meet your driver at some location. I'll be working in the next county over (a pretty big county too), I'm just concerned that I'll have trouble finding where my driver will want to meet. I would hate to have my driver wait for me and waste precious time because I couldn't find the meeting place. So, what would happen if I couldn't find the meeting place? Have any of yall ever encountered this problem with your driver helper, and how was it resolved? Any information and advice would be great!

Thanks for all your help!

If you can't find the meetpoint you will need to contact the "helper coordinator" for your location and let them know. They will in turn, notify the driver through his DIAD that there is a problem.

I won't wait for very long. It really depends on how my day is looking. If I have something legitimate to keep me working (setting up stops) I'll just send a message to my center and tell them the helper was a "no show". If they want to reschedule the helper for a later time or whatever; they will communicate that through the DIAD.

Your driver may be willing to give you his cell number. I don't give mine to the helpers.

I don't have a helper yet but from what I understand our management team is expecting the drivers to setup their own meetpoints every morning. I guess there will be a long line of drivers waiting to use the center's phones.

For advise I will say:
1. Arrive early
2. Note the time the driver puts you on the clock. A driver should be ready to put you to work immediately.
3. Work on your routine. Routine is the key to success at UPS.

I expect my helper to do a few things:
a. not take his/her seatbelt off until the car stops moving
b. follow the delivery methods for proper releases and walking on designated paths
c. know that the driver can not move the vehicle until the helper is buckled in (so get in sit down and buckle up as fast and smooth as possible).


Good luck to you. I'm sure you will be just fine.
 

gingerkat

Well-Known Member
OP, your question was one that most of us at orientation wondered as well, but quickly got forgotten. We got a 2.5 hour safety meeting on the 8 points on picking up a box, buckling your seatbelt and looking before crossing the street. Mostly common sense stuff. Sadly what scares me the most is the 20 minute training we got on that crazy diad that left my head spinning. I can't figure out why that can't spend more time training us on something that important vs. returning that beautiful brown uniform or the cops will come for us - lol.

I hope my driver doesn't get mad that he's gonna get a chick.
 

laffter

Well-Known Member
I expect my helper to do a few things:
a. not take his/her seatbelt off until the car stops moving
b. follow the delivery methods for proper releases and walking on designated paths
c. know that the driver can not move the vehicle until the helper is buckled in (so get in sit down and buckle up as fast and smooth as possible).

I've helped eight different drivers this peak, and not a single one of them followed any of that.


I hope my driver doesn't get mad that he's gonna get a chick.

Let me fix that: "I hope my driver is excited that he's gonna get a chick.
 

hellfire

no one considers UPS people."real" Teamsters.-BUG
.

I expect my helper to do a few things:
A. Not take his/her seatbelt off until the car stops moving
b. Follow the delivery methods for proper releases and walking on designated paths
c. Know that the driver can not move the vehicle until the helper is buckled in (so get in sit down and buckle up as fast and smooth as possible).


Good luck to you. I'm sure you will be just fine.

buwahahaha thats funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I've helped eight different drivers this peak, and not a single one of them followed any of that.

The pkg car doesn't move until the helper has put his/her seatbelt on and keeps it on until the pkg car stops. The DR's are drop and go using the most direct path.

Let me fix that: "I hope my driver is excited that he's gonna get a chick.

Male/female---doesn't matter--just as long as they hustle, stay off their damn cell phone and don't smoke in the pkg car.
 

Indecisi0n

Well-Known Member
I drive at like 5MPH while the helper grabs the package from the floor and jumps out the door to deliver. I tell him I don't turn around so if he isn't fast enough and can't get back to the truck in time then i'll leave him. If the package is over 70 then I do 6MPH.
 

gingerkat

Well-Known Member
I've helped eight different drivers this peak, and not a single one of them followed any of that.

The pkg car doesn't move until the helper has put his/her seatbelt on and keeps it on until the pkg car stops. The DR's are drop and go using the most direct path.



Let me fix that: "I hope my driver is excited that he's gonna get a chick.

Male/female---doesn't matter--just as long as they hustle, stay off their damn cell phone and don't smoke in the pkg car.

In our orientation/training, we were told that we were ultimately responsible for our seat belt being buckled. If the driver leaves without us being completely fastened, we would be fired. If we have trouble with a "sticky or troublesome" belt, we must tell the driver to stop or wait until it gets fastened. The safety woman said they will often roll up and do checks on the helpers.

As far as hustling, I absolutely agree. Right were I live I see the driver with a female helper that looks at least 10 years my junior and she walks like a turtle. The driver gives her one little package to deliver and has to constantly wait for her. When I saw him, I just smiled and shook my head. I don't know why he even has a helper when he looks like he's doing all the work still.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
It is the helper's responsibility to put the seatbelt on---it is the driver's responsibility to make sure they do and to not move the pkg car until they do. I do the same no matter who is in the jump seat.
 

union4life

Well-Known Member
It is the helper's responsibility to put the seatbelt on---it is the driver's responsibility to make sure they do and to not move the pkg car until they do. I do the same no matter who is in the jump seat.
The driver is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs in and around their package car. For those drivers who skirt the rules, good luck.

I hope you are not made an example of when it comes time to discipline over such an issue after someone gets hurt.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
The driver is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs in and around their package car. For those drivers who skirt the rules, good luck.

I hope you are not made an example of when it comes time to discipline over such an issue after someone gets hurt.

Uh, you may want to re-read my post---I said that the pkg car doesn't move until the helper is strapped in.
 
S

serenity now

Guest
OP, your question was one that most of us at orientation wondered as well, but quickly got forgotten. We got a 2.5 hour safety meeting on the 8 points on picking up a box, buckling your seatbelt and looking before crossing the street. Mostly common sense stuff. Sadly what scares me the most is the 20 minute training we got on that crazy diad that left my head spinning. I can't figure out why that can't spend more time training us on something that important vs. returning that beautiful brown uniform or the cops will come for us - lol.

I hope my driver doesn't get mad that he's gonna get a chick.

mad? are you kidding?
that's like hitting 3 of the same on a slot machine
 

Justaname

Well-Known Member
mad? are you kidding?
that's like hitting 3 of the same on a slot machine
Not so much, there's a girl who got hired that no driver wants. She works just finebut likes to tell them how to do their job. This is her second peak season with us and the first time I worked with her on preload. She insisted I didn't load a bulk stop where my driver wants it because that's not where it belongs according to sequence. She's as butch as they get, so im afraid if I tell her she's wrong she'll eat me. The other girls we hired are awesome though, just as good as any of the guys.
 
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