Recent Small Sort Changes

Has anyone recently noticed a new level of difficulty in the functioning of their small sort ? My hub and other buildings seem to be enforced a new idea of bagging packages that are not smalls due to their size. The increased size has slowed down the the efficiency of the sorters since the larger packages create an endless amount of jams. In addition the bins for each destination cannot hold as many of these larger packages so the sorters get stacked up. The excuse that is given for this idea is it reduces the amount of smalls passing along the belt which can reduce hours and injuries from tripping on smaller packages. However, the drop in hours from keeping more people on the belts to load the larger smalls seems to be counteracted by more time and money spent in the small sort. Not to mention the fact that these larger smalls can be tripped on as easily as larger packages and you make walls out of them easily. It just seems like a poorly thought out idea that is a logistics nightmare. Whats everyone elses take on this?
 
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westsideworma

Guest
Has anyone recently noticed a new level of difficulty in the functioning of their small sort ? My hub and other buildings seem to be enforced a new idea of bagging packages that are not smalls due to their size. The increased size has slowed down the the efficiency of the sorters since the larger packages create an endless amount of jams. In addition the bins for each destination cannot hold as many of these larger packages so the sorters get stacked up. The excuse that is given for this idea is it reduces the amount of smalls passing along the belt which can reduce hours and injuries from tripping on smaller packages. However, the drop in hours from keeping more people on the belts to load the larger smalls seems to be counteracted by more time and money spent in the small sort. Not to mention the fact that these larger smalls can be tripped on as easily as larger packages and you make walls out of them easily. It just seems like a poorly thought out idea that is a logistics nightmare. Whats everyone elses take on this?

yeah its like that here too, we get said heavy bags of "smalls" on the preload and it slows down our small sort area something fierce sometimes. We had an IE guy on here explain why they are doing it (search for dudebro I think his name was). It was along the lines of what you had said, he had a few more details as well. I dunno sometimes you gotta spend a buck to save a nickel I guess... :confused:
 
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Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
My center smalls percentage is around 90%. That means the local sort is bagging just about every small that comes off the package cars. The size requirements for a "small" is probably a little bigger than you think so that's why it appears that you guys are bagging packages that are too big to be small. In my center they bag just about anything that can fit into a bag. When I first started at UPS we were told that a small was anything weighing 10 pounds or less and that could fit into the bins. That definition has changed several times since then. I just wish every hub/center would follow the same standards. We get trailers from other hubs on our preload that are full of smalls that aren't bagged. Those are a bitch to unload and slows down the preload. When our local sort seals a trailer there are very few smalls unbagged so I'm sure the people that unload them later have an easier time of it than our unloaders do. Go to UPSers.com. The definition of a small is on there somewhere.
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Has anyone recently noticed a new level of difficulty in the functioning of their small sort ? My hub and other buildings seem to be enforced a new idea of bagging packages that are not smalls due to their size. The increased size has slowed down the the efficiency of the sorters since the larger packages create an endless amount of jams. In addition the bins for each destination cannot hold as many of these larger packages so the sorters get stacked up. The excuse that is given for this idea is it reduces the amount of smalls passing along the belt which can reduce hours and injuries from tripping on smaller packages. However, the drop in hours from keeping more people on the belts to load the larger smalls seems to be counteracted by more time and money spent in the small sort. Not to mention the fact that these larger smalls can be tripped on as easily as larger packages and you make walls out of them easily. It just seems like a poorly thought out idea that is a logistics nightmare. Whats everyone elses take on this?
I say if you are a worker remember one very important thing, you get paid by the hour.
"A poorly thought out plan by UPS"?? Never!!! UPS knows what they are doing, always, LOL.
 
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