Right hand turns?

[Babagounj]

How much fuel and time is wasted running misloads?

oh, I used about 30 gals a week for misloads and left in buildings.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

IE should be the people all over the technology. It works the same way those sensors do in retail stores. But in the case of UPS they would put a tiny little sensor in the smart label..like the ones they put in tap and pay credit cards and things of that nature..and then basically when we are loading the truck if you take a package into the wrong truck it sets off an alarm.

I was just wondering if it was something that was being considered or had been considered.

This concept would well under normal circumstances but would create havoc when they do their last minute add/cuts.

On a related note, I do know that they are working on adding GPS to the Smart label so that a shipper can actually track the progress of their pkg(s) at any point, not just after a scan has been made along the way. The pkg could be sitting in a trailer along I-40 in Arkansas and the shipper would know this.

 

[browniehound]

On a related note, I do know that they are working on adding GPS to the Smart label so that a shipper can actually track the progress of their pkg(s) at any point, not just after a scan has been made along the way. The pkg could be sitting in a trailer along I-40 in Arkansas and the shipper would know this.

That is some serious detail of where our customer's package is! I'm guessing it works by the loader scanning each parcel going into the trailer, then that information is uploaded to the UPS database and then the feeder is tracked by GPS? Is that how it works?

It blows my mind that less than 20 short years ago we were recording parcels on paper. DIAD I was introduced in 1991? I'm asking because I began on DIAD II.

Its truly amazing that just 17 years later you can see your parcel traveling down I-95 on its way to its destination hub.

Great job by the technology guys at UPS.

 

[browniehound]

This concept would well under normal circumstances but would create havoc when they do their last minute add/cuts.

Does everyone share my opinion on add/cuts being a waste of time and resources? I say this because the preloader seldom finds every parcel leaving the driver to drive to that area for 1 or 2 parcels which we were trying to avoid from the start.

If it could be done so 100% of the work is moved and then moved in a logical section of my package car, I'd be all for it. Presently I'm getting an 'add' stuck in my 7500 section. Now, I'm closest to this 'add' around the 4000 section. Why isn't it put here? If I didn't notice these 7 stops (why 7 stops I ask, why? Why not 6 or 8 ?) early in the day I would have been forced to drive 2 miles back through traffic to service these 7 stops. Luckily I noticed one of the parcels on the floor and planned accordingly.

Another problem is having 10-15 added to you that is not in your edd. This makes for a nice surprise at the end of your day

I understand the company wants to even the dispatch, but at what cost are they willing to do it? Is it really that important that you waste pre-loader time, driver time and fuel to service the ones that were not found by the preload?

Are we not paying the same wage to every driver? If so, why does it matter if driver A or B delivers them as they are both earning $42+/hour by the time of the day an add/cut would be serviced?

My solution: just let the drivers move 10 stops from their 8000 section to other drivers in the loop who are light. This would take about 5 minutes to accomplish and would eliminate every headache I described above.

The preloader will now be able to wrap instead of wasting time digging through the load for the add/cut. The driver will now know what he has for extra stops. He will know exactly what they are, where they are, and what section they are in. It would save many minutes of labor costs from the driver because he won't be looking through his load for a pacrel that isn't there. This 5 minutes can save the company many more minutes in labor and fuel.

How can you argue against that? I'm curious if someone can please?

 

[outta hours]

Its just that IE has to justify their existence, and come up with all sorts of "new" and wonderful ideas..............

Just think, $250,000,000 to create a new delivery order at UPS.

I am in the wrong business.

d

Can't put it any better than that. Just as with many things at UPS so much money is wasted on people doing nothing but trying to look busy. Yesterday at PCM our sup. told us there is one guy who's only job is to audit the pickup records for + - 15 min. errors. And they say we can't compete with FEDEX because I'm union and overpaid. Gimme a break!

 

[browniehound]

Can't put it any better than that. Just as with many things at UPS so much money is wasted on people doing nothing but trying to look busy. Yesterday at PCM our sup. told us there is one guy who's only job is to audit the pickup records for + - 15 min. errors. And they say we can't compete with FEDEX because I'm union and overpaid. Gimme a break!

Unbelievable if this is true! If I'm Scott Davis (unfortunately I'm not) then these guys are cut immediately. Why are they busting the drivers when the company has this fat on its bones.

Our routes are so dense and efficient that even the slowest drivers are making us money. This is where we have the competitive advantage over Fed-Ex. Yes we earn a couple bucks more an hour, but we also do 10 stops more an hour. The Fed-Ex ground driver I talk with says there are 6 UPS drivers in the area that he, the one Fed-Ex ground driver is covering.

If Fed-Ex ground is profitable with their 1 route to our six, then I think we are OK in this part of the business. Cuts need to be made elsewhere.

I know why the pick-up window of +/- 15 minutes is a concern. Business developement wants to be able to say with some certaintly "Ok, if you switch to UPS the driver can be here at such and such of time", and he relies on the +/- pickup times to make this promise.

Thats fine, but we don't need a person dedicated on checking pick-up times for every driver in the district.

I think the entire concept should be eliminated, in my opinion. If the customer and volume is significant enough we should just promise them the time and then work out the logistics later. Seriously, this is another area where we can beat Fed-Ex. We have 6 drivers in town to their 1. We have 6 more options than Fed-Ex does to make that pick-up window the customer wants.

If the volume is there, I say promise the time and operations will find a way to make it happen. If its a onesy, twosy account a mile off trace then we should be the ones telling THEM when they will be picked-up. Its seems like common sense to me.

Eliminate the +/- 15 minute deparment and concept. Am I way off base?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

...Eliminate the +/- 15 minute deparment and concept. Am I way off base?

I would think (and actually did think) that this audit could be (was being) done by a computer.

 

[brownmonster]

Pick up times are decided between you and your customer. Then you have the OMS change your log to reflect the times.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Pick up times are decided between you and your customer. Then you have the OMS change your log to reflect the times.

That is usually the case; however, certain pickup accounts have their pickup times negotiated between the shipper and the BD guys. UPS stores have a predetermined P/U time which is contractually agreed upon, usually not earlier than 45 minutes prior to closing for their final P/U.
However, for the regular accounts, this time is indeed decided between the driver and the shipper.

 

[outta hours]

I would think (and actually did think) that this audit could be (was being) done by a computer.

No I specifically asked this question to my on road after his comment. He showed me a report that was compiled and printed by the person assigned to this area. He also remarked to me that he would love to be doing that job, and this was turning into such a "hot item" that corporate thought it warranted paying a management person to do it full time.

So if all of you drivers can squeeze out another stop or two per hour we can cover this guy's salary.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The +/- 15 has been discussed elsewhere so I will not recap here but it does take coordination between the driver, mgt team and OMS clerk. However, add/cuts can throw these numbers out the window, as can not getting out of the bldg on time, late air, traffic, etc.

However, we have some drivers who simply couldn't be bothered by this +/- 15 and do nothing to either stay within the parameters or update their P/U logs accordingly.

 

[Mike Hawk]

IE should be the people all over the technology. It works the same way those sensors do in retail stores. But in the case of UPS they would put a tiny little sensor in the smart label..like the ones they put in tap and pay credit cards and things of that nature..and then basically when we are loading the truck if you take a package into the wrong truck it sets off an alarm.

I was just wondering if it was something that was being considered or had been considered.

The cost would be too high, getting the little chip things to every shipper would cost a lot of money, when you factor in all the little shippers. They would have a high chance of damage during shipping if they are in the label attached to the box. The cost of a scanning device in every truck, how many UPS trucks are there? All this cost for something that is preventable by just having a good preloader that has been properly trained.

Rather than make the system idiot proof, they should remove idiots from the system, or convert them to non idiots with training.

 

[Mike Hawk]

Does everyone share my opinion on add/cuts being a waste of time and resources? I say this because the preloader seldom finds every parcel leaving the driver to drive to that area for 1 or 2 parcels which we were trying to avoid from the start.

That is just a bad preloader, if you load it where it should go and don't throw it in some random spot it is not hard to find.

If it could be done so 100% of the work is moved and then moved in a logical section of my package car, I'd be all for it. Presently I'm getting an 'add' stuck in my 7500 section. Now, I'm closest to this 'add' around the 4000 section. Why isn't it put here? If I didn't notice these 7 stops (why 7 stops I ask, why? Why not 6 or 8 ?) early in the day I would have been forced to drive 2 miles back through traffic to service these 7 stops. Luckily I noticed one of the parcels on the floor and planned accordingly.

Incompetent management, they fail at dispatch.

Another problem is having 10-15 added to you that is not in your edd. This makes for a nice surprise at the end of your day

I understand the company wants to even the dispatch, but at what cost are they willing to do it? Is it really that important that you waste pre-loader time, driver time and fuel to service the ones that were not found by the preload?

They will always try to get the dispatch as close to 9.5 as they can, to minimize 9.5 grievances.

Are we not paying the same wage to every driver? If so, why does it matter if driver A or B delivers them as they are both earning $42+/hour by the time of the day an add/cut would be serviced?

Driver B might be on triple time.

My solution: just let the drivers move 10 stops from their 8000 section to other drivers in the loop who are light. This would take about 5 minutes to accomplish and would eliminate every headache I described above.

The preloader will now be able to wrap instead of wasting time digging through the load for the add/cut. The driver will now know what he has for extra stops. He will know exactly what they are, where they are, and what section they are in. It would save many minutes of labor costs from the driver because he won't be looking through his load for a pacrel that isn't there. This 5 minutes can save the company many more minutes in labor and fuel.

If the driver comes in after the preloader wraps up you may not be able to get in the back without unloading rear door bulk stops that are in the middle isle. Then you have the driver unloading, pulling a split and reloading his truck at 3X what the preloader would have cost to do the same thing. On paper the preloader is cheaper, that’s what you have to remember when trying to figure out IE's decisions.

Also I have doubts over weather management would let drivers dispatch themselves, even though the drivers know the area better than anyone.

How can you argue against that? I'm curious if someone can please?

Add/cuts should be done before the preloaders even wake up. (nearly)Every package has been scanned at each point in its journey, it should be no surprise how many packages will show up to the center and how many stops there are, the technology is there, they just need the software.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The local news ran the story about us and the right hand turns so today should be filled will all sorts of questions from customers. Can't wait.

 

[SoyFish]

Everytime I see a UPS truck I check to see if they are gonna turn left because of this thread. They always turn right though...