Service Takes A Holiday

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Bad Moon Risen'
Started at 850 this morning. Did not get my TP60 until 950 and was finished loading my package car around 1030. Instructed to deliver air in trace which would have meant many wouldn't be delivered until late afternoon. Made a decision to deliver them first as I believe the customer should get as close to what they paid for as possible. Had all air off by 1130 and then started with the ground.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Started at 850 this morning. Did not get my TP60 until 950 and was finished loading my package car around 1030. Instructed to deliver air in trace which would have meant many wouldn't be delivered until late afternoon. Made a decision to deliver them first as I believe the customer should get as close to what they paid for as possible. Had all air off by 1130 and then started with the ground.

Did you finish close to or at the same time you would have finished had you run the air in trace?
 

Mack Grant

Well-Known Member
What is your commit time? Ours is 1030. We left the bldg. at 1010 yesterday. 10 minute ride to my first stop. How may NDA stops do you think I can get off in 10 minutes?

It's not like mgmt doesn't know what's up. Just don't give them any ammunition by sheeting NDA stops anywhere but at the delivery point. Oh, and I always send a msg to the center letting them know how many late air I'll have once I make it to the first stop. I don't say anything to them in the morning. I don't go near the dispatch office. I stand in the back during the PCM. When I'm in the building I try to be invisible, including tonite when I clocked out at 6pm!
 

raceanoncr

Well-Known Member
Different without a doubt.
UPS was in a regulated industry 35 years ago.
FedEx was fledgling company only 5 years old.
RPS/FedEx Ground/Home did not exist 35 years ago.

Very different.
Hoax, where do you think it's going? Being close to corporate, what do you think? I'm glad I'm not there anymore because of my fears.

I had trust in this company. Not anymore. I'm glad I was there when I was 'cuz I can see it going away.

I predict, and I hope not, but I predict...UPS will go away in a few years. Maybe not my lifetime but in a few years. Sorry, but I've seen it before in other corps.
 

Mack Grant

Well-Known Member
When management makes the decision which code to use ...
We've already been instructed that we are not to use "emergency conditions" when sheeting any stop, under any condition. Driver must contact sup who decides what the stop in question should be sheeted as.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Hoax, where do you think it's going? Being close to corporate, what do you think? I'm glad I'm not there anymore because of my fears.

I had trust in this company. Not anymore. I'm glad I was there when I was 'cuz I can see it going away.

I predict, and I hope not, but I predict...UPS will go away in a few years. Maybe not my lifetime but in a few years. Sorry, but I've seen it before in other corps.
As with you, I am retired for a year now.
I suspect I see the same things you see but from a different perspective somewhat.
I see UPS being a less US-centric company with International becoming more important to company profit.
I see UPS losing Ground market share with the consequent loss in Union jobs.
I see UPS Logistics becoming more important to company profit.
I see UPS ensuring their service levels at or above the competitors but managing costs even more.

Like you, I am glad I worked for UPS in the time period I did.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I predict, and I hope not, but I predict...UPS will go away in a few years. Maybe not my lifetime but in a few years. Sorry, but I've seen it before in other corps.

UPS the corporation is not going anywhere.

UPS the package delivery company will become just another division within UPS the corporation.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
We've already been instructed that we are not to use "emergency conditions" when sheeting any stop, under any condition. Driver must contact sup who decides what the stop in question should be sheeted as.

We received the same instructions. Some of our delivery areas are an hour or more from the bldg.----how in the hell can the center manager make that call from his nice, warm office?
 

Floridacargocat

Well-Known Member
Agree with your conclusions to a certain extent.
All our BC discussions are based on input/perceptions by US customers, none from the International side.
The International side (Europe, Asia, Latin America) do represent market potential, but are subject to the value of the US Dollar.
The US Air side will adjust due to budget constraints of public entities (state, cities, etc.) but Ground will hold to a certain extent, as it is a very efficient system (unless subjected to extreme weather conditions).
The UPS delivery system will be made more efficient by smarter options of delivery (and I am not saying by cutting personnel).
UPS Logistics will grow, as companies seek to deal with less and less providers of transport services, but are aware of the "Big Boy" effect (size is not everything). Some higher ups (if/whenever they have time to reflect on efficiency and history, they will realize that flexibility has a higher value than just having the biggest truk / largest aircraft / largest hubs. These factors can become weaknesses in an instant when essential services, e.g. electricity, weather and other external factors, have an impact on operations. Are we prepared for extreme conditions? I doubt it.
Once the public gets a real picture of the actual UPS service level, UPS will have a hard time to rebuild this reputation. Efficiency is just one part of consumer satisfaction, perception (IMHO) is at least > 50 %) of decision factors in choosing UPS.
UPS managing costs levels. A realistic look at some internal structures and tools provided to the "peons" on the ground might light to some eye-opening results.
I still have a few months before I can leave this company, even though I a very low on the totem pole.
 

Bubblehead

My Senior Picture
Two of them were medication and the consignees were waiting for them.
The cellphones from US Cellular I could care less about.

It's a big deal to the consignee.
Who are we to legitimize the delivery?
I don't care what is in any package.
To me they are all invaluable, while equally worthless.
It's the service we sell.

My contempt isn't in the use of emergency conditions, rather the abuse of it.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
A big deal to who?

He was directed to run the air in trace but decided to run the air first (which I happen to agree with and applaud him for doing the right thing for his customers) and then go back and start the route all over again. I was wondering if any of the air customers appreciated the effort or if they would have been OK just as long as they got it the next day.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
It's a big deal to the consignee.
Who are we to legitimize the delivery?
I don't care what is in any package.
To me they are all invaluable, while equally worthless.
It's the service we sell.

My contempt isn't in the use of emergency conditions, rather the abuse of it.

The issue here wasn't EC (which is an abused exception code) but rather with the directive to run his air in trace.
 

Mack Grant

Well-Known Member
We received the same instructions. Some of our delivery areas are an hour or more from the bldg.----how in the hell can the center manager make that call from his nice, warm office?
Because the center manager is being instructed by his superiors just like we are. It's the whole crap rolls down hill thing.
 
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