Slow Holiday Season hurts New Drivers & Union Progress in 2008 First Quarter

[gregmilam]

It's an understood fact that the holidays are a prelude to a shortage of work until the early spring. I've only been at UPS Freight for 3 months, and I'm used to 50-55 hours a week. I have been off of work now for 2 weeks now, yet I get up and call at 5AM Monday thru Friday to "see if I'm needed". I've even called central on Saturdays for any loose road runs that come by occasionally. Coupled with the cost of living, I am having to consider getting a second job on nights. I understand that the senior employees should get hours first, but they're getting overtime while I worry about rent, food, and utilities; the basic necessities. Should it be that once a senior employee gets their 40-42 hours, the new guys who are in need of a mere 10 hours or so should be able to work? I know you senior guys probably disagree, but I support 3 people, and I think there's probably a more reasonable way to distribute hours based upon need and still honor seniority.

Finally. I was called back to work today, but started at 1PM and ended at 7PM. That's a start, but it gives me 6 regular hours and 8 holiday hours for New Year's Day. Some of the guys were talking in the office at the end of the day, and I heard 50, 53.5, 45, and 46 hours. I'm hungry...

On a possible good note, we may be having a union meeting this next weekend. I hope all goes well, and hope that this meeting will answer my endless array of questions about contracts, pay, hour guaranteed minimums, benefits, pensions and retirement, representation, all the bells and whistles. I was told that fulltime employees at Indy have a 40 hour guarantee. That woils help A LOT! Union/Hours for newer guys, your thoughts?

 

[Buckethead]

I have over 5 years with UPS Freight/MC and I was off the fri before Christmas, until Jan 4th. About 12 days, it's affecting us with seniority too.

Hang in there, I've had to get out the change can to buy food and gas because I changed jobs so close to the end of year/quarter. But once you get buy it in the beginning, It more than likely will be easier to get through it from now on.

I could have worked in the 12 days I was off but I would rather have the time off. I would have had to bump someone with less seniority, but chose not to.

 

[Southern Cross]

Greg,
Anyone that has been in this buiness will tell you that being on the "bottom" is not a great place to be when things slow down, but you do have to start somewhere. I am not sure if you are Local, dock CDL or RDDR. Yes the Union may well be the way to go now that we have been adopted by Uncle Brown. I'm not quite sure how the operations will procede under the contract(s), but I am sure it will be different than it has been since I have been involved with this outfit. You say you have been working less than a year, so you may be placed on some sort of casual board, should your barn acheive a contract. This will be a "call you when needed" board, if and until you move up on the senority list. My advice to all the new employees at my barn "Is to work any and all the days you can when business is good and to save some cash for the first quarter of the new year, when business SLOWS". Also, should you be a RDDR and you are on the casual board, a senior employee who has a run cut, could bump you from working that day, if the work is offered to him/her by dispatch. Good luck with UNCLE BROWN!

 

[bobs barricade tester]

In my experience december is one of the slowest months for us, january will be a little better.

 

[camarOwner]

Greg,
Anyone that has been in this buiness will tell you that being on the "bottom" is not a great place to be when things slow down, but you do have to start somewhere. I am not sure if you are Local, dock CDL or RDDR. Yes the Union may well be the way to go now that we have been adopted by Uncle Brown. I'm not quite sure how the operations will procede under the contract(s), but I am sure it will be different than it has been since I have been involved with this outfit. You say you have been working less than a year, so you may be placed on some sort of casual board, should your barn acheive a contract. This will be a "call you when needed" board, if and until you move up on the senority list. My advice to all the new employees at my barn "Is to work any and all the days you can when business is good and to save some cash for the first quarter of the new year, whess SLOWS".en busin

Also, should you be a RDDR and you are on the casual board, a senior employee who has a run cut, could bump you from working that day, if the work is offered to him/her by dispatch. Good luck with UNCLE BROWN!

Correct me if I am wrong but the following rule is adheared to at our shop and unless I am reading it wrong, someone needs to point this out to management at your shop.
According to the "Employee Rule Book - LTL", pg. 16, Linehaul Work Rules #2 is - if a scheduled run is cut, the driver assigned to that run goes to the bottom of the extra board.

 

[brownmonster]

Over at UPS package, Jr. drivers get layed off for a few weeks after the holidays. Some opt into part time for a while to keep up their benefits.

 

[feeder53]

I just started as a seasonal feeders to try and get on the seniority list but there is nothing in my area at this time. I was told they may call me for sort, but there has been no calls. I stopped by today to sign my CDL certification and they told me it was slow...........Sure could use any work.

 

[any122]

Over at UPS package, Jr. drivers get layed off for a few weeks after the holidays. Some opt into part time for a while to keep up their benefits.

If they won"t give you a lay off you can still sign up for unemployment in ny anyway.Im not sure if your in the union.If your in the union you may have to goto the hall and see if thier is any work.

 

[none]

Well I am new. Started in September. Losing hours left and right. No more big chekcs for a while. From what I am hearing we are down here at our terminal 24-27% comparable to last year in regards to freight.

I have some thoughts as to why.

I think our warehouse guys are a little to rough on freight.

Thats my main opinion. We are competitive in shipping charges, I think we are actually lower than some of the others.

My 2 cents

 

[UPS Freight Relocator]

Let me see where should I start? You are correct about ( if shed. is cut going to bottom of extra board), Next ,yes , without a doubt starting in the Freight Companys ,everyone is an casual, or extra board ,or fill-in driver ,depending on your terminal. And it happens to everyone,, I have 10 years, and still get cut here and there, just to find out later they ran a Extra board driver to my same meet point only about 1 1/2 hours after my normal run time, but I'm told these things happen,yea,right!!!,I was signing up on weekends to make up the difference,not wanting to hurt anyone elses chances of making a pay check,and was getting out ,because no one wanted to work weekends, even the same Drivers that were crying during the week, that they were'nt getting any miles, But they wanted to be Home with there familys , and thats cool,but don't blame us because we give up that time, to prepare for the slow times, its just part of the freight business , And they run City drivers on road runs on Saturday instead of road drivers ,WHY?, because the Road Drivers hours aren't up yet, and they have to get the freight out? But terminals are DARK over the weekend, Freight won't be worked until Sunday nite or Monday morning,,,,, So whats the big Rush that we can'nt run it when our 10 hrs are up?,,,,, And this weekend they told us, UPS Freight does'nt want us to run on SAT and SUN any more, so all weekend road runs are out of the Question, But when you check where's the freight, the freight went out with, Guess who,? a Contract Driver over the weekend!!!!!! Where ever it comes from < WE NEED HELP > getting things right,since the buy out ,it has gone down hill big time @ Overnite/UPS Freight, our motto now is ( What Can Brown Do To You?)

Correct me if I am wrong but the following rule is adheared to at our shop and unless I am reading it wrong, someone needs to point this out to management at your shop.
According to the "Employee Rule Book - LTL", pg. 16, Linehaul Work Rules #2 is - if a scheduled run is cut, the driver assigned to that run goes to the bottom of the extra board.

 

[gregmilam]

Since I posted this thread, I have been fortunate enough to run road runs about 3 to 4 days per week. I made sure that I got road certified before the slow season, and apparently I am the only new guy who did this. Guys are still sitting at home, and the only reason I have work is because of my ability to do road work. I am titled a city driver at the Detroit terminal in Romulus, Michigan. Supposedly, Chrysler is going to give us work that will generate 300-400 more bills per day, which in turn would put more guys back to work. I like the road better, and hopefully when the bid comes up, I get an actual spot on the road, regardless of it being an extra board run. My stable
has already done it's card signing, and we have more than enough, so it's in the works at local 299 now. Hopefully, '08 will be a break out year for the freight guys. The only question is, I am originally from West Virginia, and I want to transfer to Charleston (Nitro), and all I have heard is that terminal is basically all but dead, and there's no work for those guys. . Any advice?