"Slowing down" and possible repurcussions....

[Chnandler Bong]

So recently we had a PCM where our center manager was concerned that senior drivers were telling swing drivers they needed to slow down. He also said that drivers would be pulled aside prior to covering a vacation and "informed" how to handle certain stop counts in order to influence future dispatches. He claims that instances like this will result in termination for harassment and attempted coercion of a slow-down.

I know that when I was a junior driver, I had drivers try to pull that crap on me....but I always told them I had a hard enough time worrying about where I was going and how to run the route, let alone deal with their petty concerns. I never cared for their unsolicited advice. And I have never done anything like that to my cover drivers. When asked, I will give advice on how I would run things on a given day...but then I tell them to do what works for them. Just be safe!

However, I'm starting to wonder if I am completely innocent. We have one junior driver in our building that has had multiple accidents, the last of which involved some minor injuries to the people he hurt. The guy simply drives too fast. Every time he covers my route (and others from what I'm told), I get complaints from customers about how aggressive he drives. Of course, I try to smooth things over with the customer and then just pull him aside and tell him to slow down for his own good. Another accident like that and he'll be looking for a job.

It's entirely possible that this particular driver has went behind my back and complained to the center manager that I repeatedly tell him to slow down. But then again, since I know I wasn't involved in some of the other antics mentioned in the PCM, it may have been someone else altogether. I really don't want to accuse him of stabbing me in the back, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough if it's true.

I guess my question is this: Do people really get fired for simply telling another driver that they need to slow down? In the case of reckless driving, I've heard management tell drivers to do just that....

 

[UnconTROLLed]

So recently we had a PCM where our center manager was concerned that senior drivers were telling swing drivers they needed to slow down. He also said that drivers would be pulled aside prior to covering a vacation and "informed" how to handle certain stop counts in order to influence future dispatches. He claims that instances like this will result in termination for harassment and attempted coercion of a slow-down.

I know that when I was a junior driver, I had drivers try to pull that crap on me....but I always told them I had a hard enough time worrying about where I was going and how to run the route, let alone deal with their petty concerns. I never cared for their unsolicited advice. And I have never done anything like that to my cover drivers. When asked, I will give advice on how I would run things on a given day...but then I tell them to do what works for them. Just be safe!

However, I'm starting to wonder if I am completely innocent. We have one junior driver in our building that has had multiple accidents, the last of which involved some minor injuries to the people he hurt. The guy simply drives too fast. Every time he covers my route (and others from what I'm told), I get complaints from customers about how aggressive he drives. Of course, I try to smooth things over with the customer and then just pull him aside and tell him to slow down for his own good. Another accident like that and he'll be looking for a job.

It's entirely possible that this particular driver has went behind my back and complained to the center manager that I repeatedly tell him to slow down. But then again, since I know I wasn't involved in some of the other antics mentioned in the PCM, it may have been someone else altogether. I really don't want to accuse him of stabbing me in the back, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough if it's true.

I guess my question is this: Do people really get fired for simply telling another driver that they need to slow down? In the case of reckless driving, I've heard management tell drivers to do just that....

Oh c'mon, you don't believe that garbage, do you? Reminding a fellow co-worker to work safely and according to state laws is NOT going to get you fired. And if it does, you have a nice little lawsuit in the making.

 

[over9five]

MOST young cover drivers drive way too fast. No-one here can say they didn't when they were young. You don't know where you're going half the time, so you try to make up time the best way you can - by speeding up that package car.

In MOST cases, you could be saving some innocents life by advising the runners and gunners to slow it down a bit. No way I can see you getting fired for that. I'll take the heat from the center manager, over ignoring the fact that some young gunner in a PC may end up running over my kid.

 

[NHDRVR]

No, you can't get fired for that.

Well, they can "fire" you for what ever they want but it would never stick.

As far as the other stuff, ALL drivers would be better off if they worried about themselves. I could care less if a cover driver burned my route. It has nothing to do with me. If they want to follow me around then it will be a boring and uneventful day.

 

[NHDRVR]

MOST young cover drivers drive way too fast. No-one here can say they didn't when they were young. You don't know where you're going half the time, so you try to make up time the best way you can - by speeding up that package car.

In MOST cases, you could be saving some innocents life by advising the runners and gunners to slow it down a bit. No way I can see you getting fired for that. I'll take the heat from the center manager, over ignoring the fact that some young gunner in a PC may end up running over my kid.

good points...

Bringing that up to another driver in regards to safety should be done more often. I was speaking about productivity. We have an on-road in our center, I've used him as an example many times before, who lies his behind off when he is called out. He is always telling new hires how 'fast' they should be going. UPS would be better off without him but since it's Productivity 1st, Sales 2nd, and Safety around 9 or 10, it will never happen...

 

[Jones]

When I was a cover driver unless the regular driver was telling me something that would help me get done quicker, it went in one ear and out the other. I never tell the cover drivers what to on the route unless they ask, otherwise it's none of my business.

 

[tracker2762]

Personally I could care less if a cover driver runs better than I do. (doesn't happen but that beside the point) What would bother me is how they would do it. Cutting corners will catch up to you eventually and they won't go easy on you just because you looked good in the past. How soon they forget once you have an incident. Your third paragraph sums it up. If your were tell this driver to slow down for the safety of the public, I don't think you have anything to worry about or for that matter anyone else in getting fired. Reminding them that these are only cardboard boxes and are not worth the risk of injury should not be seen as something as harassment more like a safety tip. With amount of work expected from us everyday, Do they really think they can keep it up for thirty years. I would think your just trying to help them out by not burning out so quick, I think someone on here mentioned, it's a marathon not a sprint and that is so true.

 

[NHDRVR]

Personally I could care less if a cover driver runs better than I do. (doesn't happen but that beside the point) What would bother me is how they would do it. Cutting corners will catch up to you eventually and they won't go easy on you just because you looked good in the past. How soon they forget once you have an incident. Your third paragraph sums it up. If your were tell this driver to slow down for the safety of the public, I don't think you have anything to worry about or for that matter anyone else in getting fired. Reminding them that these are only cardboard boxes and are not worth the risk of injury should not be seen as something as harassment more like a safety tip. With amount of work expected from us everyday, Do they really think they can keep it up for thirty years. I would think your just trying to help them out by not burning out so quick, I think someone on here mentioned, it's a marathon not a sprint and that is so true.

I take the month of July off every year and, depending on who covered my route, I prepare myself for the 'thank God you're back because....', from more that a few customers. Most of it is the cover driver not knowing your routine. Not a problem. What bothers me are the complaints that he/she was going so quick that they didn't use a DR bag or D-notes or other common sense stuff.
Again, they can do my route however they want but I would like some consideration for the customers...

 

[bigbrownhen]

I have had management try and tell me that others run my route faster. Good for them. They can burn it up if they want. They usual ones to cover my route don't do it any better than me, just the runner gunners, and they do that on every route they are on. Oh gee, they are also the ones with more accidents on their record. Hmmm, wonder why? I also believe that said drivers have more driver follow-ups and complaints to corporate about service issues. By golly, they make the over allowed numbers for the center look better though. I can't say I've ever been accused of that.

 

[cachsux]

I tell rookie drivers to slow down at every pcm, right in front of management. Only one has ever questioned it because as I explained to him telling them to slow down is not telling them to work slow. As a package rookie I was in a hurry at first and made mistakes, bumped curbs and dumped shelves ,etc. When I finally learned to slow down and drive smoothly and get the job done right the first time my numbers were better than when I rushed. I carried that into feeder and I try and pass it along whenever I can.
Some will still drive like a madman and they almost always find themselves filling out accident reports.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

My problem is that I often cover routes that are run by bonus babies (runners and gunners). Some of those guys are off the clock as early as 4:30 (sometimes earlier) and when I run their routes I'm usually back at the center an hour or two later and get questioned by management on why it takes me that much longer to finish the route compared to the bid driver. I just laugh. If they have to ask then they'll never know.

 

[Jones]

My problem is that I often cover routes that are run by bonus babies (runners and gunners). Some of those guys are off the clock as early as 4:30 (sometimes earlier) and when I run their routes I'm usually back at the center an hour or two later and get questioned by management on why it takes me that much longer to finish the route compared to the bid driver. I just laugh. If they have to ask then they'll never know.

Just pat your wallet and give'm a wink. They love that.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I just think its funny how they pretend not to know that these guys are driving like maniacs, skipping their lunches, making scheduled pickups at their convenience (two hours early!), and padding miles to in order to get done so quickly. And when those of us that do our jobs correctly address these things the runners always start their lame excuses with "Well, this is a bonus centers.......".

 

[NHDRVR]

I just think its funny how they pretend not to know that these guys are driving like maniacs, skipping their lunches, making scheduled pickups at their convenience (two hours early!), and padding miles to in order to get done so quickly. And when those of us that do our jobs correctly address these things the runners always start their lame excuses with "Well, this is a bonus centers.......".

Indeed...

They know you took an extra 2 minutes at a pickup but they don't know Driver Smith almost hit 2 kids at a bus stop because he is going too fast?

 

[soberups]

One of the nice things about being on Telematics is that you dont get questioned about why you take an hour longer to do your route than your cover driver does. Your management already knows the answer to that question, and they would prefer to just remain in their happy little state of denial.

What happens on my route while I am gone is of no concern to me. I am more than happy to offer helpful hints and suggestions to whomever is filling in....but when I am on vacation it is no longer my route it is their route and whatever they choose to do is their business not mine.

If I see a rookie driver working in a manner that is downright unsafe or that could get him fired, I will take him aside and make him aware of the potential consequences of his choices. What he chooses to do with that advice is up to him, not me. At that point, my conscience is clear.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

One of the nice things about being on Telematics is that you dont get questioned about why you take an hour longer to do your route than your cover driver does. Your management already knows the answer to that question, and they would prefer to just remain in their happy little state of denial.

What happens on my route while I am gone is of no concern to me. I am more than happy to offer helpful hints and suggestions to whomever is filling in....but when I am on vacation it is no longer my route it is their route and whatever they choose to do is their business not mine.

If I see a rookie driver working in a manner that is downright unsafe or that could get him fired, I will take him aside and make him aware of the potential consequences of his choices. What he chooses to do with that advice is up to him, not me. At that point, my conscience is clear.

This is one of the many reasons why I actually wish we'd go live on Telematics. We won't though. Oh well. Wouldn't matter much anyway. Like you said.....they would choose to remain in their state of denial. Until one of those idiots hits something. Or someone.

 

[Chnandler Bong]

Oh c'mon, you don't believe that garbage, do you? Reminding a fellow co-worker to work safely and according to state laws is NOT going to get you fired. And if it does, you have a nice little lawsuit in the making.

Yes, I know better...but it's always nice to get positive reinforcement from my brothers in brown. I knew better than to worry about it, but I always like to step back and try to see things from management's perspective. From now on, if a customer complains about a driver that's not working safely, I'll simply give them the phone number to call in a concern. If drivers don't want to hear the "slow down and work safe" message from fellow brothers, they can just hear it from management.

Thanks again for all of the responses. I'm not on here very often, so I don't know which members claim to be management. I'd like to hear from some of them as well.

 

[Catatonic]

Thanks again for all of the responses. I'm not on here very often, so I don't know which members claim to be management. I'd like to hear from some of them as well.

No one who has replied yet is from management.
The positioning of question is suspect and most people (especially management) would question the sincerity of your question ... I did. Most management people have learned a long time ago to not engage in answering hypothetical questions.

If it is truly about safety then sure ... I don't know how you would know that another driver was speeding on his route but I'll accept your scenario.
Most people see the 1-800-PICK-UPS number on the side of the PC and they can figure out to call it.
I have called in 10 or so PC #'s over the years myself.

 

[rod]

No one who has replied yet is from management.
The positioning of question is suspect and most people (especially management) would question the sincerity of your question ... I did. Most management people have learned a long time ago to not engage in answering hypothetical questions.

If it is truly about safety then sure ... I don't know how you would know that another driver was speeding on his route but I'll accept your scenario.
Most people see the 1-800-PICK-UPS number on the side of the PC and they can figure out to call it.
I have called in 10 or so PC #'s over the years myself.

I don't recall any driver actually being told to "slow down" by management after a complaint had been called in. The conversation usually went something like this:

Joe: a Mrs. So and So called to say you were going too fast down her street. By the way - you were an hour and a half over yesterday- whats your problem?

 

[Chnandler Bong]

No one who has replied yet is from management.
The positioning of question is suspect and most people (especially management) would question the sincerity of your question ... I did. Most management people have learned a long time ago to not engage in answering hypothetical questions.

If it is truly about safety then sure ... I don't know how you would know that another driver was speeding on his route but I'll accept your scenario.
Most people see the 1-800-PICK-UPS number on the side of the PC and they can figure out to call it.
I have called in 10 or so PC #'s over the years myself.

I absolutely understand why you would question my post. I am skeptical of everything that I read on the internet, especially on message boards. Not much I can do to convince you otherwise, so I appreciate your skeptical acceptance of my post.

I also understand why you would think that people would call in complaints regardless. However, I deliver in a rural community where everyone knows the regular driver and, by now, most of the cover drivers. I honestly think that most people don't want to get "their" driver in trouble. They would rather talk to them personally and voice their concerns. I could be wrong...

Again, this was a broad warning made during a PCM. Nobody was singled out. My question was simply whether or not, if true, this was a terminable offense? And whether or not anyone had heard of this happening before? They like to threaten termination for just about everything. I just occasionally wonder if their threats are actually legit.....