Stopping satellite routes

[flash506488]

My center is trying to implement satellite routes. I'm the job steward and I am looking for ways to prevent this. If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate the help.

 

[dannyboy]

When you say satellite routes, what exactly are you referring to, so we are all on the same page?

d

 

[xracer]

They suggested implementing some of these in our center but never followed through on it thankfully.

 

[flash506488]

A satellite route is where the driver doesn't start at the building. He has to drive 40-50 miles in his own vehicle to where the route starts, where a package car is kept and another driver pulls a trailer for him to unload onto the package car. Later start time=later getting off.

 

[wkmac]

A satellite route is where the driver doesn't start at the building. He has to drive 40-50 miles in his own vehicle to where the route starts, where a package car is kept and another driver pulls a trailer for him to unload onto the package car. Later start time=later getting off.

True, but not always true. We have some of these out of our building but most if not all of the drivers live very close to the remote site as I understand it. It was still bidded out via the normal contract procedure but the guys who got it all lived up there so they vastly reduced their travel time to work instead of going further. This also means they get off earlier because of closer to home or I should say they get home sooner.

Win/Win? Opinions will vary no doubt.

 

[Anonymous P]

You cannot stop a satellite from going in. If the area that is proposed to be a satellite justifies going in, it will be put in. It depends on your local contract rules as who gets the route. As for my local, the driver that lost his route gets the option of having his whole loop re-bid. Then the Satellite route gets put up for bid. If nobody takes it, it then goes to the part-time workers. If none of them take it the route is open for an outside hire.

However, it's actually great when the driver lives in that area. Instead of driving a lot to work, he drives just a few miles down the road. He/she also never sees the building, so he harldly ever sees management. There are some great pluses on being a satellite route.

Also, it's not always true that you have to drive 40/50 miles to work. I know that metro chicago has them and they are only 10-15 miles away from the center. It's because there 10-15 miles might be 30-50 minutes in travel time. So that is a consideration also.

 

[mattwtrs]

It's a Win/Win in the center that I know of! The drivers start later & finish earlier because of the 44 miles to & from the center. The TP60's get to the meet point about 8:30 & 9:00am. The satellite drivers start @ 8:30 and load their cars and start delivering shortly after 9:20 with a noon committ time on Next Day Air. They have to return to the meet point by 17:15 to unload their pickups into the TP60's so they can make the air sort by 18:45. This includes their Diad's and turn ins. It's a 9 hour paid day and no travel in their own vehicle!

 

[inmt]

how is it a 9.0 day when they start at 8:30 and finish at 1715? That would make it a 775 day around here.

I would like it still though, if i lived close. I dont want a lot of overtime.

 

[Ms Spoken]

We have three satellite routes in our buld. and they have to carry two diads that way they can turn the first one in with their pick-ups and COD'S and finish their day on the other board.

These drivers are working more than 9 hrs per day and one of them is running more miles than he would be out of the center because of extra stops since he is a satellite.

 

[rdwarrior]

We have two routes in satellite in our center. It is the biggest nightmare the drivers have ever seen.I think UPS just doesn't want to admit it is loseing money on another bad idea!

 

[Fredly000]

We have one satellite with 4-5 routes at the satellite building.(1hr away)
so imagine 8-10hours of drive time they are "saving" and there are still
two or three P-1000's that drive that hour.

There is talk of another satellite, which would cut 6-7routes out of building.
and another 12-14hrs of drive time(windshield time) a day. Makes sense to
me..

Only people it doesn't make sense to, are those senior drivers who have
really cush routes because of all the windshield time. While I fully support
my brothers and sisters, it makes total sense to me.

So your either going to have a lot of people commuting to the satellites
or senior drivers will re-bid, and there will be a ton of route suffling going
on. That combined with the PAS EDD and DIAD 4 going into effect should
make for a wonderful cluster...

Eitherway I see it as effecient from a business standpoint(if they do it
right, but they won't.) I ran coverage at one satellite for a few weeks once
we didn't start delivering till noon, start time was 11am, which meant I was
working till about 11pm yeah seriously. I know. Don't tell me.

 

[flash506488]

Fredly000 Said It Right. Later Start Later Getting Off.2 Hrs Less Drive In Ups Veh But 1 Hr Will Be Lost In Loading From P60 To Pkg Car, Next Day Del Will Have To Be Made 1st ,another Trip To P60 Pickups Back By 630 Another Trip To P60.if Ups Saves Any Money This Way I Dont See It .my Main Concern Is For The Employees Affected.part Timers Wanting To Drive ,older Drivers Having To Bid On 120 Stop/400 Pkg Routes.ups Is Making Record Profits,why Do Something That Harms So Many Of The People Responsible For This . That Is Why Im Trying To Stop It. Any Advise Would Be Appreciated. If You Have This In Your Center Tell The Problems You Are Having.thanks

 

[rdwarrior]

If the drivers have to go back out on the routes after dropping off pickups,UPS is not saving any miles!!!!!I hardly call it a win/win situation.

 

[dammor]

Satellite centers are a dirt field here. It's 100 miles at least on your personel vechicle each day. You start loading your truck around 10:30 if your lucky. If you get home at 10:30 you've had a good day. It may or may not save UPS some money, but it is a big pay cut for the person following thier run to one. As for those junior drivers who get pleasure out of seeing a senior driver loosing what they consider to be a cushy run, just remember that you have just lost any chance of getting that cushy run because it no longer exists. If you wish to be in a P1000 till you are 60 then applaud. Point is, if they choose to put them in they will. They may move them back and then put them in again. Been there done that here. Good luck.

 

[trickpony1]

MFVoicemail,
You're right. The company probably isn't saving any money but it looks good on paper and anything they (the company) can do to demoralize and "divide and conquer" the working masses is fine and dandy.
If I were a package driver I would be very concerned about what the contract language says about this and is the company testing this concept in preparation to slam us on the next contract?
I can see it now........"oh, but you have been letting us (the company) do this since late 2005 without any objections so we are implementing it in the 2008 contract language.".
The company is good at sneaking things in under our noses and then calling it "past practice".
In fact, what the company may be gearing up to do is use two part-timers on each route. One PT'er starts early and runs for five hours then another PT'er meets the first one on route and runs for five hours. Simple math equation: 5+5=10 hour day, no benefits, much lower labor costs and a younger workforce because all the old-timers quit or retired early on the "early out" offer the company, just coincidentally, made at the 2008 contract "last, best and final" offer.
I would watch it closely.

 

[rdwarrior]

I really hate it for the swing drivers who have to cover these routes! The regular drivers are the ones that bid on these but the swing drivers really don't have a choice. I've seen some call in at last minute and swing drivers have to fly to satellite routes at last minute because later satellite start times.They told us that swing drivers would be paid mileage to and from sat. routes but that has never happened.

 

[olebrownie]

MFVoicemail,
You're right. The company probably isn't saving any money but it looks good on paper and anything they (the company) can do to demoralize and "divide and conquer" the working masses is fine and dandy.
If I were a package driver I would be very concerned about what the contract language says about this and is the company testing this concept in preparation to slam us on the next contract?
I can see it now........"oh, but you have been letting us (the company) do this since late 2005 without any objections so we are implementing it in the 2008 contract language.".
The company is good at sneaking things in under our noses and then calling it "past practice".
In fact, what the company may be gearing up to do is use two part-timers on each route. One PT'er starts early and runs for five hours then another PT'er meets the first one on route and runs for five hours. Simple math equation: 5+5=10 hour day, no benefits, much lower labor costs and a younger workforce because all the old-timers quit or retired early on the "early out" offer the company, just coincidentally, made at the 2008 contract "last, best and final" offer.
I would watch it closely.

trickpony1,
You must really hate your life. What a conspiracy theory - "You're right. The company probably isn't saving any money but it looks good on paper and anything they (the company) can do to demoralize and "divide and conquer" the working masses is fine and dandy."
Why would any company intentionally lose money to "divide and conquer" their employees?
And then you somehow come up with 2 part time drivers to replace current full time employees and foresee an "early out" in the next contract. Your crystal ball must be paranoid.

 

[trickpony1]

In fact, I like my life just fine.

I'm also smart enough to know that the situation may change overnite without anyone asking my opinion.

A friend and I were discussing the closure of GM plants around the country recently. He said something to the effect that ".......I knew it wouldn't last long paying someone $27 per hour to screw lug nuts on a car. See any comparisons?

"why would any company intentionally lose money to "divide and conquer" their employees?" because in the long run it will make the company money. Unlike many of it's employees, the company looks 5-10 years down the road and implements subtle "local agreements" such as satellite centers now to reap bigger dividends down the road.

Y'all better get the big picture.

Paranoid or realistic?

 

[trickpony1]

MFVoicemail,

You may want to advise "olebrownie" about how you were misled regarding getting mileage to and from your satellite center.

Apparently he has never been lied to by the company.

Paranoid or realistic? You decide.

 

[rdwarrior]

We were also told that if nobody bids on these sat. routes ,UPS would hire a driver from that area to deliver it and lower seniority drivers would not have a route. That was said at same meeting as getting mileage to and from for swing drivers.