Superweekend

[Catatonic]

SUPERWEEKEND - Only UPSers know this term!

UPS uses this weekend to advance time in transit for packages in our system. Packages picked up last week will be advanced to help level the week out
It started Friday in the Air Operations and goes through today.
Ground Feeder is advancing ground-based packages this weekend.
Also to note is that some of our CSC operations are operating this weekend to help customers get their Christmas packages through the system on time.
Hub sorts may be running tonight and Monday morning preloads (if the preload is normally run on Saturday morning)

Any other groups within the UPS system doing anything extra or different this weekend ... in the US or around the world?


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[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Our customer counter was open Saturday and our center made sweeps through some of our larger authorized shipping outlets (MBE, Staples and UPS Stores) to give us a head start on Monday. The ground didn't go anywhere but the air was shuttled to a neighboring center for movement to an air hub. We were told that they would be advancing feeder loads to us for Monday to even the week out as best as possible. We were fortunate in that we missed the storm but am wondering what impact, if any, it will have on our operations locally. Weather should not be an issue the rest of the week.

 

[Dustyroads]

Every Monday since Thanksgiving we received an extra "Tuesday" trailer from our nearest hub, containing advanced freight. After we run all of the Monday trailers, we run as much of the Tuesday trailer that the package cars can stand. It makes Mondays heavy and Tuesdays lighter, here. It also guarantees that this coming Monday will be peak day.

 

[UPS Lifer]

The hub I worked in was an air & ground operation (ONT) that ran 24 hours a day. This time of year the Twilight operation ran a noon day sort, and on this Sunday would run a pre-charge to reduce the sort span on Monday. The outbound air operation which uses the Twilight feeds needs an increased sort span to make service so the Twilight is forced into finishing at a predetermined time. A new sort is added for about 8 days that runs on the Next Day Air belts which has a capacity of 10K/hr. This sort pulls certain destinations away from the Outbound 2DA/3DS so that the sort can finish before the preload.

Around 1 million + packages flow through the hub from Friday thru Monday morning. My normal 3.5 inbound air sort was expanded to 8 plus hours from the Friday before Super-weekend (which included an extra day) until Xmas Eve which dropped down to about a five/six hour sort span. On Xmas eve we processed every air package on property PERIOD.
Nothing sits! This is the last day we advance service because there are no pick ups on Xmas Eve.

My operation was the only hub sort running on Xmas Eve in Southern California. I had a high percentage of Mexican-Americans working for me. Xmas Eve is a very special occasion or (Holy Day) depending on your religious views and was about as challenging to get people to come to work as Super Bowl Sunday is. But somehow we always got through. I did everything in my power to get the hub shut down between 7 and 8 PM and most of the employees were gone between 6-7 PM.

 

[Old International]

I have 2 heavy outbounds(1st time this peak) and I will have 4 very heavy loads inbound, and the preload wants them asap, as they are starting at 2:30 AM. Our outbound major shipper sent 4 air loads to Louisville, using contract drivers from Louisville. Our coverage feeder driver worked 13.5 Saturday, and looking at 12 today(Sunday). So it has been a very heavy weekend.

 

[dannyboy]

lifer

that is what makes sups like you different and special. you realize the issue for what it is, and try to work out a plan that works for both ups and the workers, all within the constraints of the contract, which makes it a real challenge some times.

d

 

[UPSviking]

In Europe it is hard to advance anything, as all our volume comes as fast as it can anyway.

We tried to get some trucks on the road Saturdays, did not help much in the grand scheme of things....

We have been told to tell our families that we will be home VERY late on Monday, and all available inside staff are to go on road in their own cars, especially managers....

I always love to see them come back to the center late, having done 25 stops sweating and complaining about how tuff the day has been....