Survival Tips for Drivers? I am older & exhausted.

[21_years_in]

It is getting to the point now to where I am too exhausted to work the 55-60 hours/week driving job.

This issue did not arise until after 29 years with UPS (27+ years as a driver). I have never had a lost time injury.

It is not surprising that working so many hours for so many years would leave a person exhausted.

I need survival tips so that I can hang on another 5 years.

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

It is getting to the point now to where I am too exhausted to work the 55-60 hours/week driving job.

This issue did not arise until after 29 years with UPS (27+ years as a driver). I have never had a lost time injury.

It is not surprising that working so many hours for so many years would leave a person exhausted.

I need survival tips so that I can hang on another 5 years.

File 9.5 grievances.

 

[21_years_in]

Here, I will start:

(1) I minimize acrimonious conversations with management. I will greet them daily, but I won’t make a stink unless they give me more than 12 to 13-1/2 hours work for a day.

 

[21_years_in]

File 9.5 grievances.

I have never done this. Can’t they still work you 55-1/2 hours/week?

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

I have never done this. Can’t they still work you 55-1/2 hours/week?

You've got to be trolling.

You've worked here for 27 years as a driver, are working 12 - 13.5 hour days, and have never looked into 9.5 grievances?

Bull.

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

I will greet them, but I won’t make a stink unless they give me more than 12 to 13-1/2 hours work for a day.

They basically can't work you more than 13.5 hours a day.

Absolute trolling.

 

[21_years_in]

They basically can't work you more than 13.5 hours a day.

Absolute trolling.

Usually how my driving weeks go is that they try to keep me under 12 hours paid everyday.

Sometimes I have limited hours left for Friday. This must be common for a lot of drivers.

Maybe the reason I am getting such long days is because so many other people are on the 9.5 list!

 

[21_years_in]

You've got to be trolling.

You've worked here for 27 years as a driver, are working 12 - 13.5 hour days, and have never looked into 9.5 grievances?

Bull.

I am definitely not trolling. I am 58 years old, & I would not have the time or interest to troll.

Of course I know all about how the 9.5 grievances work!

I have been a fulltime driver for 27+ years. I have been on the 9.5 list about 5 times max, but never filed a grievance on it.

Me being on the 9.5 always ended with management *harassing* or *convincing* me (i.e. “bargaining a max stop count”), and I don’t stay on the 9.5 list for more than 1-3 weeks at the most.

I have basically been operating all this time with a “maximum stop count based on a handshake agreement.”

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

Usually how my driving weeks go is that they try to keep me under 12 hours paid everyday.

Sometimes I have limited hours left for Friday. This must be common for a lot of drivers.

Maybe the reason I am getting such long days is because so many other people are on the 9.5 list!

Trolling it is. You are getting long days because others have filed 9.5 grievances. Gotcha.

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

I am definitely not trolling. I am 58 years old, & I would not have the time or interest to troll.

Of course I know all about how the 9.5 grievances work!

I have been a fulltime driver for 27+ years. I have been on the 9.5 list about 5 times max, but never filed a grievance on it.

Me being on the 9.5 always ended with management *harassing* or *convincing* me (i.e. “bargaining a max stop count”), and I don’t stay on the 9.5 list for more than 1-3 weeks at the most.

Harassing?
Convincing?

Brother, if you haven't found your spine after 3 decades of this place, I don't know what to tell you.

You know how the grievances work. You know how your managers work. And you blame your coworkers who aren't afraid to file for your stop counts.

Sounds pretty cowardly.

 

[21_years_in]

Trolling it is. You are getting long days because others have filed 9.5 grievances. Gotcha.

I am going to look up trolling again.

Please do not underestimate how old I am. I am pretty sure that people in my generation never troll.

 

[21_years_in]

Trolling it is. You are getting long days because others have filed 9.5 grievances. Gotcha.

I looked up trolling again. I wouldn’t waste my time or that of others.

I made this thread because I am headed back on to my remote country route off my last gig of working in the building. I will not work in the building anymore. I prefer my route & customers.

The idea of this thread is to *collect some survival tips for being able to finish your driving job*, particularly when you are older or exhausted.

 

[21_years_in]

I can see that me saying this made some people less than pleased:

“Maybe the reason I am getting such long days is because so many other people are on the 9.5 list!”

I apologize. I did not bring up 9.5 grievances.

Anyway, we could still get some survival tips on finishing the week (or day) as a driver when you are a worn out person?

I had already planned on going on the 9.5 if they pushed me too far. I currently have a bona fide Age & Ability max stop count for my unusually remote route (I also do EAMs). This was pretty cool because the BA and center manager negotiated it with ***me in the room gunning for the lowest possible number***.

 

[BadIdeaGuy]

I have basically been operating all this time with a “maximum stop count based on a handshake agreement.”

Individual bargaining.

You deserve what you get.

 

[21_years_in]

Of course, the reason I do EAMs is because I am going to work that OT either in daylight or on the back end. My route is really scary in the dark.

 

[21_years_in]

Individual bargaining.

You deserve what you get.

All of our drivers with bid routes have a “max stop count” value that is often brought up when the driver sees his dispatch that day.

Honestly, I am in constant contact with our stewards. I don’t think I’m stepping on anybody’s toes.

The Age & Ability is in the (collective bargaining) contract.

 

[21_years_in]

Harassing?
Convincing?

Brother, if you haven't found your spine after 3 decades of this place, I don't know what to tell you.

You know how the grievances work. You know how your managers work. And you blame your coworkers who aren't afraid to file for your stop counts.

Sounds pretty cowardly.

Jeez, are you having a bad day or something? Maybe you could start at the top again & tune in the the original topic of the thread.

Isn’t everybody on this forum usually prone to post constructive content? Are people actually on here trolling?

I just thought that some older and/or exhausted drivers could post some helpful tips.

I need to keep paying my bills, & I can’t afford to retire yet.

I remember talking to a driver who was retiring at age 56. I asked him why he was leaving his really cool route, & he said “I just can’t do this anymore.”

He was older & exhausted.

 

[21_years_in]

My plan is to obviously go by the methods, work & drive safely. Get on that 9.5 *very quickly* and file (so as to encourage IE and the PDS to run more routes).

Obviously eat healthy, sleep, hydrate, manage stress, rest, remain mindful, have a good attitude, & pace oneself.

There’s probably not much other than that anyone can do.

 

[21_years_in]

I have a meal replacement powder that I make at home every morning on work days.

As a result, I have about 1800 Cal of all macros/vitamins/minerals/electrolytes (mixed with a lot of water) chillin’ in the ice chest in the package car.

 

[bumped]

I don't know what this max stop count thing you talk about. I'm on the 9.5 list, and I'm willing to file if no effort is made to reduce my stops. Management won't take you seriously if you don't file. If they pay out your grievances, so be it. I use all my 8 hours every month whether I need them or not.

My opinion of you on this site is that you care too much. We were told we weren't delivering misloads anymore. That misload could be a block away, and dispatch still says to sheet as missed. Many of the older drivers still want to deliver them, which I get (23 years driving myself), but I just follow their rules of the month. They don't care, why should I.

I also think you are reliant on the overtime. Three days a week would be hard for me to get by on my expenses, but I can get by on four days pretty comfortably.