Telematics...UPS is wiring your truck

[soberups]

as mentioned in other post why not wire the truck not to run with the bulkhead open, seat belt off etc. ? as "technically advanced" as this system is it should be hard to put a circuit through the ignition.

The intent of the system was never to keep the driver safe. If UPS cared about our safety, all of the older vehicles would be equipped with power steering and 3-point seat belts.

The intent of the system is to help management to document a case for the driver's eventual termination. It is idiotic to attach a sensor to a functionally worthless lap belt in the name of "safety."

If the truck is wired up to not run unless the seat belt is attached, it wont be possible to fire the driver for failing to wear it.

UPS isnt going to spend big money on a surveillance system unless it is guranteed to help them to terminate employees....preferably full-scale or pro-union ones....and replace them with new hires who are younger, healthier, and will be in progression for 2 years.

 

[denverbrown]

They are wiring the trucks up in our building for the first time now, so this is new issue for us. Sorry if it's old news for you. You guys are kind of rough over here, makes a guy want to take Browncafe out of his favorites.

 

[backinbrown]

They are wiring the trucks up in our building for the first time now, so this is new issue for us. Sorry if it's old news for you. You guys are kind of rough over here, makes a guy want to take Browncafe out of his favorites.

dont do that

you can get good information here

 

[Re-Raise]

They are wiring the trucks up in our building for the first time now, so this is new issue for us. Sorry if it's old news for you. You guys are kind of rough over here, makes a guy want to take Browncafe out of his favorites.

It is just that you keep posting all these messages Denver.

It is like every year since you joined in 2005 I look up and there you go again posting 1 new message.

 

[pretzel_man]

The intent of the system was never to keep the driver safe. If UPS cared about our safety, all of the older vehicles would be equipped with power steering and 3-point seat belts.

The intent of the system is to help management to document a case for the driver's eventual termination. It is idiotic to attach a sensor to a functionally worthless lap belt in the name of "safety."

If the truck is wired up to not run unless the seat belt is attached, it wont be possible to fire the driver for failing to wear it.

UPS isnt going to spend big money on a surveillance system unless it is guranteed to help them to terminate employees....preferably full-scale or pro-union ones....and replace them with new hires who are younger, healthier, and will be in progression for 2 years.

I guess you have inside information that I don't.

I attended many, many meetings on this system. Many involving corporate representatives that designed and built it.

Not once, did they mention any intent other than what I said here:
- Improve Safety
- Reduce excess miles
- Reduce Automotive Expense
- Reduce Idle time

Not once, did they teach how to use the system to terminate people or document a case.

They described that we use the system to point out occurences of ineffectiveness and make the employee aware. In general, the awareness has improved all the above areas. No discipline needed.

I'm sure some manager somewhere will use it wrong. I'm sure some employee somewhere will tamper with the system and be fired. This does not make the intent equal to what you have proposed.

I don't know why the vehicles were not equipped with 3 point belts. Even if you are right that safety was bypassed for cost in that case, it doesn't mean that there is mal intent in this one.

Again, 1500 drivers have used this for over a year. I'm aware of one termination and it was very well justified.

P-Man

 

[govols019]

All the newer P-700s we have beep that the parking brake is not pulled every time you turn the truck off when it really is. I look forward to this new system so maybe that infernal beeping will stop. I hear it in my sleep.

Why was someone fired based on this system?

 

[backinbrown]

i have not heard of anyone bieng fired

 

[DS]

They are wiring the trucks up in our building for the first time now, so this is new issue for us. Sorry if it's old news for you. You guys are kind of rough over here, makes a guy want to take Browncafe out of his favorites.

Denverbrown,don't let the odd negative post scare you off,A lot of people come here every day to read the boards,and some don't take into account that someone may not want to search for something that they feel is new and important to them.
We should be working together when discussing aspects of life at ups.

 

[rod]

I'm sure some manager somewhere will use it wrong. I'm sure some employee somewhere will tamper with the system and be fired.



P-Man

That's a sure bet if I ever saw one.

 

[moreluck]

You know, I wrote about this phenomena back 6-8 months ago when I heard it from my local driver here. Looks like it's spread now.

 

[BigBrownSanta]

If you stop and think about it, why would UPS have to implement something like this? Maybe because some drivers will take any and all shortcuts to get done. You can thank those drivers for this system. How many of you have looked at the DIAD while driving because you forgot if your next delivery was supposed to be Main Street or Main Place? I know I've done it. I also know that I do it alot less once I found out this system was going to be implemented.

If you guys are that paranoid about getting caught doing something you shouldn't be doing to begin with, you may want to start practicing doing it the right way now. This telematics is probably not going to go away.

Choose something that you have a problem doing and find a way to remind yourself to not do it. For example, if you drive with the bulk head door open while delivering resi's, take a delivery notice and write "close bulk head door" on it and stick it on the windshield in a place where you can see it. Concentrate on fixing that problem for a week or two, and eventually it will become a second nature reflex to close the bulk head door without even realizing you did it.

I guarantee you, leaving the bulk head door open or not wearing a seatbelt or leaving the truck running while dr'ing a package will not save you any massive amounts of time throughout the day.

I know many of you won't agree with me, but personally, I think this is a good thing because it will force people to do the right thing each and every time.

 

[brownman15]

I guess you have inside information that I don't.


Not once, did they teach how to use the system to terminate people or document a case.

They described that we use the system to point out occurences of ineffectiveness and make the employee aware. In general, the awareness has improved all the above areas. No discipline needed.

I'm sure some manager somewhere will use it wrong. I'm sure some employee somewhere will tamper with the system and be fired. This does not make the intent equal to what you have proposed.

I don't know why the vehicles were not equipped with 3 point belts. Even if you are right that safety was bypassed for cost in that case, it doesn't mean that there is mal intent in this one.

Again, 1500 drivers have used this for over a year. I'm aware of one termination and it was very well justified.

P-Man

u can't be serious i am a steward and my center manager gave me a heads up 2 warn drivers that when this goes online that ie will be watching this and if this shows that belt is not buckled or door open when car moving they will go out and observe them. we had had people fired for not wearing seatbelts.

 

[backinbrown]

u can't be serious i am a steward and my center manager gave me a heads up 2 warn drivers that when this goes online that ie will be watching this and if this shows that belt is not buckled or door open when car moving they will go out and observe them. we had had people fired for not wearing seatbelts.

We just had a driver in a head on 40 mph crash

seatbelt on saved him

you have to wear it cmon why take the chance

plus once you do it for so long its second nature becomes a habit a damn good habit

 

[soberups]

I attended many, many meetings on this system. Many involving corporate representatives that designed and built it.

Not once, did they mention any intent other than what I said here:
- Improve Safety
- Reduce excess miles
- Reduce Automotive Expense
- Reduce Idle time

P-man....

If the intent of the system is to enhance safety, why did they not simply wire the system into the starter relay to prevent the vehicle from running at all if the belt was unbuckled or the door open?

If UPS cares enough about our safety to invest millions of dollars in this equipment, why then does it then refuse to retrofit a 3 point belt into the same truck it is installing the telematic system into?

A driver in an older package car is operating a vehicle that was intentionally designed to allow his head and face to be propelled at high speed into the steering wheel and thru the windshield in the event of a head-on collision. This was done to save approx. $40 at the time of purchase. Can you understand how that same driver might be a bit angry and cynical at the idea of the company spending over $500 on a system that can be used to terminate him for failing to wear that useless lap belt?

As far as the other functions of telematics are concerned, it is your vehicle and you can monitor it however you choose to. But it is, quite frankly, an insult to the intelligence of every driver here to state that our safety is a motivating factor behind the installation of this equipment.

 

[Babagounj]

The p32s I currently drive are junk. We've had horn buttons moved from the steering wheel to someplace on the dash, many have the black tape over the check engine light repair, leaking windshields , wipers that work sometimes, etc.
Now you are telling me that they are spending moneys to monitor the cars, yet provide no funds to actually fix them.

 

[1989]

we had had people fired for not wearing seatbelts.

As they should be.

 

[SlowRide80k]

We're going live on this starting next week. Was wondering because we have a guy who is paid-under 2+ hours a day who leaves it runnin and wide open all day. Will they go after him or will his "numbers" save him as im sure they have in the past.


Oh. And it is about safety. But more importantly it's about money.

Safety = Money
Efficiency = Money

Wondering how long till UPS realizes driver supervisors aren't needed anymore. They can't control dispatch or make changes or moves any longer. they simply hand out paperwork and that can be done by a clerk or preload sup placing it in the drivers mail slot. They are an albatross at this time. The only thing UPS needs to do now (at least in my area) is tweak the EDD system so guys aren't overlapping one another 5 times a day. We try to tell them whats wrong but they either can't or won't fix the problems.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We're going live on this starting next week. Was wondering because we have a guy who is paid-under 2+ hours a day who leaves it runnin and wide open all day. Will they go after him or will his "numbers" save him as im sure they have in the past.

We all know what the answer should be but I am curious as to what the answer will be.

 

[SlowRide80k]

As am I. It's well known by management and all the drivers that he does this. Everyone even cracks jokes about his truck being solar powered so he needs to be back in the building by 3:30. He'll come back to the building early and sit upstairs in the offices and BS with the center manager and sups.

 

[pretzel_man]

P-man....

If the intent of the system is to enhance safety, why did they not simply wire the system into the starter relay to prevent the vehicle from running at all if the belt was unbuckled or the door open?

If UPS cares enough about our safety to invest millions of dollars in this equipment, why then does it then refuse to retrofit a 3 point belt into the same truck it is installing the telematic system into?

A driver in an older package car is operating a vehicle that was intentionally designed to allow his head and face to be propelled at high speed into the steering wheel and thru the windshield in the event of a head-on collision. This was done to save approx. $40 at the time of purchase. Can you understand how that same driver might be a bit angry and cynical at the idea of the company spending over $500 on a system that can be used to terminate him for failing to wear that useless lap belt?

As far as the other functions of telematics are concerned, it is your vehicle and you can monitor it however you choose to. But it is, quite frankly, an insult to the intelligence of every driver here to state that our safety is a motivating factor behind the installation of this equipment.

Sober:

I already told you that I don't know why UPS didn't retrofit package cars with 3 point seat belts. If you like, I can give you the name of the head of automotive. He may know why.

As I said, that is not related to what I posted about. I attended the meetings on telematics, and I accurately posted about the intent that they relayed to me.

There were certainly many options. Connecting the seat belt to a relay to prevent starting is one of them. Of course, that doesn't help with the other goals of the system.

The solution they came up with seems to work for multiple areas. Safety is one of them.

Remember, you are the one that said the intent was purely to document information so drivers could be fired. That opinion of yours is not based on any fact that I have.

P-Man