BeardGang

Member
a place for preload venting.. from the seasoned vet to the newbie

without us, who else is gonna have the trucks set up to hit the streets??

yea I respect the drivers.. long hrs driving.. the stress and fatigue.. 200 stops in a day.. I couldn't do it.

We preloaders go thru it too.. especially during peak..
 

ZeroHandicapper

Olympic Preload Gold Medalist
I started late October doing 2-3 trucks. I am now doing just two and they are packed for sure. We have tons of preloaders for seasonal and some are only doing one truck. I have enjoyed it and it really helps once you start knowing addresses for the bulk stops. Our drivers are pretty awesome in the fact they want you to succeed and help you out any way they can. At the end of the day, they help you out which in turn causes us to help them out. The best thing the drivers told me is "get my 1000-4000 in the best order you can, section load everything else". I am convinced all preloaders should be forced to go out for at least 2-3 days with the drivers because it actually helps it all make sense. I want to do a great job for our drivers and try to take a little less stress off of them and for the first 5 weeks I always tried to have the "perfect load". It is never going happen and I have realized that. Drivers have done preload and know about this time of year and they understand its tough sometimes. If you are doing something really wrong, they will let you know. Otherwise, they will get the job done. PS....Soundbars and tires should be banned from ever entering a UPS package car :)
 

GenericUsername

Well-Known Member
Believe me, the drivers that complain about load quality could never do any better themselves. Preloading is a tough gig and not for everyone.

Excuse me but I was a hell of a preloader giving custom loads to 4 drivers every day. I bitch about my load every time my normal guy isn't there. I could do 1000% better than these morons they have in the center now.
 
I started late October doing 2-3 trucks. I am now doing just two and they are packed for sure. We have tons of preloaders for seasonal and some are only doing one truck. I have enjoyed it and it really helps once you start knowing addresses for the bulk stops. Our drivers are pretty awesome in the fact they want you to succeed and help you out any way they can. At the end of the day, they help you out which in turn causes us to help them out. The best thing the drivers told me is "get my 1000-4000 in the best order you can, section load everything else". I am convinced all preloaders should be forced to go out for at least 2-3 days with the drivers because it actually helps it all make sense. I want to do a great job for our drivers and try to take a little less stress off of them and for the first 5 weeks I always tried to have the "perfect load". It is never going happen and I have realized that. Drivers have done preload and know about this time of year and they understand its tough sometimes. If you are doing something really wrong, they will let you know. Otherwise, they will get the job done. PS....Soundbars and tires should be banned from ever entering a UPS package car :)
Your efforts are much appreciated I am sure. Almost all of the negative comments to preloaders should be directed towards management. After all management is responsible for training and staffing. All too often management is only concerned with getting the packages out of the trailers and into a package car and out onto the street in as short a time as possible. Then it is someone else's problem.
 

ZeroHandicapper

Olympic Preload Gold Medalist
Your efforts are much appreciated I am sure. Almost all of the negative comments to preloaders should be directed towards management. After all management is responsible for training and staffing. All too often management is only concerned with getting the packages out of the trailers and into a package car and out onto the street in as short a time as possible. Then it is someone else's problem.
I agree with you about training. I am 45 and there for only permanent PT, for the benefits. They could not even pay me and I would not care, just there for the benefits. That being said the training was very poor, but thank goodness the drivers actually gave me a ton of tips the first week and continue to do so if needed. I picked it up pretty fast and I am fortunate to have a good work ethic and care about the drivers and company as a whole ( I think no matter where you work, you should always want it to grow and succeed). The thing I have realized is they brought seasonal people in about a week too late. They need a good week of training at a slower rate for sure before peak really hit. I do feel bad for some of the new kids who are there and have never really worked in the real world. All they hear are negative things and never positive. You can still yell and talk negatively, but back it up with some positive reinforcement. I have never heard anything positive from our supervisors and one of them has never smiled or laughed in the 6 weeks I have been there (no joke). Tell us about the bad, but also tell us some good. Some supervisors are not liked and would be if they would win the employees over. I am not saying kill them with kindness, but in the words of Proximo form Gladiator "I wasn't the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd. And you will win your freedom." Sups would win their freedom if they won over their employees.
 

Richard Harrow

Deplorable.
One of the toughest jobs at the company.

I was recently moved to a different park position for peak and the kid loading my truck now is a golden god.

400 pieces on Friday and I could host a gymnastics competition down the middle of the truck it was that clean.

Fresh, crisp hundo incoming for this guy on 12/24
 
I agree with you about training. I am 45 and there for only permanent PT, for the benefits. They could not even pay me and I would not care, just there for the benefits. That being said the training was very poor, but thank goodness the drivers actually gave me a ton of tips the first week and continue to do so if needed. I picked it up pretty fast and I am fortunate to have a good work ethic and care about the drivers and company as a whole ( I think no matter where you work, you should always want it to grow and succeed). The thing I have realized is they brought seasonal people in about a week too late. They need a good week of training at a slower rate for sure before peak really hit. I do feel bad for some of the new kids who are there and have never really worked in the real world. All they hear are negative things and never positive. You can still yell and talk negatively, but back it up with some positive reinforcement. I have never heard anything positive from our supervisors and one of them has never smiled or laughed in the 6 weeks I have been there (no joke). Tell us about the bad, but also tell us some good. Some supervisors are not liked and would be if they would win the employees over. I am not saying kill them with kindness, but in the words of Proximo form Gladiator "I wasn't the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd. And you will win your freedom." Sups would win their freedom if they won over their employees.
The PT sups are treated even worse by FT management then the hourly employees. And I imagine bottom of the rung Preload managers are treated just as badly by their bosses. It is the whole UPS culture.
 

I have been lurking

Tired hubrat
a place for preload venting.. from the seasoned vet to the newbie

without us, who else is gonna have the trucks set up to hit the streets??

yea I respect the drivers.. long hrs driving.. the stress and fatigue.. 200 stops in a day.. I couldn't do it.

We preloaders go thru it too.. especially during peak..
Do your 6 months and get out for another position. An injury helps too.
 

ZeroHandicapper

Olympic Preload Gold Medalist
The PT sups are treated even worse by FT management then the hourly employees. And I imagine bottom of the rung Preload managers are treated just as badly by their bosses. It is the whole UPS culture.
I should have mentioned that. You can tell it is from the top down. I get along with my supervisors, I just know that some don't and talk negatively about them. Ours both have 25+ years and I think they are numb to it all. LOL.
 

watdaflock?

Well-Known Member
One of the toughest jobs at the company.

I was recently moved to a different park position for peak and the kid loading my truck now is a golden god.

400 pieces on Friday and I could host a gymnastics competition down the middle of the truck it was that clean.

Fresh, crisp hundo incoming for this guy on 12/24

^good stuff!

The driver who gives $10 gift-cards is less of a focus than the one who gifts awesome stuff.
I'm still waiting on a bottle of whiskey, from like four years ago. SOB.....


Two weeks left. No big deal. Card board boxes can't beat me.
 

Johney

Well-Known Member
Believe me, the drivers that complain about load quality could never do any better themselves. Preloading is a tough gig and not for everyone.
Yea because loading a package that has a sticker to tell you exactly where to put it is tough. Surely you must know what an Alpha chart is?
 

BadIdeaGuy

Moderator
Staff member
Yea because loading a package that has a sticker to tell you exactly where to put it is tough. Surely you must know what an Alpha chart is?

I gotta disagree here. And I do know that some preloaders are just bad.
But when they hand you your sheet, and it says you're gonna put 100 on the 3000s?
Not gonna happen. And there's only so much load snaking you can do.

One of my drivers said it best to me. We get 10 pounds of :censored2: and a 5 pound sack to fit it in.
 
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