Time study

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upsmule

Guest
I'm just a bit confused...(shocker huh) I've been told for the last three years now, that "we don't do time studies anymore" Well, now it seems that the routs in our building that are actually making the driver good money are being time studied....was I lied to? They don't do time studies anymore, only when it may suit them I guess? They aren't doing every route, just the ones that make them look bad I guess? God forbid a driver actually make a lil' money for his efforts huh? They have picked only a handful to do and of those they have done two that I know of and....SHOCKER, they lost just a little time. The whole thing seems totally LOADED! They are going to say anything they want to, in order to change the standards for a route to be more in THIER favor, not the guy out there breaking his back for them. Can my shop stuard give me something in writing that explains the "proper methods" to me a little more in detail? Or can my sup. give me something? I need to start practicing and fine tuning my skills for when they get to me, so I too dont get ROBBED! P.S. I already practice perfect methods for all you that are getting ready to type me! If your a driver, you know that those time study people are trained in finding ANYTHING wrong so they can take time, not give it. And thats just not right.
 
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over9five

Guest
Who cares about their time studies? If they were to time study my route, it wouldnt change the way I do it. I work till Im done, take my breaks and lunch, then go home. I do my job, and I dont pay attention to the paid over/under BS. I dont like to see drivers look at the OR every day, because if you do your job every day, it doesnt even matter.
 
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upsmule

Guest
Over9five....with a name like that, one would expect that response from you
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The day they do away with bonus, will be the day I wont care about it either. It's such a double standard catch 22 here, it's cool that we have two options though, get paid by the hour or get bonus and get home and have a life. Period. It just sucks that if you choose the latter, you get screwed, out of the correct pay you should recieve. But if you choose to be like 9five....your screwed out of having a life, thats cool if thats what works for you brother. I guess I'll wait for someone who knows what there talking about to respond to my question though, thanks anyway (whoa)
 
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proups

Guest
I will assume that these time studies are being performed in a bonus center. That is what happens when a driver starts to make too much bonus.

Just do your job by the book and you'll be O.K.
 
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deliver_man

Guest
Well, the biggest problem with the bonus system, imo, is that it encourages drivers to cheat and work unsafely. Meaning drive around with the bulkhead door open, seatbelt off, never taking the keys out of the ignition, slinging packages out the side door like a paper boy. Not to mention running up miles and changing area numbers and other little "tricks" that will get you fired for dishonesty, all in the name of getting a few extra clicks of bonus. Anyone making 2-3 hours bonus per day is lucky if all they get is a timestudy. The other option is to send security out to videotape them breaking all the rules and fire them. I have several copies of the 340 methods mule, maybe we can work something out. I can tell you from experience, it's priceless to see the look on your supervisors face when you go from running 2 hours under to running 2 hours over, all because you decided to start following the methods. It always makes for some interesting coversations in the office with the shop steward, after the PCM.
 
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upsmule

Guest
I agree deliverman...but like I said, until they get rid of the bonus system, running bonus will always be in my best interest. My current C.M. has a huge hard on for a promotion, and was \is handing out warning letters like candy just for honest human error and mistakes, so I went to the old proper methods in order to cover my butt.....so I get called into the office and get accused of....get this now..."industrial sabotage". Yea, right. Well, I've recently reverted back to my "old ways" and nothing has been said...(go figure). Now, out of the clear blue sky comes a time study. If I wasn't just a dumb driver, I'd swear this was harrassment. But our shop stuard's just seem helpless against this "c.m." for some strange reason. BUT N-E-way, your point is well taken, and there is a strong argument on both sides of the "bonus" issue. Why should ups encourage a driver to "run" bonus, then fire him for not following proper methods? I've been at ups for more than 10 years now, and it was always understood that you did what you had to do out there, as long as you where safe and not just a flaming idiot! Especially in December....HELLO?
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trouble1903

Guest
See above, sorry I hit the post button in error.

(Message edited by trouble1903 on September 15, 2002)
 
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trouble1903

Guest
I need some information, I'm not in a center that does bonus', but we need some time studies done, IMO. Who doesn't reconize the time study??? Union or UPS??

Every time we get a new manager or he's try's to get noticed, they push up the load max and then act like it's always been that number and you are slacking because you can't meet this made up number. I was on the same route for 8 months, prior to peek, peek and off peek. I know the number that can be done and can't be done. Let's not even get into load quality. I did it the other dayy for the first time in 6 months and the numbers went up!!!!!

If an area is not studied for growth, traffic etc.
then how does any one know the true numbers?? And how can anyone get in trouble for time. The old stand of 15 an hour can't always be accurate.

(Message edited by trouble1903 on September 15, 2002)
 
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deliver_man

Guest
Who doesn't reconize the time study??? Union or UPS??
The union doesn't recognize the time study as being a fair system of work measurement. Neither will the panel, if a "terminated for production" case goes that far. Thats why all "lack of production" terminations are based on a driver's failure to maintain a set SPOHR. In all fairness to the company though, they do have to have some method of dispatching drivers, and until someone comes up with something better, the timestudy is it. Mule, I can see where you're coming from, if I was the guy with the bonus route who was gonna be losing time I would be hot too. But look at it from the company's POV. They like to see a guy skipping his lunch and making 100 to 150 clicks of bonus a day, that's good business. But you had guys down there making 3-4 hours (I'm not gonna mention any names), and thats a whole different story.The company sees it as paying 3-4 hours at time-and-a-half to a guy for time he doesnt work, and the bonus sustem was never meant to do that. No time standards are that loose. So either: A. the time is wrong and needs to be fixed, or B.The driver is working the system, ie, stealing. At least they are giving the guys the benefit of the doubt by doing timestudies, instead of just sending security out to bust them for running up miles and making bad DR's. Not that there is any of that going on
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. Ya know, I have always maintained that if the buildiing got rid of bonus, they would see their monthly fuel bill drop by thousands of dollars
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. Good luck with your timestudy BTW, take your lunch, work the methods, and keep that clown out there til 9PM.
 
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steward

Guest
I wont even begin to act as if i understand, agree with or against a "bonus" shop, but feel free to remind your own steward that past practices do hold precident when not outlined in the contract. Follow your methods, go by the numbers, and send messages to center on everything}
 
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upsmule

Guest
deliver_man...thanks, and I will no doubt keep this guy out there for as long as I (honestly) can, and I guess your right, I wouldn't put it passed this guy to put a man out there with a camera, but I don't believe in stealing or running up miles. And if I was kicking out 3 hours of bonus a day I'd keep my freekin mouth SHUT! But one thing I don't agree with you on...if they do ever get rid of bonus, They would pay MORE in fuel AND in payroll, because they would have to completely DOUBLE there work force and you'd see a ups truck on every other corner, just like the postal service! I bet I see 8 to 9 postal carrier's to my 1 ups route! take away bonus, and I too shall be walking from house to house!
 
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trouble1903

Guest
In my part of the world we look like the post office. 3 to 4 trucks in one area, 3 or more trucks at meet points just to clean up the off routes, etc.

But someone said it before, you can't compare the
two jobs. Both work very hard and in conditions that are not the best but that's where the similatities end.
 
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