I just received my 30 day training route manifest. I am not familiar with the area. I have heard diff opinions in regards to driving route by self ahead of time. Figured, ask everyone’s opinion when they were in my position. I probably will drive through the route once, atleast the main streets and looks for the side streets as I’m passing. Just an hour or two worth of driving on my own time. Then on my first three days, really pay attention to how the route is done. What worked for everyone else? Whom had received the route manifest ahead of time.
training route manifest
- Thread starter Nj187
- Start date
MyTripisCut
Never bought my own handtruck
Try to get a map. Print one out if you have to. Try to highlight the borders of the route (hard to do in today’s UPS). I used to mark the map with each hundred block to learn the number breaks. You’ll be fine, you’ll be surprised how long you remember that first area you learn, years after you’ve been off it.
PT Car Washer
Well-Known Member
Driving the route will give you a good idea of traffic patterns, delivery and pick up points and just an idea of where you are going and how to get there. I have done this before when covering a PM letter box route before. Just going out with 100 delivery and pick up stops (first day driving) taking 1 extra minute per stop adds 2 hours to your day. Or 1 minute less and you could finish 2 hours early.
PT Car Washer
Well-Known Member
rod
Retired 22 years
My first question would be why should I care how fast an experienced driver runs a route?
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
Weak. I learned 6 routes and ran Peak with a helper while still a seasonal. On paper. I'm brownmonster.
PT Car Washer
Well-Known Member
Not so much how fast he runs the route but what order and what time. A lot of times the delivery and pick up order in the DIAD is not the the fastest way to run the route. Of course the only help your trainer will give you is to "run it the way ORION says to". In that case you will be delivering resi's in the AM and delivering businesses in the PM along with pick ups.
Mugarolla
Light 'em up!
It can't hurt to spend a couple of hours trying to get a jump start on qualifying.
Sometime it is easier if you are somewhat familiar with the area.
You've been out of the game too long.
Again, because you've been gone too long to know the current UPS.
Back when you qualified, and me, as long as we didn't wreck we qualified.
Hell, sometimes we wrecked and still qualified.
Different story today.
542thruNthru
Well-Known Member
Drive the route and get to know it but to be honest it didn't help as much as knowing where to park and deliver. Learning the streets will come easily. Some things I recommend are...
Come in early every day. I mean at least a hour early. Get organized and go through your truck every morning. Familiarize yourself with where your stops are in the truck. Some may disagree with this because you are working off the clock. They are right but during the first 30 days do everything you can to give yourself a advantage.
Pay attention to delivery locations in the businesses. Don't be afraid to ask where they want it the first couple times. After that take it right there every time without asking. The biggest time saver I've always found is knowing exactly who will sign and getting his/her attention as I drop the packages.
Find out who usually does the route. Be polite and pick his/her brain. Then find the person that covers the route the most and do the same thing.
Pack your lunch all 30 days and eat while sorting your truck. (Stop this immediately once you qualify) the numbers are not on your side so this will help even the odds.
One last thing that I tell new guys to do. Every week ask the OR how you're doing. If they are anything like here they won't tell you anything until they are disqualifying you unless you ask. Keep your shop steward inform of what they say and your progress. Just in case they try and DQ you for no real reason.
Good luck.
Thank you for the great advice. And thanks to everyone else who gave me useful info. I did peak in a very busy building, big cities etc. and where I’m hired now is more rural and miles than stops. So will be interesting how it works. I’m def ready to kill it tho.Drive the route and get to know it but to be honest it didn't help as much as knowing where to park and deliver. Learning the streets will come easily. Some things I recommend are...
Come in early every day. I mean at least a hour early. Get organized and go through your truck every morning. Familiarize yourself with where your stops are in the truck. Some may disagree with this because you are working off the clock. They are right but during the first 30 days do everything you can to give yourself a advantage.
Pay attention to delivery locations in the businesses. Don't be afraid to ask where they want it the first couple times. After that take it right there every time without asking. The biggest time saver I've always found is knowing exactly who will sign and getting his/her attention as I drop the packages.
Find out who usually does the route. Be polite and pick his/her brain. Then find the person that covers the route the most and do the same thing.
Pack your lunch all 30 days and eat while sorting your truck. (Stop this immediately once you qualify) the numbers are not on your side so this will help even the odds.
One last thing that I tell new guys to do. Every week ask the OR how you're doing. If they are anything like here they won't tell you anything until they are disqualifying you unless you ask. Keep your shop steward inform of what they say and your progress. Just in case they try and DQ you for no real reason.
Good luck.
john chesney
Well-Known Member
Listen I never worked a minute of my own time however I think if you really want to have your best chance at success you go out and study the route. Learn all the streets, good working knowledge of addresses and especially pay attention to any area you might be in after it gets dark out
john chesney
Well-Known Member
I want to give you a little tip. Ask the regular driver any questions. Now if he’s been doing this for over 20 years be respectful of him or her. He has suffered years of abuse and don’t want some hot shot know it all attitude. If you take this advice they will bend over backwards to help you
Chnandler Bong
Well-Known Member
I've always suggested to the newbies to sort during break time during their first 30 days. But don't be driving or delivering during time that you've coded off as break. Everything is being monitored on the trucks and diad entries are time stamped. And I respectfully disagree with the suggestion to get in the truck before you're on the clock. Big no-no around any center with a strong union presence. However, it doesn't hurt to get there early and start looking through your diad and finding the stops on your maps. Or take pics of your Orion maps for that day so you can easily bring them up if/when you get twisted around.
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Chnandler Bong
Well-Known Member
Truth. I had a training route for 12 years. Any time a rookie saddled up, I'd give them my number and tell him/her to call any time they needed anything. Fellow drivers should be more helpful with route knowledge than your training supervisor.
PT Car Washer
Well-Known Member
Nothing wrong with going through your load before start time as long as you are not loading and sending the preloader home early. The biggest waste of time on area is digging around trying to find a package.
john chesney
Well-Known Member
I’ll go along with this till you qualify then I won’t go anywhere near my truck until I start on the clock. I don’t care if not one package is loaded in the car I’m not giving them one minute of my time
Analbumcover
ControlPkgs
You could also ask the driver if you can follow him in your personal vehicle for the day (or at least part of it.) I did this a few times before getting my peak route and it helped exponentially. According to our shop steward, there's nothing wrong with it as long as you don't actually help the driver work.
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