Unloading Time?

[JustLookinTwo]

Hi. I have a relative who started unloading for UPS a couple of weeks ago. At first, they said they needed the trucks unloaded in an hour. Now, I understand they are saying that they won't stand for anything less than 45 minutes per truck to unload.

I did a search on this site and could not come up with any reference other than that you should do a certain amount of packages per minute. I'm sure that it varies according to how full the truck it, too. Can anyone give me an estimate on the time that it should take one person to unload a full truck, please? Thanks so much.

 

[MR_Vengeance]

Hi. I have a relative who started unloading for UPS a couple of weeks ago. At first, they said they needed the trucks unloaded in an hour. Now, I understand they are saying that they won't stand for anything less than 45 minutes per truck to unload.

I did a search on this site and could not come up with any reference other than that you should do a certain amount of packages per minute. I'm sure that it varies according to how full the truck it, too. Can anyone give me an estimate on the time that it should take one person to unload a full truck, please? Thanks so much.

do not let them get you in that mindset. if you give them 45 min, then it will be half'n hour next time.

 

[JustLookinTwo]

Thank you. I hope that's what's up. That's sort of what I figured, too. This is in regards to a teen who is in his third week at a small UPS location. He really likes the job, even though it seems to be hard physical work. This is his first "real" job ever, so I'm hoping he'll at least be kept on through the holiday season so that he'll have some good work experience and also have something to put on his resume. He's a full-time college student, too.

I've heard through the grapevine that his bosses want him to unload the trucks in 45 minutes or he will not be called back after the peak season. If that's the case, and he does not get called back, that's fine because the work experience has been invaluable. One thing's for sure...his next job will seem like a cakewalk.

He's unloading at slightly under an hour right now, and some of the stuff is large freight (over 70 pounds). Excuse me if I sound like I have no clue, because I truly don't other than what he tells me and what I have read. He seems to be keeping up with the line and very rarely needs any help to catch up.

I'm proud of his efforts so far. I just did not know how to approach him with this "grapevine" info. I don't want him to get discouraged so early in his employment. Thanks again for your advice. I truly do appreciate it.

 

[MR_Vengeance]

so this kid is a seasonal employee? tell him to do the job in a safe pace, don't bust himself for nothing. It's impossible to meet some of the "goals" they set, so forget about their scare tactics. Set the pace and do the best he can, if they don't call him back then it's their lost.

 

[JustLookinTwo]

Well, they say he's a part-time unloader on the twilight shift. The HR person told him that he was not part of the seasonal help, but that he will probably get laid off after Christmas and then called back as long as he does a good job. Not sure what all that means, but I suppose it's like any other job. If they like you and you do the work, they'll keep you on if they need you.

Our area (like most) is in very bad shape, job wise. Most all of the major employers around here have shut the doors. I can't even believe he was able to land a job in the first place since so many experienced people are out of work, but we are thankful that he did no matter how long it lasts.

He's a strong, healthy, young guy. His clothes are wringing wet when he gets home in the morning, so I know he's staying busy. He's the only unloader on his shift, and he's been getting four days a week. Tonight, for instance, some of the "on call" (not sure what's up with that) drivers are going in to unload, so he's supposed to be off. He was told that he would be off all this week, but they've called him in three days already, so I think he's doing alright. Like he says, no one else wants to do his job, so they call him, lol.

I'll just let him keep going as he's been doing and not tell him about the rumor that he's got to do each truck in 45 minutes to stay on after peak season. They have been finishing 15 or 20 minutes early every night and he's only getting occasional help if he falls behind, so I think he's managing alright. He said he unloads between three and seven trucks a night, if that gives you any idea of the size of his location. He won't miss any days or be late, and he's always available when they call on short notice, so that's got to count for something, too. Thanks for the wise advice.

 

[whiskey]

Hi. I have a relative who started unloading for UPS a couple of weeks ago. At first, they said they needed the trucks unloaded in an hour. Now, I understand they are saying that they won't stand for anything less than 45 minutes per truck to unload.

I did a search on this site and could not come up with any reference other than that you should do a certain amount of packages per minute. I'm sure that it varies according to how full the truck it, too. Can anyone give me an estimate on the time that it should take one person to unload a full truck, please? Thanks so much.

If the trailer has good rollers, and the yard man jacked it up okay, you should be able to unload 1000 pieces an hour. That comes out to 200 feet of trailer in an 8 hour day. But that's if your a good unloader. Substandard unloaders average 800 boxes an hour. Unloading is not for the faint of heart.

 

[JustLookinTwo]

If the trailer has good rollers, and the yard man jacked it up okay, you should be able to unload 1000 pieces an hour. That comes out to 200 feet of trailer in an 8 hour day. But that's if your a good unloader. Substandard unloaders average 800 boxes an hour. Unloading is not for the faint of heart.

Hmmm, Whiskey, that's over my head. He said something about doing 350% this morning in about 3.25 hours. Does that mean anything to you as to how much he should be picking up the pace? Also, probably not the best day for him since he's got a really bad cold right now.

He goes in at 3:45 on mornings when they have seven trucks, and 4:45 on mornings when they have fewer. He works until they finish a little before 9:00. He's the only unloader of the three to seven trucks during those hours.

Can you tell from this info if he's going way too slow?

 

[pickup]

Hmmm, Whiskey, that's over my head. He said something about doing 350% this morning in about 3.25 hours. Does that mean anything to you as to how much he should be picking up the pace? Also, probably not the best day for him since he's got a really bad cold right now.

He goes in at 3:45 on mornings when they have seven trucks, and 4:45 on mornings when they have fewer. He works until they finish a little before 9:00. He's the only unloader of the three to seven trucks during those hours.

Can you tell from this info if he's going way too slow?

As Woody Allen said, showing up is 90 percent of the job. If he shows up , on time and does a decent job, and IF they need him, they will call him back. He should just put in the best job possible without hurting himself. As his body adjusts , and his mind as well, he should show improvement. They like to stick that carrot in front of you and impose impossible standards that can't be met , and if they by chance can be met, they move the yard stick and shoot for an even more impossible standard.

 

[JustLookinTwo]

As Woody Allen said, showing up is 90 percent of the job. If he shows up , on time and does a decent job, and IF they need him, they will call him back. He should just put in the best job possible without hurting himself. As his body adjusts , and his mind as well, he should show improvement. They like to stick that carrot in front of you and impose impossible standards that can't be met , and if they by chance can be met, they move the yard stick and shoot for an even more impossible standard.

Thanks, Pickup. He's just finished up his third week, so I'm sure there's plenty of room for improvement. I just wanted to ask some of your opinions since the last email he got says 90 something percent of UPS employees start as package handlers. Sounds like most all of you have been in his position before. I think he's doing just fine, so I won't even mention to him the rumor that he needs to speed up. Sounds like the bosses are doing a good job of staying on him. Since it is his first job, I thought maybe he was slacking off or something, but it sounds like he's doing alright. Thanks!

 

[cachsux]

He is getting job and life experiences here. One,your boss will lie to you to get what he wants. Two,he will be used like a piece of meat. Three,if he`s not careful,what its like to be injured on the job.
They are telling him what they are because he is young and naive. He needs to work at a smooth,SAFE,pace. Tell him it`s a marathon not a dash.

 

[DorkHead]

Hmmm, Whiskey, that's over my head. He said something about doing 350% this morning in about 3.25 hours. Does that mean anything to you as to how much he should be picking up the pace? Also, probably not the best day for him since he's got a really bad cold right now.

He goes in at 3:45 on mornings when they have seven trucks, and 4:45 on mornings when they have fewer. He works until they finish a little before 9:00. He's the only unloader of the three to seven trucks during those hours.

Can you tell from this info if he's going way too slow?

350% = 3 full trailers, 1/2 trailer

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Management will say anything, including lie, to get what they want.

For example, on Veterans day, they told a young lady that she would not be recieving time and a half for hours work and asked her if she would like to go home for the night ( to make their staffing plan). this was an outright lie, of course, she WOULD HAVE been making time and a half.

The key to unloading is to work at a safe pace and NEVER jeopordize your safety and well-being. I personally have seen some very serious injuries happen, first hand. Including teeth knocked out, broken arms, fingers, etc. It is not a nice job and you MUST ABSOLUTELY always be watching what you are doing and what is going on around you.

Good luck to the kid though! Tell him to work safely above and beyond everything else.

again, Management will lie and cheat anyone they think they can get away with. It's been the same song and dance for a long time. There are no "numbers" to hold employees accountable by including "1 hour per trailer". Just do the best job you can.

 

[blue efficacy]

3:2 payout for Veterans' Day?

That one is news to me.

 

[NHDRVR]

Hi. I have a relative who started unloading for UPS a couple of weeks ago. At first, they said they needed the trucks unloaded in an hour. Now, I understand they are saying that they won't stand for anything less than 45 minutes per truck to unload.

I did a search on this site and could not come up with any reference other than that you should do a certain amount of packages per minute. I'm sure that it varies according to how full the truck it, too. Can anyone give me an estimate on the time that it should take one person to unload a full truck, please? Thanks so much.

Sounds simple but as long as he/she is doing what they can and not getting hurt, they know what they can do with their expectations.

There are standards that they expect for pieces per hour though. Real ones, not some made up mystical one that a suit throws out...

 

[hdtvtechno]

None of that BS happens at the other side..Try FedEx Gorund

 

[andrew99]

HAHAHAHA. Wow, i love how they have an absolute minimum time to unload an unknown number of boxes. The simple fact of the matter is the UPS supervisors who are in the unload have zero clue as to how many packages are in their trailors. It could be as many as 2600 or as few as 1200-1400 on a 48-54 ft trailor. Clearly it would take longer to unload 2k boxes than 1.2k boxes, but that doesn't matter to the UPS supervisor. All that matters to him, is that you break your back unloading the tailor in 45 minutes. Yes, they want you to get hurt to get the job done.

Just ask a supervisor, "Is this job safe?" they'll say ,"yes, it is safe, you will not get hurt if you follow the methods." This is untrue. There is a reason you don't see people in the unload with more than 5-10 years seniority, and it is because they drive you into the ground. This forces you to either quit because you won't get hurt, or get hurt and quit when they throw you back into the same job which they swore was safe.

Also, it irks me to consider who are you to determine if your relative is slacking off at UPS? His job there is simple, do an insane amount of work for insanely little cash, so the people at the top can get paid, and the stock can go up. It's that simple. If he's hucking out 800 pkgs/ hr, at $8.00 minimum per package, he's moving $6400 worth of merchandise an hour, $102k dollars worth of product a week and getting a platry 140ish on friday? I don't think he'd be slacking off if he only did 300 packages a day and did retapes or address corrections for the entire rest of his shift.

 

[Hubrat98]

HAHAHAHA. Wow, i love how they have an absolute minimum time to unload an unknown number of boxes. The simple fact of the matter is the UPS supervisors who are in the unload have zero clue as to how many packages are in their trailors. It could be as many as 2600 or as few as 1200-1400 on a 48-54 ft trailor. Clearly it would take longer to unload 2k boxes than 1.2k boxes, but that doesn't matter to the UPS supervisor. All that matters to him, is that you break your back unloading the tailor in 45 minutes. Yes, they want you to get hurt to get the job done.

Just ask a supervisor, "Is this job safe?" they'll say ,"yes, it is safe, you will not get hurt if you follow the methods." This is untrue. There is a reason you don't see people in the unload with more than 5-10 years seniority, and it is because they drive you into the ground. This forces you to either quit because you won't get hurt, or get hurt and quit when they throw you back into the same job which they swore was safe.

Also, it irks me to consider who are you to determine if your relative is slacking off at UPS? His job there is simple, do an insane amount of work for insanely little cash, so the people at the top can get paid, and the stock can go up. It's that simple. If he's hucking out 800 pkgs/ hr, at $8.00 minimum per package, he's moving $6400 worth of merchandise an hour, $102k dollars worth of product a week and getting a platry 140ish on friday? I don't think he'd be slacking off if he only did 300 packages a day and did retapes or address corrections for the entire rest of his shift.

On the flip-side it could take much longer to unload a feeder with 500 over 70's than one with 1500 small palletized packages.

I've known a lot of supervisors over the years including some/many who were complete d-bags, but even these guys didn't want their hourlies to get hurt.

The reason you don't see many people with 5-10 years seniority in the unload is that as soon as they put in enough time they usually high-tail it to the sort aisle or some other "preferred" position. If they don't they're either masochists or they lack the mental abilities to learn the building's sort.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Well, they say he's a part-time unloader on the twilight shift. The HR person told him that he was not part of the seasonal help, but that he will probably get laid off after Christmas and then called back as long as he does a good job. Not sure what all that means, but I suppose it's like any other job. If they like you and you do the work, they'll keep you on if they need you.

Our area (like most) is in very bad shape, job wise. Most all of the major employers around here have shut the doors. I can't even believe he was able to land a job in the first place since so many experienced people are out of work, but we are thankful that he did no matter how long it lasts.

He's a strong, healthy, young guy. His clothes are wringing wet when he gets home in the morning, so I know he's staying busy. He's the only unloader on his shift, and he's been getting four days a week. Tonight, for instance, some of the "on call" (not sure what's up with that) drivers are going in to unload, so he's supposed to be off. He was told that he would be off all this week, but they've called him in three days already, so I think he's doing alright. Like he says, no one else wants to do his job, so they call him, lol.

I'll just let him keep going as he's been doing and not tell him about the rumor that he's got to do each truck in 45 minutes to stay on after peak season. They have been finishing 15 or 20 minutes early every night and he's only getting occasional help if he falls behind, so I think he's managing alright. He said he unloads between three and seven trucks a night, if that gives you any idea of the size of his location. He won't miss any days or be late, and he's always available when they call on short notice, so that's got to count for something, too. Thanks for the wise advice.

If you get hired from Sept - Dec 31 you fall under seasonal help if someone says something else they'er full of it. With that being said your probation period doen't end to DEC 31. Meaning they can tell you on the 31 that your layed off or that they don't need you anymore and never call you back .

 

[hdtvtechno]

DID i mention that none of that BS happens on the other side. at FedEx

2 people unload one trailer..sometimes even 3 people
you can go slow or fast as you like..

 

[UPSGUY72]

DID i mention that none of that BS happens on the other side. at FedEx

2 people unload one trailer..sometimes even 3 people
you can go slow or fast as you like..

hdtvtechno aren't you trying to get another seasonal job at UPS. Oh ya that's right your on the NO REHIRE LIST. Now we all know why, you have the FED-EX worker mentality work as slow as possible and they give you more help.