UPS Driver Qualification Standards = "Cherry-Picking"

[john chesney]

Qualifying to become a driver in our centers has become more and more of a "cherry-picking" event rather than a fair and equal process of enabling part-timers to go driving. Our current contract (Master/Central/Local Rider) fails to properly outline language that addresses specific qualifying standards. This language omission opens the door for UPS to selectively choose whom they want for drivers based on factors such as nepotism rather than bargaining unit seniority.

Although the Union does not recognize time standards once qualified, UPS does use time standards to qualify a driver. The problem with these "standards" is that they are constantly changing at the whim of an I.E. employee sitting behind a computer stroking his/her "keyboard" OR a simple matter of "favoritism". As most of you drivers know, each and every "qualifying" route can be very different with variability added each day depending on who dispatched the route and which inexperienced part-time office staff sent you a message that day instructing you to go help somone or pick up a UPS Store.

Qualifying in our building "used to be" a very straight forward process of running "scratch" for 5 consecutive days within a 30 day period. The route was to remain the same with no significant changes in stop range or area. The driver also was to remain working consistantly within that 30 day period. GONE are those days as unfortunately that qualifying criteria never made it to actually being included in contract language. Perhaps "Maintenance of Standards" could be used to defend a disqualified driver however that defense has always been weak IMHO.

UPS in our building is disqualifying long time part-timers that wish to go driving in alarming numbers thereby easily cirmunventing the 6:1 ratio of hiring 6 inside to 1 outside. I believe it is VERY important for our UPS negotiating committee to address this obsure issue on behalf of each and every part-timer who has put in his or her years waiting for a full-time job. In the meantime, I suggest that every part-time employee that was disqualified from driving file an Article 37 and/or a Maintenance of Standards grieveance forcing the company to show exactly why and how you were disqualified over those that were not disqualified. Be very detailed in your request for daily records and have your own daily notes to compare with their records. Daily documentation is your best offense. DO NOT depend on your Union BA alone to defend you. He is only as good as the information you are able to provide him.

Get used to it. That’s the way they run this place

 

[Thegameisrigged]

It’s more than just running scratch, telematics plays a huge role in their decision. If you have back firsts, recording while idling, bulkhead, seatbelt violations or excessive backs you more than likely won’t qualify.

Nope. It was strictly based on running scratch. All other mentioned violations would be quickly addressed due to them looking at those reports everyday and especially for a new guy. And these routes go out with massive amounts of work on them. High residential combined with tight streets and being about 44 total miles equals about 210-220 stops.

 

[Thegameisrigged]

It’s their company , they can run it into the ground if they want???.....I’ve heard that line a few hundred times over the years..

If you really believe that, we wouldn’t be a union in place to stop them doing unfairly doing what they want. People wouldn’t file grievances for the company doing things based on it being “their choice”.

 

[babboo25]

Nope. It was strictly based on running scratch. All other mentioned violations would be quickly addressed due to them looking at those reports everyday and especially for a new guy. And these routes go out with massive amounts of work on them. High residential combined with tight streets and being about 44 total miles equals about 210-220 stops.

210 stops, mostly residential, 44 miles? GRAVY! Any pickups?

 

[Thegameisrigged]

It has a few pickups. It may sound gravy, but the truck is packed, the packages aren’t small, and parking is very limited due to the geographical makeup of the area. Park points can be everything sometimes. This part of the city is very unique when compared to the others. And of those 210, I’d say it has around 50/60 business.

 

[Thegameisrigged]

Running scratch 5 days is a bunch of crap. I did it and qualified but there is plenty of others that didnt and they are still driving full time. And i dont think they can disqualify you just for that.

Yes they can and they have. Smh. Poor dudes be stressed out tryin to figure out what they’re doing wrong. Orion isn’t saving any miles so they’re losing a lot of in car time.

 

[babboo25]

It has a few pickups. It may sound gravy, but the truck is packed, the packages aren’t small, and parking is very limited due to the geographical makeup of the area. Park points can be everything sometimes. This part of the city is very unique when compared to the others. And of those 210, I’d say it has around 50/60 business.

Most trucks are packed, only @Coldworld has a small pkg. if you told me it has 15 to 20 pickups and 100 miles than I’d say it’s a tough route. How far is 1st stop from the building?

 

[Thegameisrigged]

13/14 miles. It takes about 30 mins to get to the first stop. That’s if the traffic isn’t bad. Oh and a lot of the stops are up steps. I’m not talking steps up porches, but steps that are considered 2nd floor. No allowance for it.

 

[Thegameisrigged]

It has a few pickups. It may sound gravy, but the truck is packed, the packages aren’t small, and parking is very limited due to the geographical makeup of the area. Park points can be everything sometimes. This part of the city is very unique when compared to the others. And of those 210, I’d say it has around 50/60 business.

Most trucks are packed, only @Coldworld has a small pkg. if you told me it has 15 to 20 pickups and 100 miles than I’d say it’s a tough route. How far is 1st stop from the building?

The main problem is the fact that Orion isn’t saving any milage which means digging through the load only wastes time. That’s the chunk of where the time is going.

 

[babboo25]

13/14 miles. It takes about 30 mins to get to the first stop. That’s if the traffic isn’t bad. Oh and a lot of the stops are up steps. I’m not talking steps up porches, but steps that are considered 2nd floor. No allowance for it.

There is an allowance for floors, gotta enter it in diad at stop. So 26 to 28 of those 44 miles are to and from center, sorry but this is a gravy route.

 

[babboo25]

The main problem is the fact that Orion isn’t saving any milage which means digging through the load only wastes time. That’s the chunk of where the time is going.

We’ve had Orion for 3 years now and we no longer use it.

 

[Thegameisrigged]

I’ve tried this when running routes with steps and it made no difference whatsoever. And you can’t say it’s a gravy route when you know nothing about the route. I know this route well and it could be a gravy route, but given the factors mentioned with Orion being on the top of it all, it makes it a...not so gravy training route. You seem to only be factoring in mileage and there not being that many business. If it were that simple, there wouldn’t be so many guys trying and failing.

 

[babboo25]

Spin it however you want, 50 businesses allegedly, 40 miles, over half on drive to and from, 150 resi, no pickups doesn’t sound difficult, it is a lot of stops but I’m assuming most of the resi stops are in 3 to 4 huge neighborhoods, they’d have to be with that few miles. As much as I hate Orion it is helpful to use in neighborhoods, but that’s about it.

 

[Bubblehead]

210 stops, mostly residential, 44 miles? GRAVY! Any pickups?

Most trucks are packed, only @Coldworld has a small pkg. if you told me it has 15 to 20 pickups and 100 miles than I’d say it’s a tough route. How far is 1st stop from the building?

There is an allowance for floors, gotta enter it in diad at stop. So 26 to 28 of those 44 miles are to and from center, sorry but this is a gravy route.

Spin it however you want, 50 businesses allegedly, 40 miles, over half on drive to and from, 150 resi, no pickups doesn’t sound difficult, it is a lot of stops but I’m assuming most of the resi stops are in 3 to 4 huge neighborhoods, they’d have to be with that few miles. As much as I hate Orion it is helpful to use in neighborhoods, but that’s about it.

Dave???
I knew you couldn't stay away.

 

[tourists24]

Well said.
I won my grievance and was awarded full time seniority because i had good documentation of every day I drove and was very detailed. When they said I had late air on day X I was able to quickly say the sort finished X minutes late and I was unable to leave the building until X. Im a green horn steward so I understand the importance of good documentation.

Just out of curiosity, what article was your grievance filed under? And did the grievance win at a panel or did a local level cause the company to put you on?

 

[Thegameisrigged]

Nothing fo

Spin it however you want, 50 businesses allegedly, 40 miles, over half on drive to and from, 150 resi, no pickups doesn’t sound difficult, it is a lot of stops but I’m assuming most of the resi stops are in 3 to 4 huge neighborhoods, they’d have to be with that few miles. As much as I hate Orion it is helpful to use in neighborhoods, but that’s about it.
Nothing to spin dude. These dudes aren’t failing for nothing. And you may not have used it for 3 years but I’m telling you they force new drivers to run it. Btw, I think you’d do real good in management. You appear to love discrediting your fellow union brother.

 

[InsideUPS]

Sour grapes?

Not at all..... Simply making observations and comments about how the driver training and qualification criteria have changed over the past 39 years. Quite comfortable in my position with UPS and outside of UPS. Simply looking out after our younger "Brothers and Sisters".... "United We Stand, Divided We Fall"

 

[InsideUPS]

Qualifying isn't that hard, you just go out there and show them that you can do the job. If you're unable to do that maybe the job isn't for you.

Generalizing qualification standards between buildings and routes really does not do justice to the qualifying process. Just because you may have qualified on a less difficult route....does not mean that you would have qualified on all training routes. The standards and difficulties between routes can be significant.

 

[InsideUPS]

In our building they will tell a bunch of people they are qualifying but just use them all as seasonals.

Like they will have 20 drivers hired for peak and they all think they will have a job after New Years.

Very convenient and far less costly for the company to keep using seasonal drivers than qualifying them. This is by design....not coincidence.

 

[InsideUPS]

Very well written post, by someone I least suspected as being objective?

If this member of management can see it, shouldn't the Union?

LOL Bubblehead!! If you only knew. While I do try to be objective, I am definitely not in management. Long time UPSer with significant involvement in Union matters over the years also known as being a former union steward. Thirty-nine plus years and still going as an inside employee.