UPS sleeper team question

Blackbeauty7123

Active Member
I know the company is always talking about what they’re “going” to do but I just want to see if anyone else from across the country has heard anything about the company giving up on sleeper teams?? I’m told that sleeper runs are still running but changes have been put on hold for now and that HQ is having a hard time figuring out what to do with the operation as whole since they’re losing money. I’ve actually seen this quite a bit as team driver with the company sending guys out with a empty or 10%-20% loads across the country. Has anyone heard anything about any of this at their hubs??
 

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
From what I’ve heard the pulling empties is a regular occurrence. I’ve heard of teams going out on their 4-5 day run and pulling empties the entire time. And that’s been going on long before this last contract. Sleepers pulling empties for whatever reason has always happened. As far as giving up on it, they can’t. It’s in the contract. Implement sleeper teams so loads come off the rail. The loads that went to the railyard that now get pulled by sleeper have dropped exponentially where I am. We used to have rails hanging every night, that dispatch would have to beg drivers to go back out and pull one more leg. Never hear of that anymore. Loads to the rail have to have dropped in half here.
 

Blackbeauty7123

Active Member
From what I’ve heard the pulling empties is a regular occurrence. I’ve heard of teams going out on their 4-5 day run and pulling empties the entire time. And that’s been going on long before this last contract. Sleepers pulling empties for whatever reason has always happened. As far as giving up on it, they can’t. It’s in the contract. Implement sleeper teams so loads come off the rail. The loads that went to the railyard that now get pulled by sleeper have dropped exponentially where I am. We used to have rails hanging every night, that dispatch would have to beg drivers to go back out and pull one more leg. Never hear of that anymore. Loads to the rail have to have dropped in half here.
Yeah I know we’ve been runing empty trailers for a long time and also about the contract. That’s why I’m asking because we’ve been steadily hiring new drivers left and right while also adding new routes so I’m confused how the discussion could even be possible? It’s gonna be interesting to see what the company does next contract.
 

Yeet

Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
They’ve been talking about adding 40 sleeper runs for over a year here. Hasn’t happened yet. We did, however, just get some brand new sleeper tractors. It’s funny as hell watching our local guys use them because we don’t have the runs to utilize them yet.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Are the empties that are being pulled part of the “balancing trailers” routine? Isn’t that where a particular building has spare trailers and moves them to buildings that need them?
 

barnyard

KTM rider
Are the empties that are being pulled part of the “balancing trailers” routine? Isn’t that where a particular building has spare trailers and moves them to buildings that need them?
Our hubs have been doing that. The railroad is not taking unlimited empties to balance equipment, they are working at capacity too.
 

browned_out

Well-Known Member
Every night I drop loads in La Mirada, Ca. A brand new building just down the street from our Cerritos building, usually around 10 independent drivers waiting in our parking lot for loads. This is every night, peak is over WTF 😳
 

104Feeder

Phoenix Feeder
MT's are necessary for equipment balance. Some areas send out a lot more to other hubs and centers than loads coming back. If GDRAZ inbounds 20 loads from CACIL but only has 10 loads to outbound an MT will be dispatched. Otherwise you would have MT trailers stacking up with expiring FHWA stickers. What appears as inefficiency in Feeders is usually necessary.

GDRAZ is supposedly going to train 200 drivers this year so most likely many of those may be sleepers. That will be a challenge as classes are typically 5-10 and don't start until February. The word is the BNSF is kicking us off. With the crazy amount of subcontracting going on we could probably use another 200 drivers.
 

Blackbeauty7123

Active Member
MT's are necessary for equipment balance. Some areas send out a lot more to other hubs and centers than loads coming back. If GDRAZ inbounds 20 loads from CACIL but only has 10 loads to outbound an MT will be dispatched. Otherwise you would have MT trailers stacking up with expiring FHWA stickers. What appears as inefficiency in Feeders is usually necessary.

GDRAZ is supposedly going to train 200 drivers this year so most likely many of those may be sleepers. That will be a challenge as classes are typically 5-10 and don't start until February. The word is the BNSF is kicking us off. With the crazy amount of subcontracting going on we could probably use another 200 drivers.
Well it’s not the empty or low volume trailers that’s necessarily the issue. CMG seems to be frustrated dealing with the union when it comes to sleeper runs. I was told the company isn’t adding on any more Sleeper drivers (company wide) for the rest of the year, all routes that are being run by contractors can’t be displaced for the moment. It’s raining grievances at my hub already because of that issue alone, soon if the company pulls the trigger to axe sleepers regardless what’s in our contract, there’s gonna be a storm of grievances across the country.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
The company would rather have their tractors pulling empties and getting the better fuel mileage associated with it. Give the loads to contractors, the pay is the same whether empty or loaded.
 

quad decade guy

Well-Known Member
Well it’s not the empty or low volume trailers that’s necessarily the issue. CMG seems to be frustrated dealing with the union when it comes to sleeper runs. I was told the company isn’t adding on any more Sleeper drivers (company wide) for the rest of the year, all routes that are being run by contractors can’t be displaced for the moment. It’s raining grievances at my hub already because of that issue alone, soon if the company pulls the trigger to axe sleepers regardless what’s in our contract, there’s gonna be a storm of grievances across the country.
Serious question: Could you expound on this more? What about CMG? Are you saying eliminating sleepers altogether? I don't know the contract exactly but my understanding is "contracting" is wide open for use. Could it eliminate sleepers completely?
 

Blackbeauty7123

Active Member
Serious question: Could you expound on this more? What about CMG? Are you saying eliminating sleepers altogether? I don't know the contract exactly but my understanding is "contracting" is wide open for use. Could it eliminate sleepers completely?
We had new sleeper bids added at our hub this month (midwest region). When drivers went to bid they we’re told they can’t for the moment, and that the company is on a hiring freeze company wide (sleepers only) for the rest of the year. We’re told CMG is considering eliminating sleepers altogether and exclusively have the contractors run the routes. As of now the bids that contractors are running can’t be displaced by any feeder driver (at least in our region) for the time being. Drivers can’t bid or switch routes. I’m told the company doesn’t like how things are going with the operation and they’re not really interested in investing further into the matter. This isn’t a regional thing either which is why I’m a lil surprised no one else on here has heard any of this news?? I know the company has hired on a TON of sleeper drivers recently so I know if this actually goes through it will cause quite a stir.
 
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