Warning Letter!

tourists24

Well-Known Member
I would make sure and honk my horn as I pulled up to the driveway though. :happy-very:
Oh absolutely.... follow their methods to the "t".... do exactly how they want it..... I would never enter another driveway if their was a warning letter for anything that happens on the property
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
I would make sure I never entered another driveway. A warning letter is to correct a bad action.... just park on the road and walk it.... no matter how far

I have "driveways" on my route that are over a mile long. I am not walking them off. Even when they are less than a mile long, I refuse to walk off a stop that is so far from the main road that the customer cannot see my package car. Once it gets dark, all they know is that a stranger in dark clothing is walking up their driveway in the forest out in the middle of nowhere. If UPS wants me to be hiking up dark forest roads in total darkness they need to let me pack my .357.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Oh! Evil me! Pulled into a rural, looped driveway the other day where it is physically impossible to get backed into, but which places my truck 15 feet from the customer's front window. Didn't honk my horn 'cause I didn't want to rattle the china in the hutch! Also, didn't know my sneaking little sup was spying on me. When he didn't hear the horn (at only that stop), he's giving me a warning letter. Folks, I am 97% in compliance with this policy, and hold off only when I know it it completely inappropriate to blow a dumb horn. You know, when I'm in front of a day-sleeper's house, an exhausted mother with napping babies, and such. Guess they are SOL now! My job now is to see how may complaints I can get, and show off my nicely framed warning letter.
This current management team is taking MY company to you know where in a hand basket.

When I got my warning letter for "failing to keep my hands at the 10 and 2" in a parking lot, I said to the supervisor....."I'm sorry that this is the level you have to stoop to in order to try and justify your job." He wasnt particularly thrilled with that comment...probably because it was the truth.

Accept that warning letter with pride. Ours is the quiet satisfaction of knowing that what we do out there each day actually matters.
 

tourists24

Well-Known Member
I have "driveways" on my route that are over a mile long. I am not walking them off. Even when they are less than a mile long, I refuse to walk off a stop that is so far from the main road that the customer cannot see my package car. Once it gets dark, all they know is that a stranger in dark clothing is walking up their driveway in the forest out in the middle of nowhere. If UPS wants me to be hiking up dark forest roads in total darkness they need to let me pack my .357.
you are correct Sober... In the real world that is exactly how things should be.... but this is how our center has been for over a year now. The micromanaging has gotten ridiculous. I suppose I should just say "If you want to push this then come on". Ultimately its not going to get to a panel.
Im just not going to play it that way (just being absurd from absurdity)... i will get with my supervisor every morning if I got a warning letter for the above situation. I would want instructions on exactly how to approach every driveway that was too long.
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
All this is so silly, I toot when I can, I knock when I should, there are times not to knock, and times not to toot. There are times when you have no choice but to back. I will not walk from the corner to some houses, where I know dogs could be out.
I was on a porch today, and 3 vacant falling down houses surrounded it. Had to get a sig, now we have to get a sig for finish line, and three strays came right to the porch while I was there. They were big dogs, but just hungry stray dogs I assume. But I was about wetting my pants for a minute. They let me back to my truck, but it does not help the blood pressure.
In a perfect Clarksville world this crap dont happen, hee in the real world it does.
Aside from alerting our customers we are there, common courtesy or personal safety sometimes takes ove. Send me a letter, I am going to stay safe.
 
S

splozi

Guest
If it was not for this thread, I would have never known that drivers are required to honk upon reaching a stop. None of the three drivers I helped ever did this, except for signatures, extremely large packages, or bulk deliveries... and not even every time in these instances.
 

HomeDelivery

Well-Known Member
I tap the horn as well on long driveways or when i had to park my package car at the end of the driveway (facing out due to no shoulder on the thin 2 lane roadway) The purple side never trained me to do so <shrugs> I sometimes tap the horn as I leave a DR stop, just in case they didn't hear me ring the doorbell/knock on the front door...

I did however saw 3 ups package vehicles that caused minor property damage in my delivery area this past peak season. 2 dually tire marks over the customers lawn & 1 package car skidding off the glazed concrete driveway and into a lightpole. The last one, the driver and helper were sitting in the car, waiting for a sup to verify and confirm ???

(i thought that the helper was there to walk the parcels while the driver stays on the street, setting up for the next stops?)

granted, this was a rural area with a mix of short & long driveways as well...
 

Integrity

Binge Poster
Oh! Evil me! Pulled into a rural, looped driveway the other day where it is physically impossible to get backed into, but which places my truck 15 feet from the customer's front window. Didn't honk my horn 'cause I didn't want to rattle the china in the hutch! Also, didn't know my sneaking little sup was spying on me. When he didn't hear the horn (at only that stop), he's giving me a warning letter. Folks, I am 97% in compliance with this policy, and hold off only when I know it it completely inappropriate to blow a dumb horn. You know, when I'm in front of a day-sleeper's house, an exhausted mother with napping babies, and such. Guess they are SOL now! My job now is to see how may complaints I can get, and show off my nicely framed warning letter.
This current management team is taking MY company to you know where in a hand basket.
Packmule,

I have read this discussion thread and I see you have been given several suggestions as to how to proceed.

Have you addressed this situation with your shop steward?

If so, what is his or her postition on this matter?

If not, why have you not brought this matter to your shop steward?

Sincerely,
I
 

Integrity

Binge Poster
Uhmmm, I, it's a holiday weekend.I think he has to wait til Tuesday.Just sayin'
menotyou,

Thank You.

Your comment has inspired me to reread the post and I do believe that my comments were more about others replies than the original post.

In response to your response to me; in respect for the Shop Steward position I believe they should be the first to hear about potential grievance issues.

Good Shop Stewards always encourage those they represent to do this and they also provide them ways to do this such as a cell phone # or preferably and e-mail address.

Sincerely,
I


Oh! Evil me! Pulled into a rural, looped driveway the other day where it is physically impossible to get backed into, but which places my truck 15 feet from the customer's front window. Didn't honk my horn 'cause I didn't want to rattle the china in the hutch! Also, didn't know my sneaking little sup was spying on me. When he didn't hear the horn (at only that stop), he's giving me a warning letter. Folks, I am 97% in compliance with this policy, and hold off only when I know it it completely inappropriate to blow a dumb horn. You know, when I'm in front of a day-sleeper's house, an exhausted mother with napping babies, and such. Guess they are SOL now! My job now is to see how may complaints I can get, and show off my nicely framed warning letter.
This current management team is taking MY company to you know where in a hand basket.
Packmule,


Please forgive me for not seeing the heart of your post, which is your concern for how the behavior and work practices of your current manegement team is damaging your company.

I admire the pride and ownership you take. The way you stated "MY company" shows me that you really care about what goes on and what is happening to the integrity of this company.

Also, the way you seek to be in compliance yet you thoughtfully decide that in certain instances, for the sake of the well being of your customers, you allow uncommon sense to prevail while seeking to keep in compliace with the intent and purpose of methods.

This is uncommon sense in action, while you may be out of compliance with the horn, you are leaps and bounds above compliance in customer care and caring attitude.

Most will try to use common sense as a reason for noncompliance, common sense such as get the work done faster, the ends justifies the means, the bottom line on the next report is most important.

The basic financial profit or personal gain above principle and integrity approach to work.

This is common sense, this is the common sense that is stripping the workers of their desire to care about people and the principles they live by.

Financial profit or personal gain can never be the sole reason for not complying with prescribed training, safety methods and laws of the road and land.

There are some who post on this site that need to work this out in their own hearts and minds.

Based upon your post, you could be their example.

Thanks For Sharing!

Sincerely,
I
 

Packmule

Well-Known Member
They fail to realize also, that sometimes a 4-wheeled package car is far more stable on patchy ice than a 2 legged driver. Getting close in rural areas often reduces an enormous risk of slips and falls.
 

Packmule

Well-Known Member
Havent had the chance yet. Steward must have been off Thurs. when I was informed I am getting this letter. Sup wouldn't give it to me with him present. I was off Friday, so I am waiting til Tues to get the letter in his presence. Intend to let Sup know that both my kids work for local county Sheriff Dept and they are looking into the matter from legal perspective. Like it or not, UPS doesn't have the right to disturb the peace every day we are in the neighborhood. I just intend to follow horn policy to a tee and show my letter to any homeowner who confronts me. After that, I'll let the complaints come in, either by corporate or by law-enforcement.
 

Packmule

Well-Known Member
I've said it before: UPS is a 100 plus year old company that has all the potential in the world to be everything a big corporation can and should be. If it is everything people hate about corporate America, it is because of the way it is being run by current management that changes faster than most drivers can change underwear. Lately, they just seem to keep replacing arrogance with more arrogance. Thanks for the nice complement, however, that is exactly what I wanted people to take from it.
 

raceanoncr

Well-Known Member
Encountered this situation once, only in feeders. Had annual ride, supe along, relayed trailers at a truck stop in middle of night. Trucks all over, which meant, sleeping truck drivers all over. My meet guy left trailers in between a couple other sleeping drivers. Now, I don't know how much noise he made when he unhooked (you can make alot when the fifth wheel pops up from under trailer plate) but I made it clear to supe that I wasn't gonna honk backing up to hook. He asked why. I then calmly said, "You know, I don't think I got this hooking up thing down yet. (Yeah, that's right, after over 30 years of doing it) Can you demonstrate, to a tee, just how I'm supposed to do it?"

He declined. I declined to hook horn. We hooked and got outta there. Nothing ever more said.
 

Packmule

Well-Known Member
Once again, you demonstrate the need for driver discretion. I have talked to sups in the past about my concerns, including the customer's interpreting our horn honking to mean that we expect them to come to the truck rather than us to their door. The other day I had a child turn around and run out into the street towards me because they thought I want them for some reason. And I get so many dirty looks from passing motorists that think I am accusing them of some driving misdeed.
Like most stupid policies that come down the pike, this too shall pass. But it can't be soon enough.
 

thessalonian13

Well-Known Member
The driver who delivers my neighborhood taps his horn every stop.

I am considering calling in a complaint, it's a damn nuisance.
In NJ it is against the law to honk your horn unless it's to warn another driver (pending accident) I HAVE NEVER HONKED MY HORN AT A HOUSE, AND I NEVER WILL!!!!!!!! Ringing the doorbell and knocking is more than enough.
 

Backlasher

Stronger, Faster, Browner
So, If I deliver multiple stops to a building should I park in front of building and give a honk for each stop I have and start my deliveries or should I run out to truck and give a honk b$ each stop???

I'm so confused. Glad I don't do buildings often and can only imagine doing a sky scrapper in New York.:winnersmiley:
 
Top