was passed on to me from a former employee at our hub

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westsideworma

Guest
Taken from PAS, preload assist system, EDD, ups

When Will PAS Work?
".....PAS requires a perfect load to be successful. You don’t have time to sort, you don’t have time look around the car for more packages at a stop. Apparently it never dawned on the engineers who set up PAS that the perfect load is like a Unicorn. It’s a mythical beast, it’s a beautiful thought, it’s a wonderful dream, but it’s an illusion.

There are several things that prevent preloaders from being able to give perfect loads. First, the expectations of the engineers are too high when predicting how much work a loader can do. We have loaders who used to struggle with 4 cars now being told they have to load 6. No one can load 6 cars and give perfect loads. And yet PAS is not successful unless the load is perfect. So unrealistic expectations doom the program right from the get-go.

The next thing that dooms the perfect load is the simple logistics of loading a package car that fills up. As the floor begins to fill, it gets more difficult to get into the car and keep the load in order. When the floor fills to a point where parts of the shelves become inaccessible, then the perfect load is doomed. Once the perfect load is compromised, then PAS is not going to work that day in that car. This happens to alot of cars, everyday. The solution could be a stack bench and more time. Don’t load the bulk to a point where any shelf becomes unreachable. Every shelf must be accessible until the last package comes down. Then the bulk is loaded after the sort wraps.

But this means taking the time to give a quality load and UPS refuses to do this. They want every package moved into the car as it comes out of the boxline. That way it isn’t handled twice, that way fewer loaders can move more boxes into the cars in a shorter period of time. But the perfect load that PAS requires to be successful is not possible unless the bulk is held out of the car and loaded last.

But I see the mythical beast of a perfect load far too seldom. I find myself having to sort the car just like I did before PAS. Sorting takes time and time is money. And time and money are what PAS was supposed to save. That savings will never come until the engineers solve the problem of the perfect load and I don’t think they can do it. A perfect load takes time and they have promised to save time and they are going to do it by cutting preload hours. But then PAS doesn’t work for the driver. You can’t have your cake and eat it too."

you can catch the whole article and many others at the link above. I just have to ask though does this sound familiar to drivers and my fellow preloaders? This was passed on from a friend of mine at work, hopefully he'll sign up here too and join in on the fun.
 

Raw

Raw Member
But then PAS doesn’t work for the driver. You can’t have your cake and eat it too." I hate this phrase always being said wrong. The correct phrase is " You can`t eat your cake and have it too."
 

disneyworld

Well-Known Member
But then PAS doesn’t work for the driver. You can’t have your cake and eat it too." I hate this phrase always being said wrong. The correct phrase is " You can`t eat your cake and have it too."
Actually the proper way is "You cannot have your cake and eat it"
 

ups79

Well-Known Member
It would work better if it was section loaded. Stop for stop load has always been a dream. With a section load and edd the driver at least has to look in only one section for that parcel edd says he has. Don't worry about a stop for stop load. Load sections only.
 
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westsideworma

Guest
It would work better if it was section loaded. Stop for stop load has always been a dream. With a section load and edd the driver at least has to look in only one section for that parcel edd says he has. Don't worry about a stop for stop load. Load sections only.

I have a driver that gives NOT ACCEPTABLE everyday for the sole reason that they are not in stop for stop order...granted I don't really care (because it damn close), its more annoyance than anything. However when my manager came up to me and told me to do it that way I got pissed. I still don't but oh well. The load is secure and all in the right sections (mostly stop for stop too..to the best I can get it). I think they just need new things to whine about, our misloads have finally started to go down a bit (I haven't had any for 2 weeks), so now its time to push something else.
 

cino321

Well-Known Member
I have a driver that gives NOT ACCEPTABLE everyday for the sole reason that they are not in stop for stop order...granted I don't really care (because it damn close), its more annoyance than anything. However when my manager came up to me and told me to do it that way I got pissed. I still don't but oh well. The load is secure and all in the right sections (mostly stop for stop too..to the best I can get it). I think they just need new things to whine about, our misloads have finally started to go down a bit (I haven't had any for 2 weeks), so now its time to push something else.


I've got one guy that gives me a unacceptable load everyday too because it's not from stop to stop order... and here is why...

1. A chart doesn't excist for this car (my building isn't on PAS yet so we're old school)

2. One day I did load it from low #'s to high #'s so at least it's organized and he still gave me a unacceptable load

3. My personal favorite... I load 4 other cars, a split. and a van and I set all this up... I really don't have the time to dedicate to this one guy's load so he's satisfied with it. Oh and when my full time supervisor asked me why it's unacceptable... I told him to check the car for himself and he found nothing wrong with it and told me to keep loading it the way I am now.

From now on I just load it organized by section and it is secure and neat (labels facing driver, all that good stuff)

This man brings me back 30 send agains everyday (he only goes out with a 110 stops everyday... if that).

Best part is... he's still polite and tipped me at christmas :).

Nothing at this company phases me anymore.
 
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westsideworma

Guest
I've got one guy that gives me a unacceptable load everyday too because it's not from stop to stop order... and here is why...

1. A chart doesn't excist for this car (my building isn't on PAS yet so we're old school)

2. One day I did load it from low #'s to high #'s so at least it's organized and he still gave me a unacceptable load

3. My personal favorite... I load 4 other cars, a split. and a van and I set all this up... I really don't have the time to dedicate to this one guy's load so he's satisfied with it. Oh and when my full time supervisor asked me why it's unacceptable... I told him to check the car for himself and he found nothing wrong with it and told me to keep loading it the way I am now.

From now on I just load it organized by section and it is secure and neat (labels facing driver, all that good stuff)

This man brings me back 30 send agains everyday (he only goes out with a 110 stops everyday... if that).

Best part is... he's still polite and tipped me at christmas :).

Nothing at this company phases me anymore.

often times I found out they do that when they are unhappy with dispatch. One driver even singled out the dispatch supe by name in his not acceptable comment...it was rather colorful haha :laugh:

ahh the alpha charts...I preferred those to PAS honestly. However my charts were up to date so that may be why. 1 label with little possibility that it could be wrong (save for something like Shore dr. ave. st. etc). I had maybe a misload a month on that system (around 14 for the year or so if I remember correctly). I had 7 the first day of PAS (bad pals, system flips etc).

I agree though with outdated (or in your case none whatsoever) charts the old system is rather useless unless you memorized them which would require you have one in the first place lol. I had my whole line memorized for the most part (I was there about six months come that time). Back then drivers tipped you because you had to know something (if you didn't memorize them there was little chance in hell you would finish on time everyday). PAS is easier to learn and a great idea if everything is running smooth on the computers (less often than you might think). If its not...welll imagine have cages full of packages that go to a route you don't have...talk about getting behind) I just hate how they move me all over the place now because every truck is identical...once you get used to the stops that get blown out (other than bulk ones) they move you it seems....very frustrating.
 

sendagain

Well-Known Member
I still think they should experiment with color codes on the PAS labes in addition to the typed information. Both the driver and preloader could quickly spot a colored label that might make it's way into the wrong vehicle. The way it is now, you can only discover a misload when the driver reads the address label. This would also speed up the loaders when volume is coming down the belts quickly, and the packages would at least moce quickly into the right vehicles, only to be put up on the shelves when the volume started to slow.
 
A

Another Former Employee

Guest
I still think they should experiment with color codes on the PAS labels in addition to the typed information.
The early stages of PAS called for color printing. The reality is that a high-speed color label printer is many times more costly, likely to be less reliable, and still slower than the thermal label printers used for PAS. Another reality is that about 10% of the male population is color blind...and many of them have Seniority.

I saw PAS work well at a beta site - with 5 people from IE and two from TSG on hand to make everything work. The 4 to 10 people from Corporate dropping by each day helped make sure it continued to work well.

PAS also worked well at a Center with great on-road Sups with good local knowledge plus one of the best TSG Techs.

PAS also worked well at a Center where IE spent a lot of time gathering information and listening to the feedback from drivers. And acting on that feedback.

Then it was decided that PAS works, and was ready to roll out all over. You know how that went.
 

mpeedy

Well-Known Member
I haven't hit unacceptable load in about six years. I don't think it would help. Am I wrong?
Guess you did not start pre-loading after PASS. The new pre-loaders load bulk with the label facing down or away. It makes it even harder to get to the bulk items on the floor when they are buried with small packages. The small packages won't fit in the shelves because multiple piece stops are loaded in the shelves.
 
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westsideworma

Guest
Guess you did not start pre-loading after PASS. The new pre-loaders load bulk with the label facing down or away. It makes it even harder to get to the bulk items on the floor when they are buried with small packages. The small packages won't fit in the shelves because multiple piece stops are loaded in the shelves.


whats even more amusing is the PAS supes (we had them while we went "live") used to get so "peeved" because we (the preloaders before PAS) wouldn't follow PAS to the letter. Which means bulk packages were towards the rear on the floor (my labels were facing up and if not I had the PAL label and warning tape showing at least) and NOT on the shelf as one of them did before and injured a driver (not kidding). Those supes seemingly had NEVER loaded a brownie before because they sucked house at it. I know you may say its just loading packages how can you suck at that? well its possible (as you seem to know).

And for training now...what training? they point out the order of the trucks (route numbers etc.), the numbered shelves (our sections have labels 5000-5999 etc., not sure if other hubs/centers are the same), tell them to watch the hazmats and then they're off. The only time they get help is when come next morning theres like 24 misloads. Then they get talked to like they're 4 years old and quit at the latest by the end of the week. Thats pretty much the training preloaders get now. Needless to say PAS hasn't helped retention much....we still seem to go through them like we used to if not moreso. I've volunteered to train a new hire as I don't think I'd be condescending like they are but they just don't want to give that training wage (we do have one here, an extra 50-75 cents an hour...OH NOES gonna break UPS lol).
 
A

Average Joe

Guest
It would work better if it was section loaded. Stop for stop load has always been a dream. With a section load and edd the driver at least has to look in only one section for that parcel edd says he has. Don't worry about a stop for stop load. Load sections only.

Note to my center manager: DO NOT let this person load my car.

Seriously, give me a stop for stop load with HINs visible and written on the packages and I'll make it home for a nice evening with the wife and kids.
 

mrbill

Well-Known Member
for years i would put a suggestion in the comment area and the only time something was said or done was when i put a four letter word in.i was called into the office.
that was and still is the ONLY time something was said or done:lol:
the load still sucks no changes
 

rocket88

Active Member
I have seen many drivers hit the not acceptable response because when mgt. is on them about numbers and mgt. expects the driver to perform, then an out for the driver is " fix the load and then come talk to me." If pulled into the office and harrassed the driver has a ready made excuse. " I did tell you about the poor load,day after day after day. It's right there in the written record. Load not acceptable." The chances of getting the perfect load every single day are about nil.
 

mittam

Well-Known Member
I'm thrilled to death with my car just section loaded, and no off route misloads.

PAS is set up to fail whether it's the loader or the driver. The loader hasn't the time to load every package in order and the driver not the time to search for the multiple pieces. However if proper loading was taught it would make a difference. When I started loading I was told to get the 1000 and 2000 sections perfect, get all others close as possible, use floor for oversize, haz. etc. If the 1,2,3,4 thousand sections were blownout and loader ran out of shelf space then pull the 5,6,7,8 thousands to th efloor starting at back of those sections that way the earlier areas were on shelves and the latter was on floor. I used to load this way and my drivers liked the way I loaded every day they knew where the parcels would be. We also drew arrows and wrote floor with # of pieces on floor written on the lead box on the shelf. These habits are all but gone it takes a loader that has been around more than 5 or 6 years to have been taught this way. Now it is just get it close and let the driver take 10 hours to figure it out!
 
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westsideworma

Guest
Note to my center manager: DO NOT let this person load my car.

Seriously, give me a stop for stop load with HINs visible and written on the packages and I'll make it home for a nice evening with the wife and kids.


we'd love to load it for you that way...unfortunately management doesn't give us the adequate time to do so. With the way the preload is run, the guy who suggested section loading is more on target here. I do my best but my loads are not stop for stop, they are for the most part, but I just don't have time to re-sequence a blown out section every time I get a package. On one of my trucks the 8000 section takes up half the truck often time...how do I sequence that?
 
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