What are your funniest Seasonal Driver or Driver Helper stories?

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WAYYY back in the 1980's before Cell Phones,Internet,GPS and all of that good stuff we had a Seasonal Driver that just KNEW he was going to be kept after peak because he was so great,MUCH better than us lazy regular drivers. He'd come in creally early ( like 5 am) sort his truck stop-for-stop and RUN all day. He was on an Industrial route and the truck would go out full and come back full. Management would send him back out with extra stops in different towns and boy oh boy could he deliver those stops! management LOVED him and told him Heck Yes we keeping you!! You are a SUPERSTAR!............. anyways we all told him his ass was grass after peak,like we told him EVERY day he was one day being closer to being cut............he didnt believe us, no way that was happening as Management LOVED him!!

The last week of peak HR called his house and told him he'd need to turn in his uniform before he could get his last check and it FINALLY set in.

The industrial route was a very big money maker for the center to start with and when he was on it it made management even MORE money as he made extra pickups. One pickup always shipped out NDA and International Express .These were computer parts going all over the country and the world.

He left out December 22 and by noon the center phone was ringing off the hook as NOBODY on the route had gotten the deliveries they needed to turn around for pick up...............the phone never stopped ringing as nobody got picked up either! The center manager took a rental to make the pickups himself lol

The seasonal driver came back about 10:30 pm with a full truck and threw the keys on the roof and said Eff All Ya'LL........................ it was EPIC lol

 

[Saca La]

We had this cocky ass seasonal come in and swear to god he was the best of the best. He knew he was going to get hired full time. Problem was he was so cocky, that even the supervisors didn’t like him. So come after peak they fire him and tell him he needs to re-qualify to get a full time gig. Which he does, and passes with flying colors. Here’s the catch. They made him a 22.4. Boy he was pissed. Grieved it and everything. Ended up just quiting. Stupid cause he had his foot already at the door

 

[TSB]

Here's a completely underwhelming story of a seasonal driver. Guy comes in, like most he has to navigate the lack of a comprehensive HR dept. before actually beginning to work but he finally gets through it. So he shows up at the meet point with his RCPD gets his packages, chat with the driver a bit while he's unloading the PC. Then the RPCD leaves and our guy sorts his stuff, loads it according to the order in his MDD, might have to retape a few here and there, no big deal, they gave him a tape gun, DR bags and a full pad of missed tags so he's set to go. They don't cover everything you'll need to know in different situations with the MDD but hey our guy is a quick learner or can at least call someone who can help him out. So here's the funny part. this guy doesn't blow smoke about how great or fast he is, he just gets his daily load together and goes out and does basically what every RPCD does, deliver packages. Maybe once and awhile he'll have Call-Tags to deliver but even then he's got the package labeled and scanned for the RPCD to just grab and go back to the center. Our guy goes out like this every day no crowing about numbers or speed or anything else. Just comes in and does his job. Of course there are occasions when management will send him a message about go help this guy or that guy and when he finishes his work he calls them and they meet up and he takes a bunch of stops off the RPCD so maybe, just maybe he gets home at a reasonable hour to his family. All the packages have been delivered, nobody's out super late and we all get our paycheck on Friday. This is exactly what seasonals signed up for. Many do it well. Some need a little more time to get better but we are all here for the same goal, packages out and money in, (our pocket). So if this is as easy as it is and it only lasts 10 or 11 weeks tops lets put the drama aside, make some cash, and extra for the regular employees and just be quiet about it. Everyone will truly be okay.

 

[BlackFriday]

Here's a completely underwhelming story of a seasonal driver. Guy comes in, like most he has to navigate the lack of a comprehensive HR dept. before actually beginning to work but he finally gets through it. So he shows up at the meet point with his RCPD gets his packages, chat with the driver a bit while he's unloading the PC. Then the RPCD leaves and our guy sorts his stuff, loads it according to the order in his MDD, might have to retape a few here and there, no big deal, they gave him a tape gun, DR bags and a full pad of missed tags so he's set to go. They don't cover everything you'll need to know in different situations with the MDD but hey our guy is a quick learner or can at least call someone who can help him out. So here's the funny part. this guy doesn't blow smoke about how great or fast he is, he just gets his daily load together and goes out and does basically what every RPCD does, deliver packages. Maybe once and awhile he'll have Call-Tags to deliver but even then he's got the package labeled and scanned for the RPCD to just grab and go back to the center. Our guy goes out like this every day no crowing about numbers or speed or anything else. Just comes in and does his job. Of course there are occasions when management will send him a message about go help this guy or that guy and when he finishes his work he calls them and they meet up and he takes a bunch of stops off the RPCD so maybe, just maybe he gets home at a reasonable hour to his family. All the packages have been delivered, nobody's out super late and we all get our paycheck on Friday. This is exactly what seasonals signed up for. Many do it well. Some need a little more time to get better but we are all here for the same goal, packages out and money in, (our pocket). So if this is as easy as it is and it only lasts 10 or 11 weeks tops lets put the drama aside, make some cash, and extra for the regular employees and just be quiet about it. Everyone will truly be okay.

I'm a PVD first year. I like your take on the way the PVD thing is going.
Im here to help the driver and, so far, all have been appreciative. In a few weeks I'll be gone but the bank account will have more fun coupons for me to spend.

 

[Wally]

Wally's Primer on Common Helper Psychological Haplotypes and Personalities | UPS Discussions

After many years of working with Drivers Helpers, I feel comfortable in sharing some observations. Patterns suggest we can group them into key groups. Of course, I'm not a psychologist, nor, do I play one on TV, however, having said that, here are my observations in no special order. The...

www.browncafe.com

 

[quad decade guy]

I never really had a helper....

My Center Mgr. had me take along a new hire to show him how a route works. He was always running everywhere. I repeatedly told him to slow down. Very nervous. I heard he had an accident during his packet......

 

[quad decade guy]

Here's a completely underwhelming story of a seasonal driver. Guy comes in, like most he has to navigate the lack of a comprehensive HR dept. before actually beginning to work but he finally gets through it. So he shows up at the meet point with his RCPD gets his packages, chat with the driver a bit while he's unloading the PC. Then the RPCD leaves and our guy sorts his stuff, loads it according to the order in his MDD, might have to retape a few here and there, no big deal, they gave him a tape gun, DR bags and a full pad of missed tags so he's set to go. They don't cover everything you'll need to know in different situations with the MDD but hey our guy is a quick learner or can at least call someone who can help him out. So here's the funny part. this guy doesn't blow smoke about how great or fast he is, he just gets his daily load together and goes out and does basically what every RPCD does, deliver packages. Maybe once and awhile he'll have Call-Tags to deliver but even then he's got the package labeled and scanned for the RPCD to just grab and go back to the center. Our guy goes out like this every day no crowing about numbers or speed or anything else. Just comes in and does his job. Of course there are occasions when management will send him a message about go help this guy or that guy and when he finishes his work he calls them and they meet up and he takes a bunch of stops off the RPCD so maybe, just maybe he gets home at a reasonable hour to his family. All the packages have been delivered, nobody's out super late and we all get our paycheck on Friday. This is exactly what seasonals signed up for. Many do it well. Some need a little more time to get better but we are all here for the same goal, packages out and money in, (our pocket). So if this is as easy as it is and it only lasts 10 or 11 weeks tops lets put the drama aside, make some cash, and extra for the regular employees and just be quiet about it. Everyone will truly be okay.

Ok. But....

Peak until fairly recently was a total ass beating. I bid feeder routes that are solid in their consistency. Not allowing much change. I bid Sun thru Thurs to make sure I don't have to work Black Friday or half a day into Thanksgiving.

Around here the Hubs have gotten bigger and the crushing over filled capacity has been relieved somewhat. I also don't bid routes that go to really friend upped hubs.

Peak is better now...but had been soul crushing for decades....making you dread Christmas.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

WAYYY back in the 1980's before Cell Phones,Internet,GPS and all of that good stuff we had a Seasonal Driver that just KNEW he was going to be kept after peak because he was so great,MUCH better than us lazy regular drivers. He'd come in creally early ( like 5 am) sort his truck stop-for-stop and RUN all day. He was on an Industrial route and the truck would go out full and come back full. Management would send him back out with extra stops in different towns and boy oh boy could he deliver those stops! management LOVED him and told him Heck Yes we keeping you!! You are a SUPERSTAR!............. anyways we all told him his ass was grass after peak,like we told him EVERY day he was one day being closer to being cut............he didnt believe us, no way that was happening as Management LOVED him!!

The last week of peak HR called his house and told him he'd need to turn in his uniform before he could get his last check and it FINALLY set in.

The industrial route was a very big money maker for the center to start with and when he was on it it made management even MORE money as he made extra pickups. One pickup always shipped out NDA and International Express .These were computer parts going all over the country and the world.

He left out December 22 and by noon the center phone was ringing off the hook as NOBODY on the route had gotten the deliveries they needed to turn around for pick up...............the phone never stopped ringing as nobody got picked up either! The center manager took a rental to make the pickups himself lol

The seasonal driver came back about 10:30 pm with a full truck and threw the keys on the roof and said Eff All Ya'LL........................ it was EPIC lol

Probably one of the funniest helper stories I remember was.
Want to driver said his helper was hungry and needed to go to the bathroom. So he pulled over to fast food restaurant and let him go in. The driver was in the back of his truck sorting it out, when he was done the helper wasn't still there. A minute or two later a taxi cab pulled in front of the place the helper came out and jumped in the taxi cab. LMAO

 

[Sissy Brown Short Shorts]

I hate having helpers so I tend to work them like dogs until they quit so I can be alone for the rest of peak. Had this real gun ho go getter of a helper that wanted to work all day and night, that didn’t last long. End of his first week I go to pick him up and the truck is so full I had to pull the bulkhead door off the track to open it, he took one look inside and said “I don’t really want to do this” and he handed me his jacket and quit. The funny part was that he wanted to be paid for the five minutes he sat there waiting for me. My first helper ever, I dropped him off at an apartment complex with the handcart and two dozen stops and told him I’d pick him up in half an hour. It was pouring rain and he didn’t have proper gear on and when I picked him up he was sulking on the curb and quit right then and there. He wanted me to take him back to his car which would have taken a half hour to do and I said no, he said he’d sit in my jumper seat for the rest of the day but he was done working. I told him he can get out and walk back to his car or he could finish the day. He finished and never showed again. Pretty sad, I was 21 at the time and he was a grown dude in his late 30s and that’s how he behaves. Didn’t expect much out of him, he had to take two days off to fly out of state to appear before a judge for something he did.

 

[Zowert]

Not too funny but I had a helper that would take packages up to a door, drop them at his feet and bang on the door. When the customer answered he’d say UPS DELIVERY! Then stand there and watch them pick up their packages. Kinda awkward, I said can you not do that anymore.

That took some of the fun away from him so he found other stuff to do. One time at a stop there was a group of kids playing basketball. He ran into the middle of their game stole the ball, dunked it and hung on the rim yelling “GAME!!” One of my customers came up to me and was like, dude your helper is out of control.

 

[542thruNthru]

Why do we celebrate treating helpers like crap but whine when management does the same to us?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Why do we celebrate treating helpers like crap but whine when management does the same to us?

Who said anything about treating helpers like crap?. Certainly not me

 

[542thruNthru]

Who said anything about treating helpers like crap?. Certainly not me

I'm not saying anyone in particular. I'm just saying why do driver's expect helpers to do things that they wouldn't do themselves for much less money and brag about it when they quit.

I always treat my helpers good. I've had some bad ones yes but I've never tried to make them quit or anything.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I'm not saying anyone in particular. I'm just saying why do driver's expect helpers to do things that they wouldn't do themselves for much less money and brag about it when they quit.

I always treat my helpers good. I've had some bad ones yes but I've never tried to make them quit or anything.

I had two fantastic helpers in my career

The first one I recommend him for a job he went from unload to being a driver and now he's in feeders.

The other one I had he was just looking for a temporary job. One of my customers gave me a bottle of Canadian club for Christmas. He said man you're a lucky guy I love that stuff. I told him if you run your ass off that bottles yours.
We burned it up that day.

I think he was 21 or over I never asked. LoL

 

[542thruNthru]

I had two fantastic helpers in my career

The first one I recommend him for a job he went from unload to being a driver and now he's in feeders.

The other one I had he was just looking for a temporary job. One of my customers gave me a bottle of Canadian club for Christmas. He said man you're a lucky guy I love that stuff. I told him if you run your ass off that bottles yours.
We burned it up that day.

I think he was 21 or over I never asked. LoL

I've had a few good ones. They all start out bad but I coach them up, teach them the board and in a week or so my peak is the easiest time of the year.

If they show up everyday I buy lunch. If they are good I give them a Xmas bonus. If they are really good I also give them a bottle or 12 pack of their favorite beer/liquor.

Have only had to demand that a helper be removed twice. One was some racist crazy lady that would say things to customers and the other was some 18 year old kid that wouldn't stop taking his seat belt off and hanging out the door screaming WWWWOOOOOOO during turns.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I've had a few good ones. They all start out bad but I coach them up, teach them the board and in a week or so my peak is the easiest time of the year.

If they show up everyday I buy lunch. If they are good I give them a Xmas bonus. If they are really good I also give them a bottle or 12 pack of their favorite beer/liquor.

Have only had to demand that a helper be removed twice. One was some racist crazy lady that would say things to customers and the other was some 18 year old kid that wouldn't stop taking his seat belt off and hanging out the door screaming WWWWOOOOOOO during turns.

I always bought extra snacks and drinks with me when I had a helper. And always try to snag them The UPS tassel cap and maybe some gloves

 

[Last One In]

I, also, either bring extra snacks or stop on route and purchase snacks for helpers. I have had 3 excellent helpers in 26 peaks. Last day on route I always made sure to give them a card with $100.

I don't ask helpers to do anything I won't do myself. I know management wants us to dump them on a street with a cart and deliver. I have never done this. I drive to each house and they deliver the box. They are just there to save my old arthritic knees for one month a year.

 

[GenericUsername]

I had a complaint called in on a helper I had a few years ago. Apparently she asked him if he'd like a bottle of water. He told her no but if she had any food he'd take that because he was hungry... Needless to say that was his last day with me.

 

[542thruNthru]

I had a complaint called in on a helper I had a few years ago. Apparently she asked him if he'd like a bottle of water. He told her no but if she had any food he'd take that because he was hungry... Needless to say that was his last day with me.

Because he asked for food instead lol.

 

[Fido]

I had a helper last year that wouldn’t stop pissing in customers bushes in their front yards.