What does my "trace" number mean?

lovetokayak

Well-Known Member
If the best driver for the day had a 94% trace and I had 92.2%, what do these numbers mean? I am a new seasonal driver and trying to figure out what some of the things mean. My figure was the 5th best for the day out of nearly 65 drivers. Overall, I've had 90-93% "traces." Would these figures encourage the center to hire me permanently later on, or these numbers pretty much mean nothing.
 

Harley Rider

34 yrs & done!
Not really having anything else to go on I would say that they are talking about how you are running the route. It is set up and loaded on your truck in a certain order (yeah right) by the way it was traced out on a map and set up to run. Mainly right hand turns and in a big loop. If you were 95% effective, then you followed the trace of your route 95% of the time. Personally I don't worry about running on trace. Too many factors limit the possibility of running a true trace. Bulk, next day air, time leaving the building, and on and on. I pretty much run my route in the same order every day but there are always differences. I've only had them say one thing to me about running on trace. I told them that I would start running my route the way it was loaded on my car if thats what they wanted. They quickly agreed I was doing fine the way it was.:laugh:
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
If you are running 92.2% on Trace, that is an excellent score. I average 86-87% myself, and that is one of the highest numbers in my Center. I had my trace redone different than what the PAS/EDD Team tried to put in place. If I ran EDD stop for stop, I would add about ten miles to my route. I use my area knowledge to take advantage of some shortcuts. Its all UPS's numbers, I don't worry about them.:confused:1
 

browndude

Well-Known Member
i run 100% on trace most days and the days i dont i am never under 95%. yes this does add many miles to my day but it keeps a lot of stops off me also.i had much rather ride around more and have to get in and out of that truck 15-20 less times. i am also 100% on pickup compliance every day. and my center management team just says over and over again GOOD JOB
 
H

Hard Work Guy

Guest
i run 100% on trace most days and the days i dont i am never under 95%. yes this does add many miles to my day but it keeps a lot of stops off me also.i had much rather ride around more and have to get in and out of that truck 15-20 less times. i am also 100% on pickup compliance every day. and my center management team just says over and over again GOOD JOB


thanks a lot - i'm probably getting some of the stops you should be getting. this is behavior that a union causes. where's the incentive to work hard? no matter how hard i work i'll only make the same money as you. you won't see a non-union fedex driver out there driving miles and burning gas just because they don't feel like working.
 

longlunchguy

Runnin on Empty
I try to run accoding to EDD but as others have said, every day is different. When they complain about my trace percentage, I just tell them EDD doesn't know the route as well as I do.
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
If the best driver for the day had a 94% trace and I had 92.2%, what do these numbers mean? I am a new seasonal driver and trying to figure out what some of the things mean. My figure was the 5th best for the day out of nearly 65 drivers. Overall, I've had 90-93% "traces." Would these figures encourage the center to hire me permanently later on, or these numbers pretty much mean nothing.

You are doing a great job running your route. You are minimizing miles and gas usage, by not going off trace.
Also helping the environment, but not putting on excess miles for the route.

Sounds like the loop you are in was looped properly and with right hand turns.

When I left UPS almost 2 years ago, air stops delivered prior to 10:30 were not included in area trace numbers.
Understanding the service commit times for air, however, the expectation was once air was delivered the trace for your route is followed. At that time, 85% in trace was the goal. By reviewing the trace with drivers, changes can be made to the sequence of deliveries to enhance the trace.

Exceptions to the trace do occur by drivers making decisions that make sense, such as a large bulk stop near the last air delivery, to make room in the car.
This would show as an exception, but if the driver gets back on trace after that, the day should go smoothly.

And from a management perspective, you are being highly thought of as a seasonal. Hopefully, the opportunity for a permanent position will be in your future.
 

lovetokayak

Well-Known Member
Thank you all for the explanations. Here is another question, then. At the beginning I ran 9 minutes over the route they have me on, currently I am about 14 minutes early. I do take my lunch break as instructed and have the daily unexpected undemand pick-ups to meet.
My question would be, which is more important regarding performance as a driver: having a high on trace percentage or finishing earlier with my route? I pretty much just have been doing what I've been told. Other drivers make fun of me, but I figured if I keep plugging away, the boss should be happy. (I know what you'll say...."Happy boss...no such thing! :lol:)
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
Don't change a thing, you're doing great!

Nine minutes over is nothing. Just make sure you're being safe out there!
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
thanks a lot - i'm probably getting some of the stops you should be getting. this is behavior that a union causes. where's the incentive to work hard? no matter how hard i work i'll only make the same money as you. you won't see a non-union fedex driver out there driving miles and burning gas just because they don't feel like working.
Your probably getting the extra stops because you load your truck for free in the morning and run through your lunch and breaks! When this system came out they refused our imput so they will have to live with it. If they trace your route to were you are putting on more miles run it that way, hopefully eventually mike will leave one day and we can get back to putting the service into the ups logo, until then work as directed and put on those miles! About the fedex driver, you also dont see them making union wages and getting union benefits so if your so unhappy with being a union upser go ahead and join fedex and make 40% less a year doing so!
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Thank you all for the explanations. Here is another question, then. At the beginning I ran 9 minutes over the route they have me on, currently I am about 14 minutes early. I do take my lunch break as instructed and have the daily unexpected undemand pick-ups to meet.
My question would be, which is more important regarding performance as a driver: having a high on trace percentage or finishing earlier with my route? I pretty much just have been doing what I've been told. Other drivers make fun of me, but I figured if I keep plugging away, the boss should be happy. (I know what you'll say...."Happy boss...no such thing! :lol:)
The unwritten rule is you should run the route scratch for a week. If you keep coming in early your sups will notice you and it could lead to a ftime driving position. Dont worry about the other drivers, even i look the other way for our rookie drivers and help them as much as possible to make it through their probationary period. Its not as easy as it once was to make it as a driver! Keep the wheels moving and the truck will get delivered!
 

DorkHead

Well-Known Member
thanks a lot - i'm probably getting some of the stops you should be getting. this is behavior that a union causes. where's the incentive to work hard? no matter how hard i work i'll only make the same money as you. you won't see a non-union fedex driver out there driving miles and burning gas just because they don't feel like working.

Oh yeah, and I guess the union causes the company to come up with the numbers they have for each route. Your either jealous that this guy can make his numbers by using the correct methods or most likely a disgruntled Fedex driver.
 

lovetokayak

Well-Known Member
DS,
You are not being a wise-guy, thanks for the correction. I do know it's on-demand not undemand. I think summer heat in Iowa is getting to my braincells...or is it brainsells? :tongue_sm Thanks again.
 

Harley Rider

34 yrs & done!
I don't know how it works in other centers but management doesn't say a word to guys in our center that continually run overallowed. I'm not talking minutes here either. We have two drivers out of seven in our center that run an hour to two hours over at least three times a week. Management takes work off of them and spreads it around to the other five drivers. That way they can ignore the problem without having to take the time to correct it. Much easier to send a message out to another driver and tell him that there is fifteen stops waiting on him back at the building when he gets in. Or how about the first three drivers back split up the twenty stops on the rollers.

Now mind you I am not above helping a driver out that winds up with a larger dispatch than planned. Thats what its all about. But when you come in the next day and you have planned an hour or more work than the guy you helped out, it gets frustrating. These drivers are just plain lazy and know that they can get out of working by goofing off all day. If the company wants to let them, thats their business. Don't penalize me because of it though. I chose not to go into management because I didn't want the extra hours!

There was a really big stink not long ago. The center manager sent an e-mail to out p/t preload supervisor. It stated that she should not load one of these drivers over what he could get done in an 8.5 day. She then showed the e-mail to one of the drivers that had to take the extra work. Talk about the poop hitting the fan. She pretty much got her butt handed to her by the center manager when he got a phone call from the driver. LMAO!!!

Ever since I have worked at UPS the guys that actually go out and do their work are always the ones that suffer. I think the center manager might have a different attitude if he had to go out and do the work.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
I don't know how it works in other centers but management doesn't say a word to guys in our center that continually run overallowed. I'm not talking minutes here either. We have two drivers out of seven in our center that run an hour to two hours over at least three times a week. Management takes work off of them and spreads it around to the other five drivers. That way they can ignore the problem without having to take the time to correct it. Much easier to send a message out to another driver and tell him that there is fifteen stops waiting on him back at the building when he gets in. Or how about the first three drivers back split up the twenty stops on the rollers.

Now mind you I am not above helping a driver out that winds up with a larger dispatch than planned. Thats what its all about. But when you come in the next day and you have planned an hour or more work than the guy you helped out, it gets frustrating. These drivers are just plain lazy and know that they can get out of working by goofing off all day. If the company wants to let them, thats their business. Don't penalize me because of it though. I chose not to go into management because I didn't want the extra hours!

There was a really big stink not long ago. The center manager sent an e-mail to out p/t preload supervisor. It stated that she should not load one of these drivers over what he could get done in an 8.5 day. She then showed the e-mail to one of the drivers that had to take the extra work. Talk about the poop hitting the fan. She pretty much got her butt handed to her by the center manager when he got a phone call from the driver. LMAO!!!

Ever since I have worked at UPS the guys that actually go out and do their work are always the ones that suffer. I think the center manager might have a different attitude if he had to go out and do the work.

Let me ask you, have you ever done that route that your talking about? Ups makes up the numbers, and believe it or not there not always fair and accurate! Im 2 plus hours over every day and management is aware of it because when someone else does my route they have to cover pickups/ deliveries to get it done! I iddnt ask for bonus on my route but i will give them a fair days work for a fair days pay, no more no less!
 

Harley Rider

34 yrs & done!
Nope............. I haven't run it Red. But we have two drivers that cover it when he goes on vacation. Both of em can take their hour lunch and run bonus easily. This guy can too when he wants to. He's the first one back to the center if he has plans for the night. This is also the same guy that was given an award a several years ago by management for running 30 stops an hour.The route is also a 100 to 130 mile a day route. Nothing unusual for him to run 160 or more miles a day. One day he had 205 miles!

I am with you on a fair days work for a fair days pay. I give em nothing extra but I do give em 100% every day. Like I previously stated.......... the company wants to let him do it, more power to him and them. Don't penalize me because they are too lazy to fix the problem.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
"Don't penalize me because they are too lazy to fix the problem."

If they're giving you extra work so someone else can have an easy day, you know how to fix that. We all do.

Stay out till 9 a couple of nights, and they'll get the message.
 
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