5 Commandments for using a helper (On Topic)

[Boxslinger11]

not on my truck....

no phones, no smoking

I don't trust temp workers on the phone... lil be giving their friends the addresses of the stuff we just delivered...

look man im just trying to keep up with @Gumby okay

 

[cosmo1]

look man im just trying to keep up with @Gumby okay

Why?

 

[Boxslinger11]

Why?

im lying im actually a first time seasonal and have just been posting for the past year and actually am his helper my mexican goons stole all the iphones we delivered yesterday he just didnt see me with my phone out!

 

[cosmo1]

im lying im actually a first time seasonal and have just been posting for the past year and actually am his helper my mexican goons stole all the iphones we delivered yesterday he just didnt see me with my phone out!

But, why emulate Gumby?

 

[zubenelgenubi]

My driver is an HR nightmare. I'm a newbie helper who hustles. He acknowledged it when he was assigned to my regular route which had just got cut shorter so he is now doing 2 routes and asked if I would also help on his first route in the morning. He kicked his inside helper to the curb but by the second day he was telling me to slow down or they would add more stops to the route. The third day the first route was cleared at least an hour earlier than the previous days so he then uninvited me from my assigned route for the day. He proceeded to short my time card for the route I was helping him with that day, add the loss of my assigned route to that and he effectively stole money from me. He was my 4th driver of the season so I'm throwing him under the truck and asking for a 5th driver. His delivery practices are not what I was taught and tend to be just short of tossing packages from the truck to the porch. Also, he tends to lock himself in back of the truck more than any driver I've been with and I don't think it's for a bathroom break. I gotta dump him before a really expensive package comes up missing and he tries to blame me. Any thought on how to get him out of my life without him bad mouthing me to other drivers?

Helpers aren't assigned routes. And, yes, you can request a new driver on "your" route. But make sure to do it in writing, so management has something to throw in the garbage while laughing hysterically at your over-inflated sense of self-importance.

 

[rumpleforeskin]

#1--Thou shalt make safety thy first concern.

On day 1, I always give my helper a 5 min lecture on staying safe. That means NO RUNNING, PERIOD. That means 100% use of the handrail when entering or exiting, no exceptions. That means that, if I screw up and start the engine before they have the seatbelt buckled, they are to YELL at me to STOP. We are in a HURRY, which means I dont have time to take them to the hospital if they get injured. There is always time to do the job safely, and no package is ever worth getting hurt or killed over.

#2 Thou shalt treat thine helper with respect.

I treat my helper as a teammate, not a slave. Out of necessity I must be the boss, but I dont have to be an ass about it. When instructing them what to do, I throw in a few "please's" and "thank you's" here and there to keep things friendly. I encourage them to be an extra set of eyes and to never be afraid to tell me if they think I am at the wrong address. I screw up sometimes, especially under peak season conditions, and I'm not afraid to admit it. My helper gets a "high five" if they call me on giving them the wrong package for the stop. Most importantly...if I am frustrated or upset with management or with the workload in general, I dont take it out on them. Its not the helpers fault that the load is crap or that my boss is a maroon.

#3 Thou shalt see to it that thine helper is properly paid for their time

If you lack the willingess to pull over and take a 1/2 hour lunch and 15 min break....then at least allow your helper to do so. Or...dont enter a lunch at all on their time card. Whatever you do, make sure they are fully paid for every minute they spend working. They are barely making minimum wage, you make 4 or even 5 times what they do on OT, so dont screw them out of 15 minutes of pay just so that you can look better on a stupid report. I also give my helpers my phone # and instruct them to notify me of any payroll errors or shortages on their check. If my helper gets shorted, I make it my personal mission in life to find whoever is responsible and ride their ass like a dirty diaper if necessary until the problem gets corrected. For $9 an hour they shouldnt have to call a 1-800 number and argue about getting paid properly.

#4 Thou shalt not place unrealistic expectations upon thine helper

I've been a driver for 24 years. I know how to operate at the "UPS pace". A newly hired helper doesnt. They cant read my mind. What comes automatically to me is new to them. They probably have little or no useful DIAD training, and the first day on a blown-out package car can seem overwhelming to them. Be patient. They will pick things up faster if you are understanding and helpful instead of impatient and critical. Respect any physical limits your helper may have. I have had 100 lb gals who needed my help with heavy packages, but who were still going strong after 10 hrs and were far better helpers than the "he-men" with big muscles who got lazy and crapped out on me after 4 or 5. And if you have a female helper who needs more "bathroom stops" than you do...deal with it. I always communicate with my helper about the location of nearby restrooms, and if they gotta go they gotta go. It is totally inappropriate to expect a helper of either gender to pee in the bushes or go 8 hrs with no bathroom break just because you can.

#5 Thou shalt share thine tips and buy thine helper lunch.

Helpers are making barely more than minimum wage. Drivers make 5 times that much on overtime. If I have a helper who is hustling and working hard, then the occasional $5 or $10 bill that comes to me in a card from a customer gets handed to them. When we stop at a restraunt for lunch, I pick up the tab for both of us. I have had a lot of helpers who were literally broke (why else would they work for minimum wage) and they show up with some nasty cold lunch in a brown bag. I am not going to sit in a warm restraunt and eat yummy food while they sit in the cold truck and eat leftovers. We are a team and we eat together.


Thou shalt obey these commandments without question, or thou shalt be deemed an ass.

I have a tip for ya! How about better service center hours during the holidays. You guys are awesome but seriously, why is my military son having to go to extreme lengths to pick up his package because your service Fairbanks center isn't open on Saturday! ing seriously? I had to cancel his Amazon order and have it reshipped Fedex to a Walgreens.

 

[rod]

I have a tip for ya! How about better service center hours during the holidays. You guys are awesome but seriously, why is my military son having to go to extreme lengths to pick up his package because your service Fairbanks center isn't open on Saturday! ing seriously? I had to cancel his Amazon order and have it reshipped Fedex to a Walgreens.

Quit sending him boxes if he is unable to receive them. Mail him a gift certificate, cash or money order and let him buy what he really wants anyway. I would assume there are a dozen ways to do this over the internet also.

 

[Operational needs]

Quit sending him boxes if he is unable to receive them. Mail him a gift certificate, cash or money order and let him buy what he really wants anyway. I would assume there are a dozen ways to do this over the internet also.

What would be the fun in that? Then he couldn’t come on here and troll.

 

[el blanco]

I have a tip for ya! How about better service center hours during the holidays. You guys are awesome but seriously, why is my military son having to go to extreme lengths to pick up his package because your service Fairbanks center isn't open on Saturday! ing seriously? I had to cancel his Amazon order and have it reshipped Fedex to a Walgreens.

Oh the humanity

 

[proplayer]

I'm a first time helper this year and got a little freaked out by a driver who was constantly neglecting to get signatures and/or just leaving packages at apartment doors when they should have been taken to the office. My previous driver was much more thorough and we always had packages to deliver to the apartment office. I didn't want to lose my gig because of stolen or missing items so I told my super that I didn't want to be responsible for anything lost or stolen. Within a couple days I had a new driver on the same route and he took me to a house where a package was reported missing to help him find it (I had not been to the house before except when the previous driver had to do the same thing a few days before) then I was asked to recall having delivered a HV package that was delivered without a signature to a house I didn't remember delivering to the day before I got the new driver. The package was safe when we finally got the signature but I did recall the stickers on the box so I know that I or my other driver delivered it to the house. It didn't take long for me to realize I was now being investigated or "tested" for being a thief. I was handed an unsealed envelope to deliver and when handed that envelope the contents fell out on the steps of the truck. As I began putting the items back in the envelope I was told to deliver it with the other package but not to ring the door bell. The already opened mailing envelope contained a worthless item and a smaller heavier wrapped item, maybe something of HV. So, I went from careless in a hurry driver to a more responsible driver who kept me away from the diad and delivered all HV's but gave me an open package and told to deliver without ringing the bell. Why not just can me if you think I'm a thief? Should I have kept my mouth shut about the first driver? Also, we suddenly had a few more deliveries to empty houses. Are they investigating both of us? Do you automatically assume that because I have this job I'm more likely to be a thief?

 

[Operational needs]

I'm a first time helper this year and got a little freaked out by a driver who was constantly neglecting to get signatures and/or just leaving packages at apartment doors when they should have been taken to the office. My previous driver was much more thorough and we always had packages to deliver to the apartment office. I didn't want to lose my gig because of stolen or missing items so I told my super that I didn't want to be responsible for anything lost or stolen. Within a couple days I had a new driver on the same route and he took me to a house where a package was reported missing to help him find it (I had not been to the house before except when the previous driver had to do the same thing a few days before) then I was asked to recall having delivered a HV package that was delivered without a signature to a house I didn't remember delivering to the day before I got the new driver. The package was safe when we finally got the signature but I did recall the stickers on the box so I know that I or my other driver delivered it to the house. It didn't take long for me to realize I was now being investigated or "tested" for being a thief. I was handed an unsealed envelope to deliver and when handed that envelope the contents fell out on the steps of the truck. As I began putting the items back in the envelope I was told to deliver it with the other package but not to ring the door bell. The already opened mailing envelope contained a worthless item and a smaller heavier wrapped item, maybe something of HV. So, I went from careless in a hurry driver to a more responsible driver who kept me away from the diad and delivered all HV's but gave me an open package and told to deliver without ringing the bell. Why not just can me if you think I'm a thief? Should I have kept my mouth shut about the first driver? Also, we suddenly had a few more deliveries to empty houses. Are they investigating both of us? Do you automatically assume that because I have this job I'm more likely to be a thief?

@RonBurgandy?????????? help this guy out.

 

[Rack em]

I'm a first time helper this year and got a little freaked out by a driver who was constantly neglecting to get signatures and/or just leaving packages at apartment doors when they should have been taken to the office. My previous driver was much more thorough and we always had packages to deliver to the apartment office. I didn't want to lose my gig because of stolen or missing items so I told my super that I didn't want to be responsible for anything lost or stolen. Within a couple days I had a new driver on the same route and he took me to a house where a package was reported missing to help him find it (I had not been to the house before except when the previous driver had to do the same thing a few days before) then I was asked to recall having delivered a HV package that was delivered without a signature to a house I didn't remember delivering to the day before I got the new driver. The package was safe when we finally got the signature but I did recall the stickers on the box so I know that I or my other driver delivered it to the house. It didn't take long for me to realize I was now being investigated or "tested" for being a thief. I was handed an unsealed envelope to deliver and when handed that envelope the contents fell out on the steps of the truck. As I began putting the items back in the envelope I was told to deliver it with the other package but not to ring the door bell. The already opened mailing envelope contained a worthless item and a smaller heavier wrapped item, maybe something of HV. So, I went from careless in a hurry driver to a more responsible driver who kept me away from the diad and delivered all HV's but gave me an open package and told to deliver without ringing the bell. Why not just can me if you think I'm a thief? Should I have kept my mouth shut about the first driver? Also, we suddenly had a few more deliveries to empty houses. Are they investigating both of us? Do you automatically assume that because I have this job I'm more likely to be a thief?

NARC!

 

[burrheadd]

I'm a first time helper this year and got a little freaked out by a driver who was constantly neglecting to get signatures and/or just leaving packages at apartment doors when they should have been taken to the office. My previous driver was much more thorough and we always had packages to deliver to the apartment office. I didn't want to lose my gig because of stolen or missing items so I told my super that I didn't want to be responsible for anything lost or stolen. Within a couple days I had a new driver on the same route and he took me to a house where a package was reported missing to help him find it (I had not been to the house before except when the previous driver had to do the same thing a few days before) then I was asked to recall having delivered a HV package that was delivered without a signature to a house I didn't remember delivering to the day before I got the new driver. The package was safe when we finally got the signature but I did recall the stickers on the box so I know that I or my other driver delivered it to the house. It didn't take long for me to realize I was now being investigated or "tested" for being a thief. I was handed an unsealed envelope to deliver and when handed that envelope the contents fell out on the steps of the truck. As I began putting the items back in the envelope I was told to deliver it with the other package but not to ring the door bell. The already opened mailing envelope contained a worthless item and a smaller heavier wrapped item, maybe something of HV. So, I went from careless in a hurry driver to a more responsible driver who kept me away from the diad and delivered all HV's but gave me an open package and told to deliver without ringing the bell. Why not just can me if you think I'm a thief? Should I have kept my mouth shut about the first driver? Also, we suddenly had a few more deliveries to empty houses. Are they investigating both of us? Do you automatically assume that because I have this job I'm more likely to be a thief?

Nice job driver #2 got fired

 

[Control_90]

In between jobs for the season and became a helper for the holidays:
My first driver struggled significantly - refused to learn his route - had at least 50+ takebacks a night. I was running every package for him so we could 'try' to finish by 9:30pm. I even offered to print out an address list or map for the poor bastard to help him get more organized. By the end of our short time together I was running packages / organizing the back / making scans with the DIAD / looking up where to go next *every other stop* with my iphone...etc.
Felt bad for him, but had to make a switch. New driver i'm with simply has a general idea of his route. We never run, and even have more stops than the last driver. We actually take lunch, work great together, and get finished at a reasonable hour everyday. Oh, and I can still smoke my cancer sticks in the cab. Work smarter not harder folks?

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

In between jobs for the season and became a helper for the holidays:
My first driver struggled significantly - refused to learn his route - had at least 50+ takebacks a night. I was running every package for him so we could 'try' to finish by 9:30pm. I even offered to print out an address list or map for the poor bastard to help him get more organized. By the end of our short time together I was running packages / organizing the back / making scans with the DIAD / looking up where to go next *every other stop* with my iphone...etc.
Felt bad for him, but had to make a switch. New driver i'm with simply has a general idea of his route. We never run, and even have more stops than the last driver. We actually take lunch, work great together, and get finished at a reasonable hour everyday. Oh, and I can still smoke my cancer sticks in the cab. Work smarter not harder folks?

Very true. Love your avatar.

 

[cosmo1]

Just think how nice it will be in February when all the helper posts go away.

 

[zubenelgenubi]

I'm a first time helper this year and got a little freaked out by a driver who was constantly neglecting to get signatures and/or just leaving packages at apartment doors when they should have been taken to the office. My previous driver was much more thorough and we always had packages to deliver to the apartment office. I didn't want to lose my gig because of stolen or missing items so I told my super that I didn't want to be responsible for anything lost or stolen. Within a couple days I had a new driver on the same route and he took me to a house where a package was reported missing to help him find it (I had not been to the house before except when the previous driver had to do the same thing a few days before) then I was asked to recall having delivered a HV package that was delivered without a signature to a house I didn't remember delivering to the day before I got the new driver. The package was safe when we finally got the signature but I did recall the stickers on the box so I know that I or my other driver delivered it to the house. It didn't take long for me to realize I was now being investigated or "tested" for being a thief. I was handed an unsealed envelope to deliver and when handed that envelope the contents fell out on the steps of the truck. As I began putting the items back in the envelope I was told to deliver it with the other package but not to ring the door bell. The already opened mailing envelope contained a worthless item and a smaller heavier wrapped item, maybe something of HV. So, I went from careless in a hurry driver to a more responsible driver who kept me away from the diad and delivered all HV's but gave me an open package and told to deliver without ringing the bell. Why not just can me if you think I'm a thief? Should I have kept my mouth shut about the first driver? Also, we suddenly had a few more deliveries to empty houses. Are they investigating both of us? Do you automatically assume that because I have this job I'm more likely to be a thief?

 

[zubenelgenubi]

In between jobs for the season and became a helper for the holidays:
My first driver struggled significantly - refused to learn his route - had at least 50+ takebacks a night. I was running every package for him so we could 'try' to finish by 9:30pm. I even offered to print out an address list or map for the poor bastard to help him get more organized. By the end of our short time together I was running packages / organizing the back / making scans with the DIAD / looking up where to go next *every other stop* with my iphone...etc.
Felt bad for him, but had to make a switch. New driver i'm with simply has a general idea of his route. We never run, and even have more stops than the last driver. We actually take lunch, work great together, and get finished at a reasonable hour everyday. Oh, and I can still smoke my cancer sticks in the cab. Work smarter not harder folks?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

In between jobs for the season and became a helper for the holidays:
My first driver struggled significantly - refused to learn his route - had at least 50+ takebacks a night. I was running every package for him so we could 'try' to finish by 9:30pm. I even offered to print out an address list or map for the poor bastard to help him get more organized. By the end of our short time together I was running packages / organizing the back / making scans with the DIAD / looking up where to go next *every other stop* with my iphone...etc.
Felt bad for him, but had to make a switch. New driver i'm with simply has a general idea of his route. We never run, and even have more stops than the last driver. We actually take lunch, work great together, and get finished at a reasonable hour everyday. Oh, and I can still smoke my cancer sticks in the cab. Work smarter not harder folks?

Other than the "cancer sticks", which you would NOT smoke while on my car unless you hung your head out the window like a dog, you sound like the type of helper that I would love to work with.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

View attachment 170651

They are called helper teams for a reason.