City vs.Town Routes - A General Disparity in Time Allowance?

[Catatonic]

I believe part the answer might have to do with this;

The time studies on city routes were more likely done years ago with a massaged load, on a perfect weather day, in a holiday week, by a younger driver that just wanted to get home early that day.

The time studies of more desirable country routes bid by higher seniority drivers, are naturally going to be more realistic, since on average, there are a million less variables that can mess up your day- as well as a more likely chance that the said driver works an average pace and doesn't cut corners.

The time study is independent of driver actions.
The time components start out the same for all drivers.
It is the additive factors per stop and per miles that make the difference in allowances.
The first thing a time study observer is trained on is to ignore driver actions and to look at route conditions.
Double stops are eliminated as these can cause a lower stop allowance.
Excessive miles will drive up the MPH on-area.
A massaged load has no effect on the allowances. It will hide normal misloads and poor load quality which are eliminated from the time study.

 

[Billy Ray]

30 years from now you will realize........
it's only cardboard

 

[Whatbrownwontdoforyou]

I'm wondering if others that have done many of both city and town/country routes have noticed this. As a cover driver, bouncing around among 17 routes, the amount of speed and effort needed to accomplish the route in the allotted time varies quite a bit. Now I'm not wondering why some routes are easier than others. Of course they are. Seniority gets you easier routes and this is determined by a number of factors.

What I'm getting at is that time studies and computer generated time allotments determining your paid day don't seem to accurately provide all the extra time stuck in traffic in the city. While out on country routes there is likely not one traffic light. In the country, while I'm doing a lot more miles, I'm always able to move quickly.

Just parking properly and safely in the city can be a time consuming task and many times you can't park at the stop so you have to walk forward or back a ways. In the towns, you just pull over in front of the house and there's always wide open space. Then there's delivering to large buildings, apts., etc. I just notice you have to haul a** a lot more than DR'ing a house in the suburbs where you can walk at a normal pace.

On a town route I can leisurely take my lunch and come in paid under. On a city route, I have to kill it all day to squeeze lunch in and still be paid an hour over. Knowing both types of routes equally well.

Now I'm not suggesting routes can all be totally fair. But while routes all differ greatly, I think when it comes to accurate time allowances, its seems like adjustments could be made. Just because you're lower seniority shouldn't mean you run like a slave all day while the nice route gives you more time to accomplish tasks when the reality is it takes less time.

Just want to hear what you guys think and what your experiences are. Are there tricks on getting city routes done according to their made up numbers?

Ups numbers are all bs.......they just use them to trick drivers into thinking they are not working hard enough.....and judging by you saying you are killing yourself on the city route and trying to squeeze in your lunch show that they have you......I suggest you work they same no matter what the route is and take hour lunch no matter what......if you don't you will find yourself getting more work

 

[UnconTROLLed]

The time study is independent of driver actions.
The time components start out the same for all drivers.
It is the additive factors per stop and per miles that make the difference in allowances.
The first thing a time study observer is trained on is to ignore driver actions and to look at route conditions.
Double stops are eliminated as these can cause a lower stop allowance.
Excessive miles will drive up the MPH on-area.
A massaged load has no effect on the allowances. It will hide normal misloads and poor load quality which are eliminated from the time study.

That is simply incorrect, because load quality and driver speed will inherently make a difference WHEN the driver delivers WHERE, which could, and usually then result in different traffic patterns, route conditions, and etc. The butterfly effect blows this out of the water, Hoax.

And I know as a fact IE fudges their #'s...I can prove it actually, as I've been time-studied and it was bogus.

 

[Whatbrownwontdoforyou]

How does load conditions have no affect on a time study or in daily numbers

 

[Brownslave688]

I'd love to say I could run each route the same pace but if I ran a city route a "normal" work pace I use on a town route, I'd be 3+ hours paid over. The same pace that scratches a town route. It's not even close the effort difference needed.

Who cares?

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I could care less about the allowances. I try and work at the same brisk, smooth, and steady pace all day and every day regardless of the dispatch. And regardless of whether or not I'm out in a rural area. Speeding and working like a maniac is dangerous and will eventually attract more stops and/or an injury/accident and laying down only screws someone else. Time allowances should be based on averages (so no running and skipping lunches) and not seniority.

 

[Re-Raise]

The time study is independent of driver actions.
The time components start out the same for all drivers.
It is the additive factors per stop and per miles that make the difference in allowances.
The first thing a time study observer is trained on is to ignore driver actions and to look at route conditions.
Double stops are eliminated as these can cause a lower stop allowance.
Excessive miles will drive up the MPH on-area.
A massaged load has no effect on the allowances. It will hide normal misloads and poor load quality which are eliminated from the time study.

Why do the times change based on virtual time studies? Do the houses somehow get closer to the street? Do the speed limits change in the area we deliver to?
They cut the time allowance per box on a bulk stop I deliver to simply because the virtual time study showed that I delivered that stop faster than the old time study allowed for.

 

[oldngray]

The time study is independent of driver actions.
The time components start out the same for all drivers.
It is the additive factors per stop and per miles that make the difference in allowances.
The first thing a time study observer is trained on is to ignore driver actions and to look at route conditions.
Double stops are eliminated as these can cause a lower stop allowance.
Excessive miles will drive up the MPH on-area.
A massaged load has no effect on the allowances. It will hide normal misloads and poor load quality which are eliminated from the time study.

A fair time study is "supposed" to look at road conditions but that isn't real life. For example if the speed limit on a street is 35 then that will be your allowance. It doesn't matter if you can never go that fast because of traffic. The time allowance per piece has steadily been dropping also making the number much worse on bulk city routes. Miles are your friend since that is where the allowances are loosest. IE will definitely massage the numbers to get the result they want because I saw it happen more than once. They all get issued that magic pen that can change the numbers with one stroke.

 

[oldngray]

Why do the times change based on virtual time studies? Do the houses somehow get closer to the street? Do the speed limits change in the area we deliver to?
They cut the time allowance per box on a bulk stop I deliver to simply because the virtual time study showed that I delivered that stop faster than the old time study allowed for.

A virtual time study can't see real life road conditions so how realistic can it be?

 

[Dr.Brownz]

I ussualy check my numbers in the morning for a good laugh. I strive to be atleast an hour or two over.

 

[jumpman23]

I'm wondering if others that have done many of both city and town/country routes have noticed this. As a cover driver, bouncing around among 17 routes, the amount of speed and effort needed to accomplish the route in the allotted time varies quite a bit. Now I'm not wondering why some routes are easier than others. Of course they are. Seniority gets you easier routes and this is determined by a number of factors.

What I'm getting at is that time studies and computer generated time allotments determining your paid day don't seem to accurately provide all the extra time stuck in traffic in the city. While out on country routes there is likely not one traffic light. In the country, while I'm doing a lot more miles, I'm always able to move quickly.

Just parking properly and safely in the city can be a time consuming task and many times you can't park at the stop so you have to walk forward or back a ways. In the towns, you just pull over in front of the house and there's always wide open space. Then there's delivering to large buildings, apts., etc. I just notice you have to haul a** a lot more than DR'ing a house in the suburbs where you can walk at a normal pace.

On a town route I can leisurely take my lunch and come in paid under. On a city route, I have to kill it all day to squeeze lunch in and still be paid an hour over. Knowing both types of routes equally well.

Now I'm not suggesting routes can all be totally fair. But while routes all differ greatly, I think when it comes to accurate time allowances, its seems like adjustments could be made. Just because you're lower seniority shouldn't mean you run like a slave all day while the nice route gives you more time to accomplish tasks when the reality is it takes less time.

Just want to hear what you guys think and what your experiences are. Are there tricks on getting city routes done according to their made up numbers?

Who cares about their fake make believe numbers. You do the job same pace every route and bring you and the truck back in 1 piece safely with no injuries, they can kiss your ballz on the over allowed lol.

 

[By The Book]

Why do the times change based on virtual time studies? Do the houses somehow get closer to the street? Do the speed limits change in the area we deliver to?
They cut the time allowance per box on a bulk stop I deliver to simply because the virtual time study showed that I delivered that stop faster than the old time study allowed for.

Delivering bulk faster than the old time allowance will eventually create a new time allowance grasshopper.

 

[JL 0513]

To clarify the point of this discussion, this isn't a complaint about trying to achieve phony numbers. This discussion is simply trying to understand the contrast in how and why city routes and town routes vary so much in the reality of how stops come off and that it doesn't jive in real life. In the country I can look like a hero running it half asleep. In the city it's balls to the wall just to get in at a non-ridiculous hour.

 

[Dracula]

That's not the point of the thread. I'm not too concerned with over/under. My attitude is always "it takes as long as it takes".

This is simply an observation I've noticed working many different routes. It looks like miles are more generously time allotted than other route factors which makes town/country routes much easier to get done. I feel like I'm literally sitting at a stop in traffic 2 solid hours a day in the city. Totally out of your control. I truly think this aspect of your day is way underestimated.

Another point I haven't mentioned is that getting signitures in the city take way longer. Often there are lines of people waiting for the same person that needs to sign for a package and now you have to figure out how to bypass them or find someone else. In town businesses, workers are usually immediately accessible.

For someone who isn't too concerned about the numbers, you spend a lot of time thinking about them.

There is no use in trying to figure out their numbers. You're better off trying to learn a new language or two. More rewarding, and there is logic in those.

 

[By The Book]

To clarify the point of this discussion, this isn't a complaint about trying to achieve phony numbers. This discussion is simply trying to understand the contrast in how and why city routes and town routes vary so much in the reality of how stops come off and that it doesn't jive in real life. In the country I can look like a hero running it half asleep. In the city it's balls to the wall just to get in at a non-ridiculous hour.

What I think you have a problem with seems to be something you can't change.

 

[brownmonster]

The only numbers I care about are tonight's Powerball numbers.

 

[hellfire]

every route has a crap allowance now

 

[Brownslave688]

Wrong thread

 

[Re-Raise]

Delivering bulk faster than the old time allowance will eventually create a new time allowance grasshopper.

Now you tell me!