How to deliver large office buildings with suites? Question to drivers.

[Ticktockrobotsnot]

Hi everyone,

I'm a new driver currently on probation and the route I'm on has a lot of large office buildings that have 5 to 8 floors and small elevators. It appears that I can't load my hand truck too full unless I have some help getting it out once I reach my desired floor (help is usually unavailable). The problem is I have a lot of deliveries and I only have time for one trip in and out of these buildings because the route is heavily dependent on being at certain places at a specific time.

Also I need advice on how to load my hand truck? How should I do it? I find it impossible to remember all the suite numbers and how many units of work (uow) I have for that specific suite after I load my hand truck. I have had drivers that told me to prerecord at the car before entering the building and it appears like a good idea, but my supervisor doesn't want to see me scanning at the car.

Thank you for any advice.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Pre recording can get you in trouble esp when you are new (rushing) and don't know the route. Load the cart the way you want to deliver the building. Normally I deliver from top to bottom so I would load the hand cart like so: first floor on bottom, 2nd on top of that, 3rd on top of that etc. If you can't fully load the handcart up then make two trips. Trust me a lot of the times it's faster this way. It is possible to deliver just the first floor then come out and load the rest of the 7? First floor would be the fastest floor to get in, deliever , get out and reload cart.

 

[Tired Driver]

Laos the cart the same way you would for a Mall. Last stop goes on the cart first. Etc....

 

[nystripe96]

Simply take a preload marker and mark the floor number on the side of each box facing outwards as you load it on the handtruck. Works for me, it'll work for you. Hope that helps

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[MethodsMan]

Find the security guard and DR MCM.

 

[TooTechie]

I too am going to be dealing with this in the next month when I start my bid route...The routes I've covered have had virtually no office buildings and the couple I've had were only 2-3 floors. My new route will be in the city and skyscraper/handtruck hell. The previous driver on the route has 2 handtrucks inside...I asked him if he actually tried to use 2 at once and he stammered a bit then said no, it was from peak when he had a helper...I hope that's the case because I work by the methods and am not going to injure myself trying to haul crap on two handtrucks at once.

 

[Ticktockrobotsnot]

I'll give the marker thing a shot and see how it goes.

Thanks.

 

[Fragile]

Ask for a fold out hand truck. A lot easier that way.

 

[Ticktockrobotsnot]

When I was a helper a few drivers told me that the fold out hand trucks can't handle as many packages are the "lip hand trucks" can.
But I'll check with my sup and get his opinion on the matter.

Thanks

 

[brownmonster]

When I was a helper a few drivers told me that the fold out hand trucks can't handle as many packages are the "lip hand trucks" can.
But I'll check with my sup and get his opinion on the matter.

Thanks

Lol. Get a fold out hand truck.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Lol. Get a fold out hand truck.

I think you mean dolly!

 

[jim_flint]

We always call them mall carts. For getting a normal hand truck onto the elevator, push it on and stop with your back to the door. Then you can tip it up and roll out a lot easier.

 

[nystripe96]

Definitely need a fold out 4 wheeler. I can load soooo many more packages on it than the regular handtruck. Mark each box with the preload marker all facing the same direction on the handtruck, mark the smalls as well & place all smalls in a tote box. You'll kill the route guaranteed

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[iruhnman630]

The problem is I have a lot of deliveries and I only have time for one trip in and out of these buildings because the route is heavily dependent on being at certain places at a specific time.

Remember your first priority is working safely, not overloading your cart to try and get it all in one trip.

 

[jumpman23]

What you can do is go as far out on the bottom of the cart as you can go. Like if the cart is 3 feet or 4 feet long, what your looking to do is extend that bottom lip out maybe 2 more feet or so. Try n make a flat bottom layer where all the boxes are on the bottom layer on the lip. Now keep stacking til you get it to a height that is near the top of the hand cart or dolly. Once that is full go all around the hand cart in circles with tape so all the boxes wont tip front ways and tilt the cart back. This is a game I like to call EXTEND A CART, basically the idea is to extend that cart bottom lip as far out as you can that you have control of it still. Youll know how far you can go and still have control of it. Another idea on the same trip with the hand cart is to use DR bags for your smalls but if you have 3 or 4 etc different stops that have small boxes use separate DR bags for them separate suites. The whole idea is to make the least amount of trips up and down or back and forth as you have to. Youll learn little tricks like this as you go along. Ive had as many as like 25 boxes in 1 trip using this method but of course that all depends on the sizes of the boxes obviously. TO BE A MAD SCIENTIST YOU HAVE TO THINK LIKE A MAD SCIENTIST lol.

 

[jumpman23]

Of course as your loading that cart try and load it where its kind of together with the suites segregated by suite numbers and always put what floor your on in the diad.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Don't waste time writing suite numbers on packages or placing smalls in DR bags. Load the stops you will be doing last on the bottom and build your way up. Use long, flat boxes on the bottom to extend the length of the cart. Don't overload the cart. If you have to make two trips then make two trips. Make sure to put the suite number and/or floor number in the DIAD for each different stop. A fold out handcart would make your life easier for this building but would be a pain in the butt for your other stops.

 

[undies]

Experience. That's what you need.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Experience. That's what you need.

This has always puzzled me------employers prefer to hire experienced help but in order to get experience someone has to take a chance on you along the way.

 

[undies]

Well, I meant that he needs to experience the different variables for each day and come to his own conclusions. Some days are heavy, some days a single suite may fill his cart up. Being a repetitive job, it's a matter of time before you figure out what works best for YOU.

In the end, be safe and don't cut corners to try and make your boss happy.