I came here to read about this issue because I thought there would already be a thread on this. I searched "overallowed" and read most of the info. Here is my story:
I have worked at UPS over 20 years with the last 18 years as a full time driver. When I started out I was a runner gunner, but I had about 7 accidents my first 10 years, so for the last 10+ years I have made it a point to do everything by the methods 100% of the time. Lately, with peak and the fact that I do Early AMs, I have been running out of hours come Friday. Managements idea to fix it is to:
(1) blame my running out of hours on the fact that I run overallowed an average of 1.50 hours per day on my average paid day of 12 hours,
(2) tell me not to come in to do EAMs on Friday in order to have enough hours to do my bid route,
(3) send me out on a split route anyway while a driver with less seniority does my bid route.
I have talked to the union before and the clear result was that I could do EAMs as long as I wanted (which is until I retire), seniority allowing. Currently, all the other EAM drivers are new hires.
Management is under pressure to get the work dispatched and make their production numbers. My bid route is in a town 25 minutes away from the center so that presents a challenge to them. My idea is for them to budget my hours to 12 hours per day so that Friday is just another day; this can definitely be done, but Mon-Thurs they are just trying to worry about those days.
The issue of me being allowed to do EAMs and my bid route will be a slam dunk, but the center manager will be offended if I file a grievance. He could retaliate in some way.
So can I get in trouble for running overallowed when I drive very safely (in treacherous country, by the way) and work safely ALL THE TIME? I am so careful to use all the methods no matter what. Should I start taking shortcuts or start driving a bit faster? What shortcuts would not threaten my job security?
Of course, we have young drivers who come in early and set up the loads on their own time, drive like maniacs, sign for business packages themselves, leave packages at the mailbox, etc. and the management seems to be pleased with them because they bonus.
At one point my BA said "just do everything right all the time and you'll never have to look over your shoulder". I followed this advice to the letter and now management is not honoring my seniority and creating the narrative that I am a slug. I have other drivers telling me "They are mad at you because you are running over".
The center manager has told me that he does not like the idea of me doing EAMs because my route is far away from the center, but a mindful effort in dispatch planning would easily fix this and the adjustment wouldn't add any cost to the company.
If I stopped doing EAMs, my replacement would be a new hire earning half the hourly rate.
At one point, management did a production ride and I ran .65 and 1.49 hours over the first two days. They discontinued the production ride at that point and now they "cannot speak to the time study".
