NEnewbie
I feel like an elf.
Hello all. I was hired at the end of November as a seasonal driver helper. I was hired immediately and attended the paid orientation. I am a very motivated worker and I feel that was reflected during my brief interview. I told the woman in HR that I am "Ready to bust my ass" for this job. She made a snicker and smiled.
I was quickly called up for my first day of work and it went well. A long day, but I was coached by a friend of my father who worked for 37 years as a driver for UPS and is now retired. I could tell the driver who I was assigned to was impressed and pleased to have someone who was actually speeding up his times. He revealed at the end of the day before I was dropped off that he "rejected" the 6 previous helpers after they were all "duds" as they "slacked off near the end of the day". He was pleased to have me and hoped we would work together again. This driver was 3 years from full retirement.
The next day I call dispatch at 5:45 AM at the number given to me and was assigned to get picked up at the same location as the previous day, but with a different driver. The second driver was completely different than the first driver. Both were respectful and I did not feel treated differently because I am a woman. But his habits.. he stopped briskly by SLAMMING the brakes locking them up hard, to take a piss on a rural road right off the back of the truck. I realized what was going on when I heard the stream hit the ground. I assumed his prostrate was shot from the years of hydration deprivation he put himself through.
He was a wild driver, often going 20 MPH 
over the posted speed limits. The seatbelt did not work on the helpers seat, nor did the door stay latched as it became undone multiple times as he was driving on rural roads ( The route was rural ) which have been damaged over time by frost heaving.
I told my driver that I felt unsafe since the seatbelt did not latch and the door kept sliding open. He was really apologetic but informed me that "They are not going to be fixing anything until Jan 15th". I decided I would inform the dispatcher the next time we talked about the safety issues. I of course decided to leave out the pissing and driving speeds out the back of the truck as the driver was kind to me and only 2 years from full retirement.
Both drivers helped me very much as I felt they were more motivated as I knew some of the basic lingo and procedures that my fathers friend told me of. Like I said he worked 37 years at UPS and sat me down for 2 hours to tell me the "Laws of the jungle"
The second night I was called by dispatch and informed I would be working the next day with a pickup at 9:30AM. I call in the morning to double check this, and was told the route was cut. "So many cuts, it's chaotic" and a quick apology. Then a hang up.
Ok, so I called the next morning at 6AM and was told they had nothing for me. Please keep in mind that when I was hired they said I would be getting a lot of work due to my rural location and they only had 1 other driver helper there.
This has happened 4 days in a row now. I call up, they have nothing for me because routes are cut. I asked her to help me understand exactly what 'routes are cut' means and how it can keep me from working. I expected a lot of work as this is peak season. She did not have a good answer for me.
So in a few hours I am going to call again at 5:45 and try to work. I am very motivated to work and was profoundly disappointed each day when nothing was available. I am assuming these routes are some of the coveted as guys very close to retirement are running on them. I am assuming business is good because it was damn good the first 2 days, the vehicles were LOADED heavy, real heavy.
My questions:
1: Do you feel I might be getting overlooked because I warned them about the safety issues of the non-working seat belt and passenger door?
2: I would appreciate a better explanation of exactly what "routes are cut" and why that would affect a driver helper. We do not live near a city, just small hill towns. I know UPS is out there every day, I have seen them on the road. Does it mean they do not have the package volume that requires a helper?
3: The first days driver, let's call him "Driver Bob" was waiting in the parking lot of the business where the second day's driver was going to pick me up. Let's call him "Driver Fred". Fred went back to back with Bob and Fred transferred a crapload of packages to Bob, much to Bob's dismay. I was assigned to Fred that day, Bob had no helper. Bob had almost double the packages that Fred had! Why was Bob upset, and why did Bob not have a driver helper when he had double the packages that Fred and I had?
4: I was trained to use the DIAD at orientation. Both drivers refused to allow me to use this tool. I was told by my fathers friend during "Welcome to the jungle " helpers are useless, unless they can use the DIAD. Why did both drivers want to have total control of the DIAD? It is my understanding that this would slow them down. Yet they seemed fine with just throwing me packages out the back of the truck to have me walk them up while they sort. Also, why were they using version 3, and not version 5?
Thank you for the time you may or may not choose to give me. I appreciate all comments and suggestions!
- North East Newbie
I was quickly called up for my first day of work and it went well. A long day, but I was coached by a friend of my father who worked for 37 years as a driver for UPS and is now retired. I could tell the driver who I was assigned to was impressed and pleased to have someone who was actually speeding up his times. He revealed at the end of the day before I was dropped off that he "rejected" the 6 previous helpers after they were all "duds" as they "slacked off near the end of the day". He was pleased to have me and hoped we would work together again. This driver was 3 years from full retirement.
The next day I call dispatch at 5:45 AM at the number given to me and was assigned to get picked up at the same location as the previous day, but with a different driver. The second driver was completely different than the first driver. Both were respectful and I did not feel treated differently because I am a woman. But his habits.. he stopped briskly by SLAMMING the brakes locking them up hard, to take a piss on a rural road right off the back of the truck. I realized what was going on when I heard the stream hit the ground. I assumed his prostrate was shot from the years of hydration deprivation he put himself through.
He was a wild driver, often going 20 MPH over the posted speed limits. The seatbelt did not work on the helpers seat, nor did the door stay latched as it became undone multiple times as he was driving on rural roads ( The route was rural ) which have been damaged over time by frost heaving. I told my driver that I felt unsafe since the seatbelt did not latch and the door kept sliding open. He was really apologetic but informed me that "They are not going to be fixing anything until Jan 15th". I decided I would inform the dispatcher the next time we talked about the safety issues. I of course decided to leave out the pissing and driving speeds out the back of the truck as the driver was kind to me and only 2 years from full retirement.
Both drivers helped me very much as I felt they were more motivated as I knew some of the basic lingo and procedures that my fathers friend told me of. Like I said he worked 37 years at UPS and sat me down for 2 hours to tell me the "Laws of the jungle"
The second night I was called by dispatch and informed I would be working the next day with a pickup at 9:30AM. I call in the morning to double check this, and was told the route was cut. "So many cuts, it's chaotic" and a quick apology. Then a hang up.
Ok, so I called the next morning at 6AM and was told they had nothing for me. Please keep in mind that when I was hired they said I would be getting a lot of work due to my rural location and they only had 1 other driver helper there.
This has happened 4 days in a row now. I call up, they have nothing for me because routes are cut. I asked her to help me understand exactly what 'routes are cut' means and how it can keep me from working. I expected a lot of work as this is peak season. She did not have a good answer for me.
So in a few hours I am going to call again at 5:45 and try to work. I am very motivated to work and was profoundly disappointed each day when nothing was available. I am assuming these routes are some of the coveted as guys very close to retirement are running on them. I am assuming business is good because it was damn good the first 2 days, the vehicles were LOADED heavy, real heavy.
My questions:
1: Do you feel I might be getting overlooked because I warned them about the safety issues of the non-working seat belt and passenger door?
2: I would appreciate a better explanation of exactly what "routes are cut" and why that would affect a driver helper. We do not live near a city, just small hill towns. I know UPS is out there every day, I have seen them on the road. Does it mean they do not have the package volume that requires a helper?
3: The first days driver, let's call him "Driver Bob" was waiting in the parking lot of the business where the second day's driver was going to pick me up. Let's call him "Driver Fred". Fred went back to back with Bob and Fred transferred a crapload of packages to Bob, much to Bob's dismay. I was assigned to Fred that day, Bob had no helper. Bob had almost double the packages that Fred had! Why was Bob upset, and why did Bob not have a driver helper when he had double the packages that Fred and I had?
4: I was trained to use the DIAD at orientation. Both drivers refused to allow me to use this tool. I was told by my fathers friend during "Welcome to the jungle " helpers are useless, unless they can use the DIAD. Why did both drivers want to have total control of the DIAD? It is my understanding that this would slow them down. Yet they seemed fine with just throwing me packages out the back of the truck to have me walk them up while they sort. Also, why were they using version 3, and not version 5?
Thank you for the time you may or may not choose to give me. I appreciate all comments and suggestions!
- North East Newbie
