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?
It's possible that...
1) The drivers may not be getting helpers daily.
2) The drivers may have preferred helpers -- incumbent employees, persons that helped them last year, etc. -- that were unavailable (e.g. returning home from school, completing helper orientation, etc.).
3) The drivers may not have wanted to work with you again. Don't take it personally... some guys want somebody who runs their butt off every day, others want somebody to socialize with, etc.
4) The drivers merely need to tell the coordinator they want someone else, but it's possible that one or both may have said you were a poor helper.
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?
Because of last peak's disaster, nationally UPS is using more seasonal drivers; these drivers are delivering not just "new" volume, but also taking volume from other drivers. Most seasonal drivers do not get a helper. Consequently, this means less helper & helper hours are needed vs. prior years.
Like I said... many drivers have a preferred person to help them. You're being picked for the rest. There may just not be a need for you in the area you're willing to work in.
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?
He's upset because of his workload. We do not know why he was dispatched that way, why more work was given to him or why he had no helper.
Helper hours are inconsistent. Two drivers with similar dispatch and similar routes may have a huge discrepancy in allowable helper hours (e.g. 3 for one, 8 for the other). I'm sure there's some algorithm, but it's just not very good.
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?
Diad IV became the "peak" DIAD after V was introduced (there's just not enough V). A handful of drivers (mostly seasonal) get IV, and nearly all helper boards are IV. Just not enough to go around... III was retired awhile ago.
I'm proficient with the DIAD (I've done seasonal driving many times) and most drivers will not allow me to use it... just their preference, I guess.