New driver helper - not getting any calls from dispatch? Other issues..

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Not sure about unsafe driving but a malfunctioning seatbelt and side door that will not stay shut is definitely a safety issue that should deadline the package car.

Yeah, I forgot about that part of the story. The pkg car should be red tagged until those are corrected.

 

[NEnewbie]

Thank you all for the replies, even the snarky ones. I was able to work today, I was able to help the first driver again today. I do not understand what some are saying here, the driver and I talk to each other about a lot of things all day long. Today, we talked about how much he wants to retire in 2 years and go to Florida. I talked about my life and we have good chemistry.

I decided to flat out ask him at the end of the day if I helped him speed up his time, he said yes and to expect more work with him. He also give me an extra 13 minutes when we were driving back to my house at the end of the day for my drop off at 5:30PM so I would get that pay.

I want to clarify, I reported the broken seat belt and the door that would not stay shut. That's all. I did not report speeding issues nor the second day driver pissing off the back of the truck. Like I said I was advised by a retired driver about the job, but he did not tell me everything. I consider not being able to latch my seatbelt a very dangerous working condition that is not acceptable. To suggest I would be punished for reporting this is frankly disturbing - and I am glad it was not true in my case.

The driver said he is going to request me every time because my 'ass busting' allowed him to go home an hour sooner than usual. I took great pride in this.

Thank you to those who answered my inquiries. I am trying to get in the good graces of the company and intend to become a feeder in the future.

We talked a little about routes being cut and he seemed disturbed as to "what they are doing". I intend to ask him more about this Monday.

I am very happy with my experience so far and am glad I have the chance to work hard and prove myself. I intend to keep the forum updated on how my adventures in driving helping plays out. I hope this will help future driver helpers in some way.

 

[joeboodog]

For me this peak has been strange. I have only had a helper twice and even then I really didn't need help. Glad to hear it is working out for you.

 

[capers8]

I intend to ask him more about this Monday.

Cause if there's one thing men love it's questions.

 

[MendozaJ]

I wasn't trying to be snarky. It was more of a "whaddya gonna do" shrug of the shoulders. You would have a litany of complaints if you worked on the inside. If you were truly concerned for your safety, you would have gotten out of the truck, paycheck notwithstanding. This "very dangerous working condition that is not acceptable" turned out to be, well, somewhat acceptable.

As it is, I was wrong about the circumstances and in no way would being correct given me any pleasure. I'm glad you're still working. I truly feel sorry for many of the helpers I see daily that seem genuinely happy to be wearing the uniform, but were sold a dream. Good luck.

 

[bumped]

You make it sound that you are in a real rural area. Sometimes those drivers don't want a helper, because they waste so much time picking you up or dropping you off that they don't save much time. In your case 13 minutes dropping you off. I, for one, want a helper. I don't care what my numbers are and I'm happy not having to leave the package car that much.

 

[jumpman23]

Put it to ya like this, if a jumper is good, a smart driver will kidnap them for all of peak lol. Thats how the game is played and most drivers on here will tell ya if you get a good jumper from day 1 they will make sure they keep them the whole season. I got a guy from day 1 and told the chick that runs the driver helper thing that hes mine and dont even think about trying to put him with anyone else or else lol.

 

[wetleg]

Put it to ya like this, if a jumper is good, a smart driver will kidnap them for all of peak lol. Thats how the game is played and most drivers on here will tell ya if you get a good jumper from day 1 they will make sure they keep them the whole season. I got a guy from day 1 and told the chick that runs the driver helper thing that hes mine and dont even think about trying to put him with anyone else or else lol.

Yep this is 100 percent true. This is my first week as a helper and my driver told the coordinator that he wants me the rest of the peak and now we just communicate with each other as far as when to meet each day. The coordinator is cut out and they are quite happy about it. It's one less driver they have to worry about.

 

[Bagels]

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.

 

[Missmyjob]

Put it to ya like this, if a jumper is good, a smart driver will kidnap them for all of peak lol. Thats how the game is played and most drivers on here will tell ya if you get a good jumper from day 1 they will make sure they keep them the whole season. I got a guy from day 1 and told the chick that runs the driver helper thing that hes mine and dont even think about trying to put him with anyone else or else lol.

My season as a helper went the same way he had already gone through 3 helpers and then I was moved 9a Simi truck to a route that was business in the am and residential after 3. We had a blast and I would do anything to be back on the Rio route

 

[cosmo1]

My season as a helper went the same way he had already gone through 3 helpers and then I was moved 9a Simi truck to a route that was business in the am and residential after 3. We had a blast and I would do anything to be back on the Rio route

Necroposting three year old threads explains your termination.

 

[Missmyjob]

Necroposting three year old threads explains your termination.

My bad