New Video! The Great Lunch Debate!

[Ou812fu]

He isn’t. He is full of BS. Got look cool on the message board.

Tight areas where the cops don't have to travel far to find you ..

 

[Coldworld]

This is a major issue in my center. As a cover driver, I know a lot of different routes, including the bulky, industrial ones where you're backing up to loading docks all day. I can count on one hand the number of routes I know where it's feasible to take lunch mid-day and still make service on everything.

There's one route in particular that is effectively impossible to service as currently dispatched, even without taking lunch until you finish. Very high piece count, terrible area. The air manifest alone isn't possible to complete on time, the businesses run straight into the pickups, and the pickups run all the way to your air meet (yeah, you'll need it). If you're lucky, you just might have a gap in between your last business and your first pickup where you can go knock out the apartments real quick. And even after the air meet there's two schools sitting in the middle of the last two subdivisions at the end of the route that will be dark and empty by the time you'll get there.

It's the only route I've ever run that is completely customized from start to finish for one driver to milk the clock and max out his hours every week. And if the load is even remotely suspect, the whole day is a disaster.

Any time the bid driver is on vacation, the plan is to just hold the line until he gets back. Management will do absolutely anything they can to avoid putting another route over there. Very frustrating.

You say the regular driver is “milking the clock”??? Sounds more like driver is getting screwed with way too much work.

 

[UnionStrong]

This is a major issue in my center. As a cover driver, I know a lot of different routes, including the bulky, industrial ones where you're backing up to loading docks all day. I can count on one hand the number of routes I know where it's feasible to take lunch mid-day and still make service on everything.

There's one route in particular that is effectively impossible to service as currently dispatched, even without taking lunch until you finish. Very high piece count, terrible area. The air manifest alone isn't possible to complete on time, the businesses run straight into the pickups, and the pickups run all the way to your air meet (yeah, you'll need it). If you're lucky, you just might have a gap in between your last business and your first pickup where you can go knock out the apartments real quick. And even after the air meet there's two schools sitting in the middle of the last two subdivisions at the end of the route that will be dark and empty by the time you'll get there.

It's the only route I've ever run that is completely customized from start to finish for one driver to milk the clock and max out his hours every week. And if the load is even remotely suspect, the whole day is a disaster.

Any time the bid driver is on vacation, the plan is to just hold the line until he gets back. Management will do absolutely anything they can to avoid putting another route over there. Very frustrating.

How is working balls to the wall everyday milking the clock? Sounds to me that the drivers on that hell route would be better served taking a lunch. Let the company figure out what to do when air is late or pickups get missed or schools are closed. They can’t fire you for following the rules.

 

[728ups]

This is a major issue in my center. As a cover driver, I know a lot of different routes, including the bulky, industrial ones where you're backing up to loading docks all day. I can count on one hand the number of routes I know where it's feasible to take lunch mid-day and still make service on everything.

There's one route in particular that is effectively impossible to service as currently dispatched, even without taking lunch until you finish. Very high piece count, terrible area. The air manifest alone isn't possible to complete on time, the businesses run straight into the pickups, and the pickups run all the way to your air meet (yeah, you'll need it). If you're lucky, you just might have a gap in between your last business and your first pickup where you can go knock out the apartments real quick. And even after the air meet there's two schools sitting in the middle of the last two subdivisions at the end of the route that will be dark and empty by the time you'll get there.

It's the only route I've ever run that is completely customized from start to finish for one driver to milk the clock and max out his hours every week. And if the load is even remotely suspect, the whole day is a disaster.

Any time the bid driver is on vacation, the plan is to just hold the line until he gets back. Management will do absolutely anything they can to avoid putting another route over there. Very frustrating.

This route is EASY to fix: Take Lunch EVERY DAY from 1200-1300. Send message to the center by 1500 that you will have missed pieces and missed commercial stops if you dont get help. If you dont get help record all undelivered packages as missed.
You will get called in the office the next day,threatened,told you are a POS of driver yada yada.Tell them sitting in the officeis eating precious time
Take lunch again 1200-1300. Message you will have missed. Your board will almost catch fire from all of the threating messages you will get .Reply that answering all of these messages is taking time and even more stops will be missed. Turn your phone off or your supe and center manager will call you with threats. If you cant get it all off then have missed again.
When you get called in the office the next morning the threats will ramp up, you may even get a Warning letter for some made up transgression, heck they may even "instruct" you not to take lunch between 12 and 1. Its all good, you know you have them when they do this. Rest assured management CANNOT tell you when to take lunch.
Rinse and Repeat and they WILL take work off of the route.

 

[UnionStrong]

This route is EASY to fix: Take Lunch EVERY DAY from 1200-1300. Send message to the center by 1500 that you will have missed pieces and missed commercial stops if you dont get help. If you dont get help record all undelivered packages as missed.
You will get called in the office the next day,threatened,told you are a POS of driver yada yada.Tell them sitting in the officeis eating precious time
Take lunch again 1200-1300. Message you will have missed. Your board will almost catch fire from all of the threating messages you will get .Reply that answering all of these messages is taking time and even more stops will be missed. Turn your phone off or your supe and center manager will call you with threats. If you cant get it all off then have missed again.
When you get called in the office the next morning the threats will ramp up, you may even get a Warning letter for some made up transgression, heck they may even "instruct" you not to take lunch between 12 and 1. Its all good, you know you have them when they do this. Rest assured management CANNOT tell you when to take lunch.
Rinse and Repeat and they WILL take work off of the route.

Could not have said better, brother.

 

[Coldworld]

How is working balls to the wall everyday milking the clock? Sounds to me that the drivers on that hell route would be better served taking a lunch. Let the company figure out what to do when air is late or pickups get missed or schools are closed. They can’t fire you for following the rules.

Think they are getting industrial route drivers and feeder drivers mixed up…lol

 

[Coldworld]

This route is EASY to fix: Take Lunch EVERY DAY from 1200-1300. Send message to the center by 1500 that you will have missed pieces and missed commercial stops if you dont get help. If you dont get help record all undelivered packages as missed.
You will get called in the office the next day,threatened,told you are a POS of driver yada yada.Tell them sitting in the officeis eating precious time
Take lunch again 1200-1300. Message you will have missed. Your board will almost catch fire from all of the threating messages you will get .Reply that answering all of these messages is taking time and even more stops will be missed. Turn your phone off or your supe and center manager will call you with threats. If you cant get it all off then have missed again.
When you get called in the office the next morning the threats will ramp up, you may even get a Warning letter for some made up transgression, heck they may even "instruct" you not to take lunch between 12 and 1. Its all good, you know you have them when they do this. Rest assured management CANNOT tell you when to take lunch.
Rinse and Repeat and they WILL take work off of the route.

Exactly…isnt rocket science is it 728??

 

[UnionStrong]

Exactly…isnt rocket science is it 728??

What the hell is the big deal about taking a lunch?

 

[Coldworld]

What the hell is the big deal about taking a lunch?View attachment 373368

I always liked the drivers who would bitch about having that one or two stops per day that were “going to absolutely kill my day”…lol if your route puts you so far behind if you have one heavier pickup or have to wait for a train, or something like that then it’s pretty much a given that you have way too much work.

 

[Boston25]

I don't understand how you guys got the math of leaving money on the table by not taking lunch. If lunch is unpaid, how are you losing money by not taking it? Working 9:00 to 17:00 and skipping lunch gets you paid 8 hours straight time. Working 9:00 to 17:30 and taking lunch gets you paid 8 hours straight time. Am I missing something? Does overtime kick in after 8 hours of paid work? Or does it kick in 8 hours after you clock in? Similarly, I was under the impression that the unpaid lunch break didn't count towards 9.5. In my experience skipping your lunch does indeed get you off that much earlier. Management isn't going to give me less stops if I start taking lunch regularly; they're just going to say "save your resis for after you drop air," and we all know how much fun climbing over pickup volume is. I don't begrudge drivers who take lunch everyday. I prefer to not to take a lunch, but its not the hill I want to die on, (and obviously I'll take lunch if there's a sufficient gap before/between pick ups- I'm not going down for theft of time!) In our building "all drivers must take a lunch" is a flavor of the month, and is kind of a joke because some pure commercial routes as currently dispatched would impossible to complete if a lunch were to be taken, and since those drivers can't take a lunch, management can't discipline other drivers for not taking lunch. Thanks for the videos and any follow up.

I’ve always said if every driver in every center took their lunch between the contractual time in the contract they would need to make more routes, hire more drivers and stop letting guys home every day. In theory any way.

 

[Coldworld]

What the hell is the big deal about taking a lunch?View attachment 373368

Love that movie

 

[tramtwo]

we don't run routes we deliver them... whenever I was asked to run a route I would answer I'm willing to walk one at a brisk pace

 

[UnionStrong]

we don't run routes we deliver them... whenever I was asked to run a route I would answer I'm willing to walk one at a brisk pace

With a sense of urgency… no faster

 

[AKCoverMan]

There is your answer. That's the company taking advantage of all the lunch skippers. Those driver's have too much work/pick ups. Also if you have pick up volume and you're bringing it back 30min/1hour later everyday. Management is going to start to feel that. The numbers start to add up and emails start to fly.


Everyone should take a lunch. The rules apply to everyone. Resi, commercial or whatever.

Yes, certainly, if your route is heavy commercial and heavy pickups then taking lunch is to your advantage although your reward may be fewer commercial stops replaced by even more residentia.

But not all routes are created equal. My route is mostly rural, and I load my own car. Hour to ninety minutes of sort followed by 7-8 hours on road (usually). I start at 1000. I usually take a 15 paid break part way thru my day and eat sandwich and hot snack in parking lot of same convenience store. I have no desire to sit for an hour off the clock twiddling my thumbs and getting done an hour later. I either take a second paid 15 around 1700 unless it’s cold then I take it at the building so my jeep can warm up on the clock. I’m 9.5 so nine ish hours paid day gets me off clock by 1930. Taking lunch will not earn me one penny different but takes five hours a week of my life away.

Totally respect and will fight for the right to have unpaid lunch. But don’t force it on me. I’m glad our local gives us option.

if your replying that I’m going to get more work, stop typing. Every time they send me to help it’s s 9.5 violation.

if your replying that I am losing money by working thru my lunch, stop typing, I don’t work thru my lunch unpaid (I can’t imagine working for free) I simply don’t take it. I don’t punch one in my board. If your putting an UNPAID lunch in your board but continuing to work I can’t help you.

 

[AKCoverMan]

This is a major issue in my center. As a cover driver, I know a lot of different routes, including the bulky, industrial ones where you're backing up to loading docks all day. I can count on one hand the number of routes I know where it's feasible to take lunch mid-day and still make service on everything.

There's one route in particular that is effectively impossible to service as currently dispatched, even without taking lunch until you finish. Very high piece count, terrible area. The air manifest alone isn't possible to complete on time, the businesses run straight into the pickups, and the pickups run all the way to your air meet (yeah, you'll need it). If you're lucky, you just might have a gap in between your last business and your first pickup where you can go knock out the apartments real quick. And even after the air meet there's two schools sitting in the middle of the last two subdivisions at the end of the route that will be dark and empty by the time you'll get there.

It's the only route I've ever run that is completely customized from start to finish for one driver to milk the clock and max out his hours every week. And if the load is even remotely suspect, the whole day is a disaster.

Any time the bid driver is on vacation, the plan is to just hold the line until he gets back. Management will do absolutely anything they can to avoid putting another route over there. Very frustrating.

Perfect example of a route that you should punch out for first break and lunch right after air is off then after lunch message center you will need business help and pickup help. Watched this work many times. It’s not pretty for a few days and management is going to go ape . So double down and request a ride along, insist on a one hour lunch during that ride along,

 

[AKCoverMan]

This route is EASY to fix: Take Lunch EVERY DAY from 1200-1300. Send message to the center by 1500 that you will have missed pieces and missed commercial stops if you dont get help. If you dont get help record all undelivered packages as missed.
You will get called in the office the next day,threatened,told you are a POS of driver yada yada.Tell them sitting in the officeis eating precious time
Take lunch again 1200-1300. Message you will have missed. Your board will almost catch fire from all of the threating messages you will get .Reply that answering all of these messages is taking time and even more stops will be missed. Turn your phone off or your supe and center manager will call you with threats. If you cant get it all off then have missed again.
When you get called in the office the next morning the threats will ramp up, you may even get a Warning letter for some made up transgression, heck they may even "instruct" you not to take lunch between 12 and 1. Its all good, you know you have them when they do this. Rest assured management CANNOT tell you when to take lunch.
Rinse and Repeat and they WILL take work off of the route.

I should have read next page you beat me to it.

 

[Shorts365]

Yes, certainly, if your route is heavy commercial and heavy pickups then taking lunch is to your advantage although your reward may be fewer commercial stops replaced by even more residentia.

But not all routes are created equal. My route is mostly rural, and I load my own car. Hour to ninety minutes of sort followed by 7-8 hours on road (usually). I start at 1000. I usually take a 15 paid break part way thru my day and eat sandwich and hot snack in parking lot of same convenience store. I have no desire to sit for an hour off the clock twiddling my thumbs and getting done an hour later. I either take a second paid 15 around 1700 unless it’s cold then I take it at the building so my jeep can warm up on the clock. I’m 9.5 so nine ish hours paid day gets me off clock by 1930. Taking lunch will not earn me one penny different but takes five hours a week of my life away.

Totally respect and will fight for the right to have unpaid lunch. But don’t force it on me. I’m glad our local gives us option.

if your replying that I’m going to get more work, stop typing. Every time they send me to help it’s s 9.5 violation.

if your replying that I am losing money by working thru my lunch, stop typing, I don’t work thru my lunch unpaid (I can’t imagine working for free) I simply don’t take it. I don’t punch one in my board. If your putting an UNPAID lunch in your board but continuing to work I can’t help you.

You're the first person up on here who sees this rationally. Thanks.

 

[Analbumcover]

I love lunch skippers. I've got a 1st year progression RPCD that shares my in-town loop who skips lunch and runs all the time. Puts his lunch break in as his drive back to the building. My mileage and stops have gone down quite a bit.

Keep runnin' and gunnin' there champ!

 

[eats packages]

I love lunch skippers. I've got a 1st year progression RPCD that shares my in-town loop who skips lunch and runs all the time. Puts his lunch break in as his drive back to the building. My mileage and stops have gone down quite a bit.

Keep runnin' and gunnin' there champ!

The other new guy has already been ordered an OJS ride over very-likely legitimate safety issues while simultaneously complaining about busting ass and getting other people's work done. Could just have it both ways like in the CarLotz commercials, more attention to safety and less work, but you'll have to work longer hours!

Hell the small minority of mutually agreeable routes that do well without a lunch are being held up almost as deceptively as a used car lot. They can be OK but the deal is flimsy as paper and I doubt most drivers have the gut to walk out of the lot (take lunches) if it's a bad deal.

 

[Bubblehead]

Yes, certainly, if your route is heavy commercial and heavy pickups then taking lunch is to your advantage although your reward may be fewer commercial stops replaced by even more residentia.

But not all routes are created equal. My route is mostly rural, and I load my own car. Hour to ninety minutes of sort followed by 7-8 hours on road (usually). I start at 1000. I usually take a 15 paid break part way thru my day and eat sandwich and hot snack in parking lot of same convenience store. I have no desire to sit for an hour off the clock twiddling my thumbs and getting done an hour later. I either take a second paid 15 around 1700 unless it’s cold then I take it at the building so my jeep can warm up on the clock. I’m 9.5 so nine ish hours paid day gets me off clock by 1930. Taking lunch will not earn me one penny different but takes five hours a week of my life away.

Totally respect and will fight for the right to have unpaid lunch. But don’t force it on me. I’m glad our local gives us option.

if your replying that I’m going to get more work, stop typing. Every time they send me to help it’s s 9.5 violation.

if your replying that I am losing money by working thru my lunch, stop typing, I don’t work thru my lunch unpaid (I can’t imagine working for free) I simply don’t take it. I don’t punch one in my board. If your putting an UNPAID lunch in your board but continuing to work I can’t help you.

My supplement states very clearly that we "are entitled to and required" to take this meal period.

If it doesn't fit your wants and perceived needs on this route, then bid another one, rather than attempt to create an exception that violates the contract.

One size does fit all, but you are the one who needs to find a spot to fit in, not the other way around.

You're the first person up on here who sees this rationally. Thanks.

You mean @AKCoverMan was the first one to tell you what you wanted to hear?

....being "the first" after 75 posts should have been a clue that "reasonable" had nothing to do with it.