asphaltcowboy
Well-Known Member
90 stops only 15 in trace today planned miles 260 actual was 231. 4th day on route first day I went blind.
ORION
- Thread starter upschick0182
- Start date
Boulevard859710
Well-Known Member
I wish the the "team" could be like the Orion constellation. I would go all Ralph Kramden on them and send their asses "to the moon".
realbrown1
Annoy a liberal today. Hit them with facts.
The answer you are looking for is "BOTH".
Orion is new to our hub. I can't believe the company spent money on this technology. Some drivers say it cut their mileage by 6-7 miles but they spent more time on the route. The truck is loaded by 1000's - 8000's and the new way has the drivers going all over the place in their truck instead of the old way so the box they want first might be buried. Also, businesses are getting upset being delivered to later. This is just another inefficient thing that ups has implemented. With a few minor adjustments all employees would be much happier but ups likes to make everything difficult.
barnyard
KTM rider
The route I have been covering has not been 'optimized for Orion,' but it should not have to be. It is a 100% residential route. There is not 1 business on it. There should be nothing to optimize, the program should just figure it out, but it does not. Orion trace is to run air in the order that it would be and then start the route at the last air stop.
Today, I had 5 NDA, when I delivered the 5th NDA stop, it was my 22nd stop. Had I done it the Orion way, it would have been my 5th.
Seems pretty stoopit to me.
One of the days I had no air, so I thought I would run it via Orion. Ran it pretty much in EDD order, with a couple of flips that made sense until I got to section 7. Then it appeared to have been a random shuffle done just to add miles. Made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I do not understand why a program that is designed to reduce miles would need to be optimized for a 100% residential route.
UPS needs to ask for their money back.
Today, I had 5 NDA, when I delivered the 5th NDA stop, it was my 22nd stop. Had I done it the Orion way, it would have been my 5th.
Seems pretty stoopit to me.
One of the days I had no air, so I thought I would run it via Orion. Ran it pretty much in EDD order, with a couple of flips that made sense until I got to section 7. Then it appeared to have been a random shuffle done just to add miles. Made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I do not understand why a program that is designed to reduce miles would need to be optimized for a 100% residential route.
UPS needs to ask for their money back.
clean hairy
Well-Known Member
Warning letter for working as directed?
That person will have alot of explaining to try and make it stick!
JL 0513
Well-Known Member
It's curious that UPS would invest a billion dollars on this program and not fully educate drivers on all the fundamentals of how it works and how to make it successful. During implementation they ride with you once or twice but the ride has little to do with the technical aspects of it.
I can't get into everything but I'll try to point out a few basics about running it successfully.
It's about timing. Meeting the planned ETA's is imperative. These are listed on your plan on the Orion computers. A tip is taking pics of the screen with your phone so that you can compare your timing during the day. If you are a flexible person willing to work with the program, you will often need to adjust your lunch and breaks accordingly. I know many people won't. If you are running a half hour behind, which will be often, take a half hour lunch instead of an hour.
The importance of timing should be obvious. Orion sets you up for you pick up run. If you don't make your p/u break points exactly as planned, it won't make sense and there goes your mileage. Again, this planned order is on the computer, and unfortunately, not your DIAD. UPS would be well served to implement these details on the DIAD, such as listing p/u's within the EDD list.
Without having the plan available to drivers during the day, drivers are blind to Orion's logic. This is why it often seems to not make sense. An unplanned break to make a p/u on time because you are behind results in the next delivery stop not making any sense.
The more p/u's your route has, the more complicated it gets. It's likely that Orion will sprinkle delivery stops along your pick up path. It's hard to know exactly what it's doing without constantly looking at the picture you took of the solution. And of course this needs a fix. A driver shouldn't have to go through this process of taking photos of the plan in the morning to make it work. It should all be built into the DIAD, even indicating how behind or ahead you are. That may aggravate some drivers but it is important to making this work.
Remember that any adjustments you make to your delivery order changes everything. You must make any changes maintain your planned ETA for later. You may decide to shuffle two particular neighborhoods but you need to make sure you end up where you're supposed to on time without increasing miles.
We've talked endlessly about Orion but it seems we haven't dove into some of the stuff above. Just some food for thought. Not trying to be an Orion defender but it can work even if it makes some weird decisions. Some days more than others.
I can't get into everything but I'll try to point out a few basics about running it successfully.
It's about timing. Meeting the planned ETA's is imperative. These are listed on your plan on the Orion computers. A tip is taking pics of the screen with your phone so that you can compare your timing during the day. If you are a flexible person willing to work with the program, you will often need to adjust your lunch and breaks accordingly. I know many people won't. If you are running a half hour behind, which will be often, take a half hour lunch instead of an hour.
The importance of timing should be obvious. Orion sets you up for you pick up run. If you don't make your p/u break points exactly as planned, it won't make sense and there goes your mileage. Again, this planned order is on the computer, and unfortunately, not your DIAD. UPS would be well served to implement these details on the DIAD, such as listing p/u's within the EDD list.
Without having the plan available to drivers during the day, drivers are blind to Orion's logic. This is why it often seems to not make sense. An unplanned break to make a p/u on time because you are behind results in the next delivery stop not making any sense.
The more p/u's your route has, the more complicated it gets. It's likely that Orion will sprinkle delivery stops along your pick up path. It's hard to know exactly what it's doing without constantly looking at the picture you took of the solution. And of course this needs a fix. A driver shouldn't have to go through this process of taking photos of the plan in the morning to make it work. It should all be built into the DIAD, even indicating how behind or ahead you are. That may aggravate some drivers but it is important to making this work.
Remember that any adjustments you make to your delivery order changes everything. You must make any changes maintain your planned ETA for later. You may decide to shuffle two particular neighborhoods but you need to make sure you end up where you're supposed to on time without increasing miles.
We've talked endlessly about Orion but it seems we haven't dove into some of the stuff above. Just some food for thought. Not trying to be an Orion defender but it can work even if it makes some weird decisions. Some days more than others.
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What's more important regarding ORION; Over/under mileage limit or % of trace?
When I run ORION it takes more time so I take the freeway to my air stops so I have more time to dig thru my bulk ensuring I don't have to go back there later. I'm about 5 miles over and taking the freeway adds about 2-3 rather than surface in the morning. I also never back while doing resi and that adds about 1-2 miles I'm guessing. So basically I'm adding miles to achieve higher % trace.
When I run ORION it takes more time so I take the freeway to my air stops so I have more time to dig thru my bulk ensuring I don't have to go back there later. I'm about 5 miles over and taking the freeway adds about 2-3 rather than surface in the morning. I also never back while doing resi and that adds about 1-2 miles I'm guessing. So basically I'm adding miles to achieve higher % trace.
CHALLY9TX
Well-Known Member
Timing? Everything takes longer because of Orion. Nobody arrives at their first stop on time because nobody leaves on time. Our management loves extending the PCMs. So already you're behind. Orions way of running things has you crossing back and forth on streets, making more left turns, making you do u-turns and causes you to fight traffic.
tracker2762
Well-Known Member
JL 0153, One of the problems with your reasoning is orion timing doesn't allowing for retrieving stops that are buried. Not every stop is right inside the bulk head door. To get a package from the middle of the pc could take 1 to 3 minutes ( some take much longer) and that is enough to throw off orions timing. Also Orion is having me do pickups at 9:30 while doing airs and lunch isn't even accounted for. One more thing, I not looking at no computer if I not on the clock let alone taking pictures of it. Besides I wouldn't be able to see it on my $20 phone anyway. If that what makes Orion successful they better come up with another plan because this one is a disgrace.
JL 0513
Well-Known Member
Yes, leaving building later than Orion's plan is another problem but isn't a problem with Orion's program. That's a problem for management to fix. If they can't get people out on time, they can up the leave building time in the Orion system and a new solution will calculate. If you're leaving 15 minutes late everyday and the 1st stop ETA is unattainable, tell them.
The rest of your post is what we've talked about over and over. I was bringing up some fundamentals we haven't really addressed in detail.
JL 0513
Well-Known Member
Yes, meeting Orion's time allowance is often impossible. The more bricked out you are, the worse your day will be.
I'm not saying the timing is good. Just pointing out that it is the only way it comes together logically. The reason most guys complain about Orion's supposed stupidity is because they are unaware that they have fallen off its schedule. At that point, Orion runs illogically because the break aways were not made at the correct points. This means returning to the next stop as listed and it doesn't make sense because that stop was meant for another time.
I agree you shouldn't have to analyze the Orion computers and even go so far as taking pics. But right now it is what it is. I have a 5.5" Galaxy Note so I see every detail. Works for me. I just choose not to deal with the fustration of running something and not having it work as intended.
JL 0513
Well-Known Member
Lunch and even breaks are included in Orion schedule. On the computer, you'll see a line stating ETA adjustment somewhere in the middle. This jumps your ETA up (in my local 1 hr 20 minutes because we get two 10 minute breaks). You don't need to take lunch necessarily at the point it states but you do need to be on time at pick ups. Since being on schedule is often unattainable, like I said earlier, by adjusting my breaks I get right back on schedule. I always did that anyway. I don't want to take my full hour mid day. I usually do two 30 minute ones.
If I spent a billion dollars for a program I shouldn't expect my drivers to take pics so they know what it is trying to do. The technology should be integrated with the diad and eta shown there. They know wether or not I scanned a pkg and walked 10 feet or scanned and drove ten feet you can't tell me they couldn't put this stuff in the diad.
Personally, Orion helped me learn my new route this year. The dol was screwed majorly. It combined the box numbers and street names for me keeping everything together. Now that I know the area I can't make sense out of it sometimes. Like everything else here, if they would let us input our ideas we could have made it more efficient. But we are just numbers.
Personally, Orion helped me learn my new route this year. The dol was screwed majorly. It combined the box numbers and street names for me keeping everything together. Now that I know the area I can't make sense out of it sometimes. Like everything else here, if they would let us input our ideas we could have made it more efficient. But we are just numbers.
tourists24
Well-Known Member
This is an extremely huge problem to be overcome not even mentioning the thousand other flaws with ORION
By The Book
Well-Known Member
I just leave my diad in Orion order and visualize the path it has me taking. No pictures required. I think if you are doing everything you are saying here, you are overthinking this a bit much. Use Orion as a tool, in my opinion.
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