Possible Fatal Flaw in the package cars?

[PT Car Washer]

I wrote up every truck I was in for this issue for awhile. It is not even funny how much better the LED lights light up the back. Not to mention use far less energy.

Like comparing a 100 watt light bulb to a birthday candle. You will really appreciate the LED lights when you get closer to 50 or 60.

 

[BrownArmy]

I like the new 800's we're getting...

Nice LED's in the back, except that once the rear door rolls up, it covers the center roof LED.

Brilliant.

 

[soberups]

Some drivers were requesting the new bright LED cargo lights for the back of the older package cars. Shop started installing them but then pulled them all out because it was against UPS policy to alter original equipment.

I recently drove our shop spare 1995 International P-700 that originally came from the factory without Telematics, keyless ignition, a rear view monitor or a trailer hitch. Every one of those items has been added on to the vehicle over the last 19 years, so whoever told you that UPS policy prohibits altering the equipment is full of baloney.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Honestly I did have one problem with a 11700. I was going up a very steep and narrow hill and it stalled.

Couldnt get the fob to work and couldnt stop the truck,from rolling backwards.

Almost crapped my pants.

I ripped the belt loop from my pants,so I could stick the key in the ignition.

Holy friend.....

You mean the truck i drove,with 400k on the odometer and all kinds of wires,sticking out of the fuse box?

Im lucky it even started,not to mention a jacked up suspension and rust everywhere!

Safety first! lol

 

[kingOFchester]

You mean the truck i drove,with 400k on the odometer and all kinds of wires,sticking out of the fuse box?

Im lucky it even started,not to mention a jacked up suspension and rust everywhere!

Two peaks ago I had a truck like that. It also leaked like colander in the cab. They used a DR bag to keep the wire nest coming out of the fuse panel dry. I had to rig up a canopy made up of DR bags to keep my head dry.

Safety, #1.

Also had a driver pull up to a red light several years ago. The entire front axel came off and the front of the truck nosed dived to into the street.

My wife is well informed that if anything ever happens to me in a UPS truck, to get the best damn lawyer and have the truck inspected to determine the exact problems.

 

[oldngray]

I recently drove our shop spare 1995 International P-700 that originally came from the factory without Telematics, keyless ignition, a rear view monitor or a trailer hitch. Every one of those items has been added on to the vehicle over the last 19 years, so whoever told you that UPS policy prohibits altering the equipment is full of baloney.

The periodic "upgrades" are a big reason why the old trucks can be so different from each other depending on what was changed and when.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I was extremely unpopular with my higher ups in management when I filed a PSR after burning my fingers on a stuck-on blazing hot door solenoid. I mentioned removing the keyless as a real solution to the crappy 2012 white keyless modules. Hey-they asked for suggestions! Excuse the out of me!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Happened to me, same situation. There was a batch of "defective relays" whatever that means, and my car had one of them. It was replaced and I haven't had a problem since, but to be on the safe side I always make sure to have the actual ignition key on the ring with the fob so that I can get it fired up in case it ever happens again. I have never understood the logic of keeping a spare fob and key set in a lock box when we could just as easily keep the keys on the ring as a backup.

They keep the spare keys locked up to make sure drivers, especially the older ones like you and I, are using the fob rather than the keys.

 

[ZQXC]

They keep the spare keys locked up to make sure drivers, especially the older ones like you and I, are using the fob rather than the keys.

Nothing in the lockbox of my truck but a cobweb. They have never taken our keys.

 

[Richard Harrow]

Never use the key fob, takes too long. Quicker to use the key. The key fobs seem to work faster in the newer trucks though versus the older ones like I have. Older 700 with automatic and 85mph top speed lol. That old sum bitch will get it lol.

We have identical trucks. I take a stretch of I-95 to my area. Every time I do, I think of this song (especially "the brakes are good and the tires are fair" line lol):

 

[BigUnionGuy]

My keyless suddenly quit working while I was driving down a road. The engine, power brakes, and power steering quit.My center has had this happen twice recently.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Yep.

http://www.browncafe.com/community/...-died-in-this-ups-truck-last-december.347617/

The news story link in the thread seems dead.

Easy to google.

UPS crash exposes dangers of efficiency obsession



-Bug-

 

[soberups]

They keep the spare keys locked up to make sure drivers, especially the older ones like you and I, are using the fob rather than the keys.

And I have the code to my lock box to make sure I can get to the key in case they take it off my key ring.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Did you get your air delivered on time?

The fatal flaw is not the package cars, it's the people in charge of the company.

 

[soberups]

Yep.

http://www.browncafe.com/community/...-died-in-this-ups-truck-last-december.347617/

The news story link in the thread seems dead.

Easy to google.

UPS crash exposes dangers of efficiency obsession



-Bug-

The full link...along with 91 photos of the crash scene...is still available on the mobile version of the KIRO website. Very disturbing. We never did find out what really happened or what went wrong with the truck and if the helper who got injured wound up settling with UPS he probably signed a non-disclosure agreement. Maybe a driver from that center could chime in?

 

[Richard Harrow]

That photo has to be shopped. There is no way in hell it was released to the public. UPS & the local authorities would not have it.

 

[soberups]

That photo has to be shopped. There is no way in hell it was released to the public. UPS & the local authorities would not have it.

They were accident scene photos that the news agency had to sue to get released. They are real.

 

[aiian]

I've always wondered how our tin can package cars would fair in an accident and now I know... yikes.

First I've heard of that story but at first glance it sounds like a good ol fashioned roll off to me.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

This particular vehicle still sits outside the Seattle shop. Word is the driver in question has an inordinate number of accidents to his name including some after this incident.

 

[scratch]

This is a spare I got one day. The only thing holding the instrument panel on was the wiring harness and the tape some other driver tried to fasten it down with.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

That's sad. On the other hand, that application of tape doesn't look like it was done by the mechanic.