Saturday Air Driver

[Heinrich]

SO, whats the deal with all this you cant be DIABETIC stuff? It is illogical, and after reading all the policies, it feels like they are misinformed. I have been diabetic my entire life, have never been hospitalized, have a clean driving record. Isn't that all that matters here? They are discriminating against me for having a "disability," thats strange... I never considered it a disability... It says the insulin injecting process is complicated. I assure you, it is not. A comparison I'd like to make, is that it is like the difference between having a manual transmission, or automatic transmission. Your bodies regulate your sugar/insulin automatically, I regulate mine manually. Additionally, the whole diabetes EXEMPTION process has set us up to fail. For one, this is all based off of the DOT rules for a CDL license, one which we are not required to obtain. Vehicles less than 10,000 lbs do not require a CDL, and we are INTRASTATE not INTERSTATE. UPS has thin blanket policy that adheres to the standards you are required to meet for a CDL. SOOOO shouldn't I be allowed to drive?

As if there were not enough hoops to jump through to begin with, I now have to deal with this BS exemption process which could take several months, (if they even allow it), where as I am being promoted now! I do not know what to do, or how(if) I should even bother trying to move forward.
I am truly devastated/heartbroken by this discrimination. I have never felt this way before.
I took a job here to move up the corporate ladder. I am finding out my ladder, is in fact, just a load stand.
The union is not protecting me. Nobody is speaking up for me.
I am left to fend for myself like a wolf in the wild, only, according to corporate, I am a wolf that cannot ever hunt.

 

[beavis]

Its not personal, its policy and the liability is too large. You werent hired as a driver and everyone has to meet the company standards to qualify. With that said, i hope you are successful getting your exemption.

 

[livin the dream]

yea I learned to drive a stick in a little cavalier. didn't really prepare me for all the different package cars and their messed up transmissions/shifters

 

[FrigidAdCorrector]

SO, whats the deal with all this you cant be DIABETIC stuff? It is illogical, and after reading all the policies, it feels like they are misinformed. I have been diabetic my entire life, have never been hospitalized, have a clean driving record. Isn't that all that matters here? They are discriminating against me for having a "disability," thats strange... I never considered it a disability... It says the insulin injecting process is complicated. I assure you, it is not. A comparison I'd like to make, is that it is like the difference between having a manual transmission, or automatic transmission. Your bodies regulate your sugar/insulin automatically, I regulate mine manually. Additionally, the whole diabetes EXEMPTION process has set us up to fail. For one, this is all based off of the DOT rules for a CDL license, one which we are not required to obtain. Vehicles less than 10,000 lbs do not require a CDL, and we are INTRASTATE not INTERSTATE. UPS has thin blanket policy that adheres to the standards you are required to meet for a CDL. SOOOO shouldn't I be allowed to drive?

As if there were not enough hoops to jump through to begin with, I now have to deal with this BS exemption process which could take several months, (if they even allow it), where as I am being promoted now! I do not know what to do, or how(if) I should even bother trying to move forward.
I am truly devastated/heartbroken by this discrimination. I have never felt this way before.
I took a job here to move up the corporate ladder. I am finding out my ladder, is in fact, just a load stand.
The union is not protecting me. Nobody is speaking up for me.
I am left to fend for myself like a wolf in the wild, only, according to corporate, I am a wolf that cannot ever hunt.

It isn't intrastate commerce. It is interstate. Unless you're only delivering stuff made in your state.

Blame the DOT, not UPS' fault. DOT regulations do require us to have DOT Medicals since we are performing interstate commerce. If we didn't we wouldn't pay for guys to get one every year.

It's the evil government, not evil corporation in your case.

 

[upschuck]

DOT regulations do require us to have DOT Medicals since we are performing interstate commerce.

Only if you drive a vehicle 10,001+ wt on the plate. If you drive a vehicle rated at 10,000, you do not need one, most all PC's now are over that wt threshold, however.

 

[oldngray]

Only if you drive a vehicle 10,001+ wt on the plate. If you drive a vehicle rated at 10,000, you do not need one, most all PC's now are over that wt threshold, however.

Plus you never know when you might drive a different truck that day that might be over 10,000 even if your normal truck is under.

 

[Dr.Brownz]

i liked your metaphor about the load stand

 

[Jones]

We had a couple diabetic drivers, the company let them drive as long as they were able to bid a route that could fit in a sprinter. Both of them are retired now and the sprinters are gone but even if they weren't I don't see how you could do the job as a cover driver.

 

[Mugarolla]

have a clean driving record. Isn't that all that matters here?

No. Liability matters. What if you don't regulate and go into a diabetic siezure and kill someone, or yourself. The liability falls on UPS.

Looks like you have managed it well. Good for you. This is why the DOT gives exemptions. Get one.

What about the guy not managing it well. Do you think he should be driving for UPS?

And UPS is classified as interstate, not intrastate.

You deliver packages from other states. You are an interstate driver.

Most of our package cars have a GVWR over 10,001 pounds. This makes package cars commercial vehicles subject to DOT hours of service and DOT medical restrictions.

Don't blame UPS, blame the government.

I really hope you can get your diabetes waiver.