Today's pcm... Heat Risk

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

My PT supervisor told me that in a pre-sort meeting, it was mentioned that the management team is trying to figure out how to get everybody a raise to keep people around. That was a couple weeks ago, and I haven't heard anything else about it since then.

We're hemorraging employees on every shift, and every classification. It's open season on overtime/double shifting (just show up, and they'll put you to work), you can get away with murder (but not stealing or attendance issues), and they even have salaried guys from the IE/Finance/TSG departments coming out to handle packages.

I can think of 7 people in my work area (sort aisle) alone who are going to be leaving, either for a better job, or moving out of state, within the next month or so...and we still haven't replaced the last 4 people who left.

We're getting blasted with late-October level volume, and our equipment is failing even more frequently than ever before. And management still harps about going 1 minute over on breaks, while expecting the operation as a whole to run just as smoothly as it did before everybody started quitting which ultimately puts more pressure on those of us who remain.

I gotta say, the next few weeks are going to be very interesting around here. The anarchist in me is looking forward to it, but I'm a little scared too.

You can't slave people for a $150 a week.

 

[Savvy412]

4 bottles of water and 1 Pepsi is all you need to stay hydrated? I have wondered this for some time but now I know you have the biggest POS cake route I have ever heard of!! MY god I have drained 6 bottles by noon.

My Favorite that lets me really know how much my supervisors are concerned with my heath is this: Message at 2:45- "You are instructed to report all miss-loads by 1500." 20 mins later after touching approx 200 packages in the back of a 130* truck with no airflow I can barely see straight enough to send back a message of no miss-loads.

Of course, like clockwork, the next morning my on-car will ask me why I was 15 mins over allowed. Common sense just doesn't seem to be...................very common at UPS any more.

I open the back door . Use ya head man !

 

[Billy Ray]

My last summer in the brown truck....., and it had to be a killer.

But, I will finish the drill.

 

[km3]

You can't slave people for a $150 a week.

Yeah, especially in my area. Rent is too high to work for only $10.15-$11.00, PT or FT. UPS is only a good job for people that are new to town and need guaranteed employment, or people who need the benefits.

If not for the tuition reimbursement and TeamCare, I'd quit too. This place is draining my soul away (and my health along with it).

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Yeah, especially in my area. Rent is too high to work for only $10.15-$11.00, PT or FT. UPS is only a good job for people that are new to town and need guaranteed employment, or people who need the benefits.

If not for the tuition reimbursement and TeamCare, I'd quit too. This place is draining my soul away (and my health along with it).

No driving for you?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Oops. Sorry.

No problem

 

[km3]

No driving for you?

The sad thing is, I haven't made up my mind about that yet. My preference is to get my degree (2.5 years out, still) and maybe move into IE (if I stay with the company, that is), but I'm a little put off by the fact that you need to be a PT supervisor first.

I'd be driving now if I hadn't failed my road test back in May, for Saturday Air. There are guys behind me on the seniority list trying to qualify right now. I failed because of my nerves. I made stupid mistakes I would never have made in a million years in my own vehicle, and I was shaking from head to toe. And trust me, it wasn't that diesel engine. I can work well under pressure, but not necessarily when I'm being watched and judged for every single breath I take. In that regard, driving may not be a good fit for me anyway.

I'm going to try and figure out some more of the details about PT supervisor benefits and pay, and see whether I get sent to drive before or after my vacation in October (due to my grandmother's health, this vacation is immensely important to me and well-worth passing up the opportunity to drive if the timing is wrong).

Whether I'll try to go FT driving or not will come down to those two factors.

 

[toonertoo]

My last summer in the brown truck....., and it had to be a killer.

But, I will finish the drill.

This is the last august 12th, for us. Yeah me and you.

 

[PASinterference]

This is the last august 12th, for us. Yeah me and you.

Good for you! Good luck.

 

[Indecisi0n]

I am under the assumption it's pretty much impossible to stay properly hydrated working these long hours in this weather.

management

 

[Benben]

I open the back door . Use ya head man !

Yes, and find some shade to park in while doing it! I know what I am doing friend its not my first rodeo, but with a 109* heat index and no breeze blowing your just S.O.L. looking for THEIR wrong car's!

About the only thing going for me this year is I now have 3 stops on my route with ice machines. You know its a bad summer when you have to refill your Coleman cooler with ice 3 times a day!!! If one of those machines breaks down I am gonna break down and spend $300 on one of those Yeti coolers!

 

[NXA]

Did you know that 40% of heat related incidents at ups are happening in the southeast? It is extremely important that each of you stay hydrated. Furthermore we have found that most heat related incidents happen after a vacation or a long weekend.

It is extremely important that you are careful to stay hydrated and even be aware of and lower your alcohol intake as the time approaches for you return to work.

As I stood in and listened I thought to myself, " hey that's pretty good advice." Then I thought, " what kind of b.s. is this fool talking about?" Does this supe seriously think that it is his job to manage my time off as well as my time at work? The simple fact is that it's freaking hot outside and it's much HOTTER! in the back of the package car. With the increased workloads that we are all facing it is no wonder that people are falling out. However it's still our fault because we are a bunch of drunks?!

Come on ups, how about some serious thought and effort to actually provide real relief instead of continuing to point fingers at those of us working in those hot boxes. Ups, you can do better.

I don't know how to do it, but we need to get the Co to install vents with fans in the back to force the hot air out. I can roll 95/95 just fine, but in the back its over 120 sometimes. That will kill ya.

And at least on our building, preload has *sucked* this summer, so we're spending more time in the oven. And heavy dispatch ("staffing issues ") to boot. Only had a few guys fall out, bit it's brutal.

 

[Grey]

Extra large Dr Pepper tastes too good on a dry and thirsty mouth when it's 100+ out there. It always backfires an hour later though.

 

[scratch]

I go through about two gallons of water a day. I carry three of these which I freeze solid the night before. I just pour water in them as the ice melts. I gave up soft drinks a couple of years ago, I don't miss them at all.

 

[Fragile]

I agree UPS bit off way more than they can chew.

Increased workload with the same amenities we've "enjoyed" in the last 100+ years.

Let them dump more stops on me IDC I'll work all day, but not under these circumstances.

Stop giving me these useless new cars management tells me are a privilege. It's long and narrow. I can't find anything except bulk in it and they're uncomfortable in the cab since the seat is too low. The key FOB causes more aggravation because they always break and something doesn't work. Bulkhead door won't open and I have to use my hand to open it after I got up or the ignition button is broken and I'm using the keys anyway. REALLY BRAND NEW PACKAGE CAR and NO A/C. I'll take a old International diesel any day. At least I can fit bulk under the shelf. I now have 200 pieces in my car everyday and I'm blown out struggling to locate packages until about 1 pm everyday. My customers all express sympathy because the truck isn't air conditioned. You should be embarrassed.

Stop giving me 20-30 access point stops and make me write "stories" on every info notice I fill out. Congrats you won. I don't want to fill out nonsense on a info note I can't really write on (I know, recently they redesigned the infonotice to make the glue part on top). Now I driver release in places I wouldn't normally since I don't want to write out all this nonsense on a delivery note. Enjoy your tracers.

Keep playing 21 questions with me when I deliver packages to the same place at the same time everyday. I do not read the menu on the DIAD anymore. Whether or not it is a mixed residential/commercial building is not for me to determine. The buildings department has a database they tax everyone accordingly.

Stop giving me helpers that aren't trained. I give all my helpers the center phone number. They can teach how to use the board.

 

[Benben]

Scratch I like your thinking! I hate straight water, have since ball playing days. I drink very, very dilute tea. Brew it the night before then pour into 12 empty gator aid bottles my kids drink for their sports. A 'lil squirt of lemon juice in each gives me some decent flavor. those 12 plus the gallon water jug I drain each day gets me through these nasty hot days.

Well that and the wash rag I keep in the bottom of the cooler in the ice melt for when I need a blast of heat relief!

The stopping in the hottest part of the day to look for wrong cars in the back of the hottest part of my truck for 15-20 mins every day is REALLY, REALLY getting old! Getting the message at 3:05 saying-"its past 1500, any wrong cars, bad pals reported now is driver error," takes everything in me not to send back a FU message!

 

[Benben]

Scratch, I see Lemon and lime in that pic. Is that a cinnamon stick in there also?

 

[G.V. Rush]

Sounds like are preload ,sup told me they didn't have no people I'm thinking great peak season is going be fun

It's gotten so bad they put up a list for drivers to sign if we want extra work after our shift or before. It's bad man.

When I was a preloader not even 3 years ago, we would rarely clock out after 8am. They now have us drivers start time next week at 850. I see no light at the end of this tunnel

 

[G.V. Rush]

Now you mock me about wanting to call in when the weather is horrible. I'll have you know that not only do I report to work everyday, I never have called in because weather. Why do you have it in for certain members?

Because New York sucks balls. I'd be mad all the time too

 

[Catatonic]

Gumby is in town
Like I said before, might get me banned ...

Just in the queue.