What is up with the dirt trucks??

[JonFrum]

Re: "A Clean Truck Is A Happy Truck"

Have you or anyone else filed a grievance citing that article to get the cars clean?

The Union doesn't know it's a problem until you let them know.

That's the standard all-purpose Teamsters Business Agent defense. It works best when the problem is a "hidden" one, like a shortage in your paycheck, or threatening words from a supervisor where there are no witnesses besides yourself. But here we are talking about a nationwide fleet of traveling four-sided billboards that are very distinctive in shape and color and have the UPS name and logo plastered on them. Further, the fleet has been dirty (to one degree or another) for about a decade now. Surely the BA has noticed the dirty cars, either on-road, or in the building? Wouldn't Teamsters officialdom notice the lack of hours their carwash members are getting, the lack of carwash jobs, and the lack of hourly contributions to the pension and health & welfare funds? The losses must be in the many millions by now, with no end in sight. Some of these local officers are also fund trustees with fiduciary duties to the funds as well!
- - - - -
One additional way to get your dirty package car washed is to bring it back with graffitti on it. Something derogatory about UPS, or complimentary about FedEx, or the ever-popular "WOW" (Whip 'em Out Wednesdays.) [Male drivers can practice the Five Seeing Habits, should any female motorist play along.]

One car I got right to work washing one winter was the really filthy car that had written on the side: I Wish My Wife Was This Dirty!!!

In the old days, clean cars were our advertising. Now we send out dirty cars and try to make up for it with huge, expensive advertising campaigns.

 

[1eyejack]

Re: "A Clean Truck Is A Happy Truck"

I wash my tractors daily, when i'm told to cut back i tell them i have been doing my job for 23yrs .I have seen mangers come and go but i still keep up to washing the tractors . Because when i was hired they told me to wash them a certain way and i still do ... I use to wash the tires and rims and rearends and mud flaps,besides wash the dollies and i had evey driver from differet center drop there dolly off and pick up a wash 1 ... but i no longer do the dollies .. and the only time my tractors never get really clean is when i'm vac. then cut coners and tell the parttimers to get off the clock .... And another thing i use to detail them until they cut back on buying the tire dressing stuff and the waxed to wax the tractors ....

 

[AirDriverAmy]

I've been with UPS for almost 1 year. (September) I have never seen nor the mention of any carwasher in my building. I swear. The trucks are dirty. A few guys take real pride in their trucks but, not everyone.

 

[hoser]

Scratch, Here in Atlanta hub we get an allowance for washing our cars... I had heard it was a 10 minute allocation not really sure if that is true or not. In your DIAD on your return to building time line is a area that asks you if you washed your car it defaults to the No position , so....... make sure you change it everyday to benefit your already depleted time allowances BC

yeah, but you don't want to falsify time records!!

 

[Big Babooba]

I drive a P700 with a lot of dirt roads! After several grievances last year (with pictures) it receives attention everyday. The pkg compartment was the worst. The seals and hinges were worn out, (10yr pkg car+ 450,000 miles).I complained about the seals and they put new doors on the rear of the car. That fixed the pkg car. It only needs attention once a week now.
The cab is, well there is nothing that can be done there unless I keep the doors shut. No chance! gettin' to hot for that. I gave them a choice clean it every night or install some a/c. Guess what? yea, it's wiped down every night.
File grievances and take pictures!

 

[Big Babooba]

Did you ever have a dust cloud in the back of your truck?

 

[wornoutupser]

I'm not sure why some of ya are having problems getting seals replaced on the package cars. I replace them when needed. The seals are a pink tag item (cheap cost) and are extremely easy to replace, so easy A caveman can do it.

Pip,
If it is so easy WHY wont UPS replace them in Florida? I hounded and hounded them and they had to make a set for my car.. the usual "no parts available drill!

 

[OldUPSDriver]

Hey Wornout, in one of your recent posts you indicated you were an inside employee, is that true???

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Sups at the centers/hubs that don't have automatic car washes don't want their employees washing trucks because it hurts their "numbers" on the load stats. "Too many car washing hours" is the excuse. Nice priorities huh? LOL!

 

[Wannaretire]

The heavy dirt film makes wonderful message boards. Like: "UPS hiring car washers." or anything else. If anyone says anything about it, just say you didn't notice it since you are punching all that crap in the diad board while you are running back to package car.
UPS might want to be known as the tightest ship, but for sure are the dirtiest!
Wannaretire

 

[Fishbulb]

they wash the outsides of ours but do nothing to the inside. i love blowing my nose at the end of everyday only to have it all come out black. revolting

 

[fryguy379]

i am a satelite driver and i have to wash my own. the best part is i only wash it when i want mgt nevers really enforces it.

 

[satellitedriver]

i am a satelite driver and i have to wash my own. the best part is i only wash it when i want mgt nevers really enforces it.

Welcome,
I am also a sat driver(note my avatar). I asked for money to wash my pkg car at the quarter car wash. They told me they could not.
Now, my car is only washed by me when I am grossed out.
Everyday, I wash my windshields, inside and out, mirrors and turn signal lens covers/ brake light covers.
Safety First.
Scratch,
If you have a little devil in you, maybe you could do a little dry wash on your pkg. car.
Just maybe, someone wiped away the dirt using basic gang graffiti (sp) saying something like:
"Ship with FedEx", "DHL Rules", "UPS is too cheap to wash this truck"
Ect.....
I am not saying you or anyone should do this, but I think it might get someone's attention.
PAX

 

[scratch]

I had a miracle happen Thursday night. My Package Car got washed for the second time this year. I keep a calendar taped up in my cab that I highlight my vacation weeks on. I have now also circled August 16 along with May 24, the last time it got washed. Actually, it got washed twice Thursday. When I got back to my Hub and was fueling up, a big thunderstorm hit on another 100+ degree day. I mentioned to my new Center Manager about how dirty my Car has been. He wrote my car number down and it was finally washed that night. They even cleaned all four sides and I could see out of the whole windshield for a change. They missed the wheels though, we don't even think about them cleaning the inside. This may be the beginning of a trend, maybe it will be washed again three months from now.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

In the past my shift always had a car washer. Sometimes two. Now we only have a car washer if I don't drive and I have to work in the building. Sometimes that doesn't even get us a car washer. Management is trying to run our shift with the fewest people possible. The result is little car washing. If anyone calls in sick then there is no car washing. It's not that we don't have time to wash. It's that management doesn't want us washing because they'll have enter wash hours in their nightly reports. We are only allowed so many. It is rediculous.

 

[UPS Lifer]

This is one of the great things about the Brown Cafe...where there is a will there is a way. I am very old school when it comes to our appearance and the appearance of our vehicles on the street....but even more important is the safety and attitude issues that can arise from dirty and possibly unhealthful equipment.

My concern is that current and (future) management can and will lose sight of the old school values that have made UPS what it is today. Besides car cleanliness you have the uniform issue as well. You always need to look for what can be done different and better.

Example, I managed a building that did not have air conditioning. I had the customer counter clerks inform our customers to make calls to the ivory tower. This was a major cost issue and within 2 months the customer counter and rest of the buiding had central air conditioning installed!!. This was an issue that had been ongoing for 10 years.

There is always a way to get things done. You just have to figure out the right approach. Get your trucks cleaned when necessary and do not take no for an answer!!

 

[Pip]

Got word this week that (3) 22.3 jobs will be added soon in the center I work in, to help with washing, parking cars, fluid checks every night. Most cars got washed a couple times a week, but this should help to get them all washed every night now, a long with all the fluid levels checked all the time. The last one, from an automotive point of view is much welcomed.

 

[Pkgrunner]

My car washer/fueler/parker mentioned to me that she can get 3 windshields and 1 car per night washed on a good night-- she parks 20 cars a night. Basically, we get our cars washed once a month.

Our satellite cars get washed once every 3 months when they get their PMI -- you should see those things driving down the road from a distance. They are stored, loaded and unloaded in a dirt lot we share with another "penny-wise"company so a lot of dust is kicked up onto them where it stays put due to high humidity and no rainfall

Haven't tried yet, but I bet I could get grass seed to germinate on the satellite cars and start a small scale mobile sod farm

 

[pdiddy]

at my center the local sort is expected to wash trucks after the sort. We are given no soap or brushes, no whip hoses and broken wand brushes. we just move the dirt around the truck.

 

[Slack Adjuster]

Through all these posts, I have yet to see someone explain or defend the position of why we, as a company, have obviously chosen to ignore one of our long standing pillars of pride- THE CLEANLINESS OF OUR VEHICLES. It's hard for some of us who were beaten over the head for thirty years about the high standards of appearance, such as hair, shoe shine, mustache, clean vehicle,etc., accept this obvious decline. If any of you ever heard of Jim Casey, I know he probably wouldnt approve. Explanation, anyone?