TForce | A nice conversation with a feeder driver

[imported_mr.breeze]

On the way home Friday night/saturday morning I had a real nice,informative conversation with a feeder driver from my hometown. He really clued me in to the way Father Brown works. Believe it or not...he kind of put me at ease ! What is most important to remember is that we don't work for Overnite anymore. Most of Big "O" 's mgt. will be gone before too long. Most of them have tired ideas anyway. We discussed the contract negotiations and how we thought that would affect both companies in the future. Has anyone else had any conversations like this with any of the brown employees?

 

[steve5]

When I see a feeder he's usually looking at the floor of his truck or at the passenger side.

 

[imported_krash]

When I see a feeder he's usually looking at the floor of his truck or at the passenger side.

Im usually looking at the inside of my eyelids

 

[just-me]

On the way home Friday night/saturday morning I had a real nice,informative conversation with a feeder driver from my hometown. He really clued me in to the way Father Brown works. Believe it or not...he kind of put me at ease ! What is most important to remember is that we don't work for Overnite anymore. Most of Big "O" 's mgt. will be gone before too long. Most of them have tired ideas anyway. We discussed the contract negotiations and how we thought that would affect both companies in the future. Has anyone else had any conversations like this with any of the brown employees?

Ok could you tell what else you talked about ? and just how low on the mgnt. scale did he say that ups would replace ,,can we get new tm,oops and asst;tm we could use new ones

 

[steve5]

Im usually looking at the inside of my eyelids

Exactly!

 

[imported_mr.breeze]

Ok could you tell what else you talked about ? and just how low on the mgnt. scale did he say that ups would replace ,,can we get new tm,oops and asst;tm we could use new ones

Well, you have to understand that it will take a little time to weed out the non-conformists. What I gathered from our conversation was that we would see upper mgmt. go after the first of the year...and whoever did not see things the "brown" way would be soon to follow. We talked more about the contract negotiations than anything else. He said that the co. did not want discention between the freight and package employees. And he was of the opinion that "brown" wants freight to be union because they don't really understand the nuances of running a non-union entity. He also said that the co. didn't mind paying you the big bucks...they just want you to do your job. Do they stand on you ? Of course they do ! He believed that UPS would grow the freight division to new proportions than we ever thought possible. You just had to be there I guess.

 

[BusterNite]

I run into alot of ups drivers at night time. We have coffee, We always treat each other with respect and we always have good conversation. For the most part the drivers I run into are in the dark as to what is going on at UPSF.

 

[imported_mr.breeze]

I run into alot of ups drivers at night time. We have coffee, We always treat each other with respect and we always have good conversation. For the most part the drivers I run into are in the dark as to what is going on at UPSF.

I would have to agree Buster....that was what made this one seem all the more interesting. It was funny though...as he and I had both worked for A/F before our present jobs...he worked there from 94-96 and I 98-00

 

[galaxy99dx]

I would have to agree Buster....that was what made this one seem all the more interesting. It was funny though...as he and I had both worked for A/F before our present jobs...he worked there from 94-96 and I 98-00

I also was at AF previously, Most feeder drivers I run into wont answer the radio or are on another channel. The only ones I can get to talk are the sleeper teams. Mostly the proffess to being as in the dark as I am as to what is supposedly going to happen after the first of the year. I do know that we are losing alot of runs lately and that most of the freight is running by us on sleepers, or possibly swift or JB or someone else.

 

[imported_mr.breeze]

I also was at AF previously, Most feeder drivers I run into wont answer the radio or are on another channel. The only ones I can get to talk are the sleeper teams. Mostly the proffess to being as in the dark as I am as to what is supposedly going to happen after the first of the year. I do know that we are losing alot of runs lately and that most of the freight is running by us on sleepers, or possibly swift or JB or someone else.

Hmmm I know there is some re-structering of runs going on...hard to say...the employees are always treated like mushrooms when it comes to operations

 

[Apostolic]

I also talk to the UPS parcel drivers I see on my routes.
I knew they always got way more stops than I could ever handle in one day.
But now that they talk to me I'm learning that their route are small enough to do all the stops they get,as well as getting a 45 minute lunch every single day.
These drivers don't talk to any other freight company drivers,and they never talked much to me before we worked for the same company.
As far as the union all these drivers are totally clueless.
Some of the older drivers say they can't wait till were union,but they don't seem to know anything about whats going on with us.
Than some of them don't like talking about anything with the union.

I wounder now if my route was smaller,and I didn't have to have a loading dock or wait for a forklift to unload me,if I might be able to keep up with these parcel drivers after all.

I'm still having a hard time fitting a half hour lunch in,and getting everything done on my route.
Maybe these parcel guys don't really have such a hard job after all?

 

[accelerator]

Hmmm I know there is some re-structering of runs going on...hard to say...the employees are always treated like mushrooms when it comes to operations

There will be alot more operational changes to come in the new year, as Mike E said "We plan on putting more emphises in our freight division, this is where the new growth and oportunities lie". S o not to make anybody paranoid, but keep an eye on thing's, there is alot more to come.

 

[Apostolic]

Once UPS gets this safety program up,and running the way they want it at UPS Freight.
It will be very easy to get rid of workers that can't apply there new safety practies to their way of doing their jobs.

My co-workers get angry with me when I remind them that there not practising UPS's new saftey ideas.
I always say this isn't me,its UPS that wants this to happen.
So far they don't seem to want to hear it.

But I see a time coming that if someone from UPS Freight safety department should happen to walk into my terminal.
Theres going to be a mass termination.
Than they'll all shake their heads woundering what they were doing wrong.

I say all the time to everyone.
We get rules to follow,and we just start doing them,after awhile we won't even think about it we'll just be in the habit of doing it that way.

Its like any thing you put in practise,after so many times it just becomes a natural way of doing something.

 

[Teamster251]

Once UPS gets this safety program up,and running the way they want it at UPS Freight.
It will be very easy to get rid of workers that can't apply there new safety practies to their way of doing their jobs.

My co-workers get angry with me when I remind them that there not practising UPS's new saftey ideas.
I always say this isn't me,its UPS that wants this to happen.
So far they don't seem to want to hear it.

But I see a time coming that if someone from UPS Freight safety department should happen to walk into my terminal.
Theres going to be a mass termination.
Than they'll all shake their heads woundering what they were doing wrong.

I say all the time to everyone.
We get rules to follow,and we just start doing them,after awhile we won't even think about it we'll just be in the habit of doing it that way.

Its like any thing you put in practise,after so many times it just becomes a natural way of doing something.

Another good reason why a union is needed, to avoid "mass terminations"

Didn't ಠ▄ಠ mass terminate?

Why would UPSF want to get rid of drivers. Isn't there a national driver shortage?

 

[Teamster251]

I also talk to the UPS parcel drivers I see on my routes.
I knew they always got way more stops than I could ever handle in one day.
But now that they talk to me I'm learning that their route are small enough to do all the stops they get,as well as getting a 45 minute lunch every single day.
These drivers don't talk to any other freight company drivers,and they never talked much to me before we worked for the same company.
As far as the union all these drivers are totally clueless.
Some of the older drivers say they can't wait till were union,but they don't seem to know anything about whats going on with us.
Than some of them don't like talking about anything with the union.

I wounder now if my route was smaller,and I didn't have to have a loading dock or wait for a forklift to unload me,if I might be able to keep up with these parcel drivers after all.

I'm still having a hard time fitting a half hour lunch in,and getting everything done on my route.
Maybe these parcel guys don't really have such a hard job after all?

Package car drivers and feeder drivers get two breaks and one hour for lunch.

There's no problem fitting in a break or lunch if you take them the way the contract outlines you to take them.

If you have to take a lunch and service suffers than a supervisor needs to revamp that car or trailer. It the sups job to load a car or trailer to meet the hourly job requirements, not overlaod it.

I've never skipped a lunch in 22 years, unless instructed to and then I was paid time and a half for my lunch period and given time later to take a break.

T 251

PS Apo we as UPSer are not clued in to the doings of your contract talks. We are a different company and that doesn't concern us on an operational level. We are not kept up to date about Overnite's situation. The company doesn't give us info on your contract talks or wether or not your operating good, bad, or indifferernt. Anything we know we know from the union, this board, or from freinds/relatives inside.

 

[imported_bigdaddy]

Another good reason why a union is needed, to avoid "mass terminations"

Didn't ಠ▄ಠ mass terminate?

Why would UPSF want to get rid of drivers. Isn't there a national driver shortage?

Teamster 251, what ಠ▄ಠ did was almost a genocide not a layoff, get a clue on your comparisons

 

[BusterNite]

I also was at AF previously, Most feeder drivers I run into wont answer the radio or are on another channel. The only ones I can get to talk are the sleeper teams. Mostly the proffess to being as in the dark as I am as to what is supposedly going to happen after the first of the year. I do know that we are losing alot of runs lately and that most of the freight is running by us on sleepers, or possibly swift or JB or someone else.

Go up to the channel that they are on and say hello. It usually starts a conversation and they will ask questions.

 

[Apostolic]

So T251 what your saying is your supervisors can set up your runs to allow for all of your off duty time.
In the form of lunch,and breaks,and if the route drivers can't get them in during their daily routine than the routes are reduced so they can get their off time.
Sounds like a good deal.
To bad we can't have our freight system set up like that.
The 43 years that I've been a city driver for many companies,union,and non-union a like.
I've found it very difficult to get even a half hour lunch worked in,let alone anyother breaks,other than getting stuck in traffic,or being held up waiting for a loading dock.
Sometimes just going over damaged freight and,calling into the OS&D clerck to record the claim information blows any breaks,or lunch time away.

Its sounds like the parent UPS has everything under control.
AS far as their freight division being an intire different operation,I don't see how they could have it work the same way?
This may just be my opinion?
But being in this buisness for as long as I have I can clearly see parcel,and freight systems are worlds apart,what works for one,may not work for the other?

 

[Apostolic]

T251 how strict is UPS when it comes to safety?
I know that it cost them a fair amount of money sending me 290 miles from my terminal for the safety training program this summer.
They paid for a weeks wages based on not just 40 hours,but what I was making the last few weeks with overtime.
Also all my meals,milage down,and back,and my own hotel room for the week.
With all that money invested in me,you'd think they'd want me to bring my terminal up to speed with the safety requirments that UPS wanted us to practise?

I came back from this training,and instructed everyone on dock safety.
You'd think I was stepping in to be another supervisor the way they received this new information?
So now I've gone from being a co-worker to the mean old UPS Freight safety man.

They not only didn't want to hear it,they don't want to go out of their way to do anything extra.

So T251 your telling me with the nation wide driver shortage,I'm wasting my time with these new safety measures,and UPS sent me away for a week for nothing?

Is safety an option,or is it going to be a manditory practise?
I'm not trying to get after you on this T251,I'm asking for your opinion.
Like I've posted before,even though you,and I don't see things the same way.
I still do value your opinion,on things you know about,and I'm clueless.

 

[galaxy99dx]

I wounder now if my route was smaller,and I didn't have to have a loading dock or wait for a forklift to unload me,if I might be able to keep up with these parcel drivers after all.

I'm still having a hard time fitting a half hour lunch in,and getting everything done on my route.
Maybe these parcel guys don't really have such a hard job after all?

That and being able to park any damm where you want.