TForce | Idle Time question....

[Jackl]

Heat wave hit us Wednesday. 90°+, heat index 100°+. Next day management starts issuing letters and suspensions without prior warning that idle times were too high(+20-25 min) for a 10-12 hr shift. Anybody else getting harrassed like this?

 

[Dockworker]

Tis the season for idle time write ups, suspensions etc.
We get progressive discipline per contract. First a verbal, next a write up followed by suspension up to and including termination.
Our verbals are planted in those PCM meetings about "excessive idle times" not after you get busted.

Some straight truck and flyer drivers use to get away with it because the truck had to be running during lift gate operations.
Telematics has killed that along with them retrofitting a way to eliminate the need to idle a truck for liftgate use.

Grin and bear it, drink lots of water, hang out inside a customer's place to enter your diad info, some do lunches and breaks there too....there are more ways to beat the truck heat and stay off the idle time radar.
We tend to evolve when the going gets tough.

 

[hugnlug]

Safety first. If you need a cool down break stop and go into a convenience store. Grab a water and take 5. Remember proper hydration. This is what they preach.

 

[ConwayDSR]

That's crazy! I've never seen anything like this spoken about or happen at XPO(Con-way). We do have a system to monitor idle time, fuel usage, etc.. and management has never said a single word.

 

[Dracula]

UPS pays a lot of money for non driving accountants to think up ways of sucking more blood out of a turnip. They always have and they always will.

 

[Teamsta II]

You can not be disciplined solely based on electronic tracking. Unless, you are being dishonest or creating a danger to the public. File your protest grievance and move on.

 

[toilet paper]

Discipline can not be issued based solely on any electronic device. Read your contract.

 

[maxicoze]

Oh lord, they said no idling whatsoever. Regional manager has threatened to do ride-alongs if we can get our idle time down.

Not trying to be smart but:
1) Why do office people get to have A/C, but not drivers?
2) Why spend all that money to put A/C in a truck and not use it?

i can see salespersons "needing" A/C, but............

 

[Teamsta II]

Oh lord, they said no idling whatsoever. Regional manager has threatened to do ride-alongs if we can get our idle time down.

Not trying to be smart but:
1) Why do office people get to have A/C, but not drivers?
2) Why spend all that money to put A/C in a truck and not use it?


i can see salespersons "needing" A/C, but............

If you feel heat stress, stop at a local clinic and get treatment, file it under workers compensation. Heat stroke can kill. Take no chances with your health.

 

[toilet paper]

That'd be funny a ride along with an RDO he'd hate my guts. Maybe it'd open his eyes to just how bad things are.

 

[Jackl]

Tis the season for idle time write ups, suspensions etc.
We get progressive discipline per contract. First a verbal, next a write up followed by suspension up to and including termination.
Our verbals are planted in those PCM meetings about "excessive idle times" not after you get busted.

Some straight truck and flyer drivers use to get away with it because the truck had to be running during lift gate operations.
Telematics has killed that along with them retrofitting a way to eliminate the need to idle a truck for liftgate use.

Grin and bear it, drink lots of water, hang out inside a customer's place to enter your diad info, some do lunches and breaks there too....there are more ways to beat the truck heat and stay off the idle time radar.
We tend to evolve when the going gets tough.

There had not been any mention of excessive idle time in the PCM'S prior to that point. Per the the contract and past practice there should have been 2 verbal warnings regarding non-compliance before issuing letters. Drivers should have a chance to correct errant behavior, especially if they aren't educated or informed about that metric.And then, only city drivers are being monitored.

 

[Jackl]

Discipline can not be issued based solely on any electronic device. Read your contract.

That's my point. I know that, but whoever is ordering the disciplinary actions doesn't seem to have read the contract.

 

[Jackl]

Safety first. If you need a cool down break stop and go into a convenience store. Grab a water and take 5. Remember proper hydration. This is what they preach.

Just make sure you put yourself in delay AND inform dispatch. AND don't do it more than 2x day. Brown hates it when you steal time.....

 

[wildcatdriver15]

It really sounds like it's drivers vs operations at UPS. Sorry it has to be that way, I would hate working in that environment. It's a shame that you feel like management is always out to screw you and your management appears to think you're always out to screw them....luckily at OD we can fire the dead weight, bad attitude, slacking, time wasters and those that are left are mostly left alone.

 

[maxicoze]

It really sounds like it's drivers vs operations at UPS. Sorry it has to be that way, I would hate working in that environment. It's a shame that you feel like management is always out to screw you and your management appears to think you're always out to screw them....luckily at OD we can fire the dead weight, bad attitude, slacking, time wasters and those that are left are mostly left alone.

i just don't understand the following:

1) It's 2016 and no AC? really?

2) Why are officanians allowed to have AC, but not drivers, who you would have to admit, are working much harder than office people.

3) Why spend money to put AC on a truck and not use it?

i don't actually idle that much if any. But sometimes it's not realistic not to.

 

[wildcatdriver15]

i just don't understand the following:

1) It's 2016 and no AC? really?

2) Why are officanians allowed to have AC, but not drivers, who you would have to admit, are working much harder than office people.

3) Why spend money to put AC on a truck and not use it?

i don't actually idle that much if any. But sometimes it's not realistic not to.

As long as your sales reps continue to drop their pants and discount away your profit, your company will need to do all it can to save money. Not idling trucks is not a new concept, if you want to do it go OTR.

 

[BIG R GUY]

Come to yrc. You can drive a 16 year old road tractor in the city, and leave it run all day because they are too old to have all the computer monitors on them telling company if your truck is idling. My a/c works pretty good too.