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TForce | Quality Trailer Repair the UPS Way!

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UPSFreightDUId

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Heres a few pictures of a trailer I pulled about a month ago, I let the I/B supervisor know about the trailer before I pulled it, to avoid any issues as the welds were cracked and showed to be shiny(recently damaged). Upon completing my route that day, I wrote the trailer up, as needing repair, as I felt it was unsafe. The whole bumper bracket's welds are in poor condition. This trailer is assigned to another terminal, it happened to be loaded out to my terminal for some reason, and sent out in the city as were shorthanded on longs.
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I'm no expert welder, but proper quality welds will resemble overlapping dimes without splatter (if that makes sense), not these bubble gum welds
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That is a total embarrassment!
We have the same crappy welds and repair work.
Heck....we can't even keep the new stuff looking nice.

There is absolutely no discipline or accountability when a damage occurs. That would probably discourage a lot of mishaps and encourage more safe working practices.

I can see that trailer met a runaway pallet jack.
 
There is no accountability for destruction of company property. The only time there is is when a member of the public is involved.
 
Very sloppy welding job. My dad and ex husband were welders, and I was around some of their welding projects. Sloppy, very sloppy. OSHA would have a fit if they seen this.
 
UPSFreightDUI'd said:
Heres a few pictures of a trailer I pulled about a month ago, I let the I/B supervisor know about the trailer before I pulled it, to avoid any issues as the welds were cracked and showed to be shiny(recently damaged). Upon completing my route that day, I wrote the trailer up, as needing repair, as I felt it was unsafe. The whole bumper bracket's welds are in poor condition. This trailer is assigned to another terminal, it happened to be loaded out to my terminal for some reason, and sent out in the city as were shorthanded on longs.
57edited.jpg

058.jpg

I'm no expert welder, but proper quality welds will resemble overlapping dimes without splatter (if that makes sense), not these bubble gum welds
060.jpg
Click to expand...
If you felt the trailer was unsafe you should have never taken it out, we are now protected from this stuff that management use to push on us. If I have a marker light out I won't leave the yard until it is fixed.
 
I didn't realize how flimsy the bumper was until using it to climb up into the trailer during my route that day, thats when it became a safety issue. As stated, I let the I/B Supervisor know of the bumpers condition before leaving to avoid any blame coming back to me, gotta cover my *****. My terminal does not have a shop or mechanic on duty, getting things as simple as a marker light fixed is a big deal around here, especially when your coworkers don't fill out post-trips accurately the day before. I don't have an assigned route, so I pull a different trailer almost every day as well, many times I come into work, and the trailer is missing lights from the previous driver, believe me, I'll get 'em fixed if a mechanic or contracted mechanic is on duty, otherwise were S.O.L. around here...I had a mechanic one time tell me the tire didn't need to be replaced, it was a racing slick...That doesn't go over well, with my states Department of Public Safety. UPS Freight doesn't care about our safety, its just a 6 letter word to them that sounds good when they preach it every day!
 
Never move a piece of equipment thats not safe. If that icc bumper would have came off, the injured people and police are coming to see the driver, not UPS.
 
UPSFreightDUI'd said:
I didn't realize how flimsy the bumper was until using it to climb up into the trailer during my route that day, thats when it became a safety issue. As stated, I let the I/B Supervisor know of the bumpers condition before leaving to avoid any blame coming back to me, gotta cover my *****. My terminal does not have a shop or mechanic on duty, getting things as simple as a marker light fixed is a big deal around here, especially when your coworkers don't fill out post-trips accurately the day before. I don't have an assigned route, so I pull a different trailer almost every day as well, many times I come into work, and the trailer is missing lights from the previous driver, believe me, I'll get 'em fixed if a mechanic or contracted mechanic is on duty, otherwise were S.O.L. around here...I had a mechanic one time tell me the tire didn't need to be replaced, it was a racing slick...That doesn't go over well, with my states Department of Public Safety. UPS Freight doesn't care about our safety, its just a 6 letter word to them that sounds good when they preach it every day!
Click to expand...
We don't have a shop or mechanic either, but we do have an outside vendor and if something is unsafe or in need of repair we sit and wait on the street or in the yard if UPS preaches all this safety, we are ultimitly the ones that have to inforce these issues, if its not safe or you don't feel safe don't move it.
 
NO mech on site at our terminal just contractors, I had written up NEEDS OIL and CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT on my tractor on post trip.....The next day was assigned the same unit again and NO REPAIRS had been done......I was told to sit while the mech was called.....I was 45 minutes late going out the gate for my city P&D....Two other drivers had driven the unit the previous tow days and neither made any write ups....How long does take to burn over a gallon of oil and lose all the play in the clutch?
 
Thats OK. Do what we do up here, go find a DOT cop, or Statey. They get things fixed a little faster. Especially after the free inspection. Oh and don't forget to tell them you have a boat load of junk that rolls out of the yard daily. They love that, especially if the state needs the reveneu.
 
Don't worry Hugnlug, I'm already on the DOT cop issue, they like to wait for us on a certain State Road, especially if your hauling hazmat...I've had multiple hazmat inspections the past few months, no citations so thats a plus.
 
Not sure how it is handled at UPS, but that trailer was unsafe.

As certified mechanic,that is my personal professional opinion. But there ways to cover yourself as a driver ie: uncertified. On your pretrip report,assuming you guys use paper reports, write on it all defects. But leave the last line for supervisor or managers signature with a statement that it is ok to use. As neither of you are properly certified and they are a ranking company official, it falls back to them to answer more questions in a court of law. It does not relieve you of all responsability,but it does throw more blame to them.
 
mechanix said:
Not sure how it is handled at UPS, but that trailer was unsafe.

As certified mechanic,that is my personal professional opinion. But there ways to cover yourself as a driver ie: uncertified. On your pretrip report,assuming you guys use paper reports, write on it all defects. But leave the last line for supervisor or managers signature with a statement that it is ok to use. As neither of you are properly certified and they are a ranking company official, it falls back to them to answer more questions in a court of law. It does not relieve you of all responsability,but it does throw more blame to them.
Click to expand...

I think this is good advise. Have management sign the VCR report before you leave the yard saying this unit is safe to leave the yard. This will put more responsibility on management to get these issues fixed. By any means, do not leave the yard with a unit that is a clear safety issue because in the end, Its your CDL and job.
 
There is absolutely nothing management can do if you refuse to take an unsafe vehicle on the street. They may threaten you, but in the end if it is unsafe and you document it, you will be covered. I have been told I will be sent home once when I refused to take out a piece of junk. I said great see you later and started to walk off to swipe out and fill out my grievance, when I was called back and told that we needed to go rent a tractor, the freight can't sit. I said OK. Lets go get one. Just make sure the vehicle is unsafe. A broken radio or non-working A/C is not a reason to shut a truck down. You'll just have to sing to yourself and sweat, until they get that stuff fixed.
 
UPSFreightDUI'd said:
Heres a few pictures of a trailer I pulled about a month ago, I let the I/B supervisor know about the trailer before I pulled it, to avoid any issues as the welds were cracked and showed to be shiny(recently damaged). Upon completing my route that day, I wrote the trailer up, as needing repair, as I felt it was unsafe. The whole bumper bracket's welds are in poor condition. This trailer is assigned to another terminal, it happened to be loaded out to my terminal for some reason, and sent out in the city as were shorthanded on longs.
57edited.jpg

058.jpg

I'm no expert welder, but proper quality welds will resemble overlapping dimes without splatter (if that makes sense), not these bubble gum welds
060.jpg
Click to expand...
What about the all important UPS brand we have had preached to us over the last couple of years this doesn't seem to be up to UPS standards nor does all the other crap UPS FREIGHT managment has been preaching but not practicing. All the old management has to go so we can reach our full potential as UPS FREIGHT!!!!!!:nutkick:
 
I'm sorry, but the mechanic that welded that ICC bar needs to be terminated.
It's hilarious to look at, but pathetic and embarrassing that management approved that repair.
 
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