My Current UPS Saga

I have been a UPS driver for over 25 years now. My building doesn’t have enough drivers, enough trucks and probably no place to put the new trucks and drivers even if we got them.

Our level of volume has been like Christmas (starting mid-March), but we can’t run helpers because UPS won’t put two people together in the truck for the whole day. All of this is actually because of coronavirus. We do use as many helpers as would sign up that use their personal vehicle.

The reason that the package shows it is out for delivery is because it gets processed in the morning and does not fit on the truck. It sits in the building, and they hope that they have the staff to deliver it, but, like I said, we are completely overrun with volume.

11 hours is a short day for me. My paid days are usually more like 12 or 13 hours. The key term to remember here is “completely overrun with volume“.

Monday through Friday, all I do is wake up, get ready, go to work, and then come home and get ready for the next day, resting. I haven’t been able to do a single errand on a weekday due to the long hours. As far as I can tell, this is 100% attributable to COVID-19.
 
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erikmannie said:
Our level of volume has been like Christmas (starting mid-March), but we can’t run helpers because UPS won’t put two people together in the truck for the whole day. All of this is actually because of coronavirus. We do use as many helpers as would sign up that use their personal vehicle.
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I've heard this too from a FedEx driver on another forum as well as my USPS mail lady. USPS in my area actually makes 2 rounds now, they deliver packages on their route first, then come back to deliver mail. People are ordering online like crazy due to everything going on. Heard something that Amazon even advised to avoid ordering if possible to help them keep up with demands.
 
darkzero said:
I've heard this too from a FedEx driver on another forum as well as my USPS mail lady. USPS in my area actually makes 2 rounds now, they deliver packages on their route first, then come back to deliver mail. People are ordering online like crazy due to everything going on. Heard something that Amazon even advised to avoid ordering if possible to help them keep up with demands.
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This will probably go on as long as people feel safer ordering their items online rather than going out and risking exposure to the virus.
 
erikmannie said:
I have been a UPS driver for over 25 years now. My building doesn’t have enough drivers, enough trucks and probably no place to put the new trucks and drivers even if we got them.

Our level of volume has been like Christmas (starting mid-March), but we can’t run helpers because UPS won’t put two people together in the truck for the whole day. All of this is actually because of coronavirus. We do use as many helpers as would sign up that use their personal vehicle.

The reason that the package shows it is out for delivery is because it gets processed in the morning and does not fit on the truck. It sits in the building, and they hope that they have the staff to deliver it, but, like I said, we are completely overrun with volume.

11 hours is a short day for me. My paid days are usually more like 12 or 13 hours. The key term to remember here is “completely overrun with volume“.

Monday through Friday, all I do is wake up, get ready, go to work, and then come home and get ready for the next day, resting. I haven’t been able to do a single errand on a weekday due to the long hours. As far as I can tell, this is 100% attributable to COVID-19.
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Your efforts are very much appreciated Erik.

I think something was haywire at my local depot as the status of my packages only ever said “Package is delayed in transit. Delivery will be rescheduled.”

I was totally fine with it being delayed as I can imagine that all the delivery companies are completely overwhelmed. I was just frustrated that I kept being verbally told it was being delivered when on the morning of delivery they admitted that previously they didn’t know where it was.

I was also told that the updates were automatic which seemed reasonable as they occurred at 8:55 am every day.


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AliExpress is affected too- fortunately nothing I need right away
Hanging in there
 
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DavidR8 said:
Your efforts are very much appreciated Erik.

I think something was haywire at my local depot as the status of my packages only ever said “Package is delayed in transit. Delivery will be rescheduled.”

I was totally fine with it being delayed as I can imagine that all the delivery companies are completely overwhelmed. I was just frustrated that I kept being verbally told it was being delivered when on the morning of delivery they admitted that previously they didn’t know where it was.

I was also told that the updates were automatic which seemed reasonable as they occurred at 8:55 am every day.


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Click to expand...

That is because of the trailers. In normal times (not Christmas, not pandemic), the trailers are nearly 100% on time, and we always run every single trailer before the routes leave.

During Christmas and with this current pandemic situation, our facilities and staffing are overwhelmed with the excessive volume continuously coming in to the system. This results in “late trailers”.

The fact that we can’t run helpers (due to possible cross infection) really hoses the operation now. Helpers have always the magic bullet for being able to process the huge amount of volume.

Christmas has always been a CRAZY time at UPS, and now it’s like that every day, but without the helpers.

I wonder how this next Christmas will go LOL.
 
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If you paid with a credit card you probably have recourse through your credit card company that you didn't get what you paid for. You will need documentation backing up your claim. Although I have never had a shipping cost dispute, in every instance where I had a problem not receiving stuff or the wrong stuff my credit card immediately took the item off my account and sucked the money back from the other party's credit card account. That gets everybody's attention real fast.
Why does a credit card company react so fast. Because they are literally making a loan on your behalf when you purchase something with your credit card. You pay your bill monthly but the credit card company is out the money within a day or two and has to wait for you to pay your bill before they get the money they advanced back. So it is to their advantage to reverse the charge while things get sorted out.

Debit cards don't work this way. Banks have no incentive to help you with a dispute because the bank sent your money. Not theirs.
 
Credit card company, said there are extraordinary circumstances at this time and place, a lot of hemming and hawing, they are doing the best they can, we are giving them a lot of leeway and basically told me to suck it up and move on.
 
Erik, thanks for the situation from your point of view. It confirms what we already had imagined.
We have waited on Canada Post deliveries for days with no news. The parcels got here eventually. We realize that all systems are overwhelmed and appreciate that you folks doing your level best to keep things moving. Covid-19 has much impact everywhere. It looks like I have the easy part which is just to be patient. A big thank you goes out to you folks.
 
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Good insight from Erik. I personally also think it has to do with the area. My dad lives in SoCal and swears by FedEx, but here in Indiana our UPS is spot on.

I always pay extra for shipping via UPS, then FedEx. USPS (before the rona) typically took 3 days for me to get a small flatrate boxto travel 106 miles from Central Indiana to NE Indiana.

Jon
 
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