The Use and Abuse of Telematics

I had and interesting new experience with Telematics. The managers posted a bunch of Google Earth pictures showing the driver routes superimposed over the aerial picture from Google earth. They then put comments above the pictures about what they felt the We deserve betterdriver was doing wrong. On one picture they were commenting how the driver had not stop completed any packages at the location, and had a hundred foot backing episode. Their last comment was, “what was the driver doing there if he wasn’t making deliveries?” It turns out the picture was of our satellite center in the mountains. The driver that was in there was the shuttle driver bringing up the loads for the other two drivers based out of that center. Of course he would show no deliveries. I’m betting they reviewed this satellite image with that driver having a “your screwing us” attitude. As I’ve stated in the past. “Just another harassment technique.
               Now they can harass you for simply doing your job.

When Will UPS Ditch NASCAR ?

When will UPS stop pumping millions of dollars into its fading advertising vehicle….. NASCAR? UPS is known around the world as the tightest ship in the shipping business, but it spends money like a drunken sailor when it comes to racing. A recent article in the CATSTOCKBLOG highlighted the problem for all sponsors:

“Caterpillar is among the prominent NASCAR sponsors that have to be asking themselves how much they really need to spend keeping racing teams afloat, especially in light of this Forbes magazine article highlighting just how far NASCAR has fallen from fan favor in the past five years. The woes: Cars look the same. Drivers look the same. Races look the same.”

Has UPS exhausted the benefits of its days at the track?

While Dale Jarret was not much of winner on the track by the time he came to UPS, the company enjoyed many years of successful advertising with its ‘Race the Truck’ campaign.  Jarrett was the perfect foil for UPS advertisements. Jarrett was the one time king-of-the-jungle that UPS reduced to a comical lion in the petting zoo manufactured by Madison Avenue.  But Jarrett didn’t win many races, and in 2007 he had a hard time even qualifying.

Are the glory days over?

“It can cost $10 million to recruit a winning driver and $25 million a year to race one car. Most teams raced two or three last year, and 90% of their operating budget came from corporate sponsors. The rich sponsorship deals signed during the fat years earlier this decade are expiring, and new sponsor money is drying up. Domino’s Pizza, a primary sponsor of Michael Waltrip Racing, and Eastman Kodak, a sponsor of Penske Racing, threw in the towel after last season. Also gone are Coors Light and Tide.”

And then there’s the paradox of UPS trying to market itself as a ‘green’ company while tying its advertising campaigns to racing. NASCAR is not a ‘green’ sport. It’s a high pollution sport. It’s an enviromentalist’s nightmare. NASCAR has tried to soften it’s image this year by using a hybrid pace car, but once that car leaves the track, any thought of ‘going green’ is brushed aside.

While UPS can’t afford management raises or driver reward programs, does it make good sense to spend millions of dollars on one sport with a declining fan base? I think UPS sponsorship of NASCAR has run it’s course. I think it’s time to ditch NASCAR and spend our money on our own people, not on one racing team.

Company Continues Service Level Cuts

The company announced to drivers today that any package with three delivery attempts will be returned to the shipper. No more post cards. No more phone calls. No more fourth attempts. Before it was only COD’s that were immediatly returned. Now all ground, and all air will be sent back after three attempts, no exceptions. Wonder what the wine companies will think when they get half of everything they ship back?

Retirement and Health Care

We deserve better

Des Moines, Iowa —- The high cost of long-term health care will drag down the quality of life for nearly two-thirds of today’s retirees. It can cost $77,000 a year for a nursing home room and $20,000 for in-home care, expenses that many people are ill-prepared to absorb, said the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.


A new analysis shows that when the cost of health care and long-term care is included, 64 percent of retirees likely will be unable to maintain the lifestyle they had before retirement.


“This is the No. 1 issue staring us in the face over the next decade,” said Paul Ballew, a senior vice president at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., which provided a grant to fund the study.


The cost of health care will create such an unexpected hardship on unprepared retiring baby boomers that it’s imperative to sound the warning now, said Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research.

Read the rest of the story here.



How Much Does D. Scott Davis Really Make?

The AFL-CIO has released it’s findings on what CEO’s are getting paid at the top 100 US corporations. It’s great reading and there are some other interesting pages there if you look around. But for sure go and see what UPS CEO D. Scott Davis raked in, you may be surprised.
                                                                                 2009 Executive PayWatch

Do Something, Even If It’s Wrong

     Doing the wrong thing isn’t always the worst thing. Very often the worst thing is doing nothing at all. Many of the problems we have I'm a Bad Girlin our world are simply a result of the inactions of others. We have the politicians we have because many people simply do not vote. We have the Union leaders we have for the same reason. Often the election results are decided by less than a quarter of the people involved. In a solid presidential year the number of voters is usually less than half of all the people that can vote.
          The fear of doing the wrong thing often drives people’s inaction. The first consideration would be that the “wrong thing”  is actually a matter of perspective. You may be told you are doing the “wrong thing” for representing a driver that is accused of stealing time from the company. How many times have you heard, “why would you take that guys side?” In reality many times the company has jumped to the conclusion that the driver is guilty until proving innocent, and they are expecting you to make the same leap. Very often, after further investigation, you find that the company’s case is unfounded. Had you jumped to the company’s side, you would have done the “wrong thing”. That driver would have been gone. It turns out the “wrong thing” was the “right thing” to do. You certainly did the right thing in the driver’s eyes.
          Had you done nothing at all, the result would have been very similar, but an example would be set. Doing nothing would set you up as a “do nothing” steward. The company would know they could run rough shod over you in the future, making things worse on the next go-round. By standing your ground, right or wrong, you let them know they can’t buffalo you. A reputation that will follow you for a very long time. Your reputation among the drivers will become more solid, and you will represent the Union in a better light to the Rank-and-File. Your membership will know they can turn to you. Your own self-esteem will improve. You will become more confident in your ability to represent people in the future, and stand up for what you think is right. You will also become a person people will look to for answers. 
                                     All by doing the “wrong thing”.
              You can always fix something wrong.
 You can’t fix what you didn’t deal with in the first place.
    

Contact Our Elected Leaders Today

Today is the day to get in touch with our leaders. The two major issues of the day are the Employee Free Choice Act, and the possibility of a National Health Care Plan. Barack Obama’s election was bought and paid for by the Rank and File American. He would appreciate a reminder when it comes to decision time. Below are the contact links. I also suggest you contact Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi and remind them that they work for the American people.


Tell President Obama What You Think!!


Let Harry Reid Know What You Think!!

Let Nancy Pelosi Know What You Think!!

Remember these people work for you. We elected them to save our economy, protect our jobs, and to work for us for Health Care, and the Employee Free Choice Act. You have every right to demand that they hear your voice. You do not have to be afraid to let them know what you think, and demand action on the legislation that affects you! 
E-Mail them today!