Driver Terminated

sx2700 · 04-22-2008, 09:04 PM

We had a driver fired today because his car rolled away on him and hit something. We were told that a roll away is automatic termination written in the contract. Anybody here have any experience or heard of anything with this type of situation? It sounds like the hearing will be a couple weeks from now so hopefully everything works out for him. The guys been with the company for a long time and as far as I know has an excellent record otherwise. Seems to me like a chicken***t reason to fire a guy, but nothing UPS does surprises me much.

helenofcalifornia · 04-22-2008, 09:18 PM

We had a guy in our center with a roll away and he was suspended for four weeks. Shouldn't lose his job, but probably will be suspended.

broncobros1 · 04-22-2008, 09:24 PM

So you think that termination for a roll aways is chick

:cens ored:? What if there was a lady with a stroller? Would you feel the same way? I know that the training for the new drivers states that it is an automatic dismissal for the same thing....not in control of the vehicle or something. I also believe that most DMV's will automatically DQ for that.

soberups · 04-22-2008, 09:26 PM

We have had a couple of rollaways on our center and it was the same deal---the company tries to scare them with a termination, but it doesnt get upheld at panel.

RockyRogue · 04-22-2008, 09:30 PM

Its my opinion that unless there was a mechanical failure, this guy should lose his job. I don't care what kind of past history he has. He failed to properly secure his vehicle in the parking state and the consequence should be termination. I'm sure I'll take flak for this.....-Rocky

dannyboy · 04-22-2008, 09:31 PM

Be careful about making statements about never being upheld at the panel.

As for roll aways, it is a serious accident in UPS's eyes. And it should be for us all. And it does happen more times than you might think.

In our center, we have had several roll aways, and one driver even has had three. But there was one that did lose his job over it. So be aware, while the track record sorta shows that in most cases you should get your job back after several weeks off, its not something you want to bet on.

d

Baba gounj · 04-22-2008, 09:41 PM

I know of two recent rollaways; (1) the vehicle rolled into another parked vehicle totally ruining it, that driver still has a job ( driving ) & (2 ) the vehicle rolled into a house, that employee was told he can never drive again, and works on our full time preload shift. Neither lost more than a few weeks off.

filthpig · 04-23-2008, 01:51 AM

We recently had this happen here. The driver was fired and got his job back after 3 or 4 weeks. Every time this has happened that I am aware of, the driver has lost his job but usually gotten it back. One case where the driver didn't get his job back was because he didn't call it in.

UpstateNYUPSer · 04-23-2008, 04:15 AM

We had a roll away at my center before I began working there and he is now my on-car sup (no, I am not kidding).

trplnkl · 04-23-2008, 05:04 AM

Sometimes there are facts to a story that we all do not know. In my case, when I had a roll away my termination was done outside of the guide lines. Meaning that I was able to retain my employment (with a 10 working day suspension) due to a technicality. I had gotten my mind set for a follow up of daily harassment, but it never came. I had a one day ride when I returned to work and that was it.
IMHO, any roll away deserves punishment simply because, #1. To have one, minus a vehicle malfunction, more than one rule has to be violated. #2, an uncontrolled vehicle is dangerous beyond belief. I DO NOT feel (obviously) that one should automatically be terminated. This is a situational punishment, IMO. Let the punishment fit the crime.

BTW, in my case the only damage was to a small tree that was about to be removed anyway. The guy that was to remove it said he wished I had hit the other one right next to it also, so he wouldn't have to dig so much.

DorkHead · 04-23-2008, 05:16 AM

I drive a P800 with no transmission lock like all the new autos have so I also make sure my driver`s door is also closed so no person ( teen or kid) can walk by and disengage my hand brake. I know the truck is in gear and shouldn`t move but better to be safe than sorry. If they can`t see it they most likely won`t think of doing it.

JustTired · 04-23-2008, 05:26 AM

I haven't had a rollaway, but I have gotten out of the car and heard a noise, turned around to see my vehicle sorta lurching forward. I was parked on an incline and (with car in gear and handbrake on) it would just not hold. Had I not noticed and walked into a business, I'm sure I would have come out to a surprise. I actually had to get back in and reposition the vehicle before I could make the delivery.

The handbrakes in many of these vehicles are a joke. You write them up and maybe (after being adjusted) they work for a day or two. It's usually not the mechanics fault. Just too little brake for the amount of weight it has to hold.

I'm amazed at how many rollaways there seems to be nationwide. Well, maybe not considering the above case and the pressure to get done at a decent time.

trickpony1 · 04-23-2008, 06:26 AM

I've seen the driver of a well known soft drink company chock the drive axle wheels of his 10 wheeler every time he stops to make a delivery. Maybe our company should require us to carry a set of chocks and chock the drive axle at every stop.
OOPS!......but wait......that would cut into the drivers SPORH. We can't have that.
So much for safety.

mattwtrs · 04-23-2008, 07:00 AM

In my area I have noticed that all USPS carriers park with their front wheels curbed even when on a perfectly level surface. Now if some of them would only walk at a normal pace & not like a snail!

Big Babooba · 04-23-2008, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

We had a roll away at my center before I began working there and he is now my on-car sup (no, I am not kidding).

We had the same situation here years ago. He is retired now.

Big Babooba · 04-23-2008, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trickpony1

I've seen the driver of a well known soft drink company chock the drive axle wheels of his 10 wheeler every time he stops to make a delivery. Maybe our company should require us to carry a set of chocks and chock the drive axle at every stop.
OOPS!......but wait......that would cut into the drivers SPORH. We can't have that.
So much for safety.

Chock blocks are required by the DOT. I never take a truck out if I find them missing during the pretrip. Our shop has extras. I have used them at times. Some companies require that all delivery vehicles be chocked.

trickpony1 · 04-23-2008, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Babooba

Chock blocks are required by the DOT. I never take a truck out if I find them missing during the pretrip. Our shop has extras.

If what you say is true then "our" company is breaking yet another law. But then that doesn't surprise me. Overweight triples pull out of my hub all the time and the enforcement agencies look the other way.

I guess that's what happens when "our" company snuggles up with the powers that be to mutually "benefit" both parties.

sx2700 · 04-23-2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broncobros1

So you think that termination for a roll aways is chick

:cens ored:? What if there was a lady with a stroller? Would you feel the same way? I know that the training for the new drivers states that it is an automatic dismissal for the same thing....not in control of the vehicle or something. I also believe that most DMV's will automatically DQ for that.

I'm glad that you are the perfect human being, congratulations. First of all there was no lady with a stroller. Now consider that the guy has over 20 years with no other problems, you really think an automatic termination is appropriate? I hope you get the same sympathy when something happens to you and you're on here looking for support. Good luck to you, I hope you stay under the radar until retirement.

raceanoncr · 04-23-2008, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sx2700

We had a driver fired today because his car rolled away on him and hit something. We were told that a roll away is automatic termination written in the contract. Anybody here have any experience or heard of anything with this type of situation? It sounds like the hearing will be a couple weeks from now so hopefully everything works out for him. The guys been with the company for a long time and as far as I know has an excellent record otherwise. Seems to me like a chicken***t reason to fire a guy, but nothing UPS does surprises me much.

In the Central Region Supplemental Agreement section of the National Master United Parcel Service Agreement, it states, under Article 17:

"...be given a local level hearing except for the following offenses.
(g) an avoidable runaway accident.

I'm sure other regions have the same or similar lanquage in their supplements so it looks like a runaway is always a termination. Never mind the "avoidable" because it seems like everything is now deemed "avoidable" nowadays.

However, as has been posted and threaded here in BC and what seems to be consensus is that every center, hub, panel, JAC meeting is different. In other words, it depends on who is sitting on the panel (both sides), who YOU are, what kind of performance you have turned in to date, what kind of management team you have, etc.

You can contact people from 100 different hubs and get 100 different examples of some that were permenantly terminated and some that were "temporarily" terminated, some that were merely suspended, for a day, for a week, month, whatever.

It's not a sure thing. You friend could get his job back, he could not. Just hope that he does, if that's what he wants.

brownIEman · 04-23-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sx2700

I'm glad that you are the perfect human being, congratulations. First of all there was no lady with a stroller. Now consider that the guy has over 20 years with no other problems, you really think an automatic termination is appropriate? I hope you get the same sympathy when something happens to you and you're on here looking for support. Good luck to you, I hope you stay under the radar until retirement.

Why is it that you believe firing a driver for losing control of his vehicle is chicken excrement? More importantly, what would you suggest management do in such a situation? A verbal reprimand? A slap on the wrist?

If the company where to offer less than serious consequences for this sort of thing, what do you suppose would happen in court when a run away package car DOES find a stroller?

I see you are quick to cast aspersions at the company for reacting in a harsh manner to a serious situation, and yet are just as quick to get very defensive when someone casts aspersions and the driver who lost control of his vehicle.

And yes, thank God, there was no stroller in this incident. The point however stands, there just as easily could have been, which would lead to someone being dead based on the driver taking the exact same actions as what he did.

In this situation, it is of paramount importance that this incident be taken very seriously, and be shown to be taken very seriously. What sort of message does it send to younger drivers if failing to secure ones vehicle is treated lightly? Or even with less than the utmost of serious consequences?

Speaking as a member of management and a stockholder, the best outcome, IMHO, would be that he stews out of work for a couple weeks, gets reinstated at panels, and comes back to work with a renewed appreciation for the need to secure the vehicle at all times.