New Technology Will Track Your Every Move

UPS management is using new technology to monitor drivers like never before.

Find out how telematics works—and how you can protect yourself.

UPS is rolling out new technology that allows management to monitor drivers like never before. Local 804 members say it’s like an electronic OJS every day.

The technology enables management to track drivers electronically by combining data from the DIAD, GPS, and more than 200 sensors mounted in the package car.

UPS has already rolled out telematics in Melville and Yorktown, and it’s coming soon to Foster Ave. By the end of the year, UPS plans to outfit 22,000 vehicles with telematics in the U.S. and Canada.

Drivers and stewards from Foster Ave. met at Local 804 to get a briefing on how telematics work and how to
protect themselves.

“Drivers got to find out what’s coming. We don’t need to fear management’s technology. We just need to be prepared,” said Dartanyon Scott, a driver at Foster.

How It Works

Here’s how telematics works at the Melville building. Every morning, management pulls a Top Five report for every driver that shows:

Seat belt off in travel,
Recording in travel,
Recording while idle,
Bulkhead open in travel, and
Backing distance.

Management can print up reports with the data superimposed on maps. For example, one map might show every backing first exception on a given day, its location, and speed. Another might show the same data for seat belt occurrences.

At any time of day, management can tell how many stops you have left, and question you about long delays. Using GPS, they can assign pick-ups based on how close a driver is to the pick-up, even if it’s not normally on their delivery route.

When they rolled out telematics at Melville, supervisors said the new technology was all about safety.

But now they are using it to question drivers about production.

“If they don’t like your numbers, they use telematics to mess with you,” says Greg Fitzpatrick, a steward at Melville. “It’s like an OJS every day.”

“Following the methods every day is the best way to protect yourself,” said Fitzpatrick. “Don’t try to beat it. Don’t try to cheat it.”

If you’re called into the office to talk about your numbers, keep in mind that telematics gives the company an incomplete picture. Don’t play into management fishing expeditions.

Answer management’s questions with short, simple answers. If you don’t remember the details of what happened on your route, just say so.

“I don’t remember” or “That’s how long it took me to do the job” are perfectly good responses.

The worst thing you can do is make something up and give management an excuse to discipline you for dishonesty.

File 12314 Protect Yourself