Keeping track of your day can give you back up if you’re facing production harassment or accused of stealing time—and it can help you enforce the contract too.
Management is less likely to pick on the drivers who pay attention and keep track of their days. When management knows you won’t rattle in the office, they’re more likely to leave you alone.
You can also use the log books to track management by keeping tabs on comments and instructions from supervisors. That can help defend Teamsters from unfair discipline.
What to Track
The logbook gives you a snapshot of your day in case management raises issues later. It contains a chart to record the basic facts about your day.
- When you punch in and out
- When you leave and return to the building
- Overtime
- Pick-ups
- Total stops
- Driver release stops
- Your car number
- Road conditions
- Total miles
- Lunch and breaks
- Problems and delays
- Comments and instructions from supervisors
If something unusual happens, you can make a note of it: bad traffic; a load with a lot of out-of-the-way stops; poor driving conditions, etc.
It’s especially good to have notes on days when a supervisor is riding along. If your load is set up like they are making a training video, or there are changes to your route, make note of it by filling out an
Track Management Like They Track You
The log book includes blank pages to keep track of unusual conditions or comments from supervisors.
If a supervisor gives you an order that doesn’t fit with company procedures, write it down and date it. Or snap a photo of your DIAD with your smart phone.
Defend Yourself, Don’t Be Defensive
The Log Book is designed to help members who are accused of stealing time or another disciplinable offense to defend themselves.
They are NOT designed to play into management fishing expeditions about your production numbers.
Use the logbook to defend yourself. But don’t be defensive.
Do the job right. Don’t work off the clock and don’t take personal time on the clock.
Making up an explanation about what happened on your route can create a bigger can of worms and open the door to UPS management’s favorite charge: dishonesty.
Following UPS’s rules, instead of rushing to boost your production, is the best way to protect yourself.
