On a more serious note, this is a lot more rigorous in terms of training than I had thought it would be. I certainly wouldn't pass that greased-floor test, with my bad ear and lousy balance.
On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 12:31 PM, Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net>wrote: > > > Wow, this is amazing, and not just for the integration of high tech, > multimedia training for all these companies. I guess I never realized UPS > drivers had to follow so many rules. Park a truck and get one package off in > 15 seconds total? Walk at a prescribed number of mph? I guess I only thought > of such efficiency drills in terms of movements and motions in > manufacturing/processing plants, where time spent soldering, adding nuts and > bolts, cutting up chickens, etc., is strictly regimented. > And who knew that UPS drivers make up to 74K annually? That is solidly in > the same earnings range as network administrators/engineers and other > professions in the IT field. No wonder so many big old hulking brothers put > up with wearing those silly looking little brown uniforms! > > ****************************************************** > > http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109258/usps-thinks-out-of-the-box?mod=career-leadership > UPS Thinks Out of the Box on Driver Training > by Jennifer Levitz > Wednesday, April 7, 2010 > > provided by > [image: wsjlogo.gif] <http://wsj.com/> > > Vexed that some 30% of driver candidates flunk its traditional training, > *United > Parcel Service Inc.* (UPS <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=UPS>) is moving > beyond the classroom to ready its rookies for the road. In the place of > books and lectures are videogames, a contraption that simulates walking on > ice and an obstacle course around an artificial village. > Based on results so far, the world's largest package-delivery company is > convinced that 20-somethings -- the bulk of UPS driver recruits -- respond > best to high-tech instruction and a chance to hone skills. > > Driver training is crucial for Atlanta-based UPS, which employs 99,000 U.S. > drivers and says it will need to hire 25,000 over the next five years to > replace retiring Baby Boomers. Candidates vying for a driver's job, which > pays an average of $74,000 annually, now spend one week at Integrad, an > 11,500-square-foot, low-slung brick UPS training center 10 miles outside of > Washington, D.C. There they move from one station to another practicing the > company's "340 Methods," prescribed by UPS industrial engineers to save > seconds and improve safety in every task from lifting and loading boxes to > selecting a package from a shelf in the truck. > > They play a videogame that places them in the driver's seat and has them > identify obstacles. They progress from computer simulations to > "Clarksville," a village of miniature houses and faux businesses on the > property where they drive a real truck and must successfully execute five > deliveries in 19 minutes. > > So far, the new methods, designed by UPS and researchers from Virginia > Tech, are proving successful, UPS says. Of the 1,629 trainees who have > completed Integrad since it began as an experiment in 2007, only 10% have > failed the training program, which takes a total of six weeks overall and > includes 30 days driving a truck in the real world. UPS is known for > promoting within, and many driver candidates began as UPS package handlers > or other employees. > > By getting out of the traditional classroom and using technology and > hands-on learning, "we've enhanced the probability of success of these new > drivers," says Allen Hill, UPS's senior vice president of human resources. A > second Integrad will open in the Chicago area in the summer, and the > training methods will eventually go company-wide, he says. > > "Are you ready for this? Shake the nerves out! Take a deep breath," cheers > Chris Breslin, a graying Integrad instructor, rallying his fresh-faced > recruits on a recent day. > > As Nick Byrnes, a 23-year-old with a buzz cut and black Ray-Ban sunglasses, > drove through Clarksville, a UPS instructor tossed a football in his path. > Mr. Byrnes hit the brakes. But then, when he hopped out to deliver a > package, instructor Mike Keys sneaked an orange traffic cone in front of the > truck. > > Mr. Byrnes hopped back in and started up. "Stop! Stop! Ugh!" yelled Mr. > Keys. He picked up the cone. "This is a kid who was playing football around > your vehicle and went to get his ball." > > Mr. Byrnes looked shaken and slapped his forehead. The lesson stuck: At the > next stop, he checked for cones. > > UPS isn't the only company using new training tools. Food service company > Sodexo Inc. has recruited chefs through "Second Life" virtual job fairs and > *Cisco Systems Inc.* (CSCO <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=csco>) has taught > programming techniques through videogames. FedEx Corp. says it, too, has > moved toward more hands-on learning in the past five years, although it adds > the change wasn't prompted by a high failure rate among trainees. > > On a recent day, UPS students at Integrad moved through "kinetic learning" > modules. In one corner, they practiced loading and unloading packages from a > UPS truck with clear sides, timed by instructors. > > UPS allows 15.5 seconds to park a truck and retrieve one package from the > cargo, which is arranged in order of delivery. > > Over at the "slip and fall" machine, an instructor greased a tiled runway > in preparation for a regular drill: Students must carry a 10-pound box down > the surface -- while wearing shoes with no real tread. Luckily they wear a > safety harness, as most flail around like drunken ice skaters until they are > taught to stand straight and take slow baby steps. (This is the one time UPS > relents on its rule that drivers walk at a "brisk pace," or 2.5 paces per > second.) > > In another corner, Rich Gossman, at 37 the oldest in the group, was slumped > at a videogame that tests recruits' ability to find sales leads for UPS, > something today's drivers are expected to do. The game puts his avatar in > rooms where he has to identify competitors' packages. > > Mr. Gossman, a married father, works overnight at a UPS warehouse, > unloading packages for $12.50 an hour. Being a UPS driver appeals to him > because of the pay and job security. > > "This has been the most stressful week of my life," he said. But as he > played the game Mr. Gossman got a pat on the back from UPS supervisor, Peggy > Emmart. "I saw you identify that competitor package," she said. > > "I saw that FedEx package and went, click, let's get 'em," said Mr. > Gossman. > > Trainees must pay attention to detail and appearance and work as a team. > Students whose brown uniforms aren't ironed properly -- hanger creases are > forbidden -- lose points for their teams, as does any trainee caught without > his keys. UPS requires drivers to wear keys on their ring fingers to avoid > wasting time searching for them. > > "Raise your hands," Mr. Breslin ordered one group. Five jingling pairs of > hands went up. "Good job," he said, clapping. "See how easy it is to bond > with your keys?" > > >
