UPS Trailers

[rswinnerton]

A-Line made the drop frame trailer in HO and gave you a decal sheet with the data information and the following: "United Parcel Transport" and "Package Service" in the same font and size....Hmmm...Wonder why they did that?
Score one for ALine!
Russ

[Atlanticflier]

That being said, I would love to find a high-res digital image of the old UPS logo that would be suitable for use on intermodal trailers in the late 1990s. UPS quickly obliterated all traces of it from their vehicles when they came out with the new one...

Add a me too in here.

I hunted all over the web and couldn't find a good high res pic of it.

Reference:

http://www.salemspeedway.com/images/ups-logo.gif

http://www.lorrainekyte.com/images/ups_logo.jpg

http://www.logoterra.com/logodesign-logo-design-logo_design5/GIF/UPS-logo.gif

http://words.grubbykid.com/images/20050511-ups_logo.jpg

Do those help ?

Steven

[DKS]

This is a totally off-topic, but amusing story about how anal UPS is about their corporate image and trademark...

I can also relate. A couple decades ago I had a business making special effects graphics and slide images for multi-media presentations. My client had a show to do for UPS. The show had a number of effects, including a shot at the end where we went from a long shot of a UPS truck and zoomed in tight on their logo. I did the zoom effect by doing a streak-zoom shot of the truck blended into the logo; the effect lasted all of 1/2 second.

UPS rejected the show and demanded that we re-do the end effect. They objected to the fact that, for 1/2 second, their logo was distorted by the zoom. We had to trash it and replace it with a straight jump-cut (seriously boring). They were also checking to be sure all of the shots of their trucks and logos were exactly color-matched (apparently they passed). We could not believe how anal they were, but in hindsight it's not a surprise.

[FrankCampagna]

UPS is so image conscience that they cut up their custom built trucks so that can never
be re-used or sold.

You have probably heard they are incredibly anal about almost everything, like which way
a driver turns when picking a package up from the rack, etc...

Well I was once at one (or the only?) corporate UPS data center which was in Northern NJ
to consult. We went to the cafeteria for coffee, around 3pm.  The UPS person I was with said,
oh, you need a tray with your coffee. I said, no that's ok, I think I can manage to hold this
cup with my little fingers here. Well he said, NO, YOU NEED A TRAY with your coffee. Sure enough
a big sign before the checkout - UPS RULE #3222 YOU NEED A TRAY TO CHECKOUT EVEN JUST
A CUP OF COFFEE.

I couldn't believe it...

Someone who worked for the company once suggested that a perfect match for UPS brown was the color the Nazi Brownshirts wore. This thread makes it seem more likely to be true. Someone once made a UPS depressed center trailer. I believe it was in metal.  Frank

[Ian MacMillan]

Except that the shirts the SA wore were a much lighter brown.

[Atlanticflier]

Do you think that there is a market in N scale for the 40' drop frame UPS style trailer ( like the one A-line sold in HO) ?

[One of One-Sixty]

Wow that is interesting stuff, but every company has their weird and outrageous quirks.

Some of the stuff do not surprise me, some is even funny.

UPS is so image conscience that they cut up their custom built trucks so that can never
be re-used or sold.

You have probably heard they are incredibly anal about almost everything, like which way
a driver turns when picking a package up from the rack, etc...

Well I was once at one (or the only?) corporate UPS data center which was in Northern NJ
to consult. We went to the cafeteria for coffee, around 3pm.  The UPS person I was with said,
oh, you need a tray with your coffee. I said, no that's ok, I think I can manage to hold this
cup with my little fingers here. Well he said, NO, YOU NEED A TRAY with your coffee. Sure enough
a big sign before the checkout - UPS RULE #3222 YOU NEED A TRAY TO CHECKOUT EVEN JUST
A CUP OF COFFEE.

I couldn't believe it...

Actually their package cars are sold off all the time in auctions.

It is probably just at that location, as I have been in a lot of the major hubs including the Manhattan one where they get all the diamonds and jewelry and never had any problems like that.  Not even when I went to the Corporate HQ in Ga for a possible job.

They are so strict about lending their trademarks to the model railroading communinty, but you can go to a NASCAR race and buy anything and everything from the UPS/ Dale Jarrett trailer with UPS all over it......

Well that is kinda different, since they are sponsoring the car and the driver besides can you imagine not having merchandise and memorable for a NASCAR car and driver.  Plus MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) has to abide by rules regarding the UPS logo as well.  It also helps that since 2000 UPS is the offical carrier of NASCAR.

As for the Flaming Truck, it used as a promo tool to advertise the UPS race car.

My opinions about UPS in this post have been made on a clear and unbiased opinion even though I am an employee of Big Brown.

I have my gripes about the company so it is not even about my being a drone and just following the herd.

[SecretWeapon]

Do you think that there is a market in N scale for the 40' drop frame UPS style trailer ( like the one A-line sold in HO) ?

Steve,
  Any eastern modeller,EL,CR,NS,PC etc. can use UPS type trailer for their TOFC's. EL's CX-99/NY-100 was an all UPS hot shot. I saw your 28' kits,but I can't build any kits yet. If your 40' rib trailers were together,I would've got some. EL used them. I won't buy any from that guy on eBay,because he's an extention of a company that stuck me.

[ljudice]

Don't let my experience lead you to believe I'm knocking UPS - I am always impressed
at their reliability - and their drivers are the nicest people - who always go out
of the way to be helpful...

It's like railroading - to make a big system work, you have to have rules - although
it seemed some were a little crazy!

I'm surprised about the resale of "package cars" - is this new or have I just heard
the wrong story all along!

Lou

[qantaqa]

I have nothing substantive to contribute about ups  , but personally I have had nothing but trouble the last few years.  Apparently, I can't run upstairs to the front door from the shop/train room before the driver can make it back to his truck and drive away.  Sometimes he has another delivery within a block, and I can catch him, but not usually.    I even tried leaving a note on the door asking for a few extra moments but no luck.  Requesting them to just leave the packages hasn't worked either.  I'll stick with the USPS when I can...  for me they've proven more reliable

sorry no refunds for my $0.02 

cheers

[James Costello]

Do you think that there is a market in N scale for the 40' drop frame UPS style trailer ( like the one A-line sold in HO) ?

Yes, but IMO it's not as big as the market for an UPS 28'/26' drop frame trailer.

[Chulvis]

More off-topic UPS:

I feel sorry for those drivers during the Christmas season. I remember last year Brown pulled up in the front of the shop like they always do when they have a delivery, except this time the truck sat out there for a good five minutes and the driver never came in. So I walked outside to the back of the truck to see what was going on...That poor driver was standing there with his hands on his hips and said "I can't find your box" It was no wonder either...The truck looked like it had been loaded up and then flipped over a few times. There were boxes everywhere with no semblance of any kind of order whatsoever. The aisle was totally full, you could not walk at all. The loaders had to have just stood there at the loading dock and tossed the boxes in the back. What a mess.

Today I got a letter in the mail from UPS. Their ground rates are going up 4% in January.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Wow Chuck, that's pretty crazy, I know those things leave the hub all loaded in a specific order. A friend of mine has made her career optimizing that order...

[Chulvis]

Wow Chuck, that's pretty crazy, I know those things leave the hub all loaded in a specific order. A friend of mine has made her career optimizing that order...

That is normally the case, but I think things get a little out of hand during the holiday season. That job just has to suck from Thanksgiving to New Years.

[One of One-Sixty]

Don't let my experience lead you to believe I'm knocking UPS - I am always impressed
at their reliability - and their drivers are the nicest people - who always go out
of the way to be helpful...

I know your not knocking it, even if you was, its right, hell I knock it a lot, especially with the new propose contract.

More off-topic UPS:

I feel sorry for those drivers during the Christmas season. I remember last year Brown pulled up in the front of the shop like they always do when they have a delivery, except this time the truck sat out there for a good five minutes and the driver never came in. So I walked outside to the back of the truck to see what was going on...That poor driver was standing there with his hands on his hips and said "I can't find your box" It was no wonder either...The truck looked like it had been loaded up and then flipped over a few times. There were boxes everywhere with no semblance of any kind of order whatsoever. The aisle was totally full, you could not walk at all. The loaders had to have just stood there at the loading dock and tossed the boxes in the back. What a mess.

Today I got a letter in the mail from UPS. Their ground rates are going up 4% in January.

Usually the back of the trucks are very organized, it has to be with UPS wanting their drivers to deliver 16 packages an hour.

Sorry about that 4% increase, but hey they have to find some way to pay our pension as well as the new pay raise (meaning more money for you to extort from me, umm I mean more money for me to spend at your fine establishment).

Wow Chuck, that's pretty crazy, I know those things leave the hub all loaded in a specific order. A friend of mine has made her career optimizing that order...

That is normally the case, but I think things get a little out of hand during the holiday season. That job just has to suck from Thanksgiving to New Years.

Don't feel bad for the drivers as they get bad $14+ per hour plus time and half for the part time drivers after 5 hours and 8 for full time.

Its the Grunts that gets it bad loading and unloading the trailers, especially since peak season started back in Oct.

But hey I am not complaining, its hard work, but fun at the same time, plus I lost weight and toned down since working.  Now just have to find time for modeling.