No left turns rule (UPS does it. Is it a useful fuel saving tactic?)

[Lazarus]

This is interesting. UPS has been using Bicycles to deliver for a couple of years now. More on Wiki

I've seen in a few places that the left turn program failed in the UK but can't find anything to confirm that. Anybody else know?

[luvit]

i suppose the UK;s round abouts solve the no left turn issue by default.
maybe they don;t have as many as i think.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

This is interesting. UPS has been using Bicycles to deliver for a couple of years now. More on Wiki

I've seen in a few places that the left turn program failed in the UK but can't find anything to confirm that. Anybody else know?

Oh, "I read it on Wiki so it must be true."

Assuming that it IS true (on the Left coast, as Wiki and the article said?) I'd like to see it implemented here: have them leave the bike in the middle of the street, same as they do with their trucks. It would be either run over or stolen before the delivery is made.

[luvit]

wait a minute! the UK drives on the wrong side of the road... so they would actually be trying to avoid right turns...
silly lazarus. you tricked us.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

Oh, "I read it on Wiki so it must be true."

Assuming that it IS true (on the Left coast, as Wiki and the article said?) I'd like to see it implemented here: have them leave the bike in the middle of the street, same as they do with their trucks. It would be either run over or stolen before the delivery is made.

Geez dude why the hate Did UPS not deliver your trike on time when you were a kid.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

Geez dude why the hate Did UPS not deliver your trike on time when you were a kid.

"Hate"? I am simply critical of their practice of parking their trucks in the middle of the street.

You have an odd definition of what "hate" is.

[Sean T.]

I talked to my friend who is truck driver at UPS and he says the no left turn rule is that for example, you are driving up main street- there are culdesacs on the left and the right. Here is a diagram of what NOT to do (left turns) and one of what you SHOULD do:

[instarx]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

"Hate"? I am simply critical of their practice of parking their trucks in the middle of the street.

You have an odd definition of what "hate" is.
[...]
I'd like to hear a better rationalization for them not wanting to park at the curb

UPS does seem to get your blood pressure up Thyme. Frankly if the UPS guys park for thirty seconds in the street and it gets my packages to me faster I'm all for it.

I can come up with at least four explanations better than not wearing out the steering:

1. They don't want to get blocked in
2. It's simply faster to drive up, deliver the package and drive off rather than having to park or steer around cars
3. The drivers may be tired and pulling the truck to the curb a hundred times a day is hard work.
4. 30 seconds saved on each of 100 deliveries is nearly an hour sooner they can go home.

It's Occam's Razor, Thyme - the simplest explanation is almost always the correct one, and a secret corporate rule not to turn the steering wheel to save wear on the steering is a complex explanation involving lawyers, accountants, managers and executives. My theory is that is simply faster.

=====
Sean T, that left turn guidance you posted makes a lot of sense over a rule to never make a left turn.

[ATaylorRacing]

I retired from the Post Office and now they are starting to use the no left turn method....it is NOT for FE, but for accident prevention. The majority of the wrecks happened while drivers made left turns without being carefull enough. They are now starting to put gps tracking units into several mail trucks to track speed and length of stops to keep track of their workers...I would have welcomed that when I carried so the supers could really see that I was NOT wasting time, not taking extended breaks, or going off my delivery area!

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by instarx

I can come up with at least four explanations better than not wearing out the steering:[LIST=1][*]They don't want to get blocked in

Not true in suburban areas. That's extremely unlikely.

[*]It's simply faster to drive up, deliver the package and drive off rather than having to park or steer around cars

True

[*]The drivers may be tired and pulling the truck to the curb a hundred times a day is hard work.

So is driving a cab, a city bus, etc., etc.. Others that drive for a living don't flaunt the law like UPS does. Are UPS drivers the only ones that become tired? Does that make them deserving of special privilege?

[*]30 seconds saved on each of 100 deliveries is nearly an hour sooner they can go home.

True. But what gives them the right to do what no other delivery service does?

Ultimately, it's still hazardous and it's illegal.

So why I don't see any Fed-Ex trucks doing it? If it were only one or two UPS trucks I've seen doing it, I would agree with you. However, when we see a majority of them doing this more often than not, it's more than coincidental. And since only UPS does it, and no other company does, it's likely they are being told to do it.