Heat blamed for North Texas UPS driver's illness during work deliveries

The wife of a Fort Worth area UPS driver is sounding the alarm about the dangers of working in the extreme heat.

[nowayjose]

UPS's argument is that drivers don't need a/c because the doors are usually open and there are 80-300 stops a day. The a/c is not needed in the cabin of the package car, it's needed in the cargo area. You step in the back and it's immediately 20-30 degrees hotter than the cabin. That's where lives are lost. As someone else mentioned, install APU's connected to a portable a/c that can keep the cargo hold cool at all times. Driver's and car washers can make sure they are powered down at end of day

[otebryan]

The company’s response is laughable. The body can’t recover from 8-10 hours of labor in 100+ temperatures 5 days a week by simply resting and hydrating for 12 hours in between shifts that kind of exertion requires days of hydrating and recovery even for very fit people. You can do it for a while but it will catch up with you…..UPS. You can’t afford to NOT treat these workers better! Anyone at UPS who works in the air conditioning better be the 1st to stand up for these men & women. It’s been 100+ Degrees here for weeks now.

[supremekingjesus]

I remembered I applied for UPS they painted a pretty picture for me about pay but as soon as I told him that the trucks have AC when they said that truck has no AC. I told them am not working for y'all. I knew this would happen to drivers and plus they want you to be in a hurry just to deliver packages I do not think so

[noid]

These companies don’t give a shhhh about employees

[FullFrontalExposure]

Heat strokes are no joke. Boil your insides.

[thebrain]

That's not forget other delivery companies too. If UPS has a union and they won't do anything. Think about Amazon drivers and FedEx

[esharenee]

They said air conditioner wouldn't help since they are in and out of the truck. They got all that money, they need to find a freakin way to take care of their workers. I don't give a dang about my package at this point. A human life is more valuable than getting a piece of material 🙄

[rogerm]

A study published in 2010 that estimated that a wet-bulb temperature of equal to 95 F at 100% humidity, or 115 F at 50% humidity – would be the upper limit of safety, beyond which the human body can no longer cool itself by evaporating sweat from the surface of the body to maintain a stable. There needs to be humidity and heat limit temps for employees

[Whowhatwherewhy]

Install truck APU which can power small A/C units independently of truck running or not. Each stop, driver closes door, engine off. Not much but better than a lawsuit for a deceased driver.

[michaelyoung]

Regardless if drivers constantly making stops But few minutes behind a air conditioner could make big difference give drivers air conditioner in there trucks

[enriquettae]

I'm so glad that y'all are shining a light on this situation! I have associates at UPS and we look out for each other on the streets when we cross each other's paths. Checking in making sure each of us have enough water/snacks and doing well. Sharing drink and snacks if one is in need. It's not enough. We heard about the lost of a young man at UPS and now this... ✊🏿please keep fighting for better work conditions and prayerfully it will open eyes and ears about our conditions too.🙏🏽

[moniquebroussard]

They really need air on these trucks I pray 🙏 for a speedy recovery

[dpexninja]

They don’t care I worked at the one is La Marque tx they sent me out in trucks with gas leaking over the muffler

[ErzaScarletProductions]

Half of the stuff I get is from USPS I feel like they deserve more and A/C IN CARS MAN!!!

[Nic-insh]

They must be held accountable. Fed ex is even worse. At least UPS drivers get paid.

[MsMtz]

We're in the Southern California low Desert 120 degrees is normal in the summer! UPS trucks can get over 140 degrees!!! CEOs would NEVER ACCEPT working in these conditions!!! Trucks can easily be conditioned with clear plastic flow screens to keep the inside of the driver's area cool as drivers run in and out! This is a cheap and simple solution!! We are losing too many drivers to heat related DEATHS!!

[DarkestHour]

Lol. USPS hasn’t had AC in there vehicles since the beginning of dawn. And you don’t here much about the Post office carriers having heat strokes or heat stress related Illness.

[irmapardo]

Prayers goes out to his family. 🙏
I agree UPS should provide the workers with fans and to keep the drivers cool. But I doubt that will happen. My husband has been a driver for 18 yrs he did package car for 9 yrs and ups motto is safety first and that doesn't mean the drivers. For UPS its always go, go, go. Ups needs to put their workers along with safety. Bcuz without those hard working people that wouldn't have a business to run.

[eldeguello]

The mpg diff with ac or without isn't enough to justify not having it, for UPS the price to have AC in all vehicles (it's worth mentioning most of their delivery fleet doesn't have AC, and will have to have all components installed) will cost them lots and lots of 💰... I'm not a 100% sure on this but I'll say 98% is correct

[joniboulware]

My child didn't have air conditioning in her school buses in Phoenix when it was routineli