Q&A: Speedy Delivery

Saturday, Dec. 16, 2000 | 12:36 p.m.

Tuesday will be the busiest day of the year for the United Parcel Service, when it anticipates delivering 19 million packages around the world, compared to the usual daily average of 13.5 million.

In Las Vegas, deliveries are expected to peak at 83,000, compared with a normal daily average of more than 50,000, according to one UPS spokesman.

The company says from Thanksgiving to Christmas, when its drivers will deliver more than 325 million packages worldwide, are the toughest four weeks of the year for delivery services.

UPS, founded in 1913, began service in Las Vegas in 1966 with eight drivers. Today it has 330. One is 36-year-old Connie Tutaj, who joined the company in January 1987, when it only had about 65 local drivers.

Tutaj recently discussed her job -- and the holiday crunch -- with the Sun:

Las Vegas Sun: Are there a lot of women UPS drivers?

Connie Tutaj: Not really. There still are a lot more men. It's a hard job. It's tough, especially if there are a lot of businesses on your route. It's supposed to keep you in shape.

Sun: Does it?

CT: Yes. I'm in and out of the truck 300 times a day. Also, I go to the gym a lot. I like to work out. I stay active -- I play softball and go bowling.

I couldn't ask for a better job, but you've got to stay strong. When I first started working here drivers would last between eight and 13 years, then they would retire because their body would give out -- their knees, their back. Drivers now seem to be lasting longer. They try to stay in better shape.

Sun: What do you like about the job?

CT: I enjoy being outdoors. The weather here is great. You can't beat it. We have it very lucky. Back East it must be miserable, delivering in the snow.

And I enjoy the people. They're wonderful. Also, you're kind of like your own boss. If you do your job well they don't say a word to you.

Sun: If you get tired of delivery, what are your career choices?

CT: You can go into management, be a supervisor. I passed it up. I love driving, I love being out there with people, and you don't have to take your job home with you. You can do a great job, go home and that's it. Supervisors, you have to give them a lot of credit. They go through a lot.

Sun: Deliveries by postal workers are timed, down to how many steps they must take in a certain amount of time. What about UPS drivers?

CT: Yes. Everything is timed. We go up to the door to get a signature and that adds a few seconds, but if we go up and hide the package well, that's less seconds. Signatures get a little more time. At residences, you get 45 seconds to go up, get a signature and get back in your truck.

Sun: There is a lot more traffic today. Is that a problem for you? Have you been involved in any accidents?

CT: A couple of minor accidents. You see so much out there. You always have to keep your eyes open. You just have to deal with it. Sometimes I see road rage, but I'm always very courteous. I let people in front of me all the time.

Sun: Has traffic created major delivery problems?

CT: Not that much for me. I have a lot of residential stops. About 70 percent of my route is residential and the rest is business. It's a nice area.

Sun: Have you had any unusual experiences on the route?

CT: I've been bitten by dogs a couple of times. People open their doors, especially kids, and the dogs come running out. Two months ago I was putting a package down and there was a window next to the door. I looked up and a dog came through the window at me. I screamed, and this pit bull backed me up into a corner. I was scared, but then he turned and walked away. He was bleeding and everything and probably realized, "Uh, oh. I'm in trouble."

Sun: Online shopping reportedly has jumped 85 percent this year. Has the Internet affected the delivery business?

CT: It has caused our business to boom. Some people get packages almost every day, thanks to QVC and eBay. It's amazing. This will be our biggest Christmas. I do 200 stops a day. A lot of drivers do anywhere from 200 to 400, depending on what route they're on.

Now is when we have helpers -- seasonal workers who "jump" for us. They sit in a little jumper seat as we drive. We stop, hand them a package and they run to the door while we get the next package ready to hand them. You can do almost 45 stops an hour with a helper, and it saves our legs.

Sun: What are the holiday hours like?

CT: Right now I'm working 10 to 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Some drivers will deliver until 10 o'clock at night. That's kind of hard, knocking on a door at 10. They're supposed to stop at 9, but some drivers want to get everything done. Normally (nonholiday hours) I work from 8:30 in the morning to 6 at night. Some drivers take off for lunch, but I rarely take a break. I like to just keep going. I like to get it done.