Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
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Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
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Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#2Ha, wondered why they've never caught on here in the UK.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#3From the article: "While the no left turn rule has an appealingly simple and algorithmic quality to it, you will see UPS drivers take left turns on occasion, especially in residential neighborhoods without much incoming traffic."
So, no, they do turn left. More title mythology.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#4I just wondered, if the parts of the trucks (specially wheels and steering parts) have uneven wear (off?) by this practice.
Apart from that, sounds like a good engineering/optimization result.
PS: But there is a solution to that problem, as I see the other posts around .... just bring the trucks with uneven wear to the UK after a while ...
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#5[deleted]
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#6I just wondered, if the parts of the trucks (specially wheels and steering parts) have uneven wear (off?) by this practice. Apart from that, sounds like a good engineering/optimization result. PS: But there is a solution to that problem, as I see the other posts around .... just bring the trucks with uneven wear to the UK after a while ...
Yes you do get some uneven wear, but I'm sure UPS's fleet maintenance keeps track of that too. For the tires, you can rotate them on a regular schedule to reduce repeated wear patterns and spread it more evenly on all of the tires before they're replaced.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#7From the article: "While the no left turn rule has an appealingly simple and algorithmic quality to it, you will see UPS drivers take left turns on occasion, especially in residential neighborhoods without much incoming traffic." So, no, they do turn left. More title mythology.
+there are times when you are not blocked by oncoming traffic, so I guess it's OK to turn left there. And many other cases like that...
And I doubt this is a global rule.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#8It's hard to imagine that a high number of intersections are so bad for left turns that a three right turn detour is warranted. I've seen some left turn lanes get severely backed up during rush hour on the busiest of streets, but as a general rule I'd expect the left turn would win. I'd be curious to see more data on this.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#9From the article: "While the no left turn rule has an appealingly simple and algorithmic quality to it, you will see UPS drivers take left turns on occasion, especially in residential neighborhoods without much incoming traffic." So, no, they do turn left. More title mythology.
Well, sure, when there's no traffic against which to have to turn, the cost of making a left is negligible -- especially in American residential neighborhoods, which are often laid out so as to prompt suspicion that they weren't intended to be navigable at all. (And this is not even entirely false! A city neighborhood with access from multiple traffic arteries, and with straight, minimal-distance routes between them, invites through traffic to employ those routes as shortcuts, which is tantamount to inviting rush hour into everyone's driveway.)
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#10Aside from route optimization, something else that the tracking devices may allow is recording acceleration, braking and instant fuel consumption. This in turn makes possible to train and reward drivers for more efficient driving.
It's a big selling point for systems sold to trucking and public transportation companies.