UPS says turning right saves time, money

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 16, 2006 by Elaine Jarvik Deseret Morning News

The world wastes a lot of time and fuel waiting to turn left -- which is why UPS is going the extra mile to make sure its drivers mostly turn right.

The package-delivery company has long encouraged its drivers to avoid left-hand turns whenever possible, because turning left in busy intersections is more dangerous, takes more time and uses more gas. Now the company has developed a "package flow" software program that maps out routes to avoid backtracking and left-hand turns.

"It's not a complete ban on left-hand turns," explains Steve Goodrich, community relations manager for the UPS Great Basin District, who knows that sometimes a strategically placed left-hand turn can keep you

from going miles out of your way (or from going in circles). He estimates that the company's drivers take an average of four right turns for every left turn, following routes devised by the computer and dispatch planning supervisor John Carver.

UPS, which last year drove 2 billion miles to move 14.8 million packages and documents from one place to another, says all those right turns will save millions of dollars a year. In Washington, D.C., the new route planning technology trimmed 464,000 miles, saved more than 51,000 gallons in fuel, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 506 metric tons over an 18-month period, according to spokesman Dan McMackin at UPS headquarters in Atlanta.

The same strategy can save the rest of us time and money, McMackin says.

"We took a soccer mom and shaved over an hour off her chores, and shaved 24 miles off her haphazard driving. Basically we had her go in a loop." The idea is to plan ahead so that all the stops are approached from the right. "I promise you, it will save miles for anybody."

If you want to save even more time, here are some other UPS driver strategies: Undo your seat belt while simultaneously turning off the ignition, and never put your car key in your pocket or your purse -- wear it on a ring on your finger.

E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com