UPS and left turns. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

davidmash · #1 03-01-2025, 12:11 AM

We were sitting here watching Kathleen Madigan on YouTube and she mentioned that UPS does not make left turns.

Really? I need to look this up cause that sound like BS. Well, I'll be damned....it's pretty much true. Their policy for a long time and it seems to work.

I learned something new today.

Quote:

UPS have designed their vehicle routing software to eliminate as many left-hand turns as possible (in countries with right-hand traffic). Typically, only 10 percent of the turns are left turns. As a result, the company claims it uses 10m gallons less fuel, emits 20,000 tons less carbon dioxide and delivers 350,000 more packages every year. The efficiency of planning routes with its navigation software this way has even helped the firm cut the number of trucks it uses by 1,100, bringing down the company’s total distance travelled by 28.5 million miles – despite the longer routes.

https://www.ge.com/news/reports/ups-drivers-dont-turn-left-probably-shouldnt-either

JB3 · #2 03-01-2025, 07:17 AM

USPS does the same thing whenever possible. What was also explained to me was accident figures of making left turns are a measurable statistic, enough so that removing them increased driver safety and lessened vehicle damage and lawsuits.

Idle · #3 03-05-2025, 08:06 PM

Hoover of the FBI did not allow his drivers to make left turns.

One of the even wrote a book about his experiences as Hoover's driver.

The title? No Left Turns

cmac2012 · #4 03-06-2025, 12:49 AM

A few days ago, I was on Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto, heading west getting close to El Camino Real. It's always a clusterF at rush hour. I had spilled out of a nearby parking parking lot into the right lane, both the left lanes were solid back a ways behind me.

At the intersection is a left only lane, then a left or straight lane then a straight only lane, and then a right lane. Both left lanes are jammed with vehicles turning left that time of day. Suddenly it struck me that there was very little traffic in the through lane and just about 50 yards beyond El Camino was a traffic circle on Stanford campus property. So I shot up to El Camino in time to catch the yellow, and it's a long light at that intersection. I did a 360 around the traffic circle and what do you know the right turn lane was empty. I hung right on the red, the light had yet to change. I must've jumped 3 or 4 stoplights worth of left turning drivers and did it without pissing off a single person. As you can see, I was pretty proud of myself.