The thing about heatwaves is that they can be brutal. That’s something a UPS delivery driver learned the hard way after spending a shift in a hot, un-air-conditioned truck. The video by ThatUPSMan (@whosthatupsman) was a seven-second clip, but it proved to be effective amassing 949,400 views.
As he sipped a bottle of water, the TikToker sat in his truck while an on-screen caption read: “It’s 2024, we still don’t have A/C! While Amazon out here smashing down the street with A/C on full blast. “
In the TikTok’s caption, he added, “Please send help! We need A/C, this California weather is wild.”
As the name implies, ThatUPSMan has dedicated his TikTok account to documenting the highs and lows of being a UPS driver. And this isn’t the first time he’s complained about the lack of A/C. In fact, he previously made two other TikToks expressing similar sentiments, suggesting that this lack of A/C is a reoccurring problem for him.
“You guys need to strike until you get an A/C,” one commenter suggested. “This is ridiculous.”
A second echoed, “All trucks should have working A/C and heat, period.”
While a third opined, “It’s so dangerous. My husband worked 12 years for UPS. Drivers were passing out all summer long. Heat strokes are real.”
The Daily Dot reached out to the creator via TikTok comment.
@whosthatupsman Please send help! We Need A/C this California weather is wild 🔥🔥 #ups #fyp #amazon #funny #jokes ♬ original sound – Vanessa Sirias
How widespread is this issue?
Concerns have been raised about UPS’ lack of A/C for years. During the summer of 2022, NPR reported that up to eight UPS drivers were hospitalized for heat stroke.
Furthermore, in a 2022 interview with The Guardian, UPS driver Elliot Lewis said that the inside of his van could reach 130F on especially hot days.
Progress was seemingly made in 2023, as CBS reported that Teamster’s union, who represented UPS delivery drivers, successfully wagered a deal with UPS to get air conditioning in new trucks.
But then, in August 2024, Workers Compensation reported that Bell County UPS driver Luis Grimaldo died in what his colleagues called a heat-related incident. Just days later, the outlet also reported a camera caught a second UPS driver passing out from what appeared to be heat exhaustion.
UPS responds
In an email to the Daily Dot, a UPS spokesperson assured that they are “committed to providing a safe working environment” for its employees. According to UPS, they have a plan to keep workers safe while delivering in the heat.
“UPS has hundreds of vehicles with AC operating on the roads today and we will continue to purchase and deploy new vehicles with AC as quickly as possible,” they said.
The agreement with the Teamsters, they said, includes equipping package cars to “improve airflow, temperature and comfort” for the drivers.
“We’re investing more than $409 million annually on safety training in the U.S., and continually enhance our heat safety training, outfit workers with specialized cooling gear, and add equipment to our vehicles and facilities that helps protect our people from the heat,” UPS stated.
Some other efforts include regular training on a health and safety program. This encourages workers to get proper rest, eat healthy and hydrate, and take breaks.
UPS also listed partnerships with companies like Gatorade and MISSION, an activewear company, to help keep workers cool.
The company states other efforts include supplying water jugs to drivers, and installing ice machines and water fountains at facilities, among others.
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