Staying Safe and Efficient During Peak Season

Sean Ireland

Good morning, everyone. The first week of November is already behind us, and if your calendar's anything like mine, you're probably looking at this time of year thinking, wow, where did 2025 go? We're less than a week out from the start of peak UPS season. Thanksgiving's coming up quick. And to top it off, we've got snow in the forecast for some parts of the region, which never fails to throw a few extra challenges our way. Now, as we get into these final seven weeks, the distractions ramp up — you’ve got short weeks, holiday schedules, and a real mixed bag of weather. But if there’s one thing that doesn’t change for us, it’s that safety’s gotta remain number one.

Sean Ireland

We're sticking with our base safety plan for Q4, but we're layering in some extra focus areas each week. Next week, we’re kicking off a Roll-By Blitz — that’s gonna run from five o'clock Wednesday afternoon until five Thursday. And the truth is, this is needed: just last week, we had two broken wheels and an overheated bearing. I mean, those are the sort of incidents that make you pay attention, right? If you’re not doing thorough equipment inspection, those small issues turn into big problems real quick. So during the blitz, we want every set of eyes focused — and make sure you report out what you find on our Regional Safety Call Wednesday night. No detail’s too small.

Sean Ireland

As part of that safety engagement, there are a couple of priorities we can't let slide. Securement rule changes are active, RCO crews need to be up to speed on their updated protocols if they're riding equipment, and, look, critical operational rules — those need testing and follow-up. We’ve still got 28 folks since October 1st with operational test failures where the follow-up just hasn’t happened yet. If you're a manager, make sure you’re doing the employee record review — at least two per week. We’ve made some ground; 1 thousand 6 hundred and 17 reviews complete, but we've still got over 600 to go.

Sean Ireland

And don’t forget your field coaching. Assistant Superintendents, you know the drill: get out there between 6PM and 6AM, do your operational testing and coaching in real-world conditions. That’s where you spot the little things.

Sean Ireland

Let me just share a quick story. Years back, we had a storm roll through Buffalo. Heavy snow, just piling up. And this was one of those nights — poor visibility, cold as heck. But you know, because the team stuck to the safety script — every inspection, every securement step, steady communication — we had zero injuries, no equipment lost, didn’t miss a single handbrake. It wasn’t luck. It was culture. That’s what I want us all to remember as we head into another unpredictable winter.

Sean Ireland

Speaking of staying ready for the unknown, let’s shift gears a little and talk about prepping for peak UPS season. I know I sound like a broken record, but this is make-or-break time for us — especially on the intermodal side. Every UPS train, every intermodal move, needs an extra set of eyes and hands on it as volumes start to spike. It’s not just about getting the freight there fast, it’s getting it there safe and keeping the network fluid. And if you haven’t already wrapped up your 2025 re-certifications, you gotta get those sorted so everyone is ready and available come January 1st. No one wants to start the new year scrambling.

Sean Ireland

Now, I know the distractions pile up this time of year — folks are tired, there are a million things to juggle, and sometimes it feels like we’re just moving from one fire drill to the next. That’s why the regional plan right now is all about minimizing distractions and driving focus. When we’ve got operational surges — like those we’ve seen during Black Friday week or big winter events in previous years — the teams that come out ahead are the ones that keep their processes tight: daily briefings, steady follow-up, and direct, open communication if something’s not right.

Sean Ireland

Actually, that ties back to something we covered in an earlier episode, where we talked a lot about the importance of follow-up and not letting deadlines slip — whether that's for safety items or recerts. So, just to throw out some discussion questions — and these are things I want you to think about or even talk through with your teams this week: How do we balance the urgency of peak service with making sure training and recertification don’t fall through the cracks? And when it’s the busiest weeks, how are you communicating safety priorities so nothing gets missed? Everyone’s tired, everyone’s in a hurry — but we can’t afford shortcuts, especially now.

Sean Ireland

I say this because when you look at the regions that have consistent performance during peak, they’re not doing anything too fancy — they’re just relentless about the basics. It's job safety briefings, recert checks, and clear, short communication. If you’re looking for best practices, honestly, keep it simple and keep it repetitive. It might sound a bit dull, but it works.

Sean Ireland

Alright, now let’s talk about cost and service — 'cause if we don't keep those under control right now, it makes Q4 way harder than it has to be. We’ve still got a big push on reducing overtime in yard and local assignments, but we’re also reviewing road overtime system-wide. The standard is: if a local’s working over 10 hours, we need to know exactly why, and that OT needs to be signed off by an Assistant Superintendent or Superintendent. No more autopilot. I’ve seen some great examples out of the Central West and Southern Zones where teams are really digging into the data and challenging every hour of OT. If you’re doing something different in your area that’s working, share it — we need that cross-pollination.

Sean Ireland

On the service side, reducing dwell times is back in focus — aiming to knock out those 32-hour dwell periods at the start of the week. And those repeated missed switches, that’s another area for us. With the I-164 coal route now open as of yesterday evening, the team’s got the green light to get things moving toward Newport News. That’s a huge opportunity, especially for the Southern Zone, to catch up with our coal targets.

Sean Ireland

And before I wrap up, I want to call out: our new MTOs are graduating in Atlanta this week. That’s a big deal — fresh energy, fresh perspectives. Think about how these new leaders can help us close out 2025 on a strong note and set us up for success going into 2026. Maybe they spot inefficiencies we’ve overlooked, or they bring different service ideas from other regions. However you do it, stay open to new voices.

Sean Ireland

So, as we head into this week — keep your focus on safety, stay sharp for peak season, and don’t lose the momentum on cost and service. Let’s get through November working together, and as always, we'll have more to discuss next week. Thanks, everyone — make it a safe and productive week out there.