UPS no longer recognizes gender to identify who to deliver packages to

UPS drivers discovered that their delivery software had been updated this week from a system that specified the gender of the person who accepted delivery of a package, to a generic one-size-fits all term "customer."

Previously, the delivery system required delivery drivers to specify who they had given a package to if they handed it to a person, rather than leave it by the door or garage of a destination. The options previously included, met customer (MC) man, mc woman, mc boy, mc girl.

A driver who reported the system upgrade to The Post Millennial said, "Now when customers ask, 'who did you give the package to,' the details have been eliminated."

This is especially problematic given the increase in package thefts by "porch pirates." The changes make it more difficult to identify a potential impersonator of a homeowner who might accept a package on their behalf. The driver added, "Now everyone gets put in a set 'customer,' no matter the age or gender."

Additionally, many of the drivers were not informed of the change. "Lots of old time rural route guys are mad at the changes, no one told them." Before and after pictures of the software interface were posted to social media.

Dan McMackin from UPS public relations told The Post Millennial when asked about the change, "UPS makes periodic updates to both software and firmware related to our drivers’ delivery options and methods. We don’t publicly share details of our internal procedural and operational updates. We are confident our drivers have the tools and technologies they need to make sure our customers get their deliveries."

A whistleblower told The Post Millennial, "Funny how UPS' new CEO is Carol B. Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of United Parcel Service. She is formerly of The Home Depot, where she worked from 1995 to 2019, serving as Vice President and Treasurer and later as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She was quoted as saying she wants UPS to be 'Better, Not Bigger.' So, she takes away a detail that is need in a driver’s everyday routine, who did you meet? Man, woman, boy, girl, and just puts in its place the blank statement of 'customer.' How does that help anyone that person is tracking their package by following the driver on their phone?"

The source told The Post Millennial how specific the delivery tracking system is. "Getting a notification (the) day before, day of and 5 mins after you leave it. Everything is tracked by UPS, miles driven, speed, number of back-ups (the) truck does, how many times you weren't wearing your seatbelt, the number of times you opened the door when the truck is stopped, how many… packages you have for a(n) address. All these details all day long, and one of the most important ones just gets left by the wayside. If she was really trying to make the Seattle-born company better, not bigger, she would start listening to the people who do the job day in and day out for 20 plus years."

"Guess a CEO from Home Depot who has never delivered a package that has had a rabid dog at an address before knows more that the guy who does it for a living."