What Does "Scratch" Mean for UPS Teamsters? Time Studies Explained

By TeamstersGPT · Published July 25, 2026

"Scratch" is a shop-floor term for running your route at or under the allotted time. Here's what it means, what the contract actually says, and your rights.

If you drive a package car, you've probably heard a supervisor talk about whether you "made scratch." It's one of the most common — and most misunderstood — words on the UPS shop floor. The catch is that the word "scratch" itself is a piece of company jargon, not a defined term you'll find written into your Teamsters contract. This guide explains what drivers mean when they say "scratch," what the contract does and doesn't say about the time allowances behind it, and — most importantly — what your rights are.

What "Scratch" Actually Means (General Info)

Generally speaking, "making scratch" means running your route at or under the time the company's system has allotted for that day's work. UPS calculates an expected time for every stop, pickup, and mile on your route, adds it up, and produces a planned or "allowed" time. If you finish at or below that number, drivers say you "made scratch." If you go over, you're "over allowed" [5].

This is important to understand up front: "scratch," "allowed time," and "over allowed" are company measurement terms, not contract entitlements. Your contract does not require you to "make scratch," and it does not define a driver's job as beating a computer-generated number. This is general background about how the operation measures work — it is not a rule from your contract.

The Contract Standard: "A Fair Day's Work for a Fair Day's Pay"

What your contract actually holds you to is a different standard. Under the National Master Agreement, the parties agree that "the principle of a fair day's work for a fair day's pay shall be observed at all times" [1]. That same section says the Employer "shall not in any way intimidate, harass, coerce or overly supervise any employee in the performance of their duties," and must "treat employees with dignity and respect at all times" [1].

That distinction matters. Your obligation is a fair day's work — not a specific number spit out by the company's time-study software. Discipline for supposedly "not making scratch," standing alone, runs into the just-cause and anti-harassment protections in the Agreement [1]. In fact, the National Master specifically protects the "fair day's work" principle by barring the company from disciplining an employee for refusing to sign a company form related to it, unless a law or the Agreement requires the signature [3].

How Time Allowances (the Numbers Behind "Scratch") Are Set

The company's time allowances come from time studies and methods evaluations — and here the contract does give drivers rights. In the Southwest Package Rider, a driver may request in writing to their Center Manager for an area and methods evaluation. When that request comes in, "as schedule permits," the manager or a designee is to OJS (on-job-supervise) the driver's methods and decide whether a time study is warranted [2]. If a study is warranted, the company agrees to complete it, inform the driver, and install the new study within a reasonable time period [2].

Two protections in that same rider are worth memorizing:

  • If a supervisor assists you during an OJS, that day cannot be used to determine a fair day's work [2].
  • The same rule appears in the National Master: "If a supervisor assists a driver during an O.J.S., that day will not be used in determining a fair day's work" [4].

In other words, a ride day where the supervisor helped you is not a clean measuring stick for your "scratch" performance [2][4].

The Southwest Rider also addresses the company's bonus/measurement plans directly: while the company's existing "rules, regulations, practices and methods of operation" continue at the company's option, the company agrees to notify the Union before making changes to its bonus plan, and, at the Union's request, to discuss and explain the reasons behind those changes [2].

Limits on Rides and Supervision

Because "scratch" numbers are often generated or reinforced during ride-alongs, the National Master's limits on rides are directly relevant:

  • Not more than one member of management will ride with a driver at a time, except to train management personnel [4].
  • No driver will be scheduled for more than one day's ride per year with more than one member of management on the car — and that day cannot be used for disciplinary purposes [4].
  • During scheduled feeder safety training, the supervisor drives only for demonstration and no more than three hours per workday [4].

And on the technology side, the National Master is explicit: "No employee shall be disciplined for exceeding personal time based on data received from the DIAD/IVIS or other information technology" [4]. Telematics and DIAD data can't be turned into a personal-time discipline case.

What About the 9.5 Rules?

Drivers sometimes confuse "over allowed" with excessive-overtime protections, but they're separate issues. "Scratch" is about the company's time allowances; the 9.5 rules are about protecting drivers from excessive daily hours. Under the National Master, there's a dedicated 9.5 process, and the Union Chair of the National Negotiating Committee can request a meeting with the company's President of Labor Relations to review staffing adequacy in any center with excessive 9.5 grievances deadlocked at the local panel; unresolved disputes can go to arbitration [4]. Web guidance on the contract confirms that the 9.5 protection generally triggers when a package driver has worked more than 9.5 hours on three days in a workweek, with a November 15–January 15 exclusion [6]. If you're being pushed on "scratch" and also working long days, both issues may be in play — but they're handled under different provisions.

The Bottom Line on "Scratch"

  • "Scratch" is a company measurement term, not a contract definition — running at or under allotted time [5]. This is general/shop-floor info, not a contract rule.
  • Your actual contract standard is a fair day's work for a fair day's pay, backed by anti-harassment and dignity-and-respect language [1].
  • Drivers can request a methods evaluation/time study in writing and have real say when the numbers seem wrong [2].
  • Supervisor-assisted OJS days can't be used to judge your fair day's work [2][4], and DIAD/telematics data can't be the basis for personal-time discipline [4].

What To Do Next

If a supervisor is riding you about "scratch" or threatening discipline over "over allowed" numbers, don't sign anything you disagree with and don't argue it out alone. Ask for your steward, document the days, dispatch, and any help you got on ride days, and if you think your time allowance is wrong, put your request for a methods/area evaluation in writing [2]. Because time-study and discipline language varies by supplement and rider, ask TeamstersGPT with your specific supplement or rider selected so you get the exact provisions that cover your building.

Sources

  1. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 36 · § 1 · p. 157–158
    e paid time and one-half (1 1/2) for all time past the eight (8) hours. Provisions in Supplements, Riders and Addenda that are superior shall prevail. - 148 - Article 36 ARTICLE 36. NONDISCRIMINATION The Employer and the Union agree not to discriminate against any individual…
  2. Southwest Package Rider & Southwest Sort Rider 2023-2028 — Art. 25 · § 4 · p. 10–11
    cles 25, 26, 27 and 28). (In conjunction with Article 25 of the WRT/UPS Supplemental Agreement, Teamsters Local Union No. 396 shall utilize the Letter - 274 - of Agreement for Settlement of Controversies contained in Adden- dum No. 2 to the Teamsters/United Parcel Service…
  3. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 5 · § 1 · p. 25–26
    or fewer drivers. Such toilet facilities will be equipped with proper ventilation devic- es and shall be heated as climatic conditions shall warrant. - 16 - Article 5 The Employer agrees to provide lockers for those employees who are required to change into a uniform or take a…
  4. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 37 · § 7 · p. 162–163
    wages shall be equal to what the employee(s) would have earned as a package driver at the applicable daily guarantee versus what they actually earned. - 153 - Article 37 In addition, the Union Chair of the National Negotiating Commit- tee may, at any time, request a meeting with…
  5. What is scratch? : r/UPS
    Making Scratch is running a route at or under the allotted time given. Time is calculated for each stop/pickup you have. A route with 220 stops ...Read more
  6. UPS CONTRACT GUIDE .pdf
    If a review indicates that progress is not being made in the reduction of assigned hours of work, (i.e the package driver has worked more than 9.5 hours on three (3) days in a work-week), the following language shall apply, except for the period from November 15th through January 15th of the following year: Employees within the full-time driver classification shall be eligible for the protection of this Section provided: (1) the employee covers a route for a full week; (2) the employee bids or i

Frequently asked

Is "scratch" a term in my UPS contract?
No. "Scratch" is shop-floor/company jargon meaning you ran your route at or under the allotted time [#5]. Your contract instead holds you to "a fair day's work for a fair day's pay" [#1] — it does not define your job as beating the company's number.
Can I be disciplined just for not making scratch?
Discipline based only on "not making scratch" runs into the contract's fair-day's-work, just-cause, and anti-harassment protections, which bar the company from intimidating, harassing, or overly supervising employees [#1]. Talk to your steward if you're being threatened over allowed-time numbers.
What if a supervisor helped me on a ride day — does that count against my "scratch"?
No. Both the Southwest Package Rider and the National Master state that if a supervisor assists a driver during an OJS, that day cannot be used to determine a fair day's work [#2][#4].
Can the company use DIAD or telematics data to discipline me over my time?
The National Master says no employee shall be disciplined for exceeding personal time based on data from the DIAD/IVIS or other information technology [#4].
How do I challenge a time allowance I think is wrong?
Under the Southwest Package Rider, you may request in writing to your Center Manager for an area and methods evaluation; the manager or designee will then OJS your methods and decide whether a time study is warranted, and install any new study within a reasonable time [#2]. Check your own supplement/rider for the exact procedure.

Ask TeamstersGPT with your supplement selected to get the cited article and section for your local.