- A viral TikTok garnered thousands of comments condemning UPS for lack of AC on trucks.
- In June, a California UPS worked died after collapsing in his truck.
- UPS maintains that air conditioning inside of trucks would be 'ineffective'.
UPS is once again sparking outrage after a driver discussed its unair-conditioned trucks on TikTok amid record heat waves across the US, and reports of other drivers suffering in weather-related incidents.
Two UPS delivery drivers have collapsed on the job since June — one of whom later died after falling unconscious inside his truck for 20 minutes. These instances have sparked widespread discussion on the risks of heat stroke while working.
In a TikTok posted this month, one UPS driver answered questions about his job — including if there's air-conditioning on the trucks. The video has amassed nearly 5 million views and thousands of comments.
"It should be illegal not to have ACs in every UPS truck. They need to upgrade the trucks," one comment responding to the post read.
"The no AC is insane. Don't know how delivery drivers do it in south (Georgia). Do better ups," another read.
"Over 10 miles a day walking and no AC…. Damn! I hope they are paying you good money for it," said a commenter in response to the distance walked in one shift.
On Thursday, a Ring doorbell captured an Arizona UPS driver collapsing as he approached the door of a customer, then slowly picking himself up and walking back to his truck, Insider reports.
UPS assured Insider in a statement that the employee was "fine." Arizona is currently under an excessive heat warning; on the day of the incident, Scottsdale, Arizona, just outside Phoenix, hit a high of 113 degrees.
A UPS driver spoke anonymously with ABC15 following the incident.
"Every week, drivers are dropping like flies due to heat conditions and UPS is killing drivers because of this," he told the local station.
"Most importantly, we'd like to have air-conditioning at least in the back of our trucks because that's mainly where the damage is being done," another driver added.
UPS Director of Media Relations Matthew O'Connor said in a statement to Insider that air-conditioning in delivery trucks and certain warehouses would be "ineffective" due to frequent stops and open doors