UPS drivers push for air conditioning as temperatures soar: ‘People are dropping weekly’

Drivers report grueling toll of making hundreds of stops a day in sweltering conditions, as UPS makes record profits

As a UPS driver of two years standing, Matt Leichenger of Brooklyn, New York, makes 100 to 150 stops a day, delivering anywhere from 150 to more than 300 packages.

It is a tough job at the best of times, but in summer, a typical driver is moving hundreds of pounds of cargo and organizing packages in the back of their brown UPS truck, where temperatures soar due to a lack of air conditioning and ventilation.