Bid Air Driver

[FlaccidEgo]

Hi all,

I am starting with UPS tomorrow at 4am as a part-time package handler. When I went for the interview the HR lady asked me if I'd be interested in driving (as I am English and worked for the Royal Mail before moving to the US and most cars in England are manual transmission).

My HR portal changed from PT Package Handler to "Bid Air Driver." I don't know how soon, if and when I will be driving - are there any other Bid Air Drivers that can enlighten me with their experience, if similar?

 

[Babagounj]

Do your 30 days first .

Get some seniority and learn your way around your building .
Depending on where your building is different rules apply .

Most air driver are part timers .
And currently our fleet is switching over to became fully automatic .
When I was an air driver the only time I drove a stick was when there was nothing else available .

Bring gloves and liquids with you on your first day . And be prepared to feel sore afterwards .

 

[FlaccidEgo]

Thanks, start time just pushed back to 5am extra hour's sleep is a good start!

 

[Box Ox]

Bid air driving is the best part time combo of pay (at top rate of $26-27 after 2 years) and flexibility at UPS. If you can do that instead of package handling, absolutely, positively do it and don't look back. At my center, air drivers can also temp drive June-January as needed while an air exception driver covers their route.

Sounds like you're on a very good (and lucky) track. PT bid air slots are harder to get than FT slots at my center. You may find the pay/benefit combo of PT air driving much more appealing than grinding it out as a FT ground driver year round.

 

[FlaccidEgo]

Thanks Box Ox, I know it's hard work but delivering for Royal Mail was hard work and I did that full-time while studying for my degree part-time so I hope I can manage!

 

[Box Ox]

Thanks Box Ox, I know it's hard work but delivering for Royal Mail was hard work and I did that full-time while studying for my degree part-time so I hope I can manage!

You'll do fine as long as you know your area as time is really tight on days an air route's stop count is higher. Not much room for error. But air pieces tend to be smaller than those on ground routes (besides the occasional back to dock bulk air stops) and the Early AMs you'll probably run before your regular Next Day Air tend to be pretty spread out. And you'll probably be running in a little "500" package car. Easier to get in and out of places when you're in a hurry than the bigger ones.

In any case, your worst air day will beat the best day of having 3-4 package cars worth of up to 150lb grounds piling on you for several hours in preload.

 

[FlaccidEgo]

Having said that my UPS careers portal now says "PRELOADER" and my forms are all locked. I contacted my HR rep to find out what is going on but of course they are not getting back to me. Should I be concerned that I am being screwed over here? I applied for a Package Delivery Driver job with UPS at another local hub but the hub I am now working at told me not to pursue that one as they will employ me with a view to letting me drive eventually. 2nd day at the job and today I was loading 2 trucks on my own and just about coped. Tomorrow on my 3rd day I am being let loose on a full shift to load 3 vans, hopefully I can cope - the toughest thing for me is remembering the numbers for each section.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Having said that my UPS careers portal now says "PRELOADER" and my forms are all locked. I contacted my HR rep to find out what is going on but of course they are not getting back to me. Should I be concerned that I am being screwed over here? I applied for a Package Delivery Driver job with UPS at another local hub but the hub I am now working at told me not to pursue that one as they will employ me with a view to letting me drive eventually. 2nd day at the job and today I was loading 2 trucks on my own and just about coped. Tomorrow on my 3rd day I am being let loose on a full shift to load 3 vans, hopefully I can cope - the toughest thing for me is remembering the numbers for each section.

Don't be surprised if you aren't driving anytime soon. HR and management like to dangle the carrot in front of newbs to keep them interested in working at UPS. The theory is that you may absolutely hate your job but will stick around to wait for that opportunity to drive. Only it usually comes allot later than they promised.

 

[FlaccidEgo]

Don't be surprised if you aren't driving anytime soon. HR and management like to dangle the carrot in front of newbs to keep them interested in working at UPS. The theory is that you may absolutely hate your job but will stick around to wait for that opportunity to drive. Only it usually comes allot later than they promised.

I have a feeling you're probably right. Definitely not that I feel entitled I am prepared to work hard, I'm sure I was being naive in believing the HR woman. Judging by the few comments I've heard so far the UPS HR take a long time to do anything so I'm not holding my breath.

 

[wayfair]

Should I be concerned that I am being screwed over here?

the toughest thing for me is remembering the numbers for each section.

the person being screwed is the P/t worker who has been there and didn't get to bid on said position.


and for the second part-there are only 8 numbers you need to remember for you sections, then add RDR,RDL,FL1-4

hang tight

 

[FlaccidEgo]

the person being screwed is the P/t worker who has been there and didn't get to bid on said position.


and for the second part-there are only 8 numbers you need to remember for you sections, then add RDR,RDL,FL1-4

hang tight

What do you mean by "bid on said position"? Regardless, looks like they lied to me anyway and I won't be bid air driver after all. I'm sure you're all thinking "Welcome to UPS, that's how things work around here" right? Naivety will be the death of me!

 

[Box Ox]

Having said that my UPS careers portal now says "PRELOADER" and my forms are all locked.

Yep, you've been had. Sounded too good to be true. Lots of part timers grind it out for years before they're driving. Maybe you can back out and go for another location if you've got a screen shot or some sort of proof that your application truly showed you were headed for bid air driving. But you could also be canned for trying since you haven't made your 30 days. HR does over promise to get its hooks in but I've never heard of this happening to someone.

 

[Box Ox]

What do you mean by "bid on said position"?

Bidding is basically signing a posted sheet at your UPS location that says you want a specific driving gig. HR works through the list and gives it to whoever is fully qualified and has the most seniority (time with the company).

 

[FlaccidEgo]

Yep, you've been had. Sounded too good to be true. Lots of part timers grind it out for years before they're driving. Maybe you can back out and go for another location if you've got a screen shot or some sort of proof that your application truly showed you were headed for bid air driving. But you could also be canned for trying since you haven't made your 30 days. HR does over promise to get its hooks in but I've never heard of this happening to someone.

I appreciate your honesty, not a good way to start a working relationship with a potentially good employee by lying to them though as far as I'm concerned.

Loading and/or driving is not a long-term option for me anyway, I am going to school on Saturdays for a different full-time career path. Moving from the UK to the US meant I have had to take anything I could get really and I'm grateful for it, for now anyways.

 

[Box Ox]

I appreciate your honesty, not a good way to start a working relationship with a potentially good employee by lying to them though as far as I'm concerned.

Sure, we're on the same union team. Even when you've been with the company for a while, management will still say or get you to think things that aren't true if it furthers their numbers or goals. The best way to deal with this is to know your contract rights up and down and call them out on it. The behavior drops off fast when you become a hard target.

You may want to see if your location offers tuition reimbursement. Some do, some don't. And if you absolutely, positively know you won't be with UPS after school you might want to look at a PT sup position. You'd be paid several bucks an hour more than a starting package handler and might be able to get tuition reimbursement even if your location doesn't offer it to the union folks. A career PT sup position is probably the worst job at UPS. But I've known really good and smart people who went the sup route during school and always did the right thing, left honorably when they finished and went on to do great stuff.

 

[wayfair]

3rd day huh?

 

[opie]

In my building they pretty much put whoever they want for air driving. No bids, and not in senority order.

 

[FlaccidEgo]

3rd day huh?

No still on the 2nd! To be fair to HR until I hear for sure what is going on I shouldn't jump to conclusions about what is going to happen.

I will just get on with my work and earn my money to support my family, that's the most important thing at the end of the day.

 

[FlaccidEgo]

In my building they pretty much put whoever they want for air driving. No bids, and not in senority order.

I hope that will be the situation at my building too, but if not I can always try and pick up extra hours either at UPS or outside of it. All boils down to money ultimately, long-term 20 hours work a week isn't quite enough to pay the bills so am hoping to be able to do all the extra hours I can.

 

[wayfair]

Dude, go wait some tables.. with your accent you should make some bank