How to become a Driver

[JL 0513]

Stay white collar

The brown collar pays more than most white collars.

 

[Mr. Sir]

The brown collar pays more than most white collars.

True. Questionable at times but true lol

 

[Brownslave688]

Unless they can't get 6 to 1 interest, correct? No one here wants to drive anymore. Almost all drivers come from outside.

Yeah we had that happen a few years ago when they hired a ton of drivers. We were looking to hire 18 I think. They got 2 from the inside and 10 from off the street. One of the two part timers quit in a week and only 3-4 of the off the street hires are still around. lol

 

[crow27]

Work preload in the mornings before you go to your office job

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The brown collar pays more than most white collars.

Compensation is just one part of the decision making process.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Work preload in the mornings before you go to your office job

The logistics of that would not work.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Being in an office for that long you ever get a secretary that's like "oh, I will do anything for you....anything"?

 

[Seasonal1]

There is no such thing as applying for a regular driver job on the external job posting site. Anything you see is seasonal only. Only 2 ways to get a FT driver job. PT package handler and put your name on the list, seasonal hired off the street. Good luck. I hope it works out for you. Just because you didn't immediately get called back and hired permanent, doesn't really mean much. I've seen them call seasonals back years later when a spot opened up. If you left a good impression you never know

Assuming I only worked this past peak season and no more peak seasons for the next few years, explain to me how I would get called back years later to be a regular driver? Wouldn't the seasonals that come back year after year or the package handlers that have been there for however long always get called before me?

I understand I would have to work a few years as a regular driver before I am making top dollar doing that, but it is really annoying not having a general idea how many peak seasons I would have to work as a seasonal, how long I would have to work as a PT package handler, or how long I would have to work as a PT package center supervisor before I could even become a driver.

 

[Coldworld]

Nope.

I was hired off the street as a driver (not seasonal) in April 1989.

Don't give them bad info.... Being hired off the street without even driving one peak isn't the norm anymore, it almost never happens now ...

 

[ManInBrown]

Assuming I only worked this past peak season and no more peak seasons for the next few years, explain to me how I would get called back years later to be a regular driver? Wouldn't the seasonals that come back year after year or the package handlers that have been there for however long always get called before me?

I understand I would have to work a few years as a regular driver before I am making top dollar doing that, but it is really annoying not having a general idea how many peak seasons I would have work as a seasonal, how long I would have to work as a PT package handler, or how long I would have to work as a PT package center supervisor before I could even become a driver.

We don't have year after year seasonals. In my local you work one season, that's it. I know from what some other drivers posted here, certain areas allow the same seasonals to work year after year. Every year it's different seasonals. I've seen them call a few drivers back years later.

That doesn't happen so much anymore because I think the inside list in my building has been exhausted. For about the last 3 years we've kept on multiple seasonal drivers at the end of the year. We even had one driver last year get out on permanent right in the middle of the season. Never seen it happen before. Mid-June they hired him permanent. Didn't even wait till after Christmas. Good luck to you

 

[Box Ox]

it is really annoying not having a general idea how many peak seasons I would have to work as a seasonal, how long I would have to work as a PT package handler, or how long I would have to work as a PT package center supervisor before I could even become a driver.

Ain't the place for ya, brah! You could be signing bid sheets for years while making pocket change just to get a shot at starting the FT pay climb.

An outside hire slot going to a seasonal driver at my center is extremely rare. As in, you're better off just working the years on the belt to get there.

Same goes for PT sups trying to drive. Usually goes to someone who is owed a favor or is preferred or whatever. And I think they can be pulled back out from driving to some extent.

 

[ManInBrown]

Ain't the place for ya, brah! You could be signing bid sheets for years while making pocket change just to get a shot at starting the FT pay climb.

An outside hire slot going to a seasonal driver at my center is extremely rare. As in, you're better off just working the years on the belt to get there.

Same goes for PT sups trying to drive. Usually goes to someone who is owed a favor or is preferred or whatever. And I think they can be pulled back out from driving to some extent.

It's so crazy how different things are in different parts of the country. If he worked in my center, and did a good job he would be hired 100%. We've kept a minimum of 6-8 seasonal drivers over the last 3 years. I can't even remember the last PT employee who became a driver. None of the part timers in my center I spoke to, have any interest in driving. Seems like the inside list was exhausted years ago

 

[TearsInRain]

The brown collar pays more than most white collars.

you do not get paid more than i do, $/hour worked; sorry bro

 

[MyTripisCut]

you do not get paid more than i do, $/hour worked; sorry bro

 

[Two Tokes]

I'm 37 years old. I have a college degree. I am looking to change careers to be outside more (I was in an office environment since the age of 22). I was hired off the street as a seasonal driver with UPS for the '16-'17 peak season. From what the supervisors told me I did very well. They also really liked my attitude. I am a hard worker and being outside the office was great. I loved it once I got the hang of it. I'd like to become a regular driver.

They did not hire me as a regular driver at the end of the season. But then again they may not have hired any of the seasonal drivers as regulars. Or if they did, maybe they picked those that had done several seasons already. I don't know.

There is the other route of applying for a regular driver job on the external job postings site, but that is also a long shot with internal candidates aiming for those getting priority. I did apply recently to such a posting, but have not received a call yet.

So that leaves working as a part-time package handler or a part-time supervisor prior to becoming a regular driver. The head supervisor had told me at the end of the season it would be best to work as a package handler and work my way up. I told him I had no problem doing the physical work, but that given that I was making $70K a year at my full-time office job it would be difficult (maybe that is too light a term) to go to $12 / hour part-time. Would it be possible to have an office job for a time and then become a driver?

Next day, the supervisor working under him tells me to pick out and apply for some supervisor or other non-driver non-package handler jobs on the internal job postings site and he will give me a great recommendation. So that's what I did.

I didn't hear from any of those jobs, but I kept in touch with HR and they came through for me with a part-time package center supervisor (just to clarify - not a pre-load supervisor) job in the same building I worked out of for the season. I went to the interview and it went well. It became apparent that that same supervisor from my seasonal job gave me a great recommendation for this position. It looks like I very well may have this position. I will find out soon.

So now the question...is this what I should do if I want to become a regular driver? Or would I have a quicker route to a regular driver by being a union package handler?

What is the pay for a package center supervisor in the Chicago area? Any other insights would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Two Tokes]

WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY TOOOOOOOOOOO BLASTED

 

[JL 0513]

you do not get paid more than i do, $/hour worked; sorry bro

I said "most" white collar jobs, perhaps a majority is more accurate. Most white collar jobs are just office associates, not bosses. What do you do?

 

[TearsInRain]

I said "most" white collar jobs, perhaps a majority is more accurate. Most white collar jobs are just office associates, not bosses. What do you do?

i make up numbers and go home early

 

[Mr. Sir]

I work at a bank during the day and load feeders for fun at night

 

[JL 0513]

i make up numbers and go home early

Center manager or higher? Otherwise, you don't make more than drivers.