My $.02 ...
I started working at UPS last December. Right in the middle of peak! It was crazy. The head honcho for my center said, "Show us your can work hard and you're in!" This conflicted with what HR told me, which was that I was a regular hire. Apparently I was hired as seasonal. No matter. As it turned out, I was never laid off. This particular manager preferred to scale back hours rather than lay people off, since everyone was going to be needed again after a few months. Plus, volume didn't drop as much as predicted.
I did work hard and I have a good attitude about the job, which definitely helps. I also did pre-load for Fedex (or, the "friend word", as it's called) one summer, so I had some experience. My loads are very neat. I'm not the fastest guy there, but more often than not I meet my pieces per hour requirement, and have time to help my neighbors.
My thoughts nearly a year later: I still love the job. I was shifted to a different pull. My drivers miss me, which is nice. The job can be frustrating. PT sups are no help and often just slow me down. I realize they have a job to do and I try to respect that, but they can be very frustrating at times. I try to deal with it. Drivers can be frustrating to. I hate starting a new pull and the drivers don't give you a chance to get used to it before they start bitchng. Please, give us at least a few weeks. I don't make any huge errors. I almost never load air on car. And I'm very, very neat. My load quality is superb. Even so, some drivers bitch. And half the time the problem isn't be, but the load chart having wrong information. So, I usually tell them I follow the chart and if they don't like it, talk to their sup. But overall I have a good attitude and most of the full time managers make note of that, which I like. And most drivers do have good attitudes and appreciate what I do, but the occasional unjustified bitching can really ruin the morning for someone that worked very hard for the past 5 hours trying to load their car.
I'm 27 and there primarily for benefits, which is great. I enjoy the job, the exercise, and the fast pace at which we work. The money I make is extra, so nearly 100% of it is being invested. I'm putting $100/week towards UPS stock and the rest into Savings. I'm still in school, too, but that's just part time. Not sure if I'll stay at UPS forever. My wife is becoming a nurse in 2 years and should have great benefits then. But, I really would like to stay, so we'll see what happens.
In closing, for one to make it at UPS, they have to have the right attitude. It's all about attitude. It's a hard job. You get dirty, you sweat, and you get cut. It seems those that can't make it either a) quit or b) become p/t sups. Everyone has asked me to go to p/t sup (which I know isn't all that uncommon, so I realize I'm not special), including the higher ups, but I usually tell them no and give them an honest answer as to why. I don't like the management there. There are too many sups as it is, and they don't really do much. I tell them that I like to work. The fast pace of loading helps the time go by quicker.
Thanks for listening.
