Well it depends what you want. Are you just looking for a paying job for hours, or a FT position. Are benefits an issue? We're currently in contract negotiations so things can change, but as it stands you'll get benefits after a year, 18 months, I believe, for family no cost to you to get it. If you're just looking for a FT job I wouldn't recommend going in as as PT worker with UPS but hoping an outside hire Package Car driver position opens up. As I said it can easily be a 10 year wait for FT if you start as PT but we do operate with a 6-1 ratio of inside to outside hires for FT PC driving.
Doing some rough math if you only get the minimum of 17.5 hours a week which is contractually guaranteed, though you may need to push it if unlucky, you're looking at at least 7-8 years as a PTer with estimated raises from the last contract to be making as much as you do now in a week. Of course if you are able to work more time it's less.
You also mentioned college, there is tuition reimbursement for
• Full-time non-union employees (including Puerto Rico)• Part-time management employees
• Part-time union and non-union employees (select locations only, not all locations are eligible)
If you get hired as a PT package handler your location may have tuition reimbursement, to know for sure you'd have to ask someone out of the location you'd be hired at or HR of the location.
It's really hard to tell you if it's a better career path, but I can tell you if you can handle BS management standards and seemingly idiotic directions from corporate level you won't have to worry about losing a job at UPS if you can make seniority and show up most every day. Aside from theft, violence and sexual harassment there's just about nothing that will get you fired, and stick, if you show up and work to the best of your ability.