Part Time Yard Shifter questions....

[Helix]

After searching and skimming through multiple threads for more than an hour I have come to the conclusion that the couple questions I have are either not answered in previous threads or are not easily found so I figured I'd make my own thread......

I put an application in and have been contacted about a PART TIME yard shifter position in Atlanta Fulton county terminal and I have a few questions about that job and yard switching for UPS in general.

I have seen some threads indicating that the positions of "yard shifter" and "feeder" are related, though from what I've gathered im assuming that feeders are full time senior workers that bid for those jobs and yard switching is something that they may do only if things are slow.

The person that contacted me back said that PART TIME yard switcher starts at $10.50 per hour with excellent benefits but some of the threads I read were saying yard shifters make upwards of $23hr. (I can deal with the low pay to start if it turns into something worthwhile later on)

My main questions are.....

1. Are there full time yard switcher positions?
2. If so are full time yard switchers hired on from part time yard switchers??.. Or is it a coveted position that is bid on by senior guys?
3. Do part time yard shifters have regular schedules and hours?
4. Do yard switchers get regular breaks? Full time or part time?
5. Is the job itself easy? (I have a Class A CDL and years ago I was a yard jockey at another company and am very comfortable backing up pups all the way to 53's... I guess I'm asking if the people or pace make it stressful)

If anyone has personal 1st hand experience with the Atlanta Fulton Terminal and can tell me a few other things I would be greatful for that info as well...

I was reading ups yard trucks do not have A/C.... Is that true in Atlanta? I have done day shift yard work in the past without A/C and refer units blowing exhaust into the cab... And it wasn't fun...

I was also reading stories about guys pulling out trailers with people inside the trailer still loading them... Do the terminals not have loading indicator lights on them?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

All I can tell you is yes....in certain regions, yard shifting is a FT feeder position...bidded by seniority. And top pay (I don't know what starting pay is, but 10.50 seems really LOW) is $33+/hr. I have heard of some 22.3 drivers working PT as yard shifters (in one local, they don't even need a CDL to perform PT shifting work).

And A/C in shifting horses is rare. Some buildings do have them....a lot do not. I believe there is a separate thread on that subject.

http://www.browncafe.com/community/threads/air-conditioning-in-yard-birds.362038/

 

[greengrenades]

I'll answer based on my hub and where I work.
1. Are there full time yard switcher positions? Yes but it takes 20+ years to get there.
2. If so are full time yard switchers hired on from part time yard switchers??.. Or is it a coveted position that is bid on by senior guys? They can be but usually there are people with more seniority already in the position.
3. Do part time yard shifters have regular schedules and hours? Yes they do.
4. Do yard switchers get regular breaks? Full time or part time? Part time you get a 10 minute break. Other then that your breaks are in between pulls. Full timers get an hour lunch.
5. Is the job itself easy? (I have a Class A CDL and years ago I was a yard jockey at another company and am very comfortable backing up pups all the way to 53's... I guess I'm asking if the people or pace make it stressful) I always found it easy. If they wanted me to go faster I would just tell them I have to work safe and work however fast I wanted to.

I was reading ups yard trucks do not have A/C.... Is that true in Atlanta? I have done day shift yard work in the past without A/C and refer units blowing exhaust into the cab... And it wasn't fun. Our yard dogs do not have AC.

I was also reading stories about guys pulling out trailers with people inside the trailer still loading them... Do the terminals not have loading indicator lights on them? No I have never been to a hub with indicator lights, just get out and look.

Thanks in advance for any info.

I answered your questions above, but with the experience I have with my hub. I want to point out if you start out part time you will be making whatever it is others start out making which is like 8.50. Maybe 8.75 since you are a shifter. People who are making 20 have been there a while. I have been with the company 13 years and making 20 right now. I have never heard of anyone coming in and going straight to full time, or going straight into a yard dog. It's an easy gig at UPS. That is the only other job I would go back to.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I answered your questions above, but with the experience I have with my hub. I want to point out if you start out part time you will be making whatever it is others start out making which is like 8.50. Maybe 8.75 since you are a shifter. People who are making 20 have been there a while. I have been with the company 13 years and making 20 right now. I have never heard of anyone coming in and going straight to full time, or going straight into a yard dog. It's an easy gig at UPS. That is the only other job I would go back to.

Really? So I can be hired as a PT hubrat making 11/hr to hump cardboard. But a PT shifter with a CDL starts out at less than $9/hr? Wow....I had no idea.

 

[Helix]

Well... That's about what I figured. Doesn't sound too great, doesn't sound too bad.

Those answers spawn even more questions...

Is the part time pay scale completely different and separate from a full time pay scale? Like if I start at 10.50 will it have a different top than full timers doing the same job? Or is it like kroger where the union members may have different contracts? (Old grandfathered pay rates vs new employee scale?)

Is it set up like other major corporations where you can bid on open jobs out of state or area if they don't get filled by more senior associates? Or are the unions all localized and seniority matters mostly in your area?

Does tenure begin as soon as you are hired... Even if part time? Or does amount of time as a full time employee always trump part time employee even if the part time employee was hired 1st?

And I hope this comment doesn't earn me any enemies but my past experience with unions has been lackluster at best..... Are you forced to join? Are there dues? Is ups like every other union job I've seen where tenure may trump ability or experience? I've read enough threads to see people are proud of time served. Almost military-ish which doesn't really surprise me because I have heard over and over again that if you can survive the grind it's one of the best companies to work for.

And one last thing... It was already answered up top that part timers have regular shifts and schedules... Are the part time positions bid on among part timers? And I'm assuming the hours may vary at times even if the shift start time is the same?

Thanks ya'll for the responses so far... I just always like to know everything I can about a decision before I make it.

 

[Steward773]

You have to join the Union unless you are in rtw state (personally, I would still join).

Raises are the same for friend/T and P/T.

Most of the time, bidding on a job is within your building.

Once you are qualified, your seniority date will be your first day.

You are hired for a certain shift. Once you have seniority you may bump into another shift if there is an opening (at least you can in my building).

I am a full time shifter. No a/c in the wagon, you will have a radio to communicate and you will have to visually clear the trailer before moving it if it's on a door (no dock lights).

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Let me see if I can fill in a couple of blanks. My son is a shifter at the hub I retired from. He is currently earning over 20.00/hr due to his years of service and regular raises. He started out at 8.50 or whatever the going rate is/was and worked in the hub loading trailers. The shifting job was bid and he won. He has a regular start time every day. He has a guarantee daily as well (3.5 hours, I'm guessing here) He usually gets 5 hrs, and sometimes goes over and even doubles if they are in a real bind. He is not required to have a class A license to shift on the yard. No Ac in the mule, sorry. Think of it as having a free gym membership. Shifters are just that. A category who works for the feeder departments. If you already have a CDL, I assume you are a proficient backer. Ups uses anything from 28' to 53' ers and several in between. Shifters are like any other PT position (at least where I was) you get a 10 minute break during your shift (dictated by the yard controller) Who you communicate with via 2 way radio to receive moves. There is not a lot of dead time. You stay moving. Good luck to you.

 

[Number24]

Maybe. All I can tell you is Seniority, seniority, seniority. This company's #1 go to focus when it comes to these kinds of "non talked about" jobs. Having feeder experience and working in a feeder yard is a (+) though

 

[Rain Shield]

After searching and skimming through multiple threads for more than an hour I have come to the conclusion that the couple questions I have are either not answered in previous threads or are not easily found so I figured I'd make my own thread......

I put an application in and have been contacted about a PART TIME yard shifter position in Atlanta Fulton county terminal and I have a few questions about that job and yard switching for UPS in general.

I have seen some threads indicating that the positions of "yard shifter" and "feeder" are related, though from what I've gathered im assuming that feeders are full time senior workers that bid for those jobs and yard switching is something that they may do only if things are slow.

The person that contacted me back said that PART TIME yard switcher starts at $10.50 per hour with excellent benefits but some of the threads I read were saying yard shifters make upwards of $23hr. (I can deal with the low pay to start if it turns into something worthwhile later on)

My main questions are.....

1. Are there full time yard switcher positions?
2. If so are full time yard switchers hired on from part time yard switchers??.. Or is it a coveted position that is bid on by senior guys?
3. Do part time yard shifters have regular schedules and hours?
4. Do yard switchers get regular breaks? Full time or part time?
5. Is the job itself easy? (I have a Class A CDL and years ago I was a yard jockey at another company and am very comfortable backing up pups all the way to 53's... I guess I'm asking if the people or pace make it stressful)

If anyone has personal 1st hand experience with the Atlanta Fulton Terminal and can tell me a few other things I would be greatful for that info as well...

I was reading ups yard trucks do not have A/C.... Is that true in Atlanta? I have done day shift yard work in the past without A/C and refer units blowing exhaust into the cab... And it wasn't fun...

I was also reading stories about guys pulling out trailers with people inside the trailer still loading them... Do the terminals not have loading indicator lights on them?

Thanks in advance for any info.

If you were offered a part-time Shifter job at the Atlanta building an you are off the street, someone in HR screwed up.

Part-time Shifter is a bidded position in Atlanta. I am not saying it is impossible to be hired off the street as a Shifter in Atlanta due to the joke of a part time staff over the last 5 years. They may not be able to find someone in the building skiled enough to put the vehicle in reverse.

I know there is a current bid sheet up for the same position in another hub in metro Atlanta that is much smaller than Fulton Industrial and over 50 names are on it.

Off the street, the job starts at $10.25 per hour and benefits kick in after 1 year.

 

[greengrenades]

Really? So I can be hired as a PT hubrat making 11/hr to hump cardboard. But a PT shifter with a CDL starts out at less than $9/hr? Wow....I had no idea.

Is starting pay not 8.50 an hour anymore? It use to be 8.50 so that is where I got that number. So 8.50 starting out 9.50 for preload and 8.75 if you some how manage to be a part time shifter. I guess it could have went up? If it does just roll that amount over to whatever new starting pay is.

 

[Rain Shield]

Is starting pay not 8.50 an hour anymore? It use to be 8.50 so that is where I got that number. So 8.50 starting out 9.50 for preload and 8.75 if you some how manage to be a part time shifter. I guess it could have went up? If it does just roll that amount over to whatever new starting pay is.

$10.00 per hour per last contract is start pay for unskilled. $.25 addition for shifting as always.

I am assuming you have zero interaction with part timers to not know there was a $1.50 increase in starting pay.

Pretty big deal concerning the last contract, because it was not enough of an increase. Talked about a ton during negotiations amongst the rank and file.

 

[greengrenades]

$10.00 per hour per last contract is start pay for unskilled. $.25 addition for shifting as always.

That's all you needed to put.