School - Career at UPS.

Paradox

Member
Hello everyone,

I'm curious if I should consider UPS as my career choice. Let me give you some background information on me before I get started. I'm a 22 year old fit male who has a high school diploma and some college education. I am currently employed as a manager at a gym and am being paid $11 an hour. I work about 30 hours a week. I have no benefits and work close to home.

The part time package handling position I was accepted for is twice the distance from home, a pay decrease, but also offers tuition and will provide me with benefits. I feel like in the long run I'm making the right choice considering I will have to be in school for another 2 or 3 years and with that time having UPS pay for my classes would be great, especially since in that 2 or 3 year wait I have a chance at becoming a part time driver at UPS, right?

I will be working at the Paletine Facility in IL and am curious if this was smart decision. I am finacially stable and am fortunate enough to have parents support me in what may soon be my time of need because of decreased pay. I do not need a fancy car right now, have no children to support, and do not have to pay rent. I figure this will open up some time for me for school, I would like to get a degree. I'm not sure of my major yet but I would assume if UPS is a good fit I have a chance at managment so I should take some courses along those lines right? I figure that if I take advtanage of that $1,500 I get for school that I would have had to pay out of pocket I am making a pretty good decision.

I will be cutting my hours at the gym I manage, and maybe eventually quitting since I want to focus on schooling and getting a degree.

I know many of you here say UPS is hell and is a terrible choice, but; I have worked in construction so I know a hard days work. Physically demanding labor for 12 hours was fine with me.. So a 4-6 hour shift of moving boxes that average 30lbs is no problem for me. I plan on going to the gym after my shifts every day. ;)

Does anyone know the wait time for a driving position at this facility? (Paletine, IL)
Does anyone know the probability of managment at this facility?
Does hard work pay off at UPS or is it truly based completely off of seniority?
 

Justaname

Well-Known Member
Average wait for driver is 8 to 10 years. Some people do get in faster though and some wait longer. If they help pay for college at that facility I say go for it. If they don't you may want to consider other wise. If you choose to take the job just remember it doesn't matter how much you workout. this is a different kind of physical stress your muscles and joints won't be use to. Also benefits don't kick in for a year, and your check will not reach 200 a week for awhile.
 

Paradox

Member
A quick look at the numbers:

I currently work about 30 hours a week at $11 an hour. This means I make $330 a week.

330 x 4 = $1,320 a month....... A school semester is about 4 months.

$1,320 x 4 = $5,280.

So I make $5,280 every school semester. UPS will pay $1,500 for school. Something I would have to pay out of pocket. So if I'm going to school and paying for it with this job I have

5,280 - 1,500 = $3,780.

Because I work 30 hours a week it means 120 a month which means 480 every 4 months.

$3,780 / 480 = $7.875 an hour.

Now to take a look at UPS.

I know it's peak season and everything and I haven't worked there yet so please, this is where I need your help.

I was told I would be making $110 - $150 a week working for UPS.

$150 / 8.50 an hour = 17.64 hours of work a week.
$150 x 4 = $600 a month.
600 x 4 = $2,400 every 4 months.
2,400 + 1,500 = $3,900 total with tuition paid off.
17.64 x 4 = 70.56 hours a month.
70.56 x 4 = 282.25 hours every semester or every 4 months.
3,900 / 282.25 = $13.81 an hour.



Now let's say I work for that $110 a week.
12.9 hours of work a week.
206.4 hours of work every 4 months.
$1,651.20 every 4 months.
$3,151.20 with tuition.
$3,151.20 / 206.4 = $15.26 an hour.


It will be less money, but also less work. It should come out to be more pay per hour and will free up time so I can continue my education.



Average wait for driver is 8 to 10 years. Some people do get in faster though and some wait longer. If they help pay for college at that facility I say go for it. If they don't you may want to consider other wise. If you choose to take the job just remember it doesn't matter how much you workout. this is a different kind of physical stress your muscles and joints won't be use to. Also benefits don't kick in for a year, and your check will not reach 200 a week for awhile.

Thank you for your reply. I'm sorry ignored it as I was typing my new reply out when you posted.

The wait time there is a little longer than I had hoped but still seems to be the better choice for me in the long run. I understand it's a different kind of physical stress, it's why I also mentioned my labor work in construction. I figured it was the most similar to what I will be doing at UPS.

--EDIT--

I was told that the tuition will kick in right away. Health insurance in 12 months. Vision and dental in 18.

I was offered the permanent position and not the seasonal.

--EDIT 2--

Hm, just after posting this I realized I did not factor in gas as part of my money per hour.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
Rather than do UPS, you are in Chicago, EVERY class 1 railroad has a terminal there. Start as a trainman, which is FT on day 1. Advance to conductor within the 1st year and engineer in another 5. Better money than UPS and a much better retirement.
 

Paradox

Member
Rather than do UPS, you are in Chicago, EVERY class 1 railroad has a terminal there. Start as a trainman, which is FT on day 1. Advance to conductor within the 1st year and engineer in another 5. Better money than UPS and a much better retirement.

I'm way north of Chicago. I'm near the wisconsin border. I'm about 25 miles north of paletine. I've applied for Union Pacific but heard nothing back.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
It is still the route I would take. Apply at the BNSF, CP, CN and all the rest. The railroads are all hiring because of the uptick in the economy and they have LOTS of people retiring every year. BNSF and UP both expect to hire or promote at least 1500 engineers in the next year.

UPS will see the same type of retirements with boomers retiring and an uptick in the economy, but you have to start at PT wages and wait a year for benefits annnnnnnnd the retirement is never going to be as good as a railroad retirement.

Your combination of age and fitness makes you the perfect railroad candidate. I regret the fact that I turned down a railroad position out of college. Would have been the best decision I could have made at that point in my life.
 

Paradox

Member
It is still the route I would take. Apply at the BNSF, CP, CN and all the rest. The railroads are all hiring because of the uptick in the economy and they have LOTS of people retiring every year. BNSF and UP both expect to hire or promote at least 1500 engineers in the next year.

UPS will see the same type of retirements with boomers retiring and an uptick in the economy, but you have to start at PT wages and wait a year for benefits annnnnnnnd the retirement is never going to be as good as a railroad retirement.

Your combination of age and fitness makes you the perfect railroad candidate. I regret the fact that I turned down a railroad position out of college. Would have been the best decision I could have made at that point in my life.

Thank you very much. I will look into it.. But, it would be silly to turn this offer down just because I want to work at the railroad. This isn't a bad back up plan though right? Something to fall back on? I can apply for the railroad positions while working for UPS and if that pops up I can take it.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
I would stay at the gym and make the railroads a priority. $100k/yr at a railroad is mucho feasible, mucho faster than at UPS.
 

Paradox

Member
I would stay at the gym and make the railroads a priority. $100k/yr at a railroad is mucho feasible, mucho faster than at UPS.

I'm having a hard time imagining that declining this job offer for a possiblity of another job that may come some day is a good choice. Especially since like you said there will be people retiring soon in both fields. I can't deny a position for another position I haven't been offered. I feel like this way I have something to fall back on instead of working out at the gym for another 2 years and NOT getting a railroad job and wasting 2 years that could have been put into UPS.

Like I said before though, I applied for Union Pacific; the railroad was my first choice. I'm falling back on this just so I don't waste too much more time.
 

Paradox

Member
You applied at 1 railroad. There are at least 5 other in Chicago.

Whatever, you have your mind made up.

I Don't Want you to think I'm not taking your advice seriously. Then portion about looking for a job with the railroad is being taken seriously, however denying a position for a possibility that I can get hired at the Union doesn't make sense since I'm not forced to work at ups. I can leave if I am offered a job with the railroad. That's the only thing I don't understand about your suggestion.
The reason I only applied at one was because I had a solid referral from within and was ignorant enough to think I can get the job because of that.
 

wayfair

swollen member
well with those numbers you posted... I'm hoping the dollar value menu meal is your friend....

I'd have 2 jobs while going to school... maybe UPS and waiting tables
 

Returntosender

Well-Known Member
Don't think of UPS as a career. . I read somewhere the average worker goes through 11jobs in their lifetime. As you get older you don't want your resume to show you spent a great part of your life moving packages or deliver driver. The railyard is 1000x better than UPS. Your contruction experience as for hard work so your acustom to hard work. If you built hallow tile walls in hours not days? then that is closest you can get expeiencing ups work as and unloader or loader, sort asile.
 
W

want to retire

Guest
I'm having a hard time imagining that declining this job offer for a possiblity of another job that may come some day is a good choice. Especially since like you said there will be people retiring soon in both fields. I can't deny a position for another position I haven't been offered. I feel like this way I have something to fall back on instead of working out at the gym for another 2 years and NOT getting a railroad job and wasting 2 years that could have been put into UPS.

Like I said before though, I applied for Union Pacific; the railroad was my first choice. I'm falling back on this just so I don't waste too much more time.


Well, aren't you banking on advancing SOME DAY at UPS? You've been told driving is 8-10 years away and mgt. sometime after that..........


My friend..........find a job in your field of study.....that makes logical sense.
 

Paradox

Member
Cool.

Job hopping always looks good on a resume.

I don't have to put this on my resume. I've been loyal to all of my employers, this would the first I bail on. I will continue to be employed at the gym as a manager. Scheduling has already been arranged and everything is all set. I simply cut hours there. So what is now cool is that I do have money saved up and I am eligible for financial aid and if I quit UPS after 1 week then I have so much free time to take 5 classes a semester at community college to finally finish up.

Honestly, this is a wonderful eye opener for me whether I stay with UPS or not. My current job is enough to hold me over so it was very hard to quit or go back to school because at my age it was such an easy gig, especially compared to construction!

Thank you for your help, even though it was coming from someone who seems a little arrogant. I have taken it to heart and it has helped me. (Tough love)

Don't think of UPS as a career. . I read somewhere the average worker goes through 11jobs in their lifetime. As you get older you don't want your resume to show you spent a great part of your life moving packages or deliver driver. The railyard is 1000x better than UPS. Your contruction experience as for hard work so your acustom to hard work. If you built hallow tile walls in hours not days? then that is closest you can get expeiencing ups work as and unloader or loader, sort asile.

Thank you very much. I'll be going back to school and stick with my cut hours at the gym as a manager to hold me over. I'm financially stable enough to cut the hours and further my education with or without UPS. I guess I'll just test the waters and see what the locals say is the wait time to become a driver.
Well, aren't you banking on advancing SOME DAY at UPS? You've been told driving is 8-10 years away and mgt. sometime after that..........


My friend..........find a job in your field of study.....that makes logical sense.


Thank you as well.. I was hoping that it would be a somewhat easy way to get somewhere in life. I thought hard work at a company like this one would pay off, but I've read too many horror stories and that seniority is all that matters. I wish people were as quick to compliment as they are to complain though. I'm sure everyone here is more inclined to complain than say "yeah, it's pretty ok". Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's not too bad. Either way, if I'm already doubting I know I won't be sticking around.


Thank you all very, very much.
 
Top