What is being a package car driver like?

[Ant12]

Hours? I'm 17 and I work at UPS and a lot of people are becoming a driver in under 6 years of working here. So by the time I'm 23 I could have a job like this paying a load of money with benefits. I plan to go to college but I have no career goal at all. If you were in my position what would you do? Is driving something you would do if you could go back in time?

 

[gorilla75jdw]

had the oppurtunity for me to drive package car been there when I was 21 ( I started with UPS when I was 17) I would have taking the job . The first time I was i won a bid at my facility , i was 31 . Needless to say , I did try it , multiple times ,, but package was not for me at 31 , I bid combo and I am happy I did . Now had I got a fulltime package job at 21 , yes I would have taken it , just for full time seniorty alone . Its all about getting fulltime seniorty in any job , so that you now , once full time seniorty is attained, your opportunitys now are expanded Your young at 21 , take the job , get your fulltime seniorty , then bid out to feeders or combo .

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

To the OP-----go to college.

 

[Ouch]

To the OP-----go to college.

I am not believing I'm agreeing with upstate kinda. It's more than just go to college. I have had several of my son's friends and different people I know go to college. They can't find a job. The key to the go to college statement is, major in something that will allow you to make a living in this economy and job market. For example, don't major in underwater basket weaving thinking just because you have a college degree you will get a good paying job. Take a look at the direction the world is going in and try and pick a career or field that will most benefit you. Best of luck.

 

[Babagounj]

The secret to surviving UPS ( or anywhere ) is to have a back up plan .
Go to a trade school , if college is not for you .
Having a marketable skill will always put food on your table .

 

[Brownslave688]

To the OP-----go to college.

I got to disagree. The kid said he doesn't know what he wants to do. Going to college with no plan can leave him or his parents in a boat load of debt with nothing to show for it.

 

[Re-Raise]

I would recommend UPS package car driving to someone young who doesn't mind physical work at a fast pace.

We are a little different than most jobs where you have a lot of down time or office politics to deal with.

I started when I was in college loading trucks at 21. I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in business administration. I am from the Midwest where a UPS driver's salary is pretty competitive. It depends on your location.

After attending college I just decided I wasn't cut out for sitting in a cubicle all day and talking for a living. I like to get my hands dirty and like it when I break a sweat.

The hours are longer than I would like, but if you want to make a bigger check the work is available.

 

[bill blutnach]

Hours? I'm 17 and I work at UPS and a lot of people are becoming a driver in under 6 years of working here. So by the time I'm 23 I could have a job like this paying a load of money with benefits. I plan to go to college but I have no career goal at all. If you were in my position what would you do? Is driving something you would do if you could go back in time?

Vine , Vomen und song all the day long.

 

[JL 0513]

It's a little tough to offer advice on whether one should go to college or not. College degrees are a dime a dozen nowadays and it is leaving millions of people still unemployed or underemployed all the while you're sitting on huge debt.

I have 2 college degrees and dumped them in favor of driving. If I had a time machine I'd go back and get into UPS out of high school. As it turned out, I just became a driver last year at 34.

Not saying to skip college but you need to quickly figure out what you'd like to persue. What your interests are. As others have stated, if you choose college, think of what the most viable job opportunities will be 5 years from now. Sometimes even that can backfire as fields have become flooded with "hot" degrees. My wife is in computer programming for example and even that's hard to find work in and the world runs on computers.

If you stay with UPS make sure you know you want to drive and that you know you're cut out for it and can make it. Nothing worse than working part time for 5 years waiting to drive and then you find out you can't pass the 30 day probation period.

 

[cosmo1]

Vine , Vomen und song all the day long.

How's it going, Tie?

 

[grgrcr88]

Go to Medical School and become a doctor!! UPS is getting worse by the day. It used to be a fun and rewarding job that if you worked hard you could get off in time to spend time with your family. Now days with all the technology, the harder you work the more they give you. Dispatching is planned based on every specific drivers average over or under allowed. Meaning that if you go out and do 10 hours worth of work and get done in 8 hours, tomorrow you will have 11 hours worth of work. There is no chance of getting done early anymore. They have completely eliminated the motivation to work hard because as I said, THE MORE YOU DO THE MORE THEY GIVE YOU!!!

 

[Wally]

As a driver, you will meet plenty of hot chicks. Stay single and don't move out of parents house.

 

[BrownTexas]

If you want to have kids and miss half of the things they do in life then welcome to ups. Otherwise. I would think trade school for renewable energy or anything medical will get you a job worth the money and time you put into it.

 

[Brownslave688]

Go to Medical School and become a doctor!! UPS is getting worse by the day. It used to be a fun and rewarding job that if you worked hard you could get off in time to spend time with your family. Now days with all the technology, the harder you work the more they give you. Dispatching is planned based on every specific drivers average over or under allowed. Meaning that if you go out and do 10 hours worth of work and get done in 8 hours, tomorrow you will have 11 hours worth of work. There is no chance of getting done early anymore. They have completely eliminated the motivation to work hard because as I said, THE MORE YOU DO THE MORE THEY GIVE YOU!!!

First anyone going to med school will have school loans more than most people's mortgages. Second if the government takes over healthcare doctors are screwed.

Medicare and medicade reimburse doctors to the tune of about 20% compared to private insurance at 90+%

 

[mike1646]

I don't think I would do it again, UPS will take all of your time.
No time to spend with your kids, your wife or anything else during the week.
If you start driving at 21 you'll be lucky if you get to retire and if you do make it you might be a cripple.
This job is harder by the day, when I started driving commercial routes were 75-80 stops and residential routes 115-130. Now commercial are at over 110 and residentials over 180, and that's 8 hours.



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[Coca Cola Delivery Man87]

OP - go to college.
I'm not a UPS employee,however today when I was making deliveries for coke a UPS employee came in sweating like a runaway slave(as was I).We both looked at each other and smiled and I told him "this is one hell of a way to earn a living"...

 

[Catatonic]

Get your degree in a technical or business field.
Go driving and see if you like it.
By the fourth year of driving, make your decision.

 

[Coca Cola Delivery Man87]

As a driver, you will meet plenty of hot chicks. Stay single and don't move out of parents house.

I did that when is started driving for coke.
Best thing EVER!

over 200K saved in the bank,no debt,no kids.....still single,kinda lonely...until I look at the new dodge challenger and charger that's fully paid for with cash that I have parked outside of my condo and realize...life is good...

 

[The Milkman]

Go to Medical School and become a doctor!! UPS is getting worse by the day. It used to be a fun and rewarding job that if you worked hard you could get off in time to spend time with your family. Now days with all the technology, the harder you work the more they give you. Dispatching is planned based on every specific drivers average over or under allowed. Meaning that if you go out and do 10 hours worth of work and get done in 8 hours, tomorrow you will have 11 hours worth of work. There is no chance of getting done early anymore. They have completely eliminated the motivation to work hard because as I said, THE MORE YOU DO THE MORE THEY GIVE YOU!!!

So True!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Babagounj]

If you still haven't gotten a clear enough picture of what your future might be & really want to have no home life , think of join your local mgt team .