When did you "hit the Wall"?

Pasaholic · 03-08-2008, 07:46 PM

Iv got about 12 years now with UPS, I like my job and its a good living but lately for the first time I'm having trouble getting up and going for the days work. Seems like the days go by a little slower, knees are starting to hurt more evey night, when and how have some of you guys "hit the Wall"?

cosmo1 · 03-08-2008, 07:48 PM

Ask me when you have 18 more years.

25yrvet · 03-08-2008, 08:04 PM

going on 27 yrs, I used to still love my job up till 10yrs ago, now I just like it. But how many people can even say that they like their job.
This whole pas/edd thing is really getting out of hand in our ctr. Rts don't make any sense and the on car & ctr mgr claim to be powerless to make any changes. The people who manage the pas/edd in our ctr are foolish and have no common sense, time to get out the grievence forms for 9/5's. Working excessive hours has really effected my attitude, I know most of you know where I'm coming from. It's the thought that I could possibly retire in 3 1/2 yrs that keeps me going.

under the radar · 03-08-2008, 08:05 PM

It's been 32 years and I haven't "hit the wall" yet. I've hit a few mail boxes and knocked down a few wires though.

All seriousness aside, I have days when I want to hang it up, but the frequency of those feelings aren't any more now than when I first started.

I have adopted the attitude that I am a revenue generator. God put me in this job (and I'm thankful for it) to take care of my two girls (now college age) and my bride of twenty seven years who doesn't have to work. I get weekends off, seven weeks of vacation and haven't missed a payment or a meal since I started.

I'm sure that if I worked elsewhere I would have the same feelings of "hitting the wall" on occasion.

Cementups · 03-08-2008, 09:24 PM

Not sure about hitting hte wall but I get burnt out for sure. Thank goodness for vacation. Been at UPS 15 years now and get burnt out a little quicker than I used to.. Thank goodness I get that 4th week now. matter of fact I am on vacation as we speak and leave on Monday for a 5-night Carribean cruise to help liven my spirits. If it wasn't for vacations I woud have "hit the wall" years ago.

rod · 03-08-2008, 09:31 PM

For me the first 10 went by real fast- from 10 to 20 slowed down some- 20 to 25 seemed to take forever and 25 to 28 was like watching paint dry and the last 2 years took an eternity.

Now that I'm retired unfortunatly the days just fly by

Tony31yrs · 03-08-2008, 10:11 PM

First four years were part time while I was in school and they went by fast. After about ten years of driving, management got horrible and wanted more and more. That's when I thought,"I'll never make retirement." The next ten or so, they got off our backs a little and I liked my job again. For another five or so, I was just a mercenary-coming to work for the money. Congress voted down the law that said you took a big tax hit with a private pension if you retired before 53. All of a sudden I had four years to go instead of seven. Then the years flew by. My last summer, they relooped my route and I was out until 7-8:00 in a record hot summer. I didn't go crazy because I knew I only had 6 months to go. I retired at 50 and haven't regretted it.
Even when I dreaded coming to work, the pay, benefits and early pension made it worth it to me and my family.

satellitedriver · 03-08-2008, 10:27 PM

I've been at it for 21+yrs and I still can't see a wall on the horizon.
If I do see it, I will either stop , before I hit it, or jump over it and just keep on going.

scratch · 03-08-2008, 10:36 PM

Gosh Pasaholic, twelve years and you have hit the wall? You are still a newbie. I'm working on 33 and have no trouble getting out of bed and going to work. I also have no trouble heading for the house after my shift is over too. I have always been a workaholic type and sometimes have to force myself to slow down sometimes. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that I want to do.

upsdude · 03-09-2008, 01:37 AM

Walls are easy to find, just make sure you’re not the person building one. I’ve experienced what you’re going through, my solution was to bid on another route. Doing so gives you a fresh outlook and new folks to deal with everyday. Plus, its like changing jobs without all the paper work. LOL. As I get older I realize I’m only capable of doing so much and my body wants more rest. No more staying up until 11-12 midnight, and I have to better control what I eat.

trplnkl · 03-09-2008, 04:24 AM

Pasaholic, the fact that you are hitting the wall in 12 years isn't as bad as some make it sound. Remember a good portion of a 30+ year driver was spent with a 50 lb max and much smaller dimension box to deliver in masses. Your entire career to this point has been with a 150lb max weight and boxes so large some will not go through the bulk head door. Then some of the delivery situations we face on a daily basis were either non-existent or rare even 15 years ago. You 30 + year drivers probably get to choose from the best top five routes in your centers, a 12 year driver gets to choose from the last 10 or so. It can dang sure make a difference. Add to that the nightmare that pas/pal/edd has been for so many centers and the excessive overtime days that everyone has been facing it's no wonder to me that you are hitting that wall. Hang in there Pas, if you can.

pretender · 03-09-2008, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rod

For me the first 10 went by real fast- from 10 to 20 slowed down some- 20 to 25 seemed to take forever and 25 to 28 was like watching paint dry and the last 2 years took an eternity.

Now that I'm retired unfortunatly the days just fly by

My Dad passed away last year...I now have the recurring memory of an offhanded remark he once made--Before he retired, he kept wishing the time would go by faster, and after he retired, he wished it would slow down.

I will soon start my 32nd year of driving, and many times I feel like I am living the movie Groundhog Day. I am not always successful, but I now try to slow down and smell the roses...

big_arrow_up · 03-09-2008, 08:55 AM

The only time I've ever dreaded going into work was when I was working a full-time job during the day and the evening shift (twilight/reload) at UPS at night. I bounced around from factory to factory for many of the first 7 or 8 years and after waking up at the butt crack of dawn every morning and doing assembly line work for 8-10 hours I didn't really want to come in to UPS. It's not that UPS was ever hard. I was just tired from waking up at 4am, or earlier, working all day, then having to put in another 4 hours at UPS and not getting to bed until 11pm. It was rough. Driving for UPS has been the easiest job I've ever had. I can sleep until 8am if I want to. Average clock out time is between 5:30-7:00 unless its peak season but that is easy with helpers. I haven't dreaded going to work as a driver......YET!. I'm hoping that continues for a long time.

Tony31yrs · 03-09-2008, 09:31 AM

I agree with UPSDUDE. Changing a route can often refresh your outlook. There is something to be said for familiarity with a route and your customers, but I noticed that after 10 years on the same route people take advantage of that familiarity. Customers would often ask me to wait when I was running late, yet would be ready for the cover driver who would come a half hour earlier. When I would ask them why, they would say,"well, we knew he would be here early." Also, the ones that wanted you to wait or come back were usually the ones who stiffed you for Christmas while some little old lady who was on limited income would give you something. I usually got along well with all of my customers, but the change of scenery definitely helps.

dannyboy · 03-09-2008, 10:01 AM

I agree with changing what you are doing. Think about being a cover driver. It will give you a change of scene while still doing the basic job. Then after a year, bid back on a regular route again, or not. Change can be good for perspective on your current job.

d

rod · 03-09-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony31yrs

I agree with UPSDUDE. Changing a route can often refresh your outlook. There is something to be said for familiarity with a route and your customers, but I noticed that after 10 years on the same route people take advantage of that familiarity. Customers would often ask me to wait when I was running late, yet would be ready for the cover driver who would come a half hour earlier. When I would ask them why, they would say,"well, we knew he would be here early." Also, the ones that wanted you to wait or come back were usually the ones who stiffed you for Christmas while some little old lady who was on limited income would give you something. I usually got along well with all of my customers, but the change of scenery definitely helps.

There is alot of truth to this post. When I look back at how I treated my customers in the little town I delivered to for 25 years it makes me laugh. I bent over backwards to please everyone and altho there were alot of really nice people they did tend to want you to treat them like they were your favorite stop. By the time I retired I swear half the business in town were on the "deliver me first" list. They were also the ones that wanted the "last pickup before I left town." The farm implement dealers were the worst. I can blame myself for letting this situation get out of hand. Your so right when it came to Christmas gifts also. Thank God for the little old ladies- although I blame them for the extra pounds I put on during peak . The guy that took over my route went through hell getting it back to the way it should of been delivered all along. He had many many customer complaints called in because he didn't do it like "the regualr driver" did. More power to him. Even to this day when I'm driving through this little town and stop to chat with someone the conversation always turns to "Gee I wish you were still working so we could get our stuff early or the new guy picks up too early or he won't wait while we pack up 5 more boxes".

DS · 03-09-2008, 04:15 PM

I started driving for ups late in life .I was hired off the street when I was 35 yrs old,and its been 18 years now.Some days the knees hurt but I have got to hang in there as long as possible or I'll be eating catfood in my twilight years.I've been doing the same area since I started,and at some point I may just heed some of the advice here about bidding on an easier route.For now though even though its a heavy industrial area,I try to think of it as my daily workout at the gym.like the old addage,what doesn't kill me can only make me stronger.I still like the job though.

Tony31yrs · 03-09-2008, 04:59 PM

Another way to avoid "hitting the wall" is to bid a route with a newer pkg car. My knees and shoulders would be sore when I got home every day until I got a newer, lower car with powersteering in '95. I never had an old one again unless mine was being worked on. When I got an automatic, my left leg felt a lot better too. Your knees can only take the pounding of getting on and off one of the older trucks for so long. A lot of those hard clutches will kill you too.

covemaster · 03-09-2008, 05:44 PM

with 12 years do you have enough juice to get into feeders?? that saved many a careers!! although its rough on your body because of your hrs to sleep,but it gets better!!!

brownmonster · 03-09-2008, 07:55 PM

Iv'e been on my area 15 years and I'm thinking about moving on. When I'm ahead of schedule I seem to slow down to get back to my normal time. I would like to get a country route with on-route pickups so I wouldn't be tied down to a metro. Several opening up later this year due to retirements.

rod · 03-09-2008, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownmonster

Iv'e been on my area 15 years and I'm thinking about moving on. When I'm ahead of schedule I seem to slow down to get back to my normal time. I would like to get a country route with on-route pickups so I wouldn't be tied down to a metro. Several opening up later this year due to retirements.

Country routes are great except that everybody and their brother has a mean dog that isn't tied up.