Aspiring Driver

[gr9719]

Good Morning,

I want to become a UPS delivery driver and have a few questions I was hoping you veterans could help me out with.

About 5 years ago I worked at the UPS store as an assistant manager so I have a bit of experience in the shipping industry and a good idea of what is involved in the driver position. I am wondering what the best strategy is to obtain the dirver job. I hear it is a very desired job and I never see any listed on UPS's career page. Is it best to start out as a part time package handler and hope something opens up or is there a better way? Also, about what pay does a driver start at?

I have a class A CDL with a clean record, am a hustler, and I am good with customers. What other qualities do the HR people look for in drivers?

I greatly appreciate any and all advice or suggestions. Thanks!

[ups1990]

Due to a current down economy, people have been asking this question very frequently.

A.D. the only way to get a full time driving position with UPS, is to start in the part time ranks. Once you are in, you'll have to put your name on the full time list. In all likely, that list will comprise of many names, a waiting period of 5 to 8 years(depending).

These are not the 80's or early 90's where one could possible start driving after 1 or 2 years.

[grgrcr88]

That is somewhat true, the company does bring in 1 driver off the street for every 5 promoted from within, they also will use the one outside for part time sups that want to drive from time to time. Not all places have that long a wait either. Our wait list is generally less than 2 years here.

99% of all driving jobs are filled from the inside waiting list though, so that is the best way to get in!!

Good luck!!

[City Driver]

Originally Posted by gr9719

I am a hustler

wonder what hoax will have to say about this

[brownrodster]

Originally Posted by gr9719

What other qualities do the HR people look for in drivers?

Only quality that matters is seniority. HR has nothing to do with you becoming a driver. You get a part time job. Then you wait 2-10 years until you have enough seniority to bid on a driver opening.

[cachsux]

Originally Posted by gr9719

Good Morning,

I want to become a UPS delivery driver and have a few questions I was hoping you veterans could help me out with.

About 5 years ago I worked at the UPS store as an assistant manager so I have a bit of experience in the shipping industry
No,you don`t.
and a good idea of what is involved in the driver position.
No,you don`t.


I am wondering what the best strategy is to obtain the dirver job. I hear it is a very desired job and I never see any listed on UPS's career page. Is it best to start out as a part time package handler and hope something opens up or is there a better way? Also, about what pay does a driver start at?

I have a class A CDL with a clean record,

I am a hustler
You made enemies with that statement. You just don`t know it yet.

, and I am good with customers. What other qualities do the HR people look for in drivers?
Just one thing,Seniority.

I greatly appreciate any and all advice or suggestions. Thanks!

No,Thank You! Is bright enthusiastic people like you who are the future of the company. Look around,find the building with the highest rate of advancement,put in your time,and when you finally make driver don`t "hustle". By then you`ll know why.

[JonFrum]

Originally Posted by grgrcr88

. . .1 driver off the street for every 5 promoted from within . . .

It's actually 6 now.
- - - -
Insert John Voight, Midnight Cowboy reference here ____.

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by JonFrum

It's actually 6 now.
- - - -
Insert John Voight, Midnight Cowboy reference here ____.

I think that may vary from supplement to supplement but it is 6 up here as well. It was 3 to 1 when I was hired off the street in 1989. I can't recall the last driver we have hired off the street.

[JonFrum]

The 6 to 1 ratio is in the Master. Article 22, Section 4.

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by JonFrum

The 6 to 1 ratio is in the Master. Article 22, Section 4.

I will take your word for it as I have no clue where my contract is.

[evilleace]

It is 6 in my area also. Get a seasonal helper job then maybe you will see a little of what a drivers day is like. Then if you still think you want to do it get a permanent pt position and wait I would be very surprised to see anyone come off of the street right now.

[upsguy72]

Originally Posted by gr9719

Good Morning,

I want to become a UPS delivery driver and have a few questions I was hoping you veterans could help me out with.

About 5 years ago I worked at the UPS store as an assistant manager so I have a bit of experience in the shipping industry and a good idea of what is involved in the driver position. I am wondering what the best strategy is to obtain the dirver job. I hear it is a very desired job and I never see any listed on UPS's career page. Is it best to start out as a part time package handler and hope something opens up or is there a better way? Also, about what pay does a driver start at?

I have a class A CDL with a clean record, am a hustler, and I am good with customers. What other qualities do the HR people look for in drivers?

I greatly appreciate any and all advice or suggestions. Thanks!

As the others said the only way of to increase your chance of getting a UPS drivers jo is to first apply for a PT inside position. Other wise you have a better chance of getting hit by lighting before getting a drivers job. The ratio is 6 to 1 inside to out

Depending on where you work for UPS PT greatly effects the wait time to be a driver. For mean it was 11 months. But there are drivers in my buildingthat wait 8-10 yrs.

UPS doesn't care you have a A CDL your won't be driving a tractor trailer anytime in the next 10-20 yrs. All that you need is a regular drivers license.

You worked at a UPS store so you know how to put a label on a package and bill someone. You have no clue what it is to be a driver you just don't deliver packages that is the easy part it's the 100 other things that you need to be doing at the same time that makes the job hard.

[rocket man]

You are very qualified. you should be working in a week.. call 1 800 pickups ASK FOR operator number 1a if you are north east part of country. operator 2 a if you are on the west coast. central part of country operator 3 a of course. I cant belive that you worked in a ups store and the daily pick up driver did not tell you this? WHEN you talk to operator tell them were you want to work dont for get the hours (thats important)

[feederdriver06]

You don't want to drive a package car. If you have a CLASS A license and have experience you should be able to find a decent driving job with benefits. You may make a couple bucks an hour less than a package car driver but chances are(almost guaranteed) you won't be dealing with all the crap that a package car driver deals with on a daily basis. That little bit less money is worth its weight in gold. Trust me. Don't you dare believe otherwise!

[NHDRVR]

Originally Posted by gr9719

Good Morning,

I want to become a UPS delivery driver and have a few questions I was hoping you veterans could help me out with.

About 5 years ago I worked at the UPS store as an assistant manager so I have a bit of experience in the shipping industry and a good idea of what is involved in the driver position. I am wondering what the best strategy is to obtain the driver job. I hear it is a very desired job and I never see any listed on UPS's career page. Is it best to start out as a part time package handler and hope something opens up or is there a better way? Also, about what pay does a driver start at?

I have a class A CDL with a clean record, am a hustler, and I am good with customers. What other qualities do the HR people look for in drivers?

I greatly appreciate any and all advice or suggestions. Thanks!

Make sure this is something you really want to pursue. The sarcasm the majority of us are showing you comes from years (and years...) of having a job that is unlike anything you have ever done. We have all of the demands of a white collar (customer relations, selling the company, doing managements job) and a blue collar (again, the drivers ARE the company...)

Make sure you really want to try this. You can think most of us are exaggerating so all we can tell you is...

you were warned

[Hoaxster]

Originally Posted by NHDRVR

...again, the drivers ARE the company...

Funny and even more funny is that many drivers actually think it is true.

I work with several people that think the world revolves around them ... one in particular calls it the "Susan centric" world.

[NHDRVR]

Originally Posted by Hoaxster

Funny and even more funny is that many drivers actually think it is true.

I work with several people that think the world revolves around them ... one in particular calls it the "Susan centric" world.

My point is that our building runs the same whether our on-roads, CM's, or sales people are there or not. The drivers are UPS.

If you're not carrying cardboard then I am carrying you...

[Hoaxster]

Originally Posted by NHDRVR

If you're not carrying cardboard then I am carrying you...

Well bless your heart ... let me personally thank you.

Our horizon is as distant as our mind's vision.

[NHDRVR]

Originally Posted by Hoaxster

Well bless your heart ... let me personally thank you.

Our horizon is as distant as our mind's vision.

No thanks is necessary.

I saw that you like Ayn Rand. One of her favorite words is 'muddled' which is exactly how I feel about the driver position at UPS. Unrealistic expectations mixed with real world implications.

muddled

[cino321]

Originally Posted by NHDRVR

The sarcasm the majority of us are showing you comes from years (and years...) of having a job that is unlike anything you have ever done.

Amen. Every single reply to this topic is the result of the type of environment we all work in and a great example of how low morale is at this point.

The big brown machine is a different type of beast, one that will chew you up and spit you out... the question is if you can handle it.

The common misconception among people who want to be hired as drivers is that you have to hustle and have some kind of experience. All that is wrong. All you need is seniority. HR is obsolete when it comes to this.

I guarantee you none of your coworkers will appreciate the fact that you hustle and are a team player, in fact, they will hate you for it. The faster you work the worse you are making them look. Until you get the point. You cannot give UPS your best because it'll never be good enough. UPS will want more and more and never appreciate it until you settle and end up giving the bare minimum.


Go ahead bash me, some of you management folk might disagree with me, but you definitely know I'm not wrong.

[Backlasher]

Screw that 6 to 1 ratio how bout 6 to 0.

There are 2 many of us part time drivers Being LAid off to have a guy walk off the street and get a full time spot. All of us laid off, on call drivers should be giving the oportunity before any 6 to 1 ratio.

How do I express this in a good manner. Sorry, manners out the door. To much time, sacrifice, and training to watch some freakin ups store person to walk into a driver spot. I can't describe what's in my mind to even have this as a thought.

2 jobs at how many years, all the running and gunning and then for that 6 to 1 bullcrap.

Take your cdl elsewear. I've always known about the 6 to 1 but it burns me up that it even exists with the long list of people that already has extensive time invested in this brown machine.:biting :

[Hoaxster]

Originally Posted by Backlasher

Screw that 6 to 1 ratio how bout 6 to 0.

There are 2 many of us part time drivers Being LAid off to have a guy walk off the street and get a full time spot. All of us laid off, on call drivers should be giving the oportunity before any 6 to 1 ratio.

How do I express this in a good manner. Sorry, manners out the door. To much time, sacrifice, and training to watch some freakin ups store person to walk into a driver spot. I can't describe what's in my mind to even have this as a thought.

2 jobs at how many years, all the running and gunning and then for that 6 to 1 bullcrap.

Take your cdl elsewear. I've always known about the 6 to 1 but it burns me up that it even exists with the long list of people that already has extensive time invested in this brown machine.:biting :

Quite a backlash.

[Just Numbers]

Originally Posted by Backlasher

Screw that 6 to 1 ratio how bout 6 to 0.

There are 2 many of us part time drivers Being LAid off to have a guy walk off the street and get a full time spot. All of us laid off, on call drivers should be giving the oportunity before any 6 to 1 ratio.

How do I express this in a good manner. Sorry, manners out the door. To much time, sacrifice, and training to watch some freakin ups store person to walk into a driver spot. I can't describe what's in my mind to even have this as a thought.

2 jobs at how many years, all the running and gunning and then for that 6 to 1 bullcrap.

Take your cdl elsewear. I've always known about the 6 to 1 but it burns me up that it even exists with the long list of people that already has extensive time invested in this brown machine.:biting :

Do you realize 6 to 1 is very good considereing when I started it was zero from the p/t inside...all drivers were hired from the outside.

[Hoaxster]

Originally Posted by Just Numbers

Do you realize 6 to 1 is very good considereing when I started it was zero from the p/t inside...all drivers were hired from the outside.

Holy Cow ... when did you start?
Think it was 2 - 1 when I started back in '73.

[Just Numbers]

'72. I'm pretty sure 0 from inside but I could stand corrected. I was hired as a driver from the outside along with 4 others the same week. Later that year 2 others were also hired from the outside. It's just amazing to me that someone complains about a 6 to 1 ratio.