New UPSer

FeederUK · 11-04-2006, 12:04 PM

Started with the company last week.First week has been spent in a classroom trying to get used to the DIAD and going over all the procedures we ,as drivers ,are expected to follow.Was a good week,met some good guys on the course.All of the others on the course came from different parts of the country(UK) so they were put up in a hotel.Luckily the only training school for the UK is 10 minutes walk form my home

.
Starting on Monday I will be working as a feeder driver working nights.Looking forward to it, although feeling a bit nervous.Have worked for Royal Mail (USPS equivalent I guess) for 20 years.Will take some time to get used to how a different company runs.

BLACKBOX · 11-04-2006, 10:04 PM

Wow! 20 years working for Royal Mail....What happened? Did you "Go Postal"? I mean "Go Royal?".........

FeederUK · 11-05-2006, 12:11 AM

No, working for Royal Mail was great.Unfortunately I got into a lot of debt.The only way I could see me getting out of it was either going bankrupt or taking redundancy.I chose redundancy.May have been the wrong choice as I really enjoyed the job...well I enjoyed being paid for not working very hard.It is going to be a bit of a culture shock working in the real world

dutchups · 11-05-2006, 06:32 AM

Wish you all the succes you can get FeederUK!!!
There`s a lot of info on this site.
Off course a lot of US related items, some of them i dont quite follow, the senority and teamster related terms..
But interesting to read.
And sometimes funny to see links/simularities to the european UPS way of life.

CHEERS

helenofcalifornia · 11-05-2006, 09:45 AM

OK, I know we speak the same language, but what is "redundancy?" And you are a Teamster? Is the pay comparable to the left side of the Atlantic? And I have never seen a driver that went on to feeders, lose weight from overwork. It is your responsibility now to deliver the "gossip" that goes on in one center to another. The feeder drivers are the ones who tell us what is going on in other centers and hubs and how the new UPS "plans" are working out. Good luck and get out of debt.

helenofcalifornia · 11-05-2006, 09:50 AM

Oh, and BTW, you will start looking at the color brown in a whole different way. I am always looking for a brown coat or sweater (UPS brown, of course) that I can use instead of the standard UPS issue. Something that fits and wears a little better .

FeederUK · 11-05-2006, 10:28 AM

Redundancy =They want to get rid of some 30,000 employees (on a voluntary basis only, and of course through natural wastage i.e retirement,people leaving etc.It is done in seniority, not as you may expect last in,first out but the other way round

It is interesting to read the differences in how the company operates on your side of the pond. Here, drivers are taken on full time straight away,like in my case I had the relevant licence so could apply for the job of feeder driver immediately.No need to start as a loader, or part time working my way up through package car driver etc.
The workforce is, as far as I am aware ,unionised, like the majority of labour in this country.
As for pay? It seems comparable when a £ > $ conversion is done .But of course the cost of living is more expensive here ,meaning your $ goes a lot further than my £.

Some examples :Big Mac Meal £4.00 or $7.60, a gallon of gas(US Measurement) of gas £3.20 or $6.04
A packet of 20 Benson & Hedges cigarettes £5.60 or $10.64

xkingx · 11-05-2006, 10:55 AM

Id suggest going VEG, walking and not smoking

oh and Welcome to the BROWN

helenofcalifornia · 11-05-2006, 03:28 PM

OK, let's not start in about cost of living. The average cost of a home here in Northern California is $692,000. Our kids have to move out of state if they want to buy a home. And I agree with most of what xkingx said. Go vegan, buy a Moped and quit smoking!!

DS · 11-05-2006, 04:06 PM

Its GREAT to see people from other countries post here in the cafe`.
Welcome to the family brown, FeederUK and dutchups.Sunday nights between 8 and 11 pm ,we usually get together in the chat room.I`m not sure what time that would be in your countries,but if its possible, log in and rant with us.
I`m in Canada,and its not quite as expensive as the UK but our $ is worth a bit less than the US,and we make about $3 less an hour than our southern couterparts do.From what I`ve read,housing in Urban UK is even more $ than than helenofcalifornia stated.Is this true?

FeederUK · 11-05-2006, 05:29 PM

Im sure its swings and roundabouts but in my part of London a 1 bed apartment would be about $400,000.And Im not talking top of the range!!
of course there are cheaper parts of the country, unfortunately I dont live there.

As for the advice, I intend to buy a moped AND quit smoking...as for going Vegan, no thanks

DS · 11-05-2006, 05:45 PM

I thought it was that bad...hey if you can post you can chat...I`m there now

BLACKBOX · 11-05-2006, 06:08 PM

Crazy Prices For Mickey D's,petro And Bh (can U Get Marlboro Reds There?). Now $400 Large For A 1 Bedroom Flat? Where Exactly To You Live In The U.k.? One Would Think You Were Living In Japan Where Space Is A Premium! Cheerio!

MR_Vengeance · 11-05-2006, 06:22 PM

straight to feeder huh

helenofcalifornia · 11-05-2006, 07:15 PM

"Swings and roundabouts!!!" Snort, snort, chuckle, chuckle! Ok, I'll bite. What is a "snort and roundabout?" I wish some of my American or Canadian brethern would chime in with some slang that would send this Brit to the American dictionary.

FeederUK · 11-06-2006, 12:28 AM

Man, we may speak the same language but you wouldnt know it

Swings and roundabouts is a term used when comparing two situations, like me saying the cost of living is more expensive here.It probably is in a lot of respects but then in other respects its more expensive for certain things there.So its swings and roundabouts...it kinda evens itself out.

Double Standard...sorry I missed ya, posted literally before I jumped into bed :blush:

dutchups · 11-06-2006, 04:01 AM

Swings and rounabouts = "appels met peren vergelijken" or translated; comparing apples with pears.......

FeederUK · 11-06-2006, 04:30 AM

Yep thatll do dutch

and probably easier than my explanation.

hoser · 11-06-2006, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helenofcalifornia

buy a Moped!!

The solution to high gas cost is to buy a vehicle that consumes less gas!

Oh California, and your obsession with self-propelled gas powered vehicles....

helenofcalifornia · 11-06-2006, 07:20 PM

Ok Dutch UPSer, you may compare "apples with pears" while we in the US compare "apples to oranges." That's kind of funny how the fruit got switched up in the translation.