Do we deserve $32+/hour

browniehound

Well-Known Member
I say absolutely yes! Fed-Ex makes a comparable wage and look what they do! Their trucks are empty and I'm delivering 350-400/day. Fed-Ex Ground is doing half that and in 4 times the area. Hence the statement from my Fed-Ex Ground buddy "I see four UPS drivers on my route" (and he knows their names).

I could write on and on about all the things the UPS driver does and is held accountable for i.e. getting sales leads (doing B.D.'s job) or doing/fixing the preloader's job but I will simplify it to one thing and hope it makes my point. When a new-hire is put on a route its with a sup. for 4 full days and a couple of half days with 6 hours of work. If it was truly mindless labor the sup. could go out for one day and then the driver would have a normal dispatch the next day. I mean how hard is it? All we do is deliver boxes. Right?

Do you think the bread guy or milk man gets a 4 day train?

I hope I made my point. Maybe everyone else can add another thing the UPS driver has to do. I'll start with this: here is your over-dispatched industrial route but you can't deliver (sheet as closed) from 12-1 or after 5. Who came up with the 12-1 thing anyway?
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
Lots of factors go into an accurate answer. It depends on the route and the day. Some days I'm overpaid and some days I'm underpaid. It all works out in the end.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
Lots of factors go into an accurate answer. It depends on the route and the day. Some days I'm overpaid and some days I'm underpaid. It all works out in the end.

It's hard for most people to accurately answer without having at least some sort of bias. I think most of us would be happy making much less if we had never gotten up to $32/hr. I guess what I mean is that we are all used to what we have now and it's human nature to avoid a reduction in just about anything we accumulate in life. I think we are a little overpaid but I don't feel guilty at all seeing how UPS has still managed to net over $4 billion in profits. It is kinda weird that I make so much more than most people I know. Especially considering that on most days I think this job is one of the easiest labor jobs I've ever had. And should I be making more than some of my friends and family that are various types of nurses? One thing is for sure....this is debatable.
 

wgf46

Well-Known Member
The sheer overall responsibility is very well worth the $32 per hour. It's physical and emotionally demanding day in and day out. I'm a preloader but have helped during peak (Christmas) , I've seen what they endure. They are well compensated and deserve every penny. Would love to see more routes so getting off in 8 hours was possible. More routes, less OT, happier drivers, has to equal more profits for UPS. I hope preloaders get a fair deal in the new contract !!!
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
I had a young trim and stuff guy helping me unload 20 boxes of 40 pd printed material for like 2 minutes, and he was winded. he said "what a workout". Im thinking yeah, not too bad, Im not winded. Im just trying to get this outta my truck. And Im 15 yrs older. Yes we deserve every cent we make.
 

Bubblehead

My Senior Picture
I don't think I ever heard anybody mention this fact in any thread of this kind.
As drivers we spend the majority of our day in the most dangerous place anybody can be, on the road.
Look up the statistics.
We do a hard job in a very dangerous place.
We deserve every penny and then some.
 

Brokedownandbrown

Well-Known Member
If one has knowledge of many delivery areas they are worth 32. If they can drive a 18,000 plus truck through idiots and morons, in terrible weather, past the growling dog that want bite, up the flight of stairs with 46 lbs. box signature required, on roads that are falling apart, by the D.O.T. that hates the UPS man, while receiving some stupid message via Diad, in and out of package car 140 plus times in 9 hours, sacrifices most family and friends activities during the week, who hopes and prays that he will be able to function in the golden years.

The UPS Driver is the face of this Company. Thats what Jim Casey knew, its a shame we lost his vision.
 
If one has knowledge of many delivery areas they are worth 32. If they can drive a 18,000 plus truck through idiots and morons, in terrible weather, past the growling dog that want bite, up the flight of stairs with 46 lbs. box signature required, on roads that are falling apart, by the D.O.T. that hates the UPS man, while receiving some stupid message via Diad, in and out of package car 140 plus times in 9 hours, sacrifices most family and friends activities during the week, who hopes and prays that he will be able to function in the golden years.

The UPS Driver is the face of this Company. Thats what Jim Casey knew, its a shame we lost his vision.
We didn't lose the vision...The company did ...Profits first.. customers second...package cars...third....employees last.!!!
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
If one has knowledge of many delivery areas they are worth 32. If they can drive a 18,000 plus truck through idiots and morons, in terrible weather, past the growling dog that want bite, up the flight of stairs with 46 lbs. box signature required, on roads that are falling apart, by the D.O.T. that hates the UPS man, while receiving some stupid message via Diad, in and out of package car 140 plus times in 9 hours, sacrifices most family and friends activities during the week, who hopes and prays that he will be able to function in the golden years.

The UPS Driver is the face of this Company. Thats what Jim Casey knew, its a shame we lost his vision.

Analogous to my wife going on one of her shopping trips. Sort of.
 

LongTimeComing

Air Ops Pro
Every bit of it every day. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who knows what goes on to disagree. Hell, $35 or more is still more than justified in my opinion. PT'ers, on the other hand, need some help. Underpaid, considering all of the stuff we require of them outside of the physical labor. Though, the great benefits for the part time hours is still a huge selling point...if they started receiving them sooner than a year....
 

WESLA

It is what it is
I believe the better question would be... Why doesn't every other hard days work deserve $32+/ hr? We are fortunate to be a part of such a good paying job in such a diminishing middle class world we live in. Be proud of that. And yes it's earned, every penny, part-time or full!
 
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