Overpaid Union Thug
Well-Known Member
Still needs to be cut in half. Hey that might help us meet our third quarter profit goals!!
Do you derive a sense of purpose from UPS?
- Thread starter Catatonic
- Start date
Still needs to be cut in half. Hey that might help us meet our third quarter profit goals!!
Anonymous 10
Guest
I'm here because I want to wear the shorts and I know I look good in the shorts. That's it
DS
Fenderbender
I think rocket man hit the nail on the head.If your goal in life was to derive a purpose in life by going into management at ups,and becoming rich and important because you are so smart,then the chances of attaining your goals may have been a bit over confidant.On the other hand a ups driver has but one objective,and it starts every morning and ends when you punch out.I derive a certain sense of purposfullness by making my customers happy in spite of management.This is not my purpose in life,just the reason I get paid.
The 300,000 employees RM mentioned,each have their own way of dealing with the rules.I personally think it has become easier because we have less decisions to make.
I get home on Friday night dead tired but,satisfied that I have done a good job.
728ups
All Trash No Trailer
I derive a huge sense of Accomplishment from my job i.e emptying the truck,overcoming crap loads and dispatches,making the customers happy.
I derive a large amount of Satisfaction from the job i.e good pay,good benefits,stock and 401k,staying in shape from the job and being challenged everyday
I do not derive a sense of purpose from the job, simply because for me personally the option isnt there
I derive a large amount of Satisfaction from the job i.e good pay,good benefits,stock and 401k,staying in shape from the job and being challenged everyday
I do not derive a sense of purpose from the job, simply because for me personally the option isnt there
bad company
semi-pro
When I worked for UPS, I originally felt like I had a sense of purpose. Then I went to a different package center, and every thing changed. It simply became a job. A good job... but a job nonetheless. One of my main reasons for wanting to leave UPS was because I did not feel a sense of purpose or major accomplishment. Don't get me wrong, UPSers are some of the hardest working people out there, but as a younger college graduate, I never imagined myself driving a truck for a long-term career. I have since left and pursued my long time "dream" job of being a police officer. I enjoyed the time at UPS and learned a lot. I still miss the co-workers, but I'm fortunate to be able to police in the same city I delivered in when I was a service provider.
Unlike I did while at UPS, I do feel a sense of purpose as a police officer. The pay is 3x less than it was UPS and the benefits are half as good, but the sense of accomplishment and purpose, and the overall level of satisfaction that I enjoy being a police officer is not some thing that I personally could have obtained while at UPS.
Unlike I did while at UPS, I do feel a sense of purpose as a police officer. The pay is 3x less than it was UPS and the benefits are half as good, but the sense of accomplishment and purpose, and the overall level of satisfaction that I enjoy being a police officer is not some thing that I personally could have obtained while at UPS.
Bubblehead
My Senior Picture
Thank you, both of you, for your candor.
This is something I already knew.
It is the job of the front line manager to represent the outlandish expectations of a few pencil neck geeks.
DS
Fenderbender
3 times less? Surely you are under exaggerating ,I have nothing but respect for anyone who decides to be a cop.
I guess the best part is being able to make your own decision in the heat of the moment.
SignificantOwner
A Package Center Manager
That's old school thinking. I used to agree but circumstances have changed. Putting that stress on myself isn't in my pay band description. Atlanta is handcuffing us and taking over local decisions like hiring and I'm not going to pretend they're not. It's no big deal, UPS is just changing management styles. Atlanta wants to run things and I'm content to let them.
SignificantOwner
A Package Center Manager
There's A through E at every level. Wouldn't that be 40 levels?
Catatonic
Nine Lives
Those are considered Pay Grades. As a general rule, an E does not report to an A within a Level.
Richard Harrow
Deplorable.
I fall into category #2, a "tweener". I get asked from a lot of people if it's a good job, or some people will come right out and say "hey, that's a good company" and my response is always the same "it is, but it's not the company I started working for all those years ago."
UPS has been publicly held the entire time I've been here, but I'd say around 2005-06 is when the loyalty to the shareholder rather the employee really began to show through.
Could I find another job? Probably. But in 4 years I'll literally have half of my life invested here, and I'll only have about 16 years left. The people on the route I've been covering day-in and day-out for 4 months and off-and-on for 9 years are the ones I show up for. They make it all worth it; so I guess you can say I have a sense of purpose, I don't know anymore.
UPS has been publicly held the entire time I've been here, but I'd say around 2005-06 is when the loyalty to the shareholder rather the employee really began to show through.
Could I find another job? Probably. But in 4 years I'll literally have half of my life invested here, and I'll only have about 16 years left. The people on the route I've been covering day-in and day-out for 4 months and off-and-on for 9 years are the ones I show up for. They make it all worth it; so I guess you can say I have a sense of purpose, I don't know anymore.
raceanoncr
Well-Known Member
As others have stated, Hoax, good question. I think.
Again, I'm only offering MY opinion based on what I have seen HERE and in my dealings HERE and elsewhere I have been.
At first, I was pretty proud. After calling (that's when we applied directly at the center, cold, I might add), every week for more than a month, I was granted an interview and told to fill out app. A few more weeks passed, a few more phone calls. Finally called in. Over a hundred applicants there for 2 jobs. Over time, it was narrowed down to just the 2, me being one. Geez, no eddycashion, running a Caterpillar Scraper for ten years and here I am, driving for UPS.
Won't go into every detail, but wanted to get hired as feeder driver. Personel said they didn't have opening there and if I'd be willing to do package car til there was. "Sure!", was my reply, not knowing all the rules to follow.
P/C was hard, very hard, hated all of it but like wearing the brown and having all the, uh, nice, uh, receptionists and homemakers "accept" their packages, was nice. One time, tho, really turned me. Was driving screwed-up split car one day. Was done and heading back. Had some break left and stopped at burger joint where ajoining driver was also breaking. He said he was gonna hafta call in for help. Had about 10 business that he couldn't get before pickups. I said I'd take em. Did, got em off real quick. Told Mangler when I got in. He exploded! Said it worked out but, and these are his words, I remember then to this day, "Don't you EVER think again!". From that day on, the wind went outta my sails.
Fast-forward to feeders. Was there for about 30 of my 32. Did exactly as told. Sure, there were some times, as in sleepers, when we had to make major decisions. We did them,some for the better of the company, some for the better of us,just didn't tell them. Example: One time, leaving Louky, I was driving, my partner got extremely sick. Woke up horking out the door. I had already made a decision to take a different route back home because of an intense storm following out normal route. I called hope base and said I could make it mostly home, running up against my 11 hours driving if they could have a sleeper qualified driver meet me and take over for partner. Instead of wrangling out the details, the Supe was wrestling with me about the odd route! That went on and on for quite a few minutes. Finally I just said, "If you don't want to send somebody and meet me HERE, I'll just stop at the next hospital, with this sleeper truck and set of doubles and you'll STILL hafta come get me!"
The last few yrs, our equiment went from bad to worse, mechanically and appearance wise. I was ashamed to drive the last brown tractor I was assigned. The back was covered with so much leaking and blow-by oil, you couldn't even see out the window. "Well, just clean it yourself", you say? Remember, "Don't ever think again", routine?
There were hundreds of other examples, like hooking an out-of-town tractor in here for a PMI, one that goes in here every night anyway and could have been switched out by the driver, only to have it sit on the fence for 3 days until done (no, that was the only thing done, is a PMI) and hooked back home.
There were, literally, hundreds of cases where supes and manglers made some HUGE, bungling mistakes that cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and skated only to be left to do it again. And they did.
So, the majority of my career was spent deriving pleasure, or a sense of purpose, in receiving my huge paycheck because of some of these blunders. And, of course, my bennies, not the least of which is my retirement, which I'm enjoying as I write.
Sorry.
Again, I'm only offering MY opinion based on what I have seen HERE and in my dealings HERE and elsewhere I have been.
At first, I was pretty proud. After calling (that's when we applied directly at the center, cold, I might add), every week for more than a month, I was granted an interview and told to fill out app. A few more weeks passed, a few more phone calls. Finally called in. Over a hundred applicants there for 2 jobs. Over time, it was narrowed down to just the 2, me being one. Geez, no eddycashion, running a Caterpillar Scraper for ten years and here I am, driving for UPS.
Won't go into every detail, but wanted to get hired as feeder driver. Personel said they didn't have opening there and if I'd be willing to do package car til there was. "Sure!", was my reply, not knowing all the rules to follow.
P/C was hard, very hard, hated all of it but like wearing the brown and having all the, uh, nice, uh, receptionists and homemakers "accept" their packages, was nice. One time, tho, really turned me. Was driving screwed-up split car one day. Was done and heading back. Had some break left and stopped at burger joint where ajoining driver was also breaking. He said he was gonna hafta call in for help. Had about 10 business that he couldn't get before pickups. I said I'd take em. Did, got em off real quick. Told Mangler when I got in. He exploded! Said it worked out but, and these are his words, I remember then to this day, "Don't you EVER think again!". From that day on, the wind went outta my sails.
Fast-forward to feeders. Was there for about 30 of my 32. Did exactly as told. Sure, there were some times, as in sleepers, when we had to make major decisions. We did them,some for the better of the company, some for the better of us,just didn't tell them. Example: One time, leaving Louky, I was driving, my partner got extremely sick. Woke up horking out the door. I had already made a decision to take a different route back home because of an intense storm following out normal route. I called hope base and said I could make it mostly home, running up against my 11 hours driving if they could have a sleeper qualified driver meet me and take over for partner. Instead of wrangling out the details, the Supe was wrestling with me about the odd route! That went on and on for quite a few minutes. Finally I just said, "If you don't want to send somebody and meet me HERE, I'll just stop at the next hospital, with this sleeper truck and set of doubles and you'll STILL hafta come get me!"
The last few yrs, our equiment went from bad to worse, mechanically and appearance wise. I was ashamed to drive the last brown tractor I was assigned. The back was covered with so much leaking and blow-by oil, you couldn't even see out the window. "Well, just clean it yourself", you say? Remember, "Don't ever think again", routine?
There were hundreds of other examples, like hooking an out-of-town tractor in here for a PMI, one that goes in here every night anyway and could have been switched out by the driver, only to have it sit on the fence for 3 days until done (no, that was the only thing done, is a PMI) and hooked back home.
There were, literally, hundreds of cases where supes and manglers made some HUGE, bungling mistakes that cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and skated only to be left to do it again. And they did.
So, the majority of my career was spent deriving pleasure, or a sense of purpose, in receiving my huge paycheck because of some of these blunders. And, of course, my bennies, not the least of which is my retirement, which I'm enjoying as I write.
Sorry.
raceanoncr
Well-Known Member
Hmmm....looking back at my post, it seems pretty one-sided, in other words, pretty managment bashing. I didn't mean it to be so.
We had/have some pretty lame-brained hourlies also. Again, I'm not dissin on any of you out there, but here, man-o-man!
I don't know how many times I had to go out a clean up a mess made by one of our feeder drivers. One time, after driver fell asleep and tow had pulled set outta ditch and me bobtailin many miles, I had to hook up to severely but drivable set and come back. What an embarassment! Another time I had to retrieve a pup that driver burned up, clear down to the wheels. Mech put new hubs, brakes, wheels, tires on but back half was completely gone! What an embarassment! Another time, had to get trailer with roof peeled back cuz little center couldn't get door open. Went in thru roof. Here I am clunkin down the highway with piece of roof flappin in the wind.
As a steward, trying to defend some of these people when they make completely stupid mistakes, is almost an impossible task. As I've stated before, sometimes you just throw your cards on the table and aske for forgiveness because my client (the offending member) is a dumbarse. Upsetting a set of doubles going 40 around a 25 MPH curve, crashing a set of doubles while speeding thru a construction zone, dropping trailers in the yard and elsewhere, clipping an overhead door when it is not fully open, the list goes on.
Thank God for the paycheck. Cuz near the end, that's what it was all about.
We had/have some pretty lame-brained hourlies also. Again, I'm not dissin on any of you out there, but here, man-o-man!
I don't know how many times I had to go out a clean up a mess made by one of our feeder drivers. One time, after driver fell asleep and tow had pulled set outta ditch and me bobtailin many miles, I had to hook up to severely but drivable set and come back. What an embarassment! Another time I had to retrieve a pup that driver burned up, clear down to the wheels. Mech put new hubs, brakes, wheels, tires on but back half was completely gone! What an embarassment! Another time, had to get trailer with roof peeled back cuz little center couldn't get door open. Went in thru roof. Here I am clunkin down the highway with piece of roof flappin in the wind.
As a steward, trying to defend some of these people when they make completely stupid mistakes, is almost an impossible task. As I've stated before, sometimes you just throw your cards on the table and aske for forgiveness because my client (the offending member) is a dumbarse. Upsetting a set of doubles going 40 around a 25 MPH curve, crashing a set of doubles while speeding thru a construction zone, dropping trailers in the yard and elsewhere, clipping an overhead door when it is not fully open, the list goes on.
Thank God for the paycheck. Cuz near the end, that's what it was all about.
Catatonic
Nine Lives
bad company
semi-pro
I'm including the overtime from UPS, but yes... that part of it has been a big adjustment. But hey, on the bright side, I have A/C in my car!!! It's refreshing to work for a company/organization that actually supports my decisions and cares about me... the individual. I got T-Boned the other day on my way into work while driving my patrol car (get to take it home). This is the first accident I have been in since I started law enforcement, and for a minute, my brain went back into "UPS mode".
I started wondering how pissed off my management was going to be, regardless of the fact that I was not at fault, and starting thinking about how my supervisor was going to write me up for my unavoidable yet "avoidable" accident. I thought about how much of a pain in the butt they were going to be about injuries and workers compensation.
Then I was confronted with the reality of NOT working for UPS. Management could care less about the vehicle damage..."that's what insurance is for". Being in law enforcement and seeing the vehicle damage, they knew right away that I was not at fault. Their main concern was my health and safety, and I was actually ordered to go see the doctor. They didn't complain about safety numbers or the costs associated with the accident and my medical care. They told me to see whatever doctor I needed to, whatever specialist my doctor and I deemed necessary, and to take as much time off from work as needed until I felt better.
The Milkman
Well-Known Member
Retired in 08 after 25 yrs and your post sums it up pretty well , My thoughts are the same...
raceanoncr
Well-Known Member
Yeah, right!
Uh, what was that, Hoax? Did you say something?
I was out in the pool and had to come in for another adult beverage.
Yes, I AM sorry that it's mid-90s here and was over 100 quite a few days last week and will be this week and the pool temp is ONLY 92 and I don't have anything else to do, thanks to UPS and my retirement package.
kingOFchester
Well-Known Member
BC, your post, thoughts and insight is inspiring, for the lack of a better word. I am envious but glad that you are doing what you want to do in life. Thank you for what you do and for sharing.
BC, your post, thoughts and insight is inspiring, for the lack of a better word. I am envious but glad that you are doing what you want to do in life. Thank you for what you do and for sharing.
I am too, he was in my Center and works in the same city I do. I just hope I don't get a parking ticket from him!
texan
Well-Known Member
I am too, he was in my Center and works in the same city I do. I just hope I don't get a parking ticket from him!
Hope he remembers his roots.
