jelly_donuts said:
[...]
What does this mean? A two or three month stint during the summer months? Are you trained just like any other driver? Is the work solo or do you ride as a helper? Wear a UPS uniform like every other driver?
What are the odds of retaining the position? Would like to get my foot in the door - is this how most drivers land a driving position off the street?
Do you receive medical benefits during employment?
[...]
All I can say is...it worked for me.
From my limited observations as a very new guy, some areas must be experiencing "unusual situations" right now.
I was a helper during 2004 peak (in the Los Angeles area), and learned then to keep an eye on the upsjobs.com website. A year later (October last year) I saw on the site that the center where I'd worked was hiring "fulltime seasonal drivers" off the street as you mentioned. I was told it was a very unusual situation, because a large number of package drivers had been moved up to feeder, and they were short on staff. I applied and somehow got the job. Invariably, eyebrows shot up when I told people I was off the street; all the drivers said it was nearly unheard of there, and I was very lucky. In fact, I think there were 3 of us brought in during peak. Anyway, I worked from late October through the end of the year, then got let go (as expected.) When they cut me loose, the center manager said thanks, but they couldn't keep me; he explained the whole 6:1 ratio thing, but reiterated that it was an unusual time, and that there were still possibilities.
In early February, I got a call from HR saying there was a spot open if I wanted it. I came back and made it through probation (the previous work didn't count) and made seniority a couple of weeks ago.
So, that was a long way of saying...it can happen.
As another poster mentioned, you get the same training as all drivers. After a week of classroom and then on-car training, you're in uniform as a driver. As for the odds of keeping the job, it is just a combination of how well you do and how much they need the help. (And where they stand on the ratio of inside to outside hires.)
Regarding medical: I just learned that benefits don't kick in for 6 months. That was a big surprise; never heard of such a long delay before.
I'll say now that getting hired off the street and trying to get up to speed as a driver, during peak, was honestly the hardest thing I have ever done in my lifetime. I got lucky and was put on the same route for all of peak; I probably would have washed out otherwise. I guess that means you should be careful what you wish for...you may get it.