Driving Questions

I noticed that two centers are hiring for drivers in my area and I have questions related to "full time, seasonal" driving.

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?

Any input would be appreciated - would like to get as much help as possible.
 

trickpony1

Well-Known Member
For what it's worth, I've heard the company is hiring feeder drivers off the street at the Mesquite, Texas facility.

Don't have a clue how one would confirn this, I heard it through the grapevine.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
At my Center where I am at, I have heard that we may run ads in the local paper for Cover Drivers to be hired off the street.We have run through the list of Part-timers who bid on this position, nobody else wants it. We had a lot of Package Drivers move up into Feeder jobs before the last Peak Season, a lot of new faces in Package right now. Jelly-donuts, if they are hiring in your area, I would think that it isn't a seasonal job, I believe it is too early for Peak Season hiring. UPS doesn't hire extra drivers just for the summer. Good luck.:thumbup1:
 

DS

Fenderbender
Jelly..... go to the center and ask.Opportunities present themselves differently in every center.
 

Fredly000

Just Another in Brown
Seasonal is just that seasonal,
and yes there is a open "season" for summer seasonal drivers.
We have a couple that drive summers and xmas seasonal.

Full time is just that Full time.
You get hired, you get in, your in for life(if you choose)

Both get the same training, both wear uniforms.
Seasonal drivers have a higher likelyhood of getting
laid off week to week. or even from day to day.
 
So if I where to get hired, what do I expect? How long is the training? Is a CDL required? Are benefits included? Is there a probation period where you are evaluated?

After the summer months, seasonal drivers get sent packing? What are the chances of staying on full time?

I would like to know that once I get hired, that I wouldn't get laid off after the summer...
 

true_1_ace

Active Member
It sounds like to me they are hiring for the vacation schedual ,you probably wont get full pay and would be covering drivers runs when they go on holidays ,you will get a uniform and vehicle. after that ????????
atleast thats what it seems to me by what you've said although I haven't heard of this type of hire, anything is possible if the ctr is short drivers during the vacation period
 

lostintransit

Active Member
jelly_donuts said:
So if I where to get hired, what do I expect? How long is the training? Is a CDL required? Are benefits included? Is there a probation period where you are evaluated?

After the summer months, seasonal drivers get sent packing? What are the chances of staying on full time?

I would like to know that once I get hired, that I wouldn't get laid off after the summer...

My husband was hired last year for seasonal (covering drivers on vacation). He didn't switch routes, I guess the regular drivers were shuffled during this period. He had a 1 week driving school, in which he had to pay his own hotel, meals, etc. When he actually started I believe he went out with a supervisor for 3 days to learn the route. He worked from May to the end of August - it wasn't very steady the first month, then it was full weeks till the end of Aug. He was laid off, then called back for peak in November, after which he was laid off at the end of December. He did get a different route for peak though.

He was called back to the center a couple of weeks ago to fill out paperwork and take a safety test. There were no benefits, he did not make full pay - I think it was something like $16.00 an hour. He has uniforms (in summer you must buy your own socks if you're going to wear shorts). He did have to pay union dues, but when you get laid off you can submit 50 cents, your name and SSN#, date laid off, to your local and then the union will 'suspend" your membership till you are working again. We did not know this the first time and when he went back in Nov. they took out all his back dues out of the first paycheck.
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
I am surprised that some parts of the country use seasonal drivers to cover summer vacations, I thought that is what Swingdrivers and Cover Drivers do. We have always chose vacations by going down the Senority List, only so many could be off each week.I am off this week for "Spring Break" myself.
 

Fredly000

Just Another in Brown
Well areas vary, I know that our area, in about 2 months will need our seasonal drivers because we are a tourist area, and our volume goes back up during the summer months.
 

landrick

Active Member
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. :wink:
 
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