Driving vs. Preload

Fnix

Well-Known Member
Is driving any better/worse on your body then unloading/sorting? Do you think it's easier to last 20 years driving or 20 years preload?
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Driving is far more worse on your body than an inside job. More than twice the hours, more walking, unlevel areas, bad lighting, breathing traffic fumes, dealing with stress, I could go on and on.
 

Covemastah

Hoopah drives the boat Chief !!
Driving is by far worse than pre/load,I have done both full time preload about 8 or 9 hrs a day and driving 8 to about 10 hrs a day.Driving is 10 times more physical and mentally exhausting !!!
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
For me driving is the easiest job I've had at UPS. Comparing hour for hour (kind of liking saying "pound for pound") driving seems easier for me than being in trailers and having to load or unload a seemingly endless amount of packages. I think that as long as someone does the job correctly (walking each stop and not running, not getting in a hurry, driving safely, taking their lunch break, and lifting and lowering correctly) they will usually have a relatively easy day. Scratch is definately right about the longer hours though. Other than that I think driving is easier. I'm just comparing an hour of loading/unloading to an hour of driving here. Let me put it this way.... I know that I don't usually feel as worn out after 8.5-9.5 hours of delivering as much as I do after working 3.5-4.5 hours of working on twilight, reaload, or preload. I used to think driving was hard when I first started. I think it was because I was always running and trying to work as fast as possible to get the work done but once I slowed down and started taking my time and started learning different areas (area knowledge) the job seemed to get easier. Sure, there are harder days in the summer heat and I don't even need to mention peak but over all I think driving is easier.
 

Griff

Well-Known Member
This question can be answered by doing 1 stop as a driver.

Scenario: Mid summer, 100+ degrees, 90 boxes of hammermill paper, need to be handcarted to a school that has no dock or elevators.

I've done many, many inside jobs before I became a friend/T driver. That scenario will tell you everything you need to know about what kind of shape you are in and what it's like to be a driver.
 

govols019

You smell that?
Driving is easier. Hands down. I only have one truck to unload rather than five to load.

Anyone that thinks driving is harder has never been in the first load position on a belt to car preload. There were days I left preload so tired I could barely walk.
 

brownieboy

Well-Known Member
I preloaded for about 8 years. Been a cover driver for about 2. Id take (and do take) a 130 stop 300 mile route, running "blind" over a day of preloading ANYTIME. Gotta say the stress is high driving, but your on your own with nobody "prodding" you to go faster.
 

Covemastah

Hoopah drives the boat Chief !!
15 yrs.... 12 of them in pkg cars. my last route was mostly business and so bulky I pulled a tp-60 until I got rid of home depot, lowes, barnes and noble and bj's..... yeah, Woodsy, I've done a few routes.:scared:
Long Lunch sounds like you hadah humping rte there!!!! my question was directed to Big Arrow and I hope it was'nt taken as a slam. I had a hump and dump rte also for about 12 yrs ,but i still prefered that over doing a 4 car pull on an 8 hour preload.I liked pkg car more than preload but I do think you work harder {on a pkg car} than preloader,just my opinion!!! keep it safe out there!!!!
 

cino321

Well-Known Member
I actually think driving is easier physically; I preloaded for 2 years, a very heavy assignment (3 cars, 1 van, roughly 1200 pieces a day) and was sore every single day; when I went driving I wasn't as exhausted but it is more stressful mentally.
 

Fnix

Well-Known Member
All preloader seem to be sweaty after the shift of just 3 hours. Rarely do I see a driver as sweaty as the preloader even after 10 hours. This is why I ask.
 

Captain America

SuperDAD to the rescue
I have done both, and 5-6 hours on the preload is just as bad as a day driving. None of the old timers who didn't have to part time first agrees with me, but I say date of hire should be date of hire not some BS two seniority date system. :sneaky2:
 

LeddySS98

Well-Known Member
I'm soooooo glad to read some drivers agree with me... driving is so much better hands down

I tell my loader every day... he loads 3 trucks... i unload 1. I"m not full scale yet, but another year i'll make 28/hr he'll make 10... Ya getting out of the bulding late/NDA can be stressful... making commit times on everything... ODS messages about everything, but i'd pick driving over loading anyday!

And to the guy that packs 100 boxes of paper to the school by hand, in 10' of snow up hill both ways, 100*,blah balh blah... your preloader had to load those same boxes of paper... but hey, since driving is SOOOOOO much harder go back to loading the trucks... thats the good life right there:w00t:hahahah
 

diesel96

Well-Known Member
I don't think driving vs. preload is a fair and balanced comparison. Especially money wise. Don't forget about the reload , night sort, and twilight people. And throw in the air belt people. Also the air sort at the airports. The argument can be made for other depts than just preload. Just food for thought.
 

kingOFchester

Well-Known Member
I hope one day I can answer this question.
I can tell you what I notice. I work in a 260 truck center, as a preloader loading 3 cars. There are about 15-20 guys/girls I see everyday that are part timers. We are all pretty miserable. Not many laughs or happy faces to be seen anywhere on the belt.....until the drivers come in. Always laughing and smiling and joking. Perhaps its because they have a fatter check. Don't know. But I do know the drivers seem 10X happier then us part timers.:confused:1:confused:1:confused:1
 

1989

Well-Known Member
I preloaded for about 8 years. Been a cover driver for about 2. Id take (and do take) a 130 stop 300 mile route, running "blind" over a day of preloading ANYTIME. Gotta say the stress is high driving, but your on your own with nobody "prodding" you to go faster.


No offense, but I think he is talking more about delivering. About delivering a typical route. Not just driving and stopping every so often to drop a pkg. Driving is the easiest labor job at ups. I haven't done a route that isn't better than Preloading.
 

dillweed

Well-Known Member
I hope one day I can answer this question.
I can tell you what I notice. I work in a 260 truck center, as a preloader loading 3 cars. There are about 15-20 guys/girls I see everyday that are part timers. We are all pretty miserable. Not many laughs or happy faces to be seen anywhere on the belt.....until the drivers come in. Always laughing and smiling and joking. Perhaps its because they have a fatter check. Don't know. But I do know the drivers seem 10X happier then us part timers.:confused:1:confused:1:confused:1

This is because those drivers have fallen over edge and into the world of the insane.

Seriously, I preloaded for eight years and did notice how things perked up when the drivers arrived.

Many drivers have said that starting out is pure Hell. They are stuck on different routes all the time and have to learn the particulars of each one. Once they have the seniority to bid on a route and get used to it the job gets much easier.
 
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