Feeder drivers, is UPS the place to begin a career?

[Wally]

We have 49 years of experience operating at a yearly loss of over $1 billion... this is nothing new for us.

It's quicker to drive than take Amtrak to Florida.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

Tax dollars baby.

Our local government is giving workers paid leave. I'm sure the state is doing the same.

Bingo.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

It's quicker to drive than take Amtrak to Florida.

We can actually drive you if you like, the Auto Train is still running daily from DC to Orlando... probably empty and dirt cheap.

 

[Wally]

We can actually drive you if you like, the Auto Train is still running daily from DC to Orlando... probably empty and dirt cheap.

Estimated time 17 hours? Then the car has to get off loaded, lol. Cheaper to keep driving. Faster too.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

Cheaper to keep driving. Faster too.

But you pay for us either way

 

[Wally]

But you pay for us either way

Speed that sucker up to 150 mph!

Why does it go so slow?

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

Speed that sucker up to 150 mph!

Why does it go so slow?

Because we run over CSX, NS, BNSF, and UP almost entirely. New tracks with wayside equipment costs on average $1 million per mile. I'm not paying for that and I won't let you

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

79.0 MPH is passenger speed over most foreign territory... with a few exceptions. You hear about those exceptions not observed on the news

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We can actually drive you if you like, the Auto Train is still running daily from DC to Orlando... probably empty and dirt cheap.

One of my new co-workers recently moved to Florida. She drove her car down to Lorton, VA, and put it on the train. Cost her $800. Made no sense to me.

Estimated time 17 hours? Then the car has to get off loaded, lol. Cheaper to keep driving. Faster too.

Bingo!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

79.0 MPH is passenger speed over most foreign territory... with a few exceptions. You hear about those exceptions not observed on the news

...or in the movies...

 

[Wally]

Because we run over CSX, NS, BNSF, and UP almost entirely. New tracks with wayside equipment costs on average $1 million per mile. I'm not paying for that and I won't let you

Yea then cut funding!

 

[Yeet]

Update 2020:

I hired on shortly after creating this post. Tues-Sat Package Car driver out of NYMNS. Best days of my life. Drove for 3 years before leaving for the railroad, which was my goal since middle school. Currently a Locomotive Engineer at Amtrak, this is the place I wanted to be.

Our crafts are similar in many ways except I don't have a guarantee. You could work 3 hours one week and the next you max out your HOS and "die on the law" (stop train, secure consist, wait hours for crew van to arrive with relief engineer and assistant engineer). My advice to anyone looking to leave UPS for a railroad job is STOP. DISMOUNT. Or you can get used to doing exactly that, on-and-off railcars in a customer's yard at 3am every Sunday for 6 months a year. You will miss UPS. I did until I got extremely lucky and got the federal job (well, quasi-federal).

Amtrak is the golden employer out on the rails. Again I got extremely lucky. Working for the freights is not for the faint of, well, wallet. Amtrak is subsidized and doesn't lay-off. Major freight RRs have shareholders to answer to and are very creative at reducing operating costs (you). I worked for two Class 1 freight railroads, at the same time actually. Ask me anything you like about that.

I don't know why but I still log on here daily.

Congrats man. Although, if you said you got a job on at Norfolk Southern you and I would be having words. Those guys are a special kind of stupid.

 

[quad decade guy]

They usually don't hire Feeder drivers off of the street. It goes by seniority.

Not so here. They hired dozens off the street pre Covid, and were planning many more. They can't beg $8hr pt to take a $90k job. Nor will UPS man up to train that many, so hire off the street to meet the "emergency conditions" operational needs etc.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Not so here. They hired dozens off the street pre Covid, and were planning many more. They can't beg $8hr pt to take a $90k job. Nor will UPS man up to train that many, so hire off the street to meet the "emergency conditions" operational needs etc.

I guess every part of the country is a little bit different

 

[quad decade guy]

I guess every part of the country is a little bit different

As is perspective/experience. Wow, a break through?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

As is perspective/experience. Wow, a break through?

I don't think this place knows what the hell it's doing

 

[Johney]

I don't think this place knows what the hell it's doing

Who cares as long as my check clears on Friday.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Who cares as long as my check clears on Friday.

No 40% MIP for you.

 

[Johney]

No 40% MIP for you.

WDFD