For the guys that been here 10 years plus

[ThePackageDeli]

How did you stay motivated? I plan on staying, but you know ups sucks the soul out of you. Been here for a year.

My advice to you is to be pragmatic about your situation. Look around your city and local community and ask yourself:
1.) What jobs are available in my area?
2.) What jobs in my area might I enjoy doing everyday?

If you can't think of any job, or find any job in your area that excites you and makes you want to do it every day, then you might as well go after the best paying job you can find.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

How did you stay motivated? I plan on staying, but you know ups sucks the soul out of you. Been here for a year.

Don't worry.

One day.... that light will go off in your head.... and you will have to make a decision.


I've been poor, but never rich.

Being poor sucks.

 

[Zowert]

I only have three years in but I was already burned out after my first peak. I didn’t think I would be able to do this as a career until I won a bid on a route. My route sucks but the connections I’ve made so far make it enjoyable.

I get to golf for free every Sunday, I’m friends with a lot of small to mid size business owners and I even got a friend in the local PD. The cop that runs the beat on my route is hilarious. We trade friendly insults whenever we see each other. He’d be like, “I’ve got a badge and a gun punk.” To which I’d say, “Yeah well I have a better pension.” He really gives me hard time if he sees me out past 7pm.

Anyway, that’s what will keep me going for another 22 years at least.

 

[Dr.Brownz]

How did you stay motivated? I plan on staying, but you know ups sucks the soul out of you. Been here for a year.

Don't think about work when you are not there

 

[Babagounj]

Yeah that’s what keeps me going. I enjoy part time but wouldn’t mind combo. Have no interest in driving. Everything just long wait at ups.

I waited 20+ years before going FT, permanently.
I was working PT inside, twilight.
Also got some work days running off airs and Saturdays.
That gave me a good check each week.
My pension plan only required 1800 hours a year for a full year credit which I got many times. ( or very close to )
But the offer of a combo job ( year 1) with back pay was to tempting.
I had to retire early due to a medical condition, so those combo hours really helped.

 

[Babagounj]

When I started as an exception air driver, I worked for 4 different centers and had more work that I could do.
Until one center grab me as just their air driver.
The work was still plentiful, for a while.
With UPS it is either feast or famine.
You just learn to go with the flow.
Every time a special project came up, I was the one asked to do it.
{ help Lost Prevention move $1M+ in jewelry }
The point is I made myself available so much that they consisted me their backup plan.
That is how to survive here.

 

[PASinterference]

I still like the job. Remind yourself everyday "you are paid to exercise". Give a good effort everyday... disregard their numbers. Safety first... treat your customers right... make friends on your route.
The first 10-15ish mins of everyday are the worst... give management hell if you need to or avoid them all together. Use the the friend/u button for their dumb messages... and ignore their phone calls. They get the message soon enough. They leave me alone because it takes very little to set me off. I have no respect for lying... lazy... fat pos that they are. There isn't much they can do because I do the job the right way.

This is how I deal with their ignorance.

 

[DriverNerd]

I find the easiest way is to not care about numbers (as others have said before me). I never look at any of them. I haven't looked at my over/under numbers in two years. I just do not care. At all. I drive as safe as I can and am nice to (most of) our customers and their packages. Plus I'm not 9.5 so there's a lot less harassment I have to put up with.* I follow ORION (you really have to shut your brain off to do that, but when you're as dumb as me it doesn't take much) and am honest about everything... missed business, misloads, etc. And really it's not all that difficult to get through the day if you just remind yourself that you're getting paid $40/hr+benefits to work out, outside, far away from your supervisor.

*Note - I am NOT saying to avoid the 9.5 list. If you don't want that many hours, it's your only alternative. I'm simply pointing out the benefits of not being on it.

 

[PT 4 Life]

My advice to you is to be pragmatic about your situation. Look around your city and local community and ask yourself:
1.) What jobs are available in my area?
2.) What jobs in my area might I enjoy doing everyday?

If you can't think of any job, or find any job in your area that excites you and makes you want to do it every day, then you might as well go after the best paying job you can find.

nothing excites me more than breaking jams bro

 

[quad decade guy]

Here we go....

My parents didn't have a whole lot......don't get me wrong....I never missed a meal or didn't have clothes on my back or have a hand me down car. Actually, never "wanted" for anything. Ok.

I played football and that took a lot of time in high school. So, I didn't work much except summers. I worked 2-3 jobs and worked at least 12 hours a day in the summer. That said, to show that I've always worked long hard hours.....lawns, lifeguard etc.

Football taught me that we have way more left to give inside us......Pkg car was really a breeze physically. It was dealing with the intellectually dishonest mgt. folks I had to work under......in other words much more of a mental game than physical.

Excellent pay and benefits kept me coming back.....

I don't think I'm really any different than most folks. What I described above can fit the average person. What I finally realized was that in my life, nothing was going to be given to me and I had to work to eat. My parents gave me the education and tools to go out and figure life out. It worked.

I've been through 40 Peaks.....How? To borrow a phrase.....just do it.

I made $120,000 this year. I don't think this needs any comment. We have free insurance that is saving my Wife's life.....this is also self-explanatory.

Remember, you don't have to work here......Most of 8 billion people don't work at UPS. They get up every day and carry on.

I believe you have to be flexible in many ways to have a long and profitable career at UPS. Get up angry every day and fight the man....will just burn you up inside and I believe kill you in the end. As in die literally the day after you retire....I've seen it personally.

To survive until retirement....you can get up nasty and angry and hateful....or find a way to adapt.....being resourceful and finding paths around life's and UPS's roadblocks....will get you through your day.

Working at UPS, gave me a better lifestyle than a lot of folks I know. It's kept my family safe and secure. It's let us do many, many things others can only dream about.....has it been a cakewalk? Hardly. Worth it? You bet.

 

[Brownslave688]

How did you stay motivated? I plan on staying, but you know ups sucks the soul out of you. Been here for a year.

You just accept getting your ass up and going to work is part of adult life

 

[Jkloc420]

Nothing more enjoyable in knowing that 150 pound irreq you just loaded as to be dragged up to some house or apartment by a ups driver, right @IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Nothing more enjoyable in knowing that 150 pound irreq you just loaded as to be dragged up to some house or apartment by a ups driver, right @IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U

That's my favorite

 

[Poop Head]

 

[Jkloc420]

View attachment 332887

Yep

 

[Been In Brown Too Long]

It usually takes a few years for the smart ones to realize the following...(assuming full time)
1. The numbers are their problem, not yours. This one is key! I once told a supe, "once your paperwork can deliver boxes, we'll talk numbers." The End.
2. As they said on The King of Queens, "I drive boxes around Queens." It's fairly basic work for good pay and good bennies.
3. If you do everything by the methods, you'll be going waaaay slower, have job protection, and make more money to boot. Treat it as if you were taking a leisurely walk every day, or your workout session.
4. Realize, succumb, capitulate, whatever... to the idea that during the five days you work, you will be unavailable for other things. In return, you make sure you take them to the cleaners. You're stuck there virtually indefinitely, make it worth your while, all while making it hurt their numbers in return!
5. Never be afraid to file a grievance. It used to pain me to see people afraid to file. UPS supes are just looking to give away free money.
6. Take all entitled break time, no exceptions.
7. Biggest motivator of all...some day, they'll be paying you to take a permanent vacation, like me. Three years next month!

 

[clarnzz]

I’ve done 27 years, 12 in the building also air driving and seasonal driving, the rest full time package car. It used to be very frustrating when my kids were younger trying to coach their teams, etc. Now that they are older its a breez, 0 stress, whenever I get done I get done, they always want their truck back eventually.

 

[Not Rushin’]

I dislike what the company has become, but I do still like my job. And I have too many years in, too close to retirement, to walk away now. So I just ignore as much of the management BS as I can, and take it one stop at a time.

I just try to stay even keeled. As soon as I start being negative and saying that I hate it, I am toast.

 

[Not Rushin’]

It usually takes a few years for the smart ones to realize the following...(assuming full time)
1. The numbers are their problem, not yours. This one is key! I once told a supe, "once your paperwork can deliver boxes, we'll talk numbers." The End.
2. As they said on The King of Queens, "I drive boxes around Queens." It's fairly basic work for good pay and good bennies.
3. If you do everything by the methods, you'll be going waaaay slower, have job protection, and make more money to boot. Treat it as if you were taking a leisurely walk every day, or your workout session.
4. Realize, succumb, capitulate, whatever... to the idea that during the five days you work, you will be unavailable for other things. In return, you make sure you take them to the cleaners. You're stuck there virtually indefinitely, make it worth your while, all while making it hurt their numbers in return!
5. Never be afraid to file a grievance. It used to pain me to see people afraid to file. UPS supes are just looking to give away free money.
6. Take all entitled break time, no exceptions.
7. Biggest motivator of all...some day, they'll be paying you to take a permanent vacation, like me. Three years next month!

I love this!

 

[clarnzz]

As soon as you start worrying about your allowance and bonus, they got you right where they want you.