How do you pick your vacations?

[surviv'n_it]

Since everyone has different preferences to how they take their vacation time, I was just curious at how most of you think is the most beneficial.

I am at the 4 week level for another 4 years. Last year I took all 4 at once which was just great! The rest of the year seemed to drag a little so this year I decided instead of 4 weeks at once, I would take 2 weeks in a row in the summer and again in the fall. I never could only take one week at a time, just went by too quick and didnt really seem to help recover enough by the time I had to go back.

Obviously, since the more weeks you have earned, the better off you are. Also, based on seniority, some bottom drivers may only be able to take whats left so they dont have much choice.

So I guess I am just curious at how others here usually take their weeks off, by the week, or do you group them together?

 

[30andout]

I'm at the top and I like to split mine up one week at a time, that way I only work 2 or 3 weeks in the summer before its time to be off again.

 

[WagonAngle]

I've got 4 weeks myself, but this is the first year I'm taking them as a driver. In the Jan-March round of picks, I requested a week off in March for my birthday and got it. In the second round of picks, my sup said "you've got three weeks of vacation left, here are the four open weeks." So I've got the week after next, then working a week, then the following two weeks off.

I was prepared for that, from back a few years when an on-car came up to a laid-off driver and told him which four weeks he was going to be getting.

Back when I sort of got to choose, though, I usually broke them up, only taking consecutive weeks when I got married and a few years later the first two weeks of the year because my son had been born right before peak, and I wasn't of much use around the house then.

 

[Cementups]

Right now I get 3 weeks. Next year I get my 4th week. I suually space my weks out over the year. I usually take one in early March for an escape to the Carribbean and hten one in June and hten I take one as late in teh year as I can before peak hits to have a week to rest up. One year sometime I may take 4 weeks off in a row so I can do some big traveling.

 

[browniehound]

I'm of the camp that I can't take 2 weeks in a row. I spend most of my vacations going out to eat every night and drinking a lot of beer. I feel so fat and out of shape come Sunday, I just couldn't do that for another week. Obviously I don't have to do that to myself, but I work hard all year and get out of work too late to go home, shower, and then go out to dinner during the week. I can't even do it of Friday because I'm so tired. So on my vacations I take advantage of going out on a weeknight when the restuarants are not so crowded.

I also always take my weeks between the months of May and August. I only get 3 weeks and I burn them during the warmer months. I know of guys that will take 6 weeks in a row off and guys that will take a week every other month. When I get to that many weeks, I'll take the extra option week and have a vacation every other month. Knowing that a vacation is always just a few weeks away will make dealing with job much easier.

 

[dillweed]

I have four weeks. The first I use is end of march/first of april when i can get the garden readied up for planting. Second week is over July 4th, which gives me an unpaid optional day during the year. Third week is October and the fourth is over Thanksgiving which gives me two more unpaid optional days to use throughout the year if I need them. Seems they are never long enough and I'd like to try taking two weeks at once one of these years. dw

 

[dillweed]

I'm of the camp that I can't take 2 weeks in a row. I spend most of my vacations going out to eat every night and drinking a lot of beer. I feel so fat and out of shape come Sunday, I just couldn't do that for another week.
Somehow this strikes me as funny. I know how you feel. dw

 

[upsdude]

I just finished the first week, back to work tomorrow. Taking the first 2 weeks in July. Save a week and take it a day at a time along with 5 PH days. Take my "sick" week in September.

I'm #12 out of 65 on the list so I pretty much get the weeks I want. This was my first time taking the week before Easter. With my kids being out of school we had a good time. Shoot, just being able to have dinner together was a treat.

 

[Leftinbuilding]

I took a week in Jan., then starting in May I will take a week a month for the rest of the year.

 

[DS]

I get 4 weeks too,but this year I also took my week of optionals all at once.Took a week in late june with the
plan of using some holiday pay for a downpayment on a
car and the following week as optionals so I can get paid
for driving around in my new car laughing at all the brown
trucks.
I like to split them up tone in January when its 4k below.
Lots of guys take the wk betweem Christmas and New year,
but I find that to be the easiest week of the year.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

I have discovered "tricks" to getting the weeks you want if you don't have enough seniority. There is always that one guy that will end up getting paid off instead of taking his vaca time. So.....I have gotten him in the past to pick the week I want that would have been gone by the time the picks got to me. Or get the guy on workers comp to pick a week for you so it will be available when picks come to you. Now it seems that even if you want vacation for a busy week in summer, someone will have switched or canceled, so that week or a week close to that will be available. Always check the book for who's taking what weeks because it is always changing. We let seven drivers take off in one week which puts the rest of us in a pretty tight spot all week. But that's the way it goes.....

 

[jlphotog]

I only get two weeks, and since I didn't start till the end of June last year I am not eligible for vacation until the end of June this year. Plus I was third from the bottom on the first page so by the time it got to me all of July, August and most of September were filled.

So I took the first week of October which leads into the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend. That way I get 10 days off instead of just 9. Hey, it's an extra day. Then for the second week I took the first week of February. I figure it should be nice and cold around here so I can go somewhere warmer for a week.

By the way, this was a real switch for me. For the past 15 years I could take off anytime I wanted to. Just had to give a little bit of notice.

 

[retired2000]

use to take all the weeks with a holiday in them. that way there i would get extra time off during the year. i also had one up on everyone else. i was in the reserves so i kind of got 2 extra weeks a year when i would go to train. they hated that as i would not tell them what two weeks they were until everyone had bid their vacations. that way there the sups could not close those weeks outduring the summer

 

[ExupserNaples]

I worked with a guy who retired a few years ago. Every week he took was during a holiday. In my mind he was kind of losing a day off, in his mind an extra days pay, holiday + the vacation. he also called the 401k number to check his balance every night. Go figure,

 

[ups79]

When young always picked with holiday because of extra pay. When old picked with the holiday to get either the friday or monday off in addition to the week(heck with the extra pay).

 

[brett636]

Next year I will be up to 4 weeks. I'm thinking I will be taking off one week each quarter, or the first week of each summer month. Haven't decided yet. Since I went fulltime this year I don't get paid for my vacations until I get my one year in fulltime.

 

[hoser]

IMO, take as much off during sep-nov. Better time to travel, and the summer is such a slow time. Unless you live in a place where it gets to 115f in the summer...then that would be a good time to take off.

Next year I will be up to 4 weeks. I'm thinking I will be taking off one week each quarter, or the first week of each summer month. Haven't decided yet. Since I went fulltime this year I don't get paid for my vacations until I get my one year in fulltime.

You didn't get paid vacations in PT? Or you have to be FT for one year to get paid again?

 

[HazMatMan]

What happened to taking at least one week during the winter period? which ends in like May. Everybodies contract may be different...... One and a half more years-- 5 WEEKS BABY!!!!!

 

[gandydancer]

I worked with a guy who retired a few years ago. Every week he took was during a holiday. In my mind he was kind of losing a day off, in his mind an extra days pay, holiday + the vacation. he also called the 401k number to check his balance every night. Go figure,

I took off several weeks including a holiday and when I showed up on a Monday it was "WTF are you here for -- you need to take 5 days off for each week of vacation!" I was already there so I talked them into letting me take the last day of my vacation off Tuesday instead...
1

 

[brownmonster]

Mid May, Mid June, Late July, Late August and Mid October. Haven't had a day off this year yet so really looking forward to that 1st week.