How long is the wait to go driving?

[brown15]

My husband has been employed on the west coast for fifteen years but we're thinking of making a move out of region. I want to know if we can get some help finding out how long the wait is to go driving since he'll have to start over. We're looking at North Carolina, Texas, and Denver Colorado.Has anyone recently gone driving in these areas? Also has anyone transferred out of region and started over?

 

[scratch]

You have to quit completely and start out at the bottom of the pay scale where I am at. We are not able to tranfer. The wait to go driving depends on the volume and driver turnover rate where you go. We recently had a twenty year driver quit in Florida and move up here to help his elderly father. He moved to Macon, has about an eighty mile one way comute. He had to take any Center that had an opening, no choice. Normally its about a five to seven year wait around here.

 

[wilberforce15]

In Raleigh, NC - I've seen a guy in the last 6 months win a driving bid on the day he gained PT Seniority (30 working days).

Everybody else, it seems, took about 6 months (normal) to 2 years (on the long side).

Nobody here wants to drive. Plenty of space, and it's been that way for the last year or so.

 

[brown15]

Thanks so much Raleigh/Cary is our first choice so that's good news. I was worried because he waited seven before he went out here in Cali.

 

[RockyRogue]

Thanks so much Raleigh/Cary is our first choice so that's good news. I was worried because he waited seven before he went out here in Cali.

I think Denver is 6 mos to 2 years as well. I was a helper and I had that conversation with a few of my drivers. It depends on the person and the time they try to go driving. -Rocky

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

In larger hubs it can take years just to become a part-time cover driver. The smaller buildings are a little different. You can get hired and be cover driving as soon as you put enough time in to be qualified. As far as full-time goes.....it takes even longer now that less people are able to retire due to the fact that in most areas we have to work until we are 62. There are exceptions though. In some areas you can start working at UPS and be full-time in just a year or two. It really depends on the area you are in and what other job prospects there are. So to put it simply...ITS ALL ABOUT ECONOMICS.

 

[browniehound]

Here is my experience. I worked part-time in the hub loading for 5 months. Got a 22.3 (combo) job when they were first created and was full-time driving within a year of my hire date. My question to you is: why the hell would you leave California to move to Colorado??????

 

[cpio]

If I was him, I'd try to start doing some weekend air driving. That way he'll already know the ropes if he wins a full-time bid. I'd also try to find out if he was passed up by anybody with less seniority, which probably happens from time to time.

 

[Pkgrunner]

My husband has been employed on the west coast for fifteen years but we're thinking of making a move out of region. I want to know if we can get some help finding out how long the wait is to go driving since he'll have to start over. We're looking at North Carolina, Texas, and Denver Colorado.Has anyone recently gone driving in these areas? Also has anyone transferred out of region and started over?

Have him check with HR on this one; AFAIK, he may be able to transfer to Denver from the West Coast and only loose center and local union(feeder list) seniority. Haven't looked in a while, but I know drivers can transfer from So.Cal. as far north as Alaska, west to Hawaii, and east to at least New Mexico(maybe further) I can't remember if Texas or Colorado is on the list or not. With 15 years company seniority he should be high on the transfer list and shouldn't have to wait too long depending on the location transferring to. The transfer list goes up in November(I believe). I transfered 11 years ago from local 396 to local 542 with only 8 years company seniority in only10 months after bidding to transfer to a "retirement" center. I suggest doing some research into some of the hubs and centers before selecting one, unless he is not picky about type of routes available(resi, rural, freight and etc.). I myself am partial to the resi/rural routes that are loaded by preloaders at the hub.
Hope this helps...and good luck!

 

[Jack4343]

At our hub, it's 8-10 years to go full-time as a driver. It's possible to go full-time as a combo in 7 or so years. I'm 5 1/2 years in and I've been cover driving for 3 years now. I was lucky to be cover driving so fast. The bid sheet was posted and very few part-timers signed it. They are moving more part-timers into full-time driving positions now so I'm guessing the wait for me will be around another 1 1/2 to 2 years. The most recent cover drivers that were promoted to full-time drivers have been with the company between 9-10 years. I'm in a large hub (P-Dale) in a large city (Atlanta) so the wait time is much longer. I've heard that it's faster to go full-time in the smaller, rural hubs. The best advice I can tell anyone who wants to go driving is to one, sign every bid sheet. Two, start with Saturday air delivery. You will get the hang of the package cars, the diad and the overall feel of the pressures involved. Plus you will meet on-car sups. They will get to know you and call on you to assist them when they are short-handed. While I was a sorter in the hub I worked many hours per week running AM & PM routes, helping ground drivers and Saturday air deliveries and PUs because the on-car sups saw that I was dependable and willing to do whatever they wanted. I needed the hours and the money and never turned them down when they asked me to come in. I worked 50-60 hours per week as a part time hub sorter with all the extra stuff they needed. It was exhausting but it got me in the door.

 

[brown15]

California is way too expensive, smoggy, crowded, and hot.

 

[brown15]

Thanks for the advice. He's already been driving 8 years but we want to transfer out of region so he'll have to start all over again. We'll try your suggestions when we go . That wait time in Atlanta is terrible! It was only seven out here in California.

 

[moreluck]

Brown15....that's what we want people to think so we can keep the CA. lifestyle all to ourselves!!

 

[Cementups]

As said it all depends where he goes and the availability of positions. In our HUB sometimes we have trouble getting guys to come ou and be drivers. Seems no one wants to do it. Once I started driving PT it took me about 7 years to become a full-time driver but I worked 50 hours/week for 6 of those first 7 years.

 

[Zypher22]

Have him check with HR on this one; AFAIK, he may be able to transfer to Denver from the West Coast and only loose center and local union(feeder list) seniority. Haven't looked in a while, but I know drivers can transfer from So.Cal. as far north as Alaska, west to Hawaii, and east to at least New Mexico(maybe further) I can't remember if Texas or Colorado is on the list or not. With 15 years company seniority he should be high on the transfer list and shouldn't have to wait too long depending on the location transferring to. The transfer list goes up in November(I believe). I transfered 11 years ago from local 396 to local 542 with only 8 years company seniority in only10 months after bidding to transfer to a "retirement" center. I suggest doing some research into some of the hubs and centers before selecting one, unless he is not picky about type of routes available(resi, rural, freight and etc.). I myself am partial to the resi/rural routes that are loaded by preloaders at the hub.
Hope this helps...and good luck!

Transfers can be done within the western 11 United States (excluding Nothern California and Northern Nevada). Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Arizona, Southern Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah, New Mexico. Anywhere else would be a quit/rehire situation.

 

[LKLND3380]

My husband has been employed on the west coast for fifteen years but we're thinking of making a move out of region. I want to know if we can get some help finding out how long the wait is to go driving since he'll have to start over. We're looking at North Carolina, Texas, and Denver Colorado.Has anyone recently gone driving in these areas? Also has anyone transferred out of region and started over?

Transfer is pretty much no such thing at UPS unless it is for educational reasons. OR unless you are a supervisor and you get married...

You can quit and get rehired with UPS BUT you loose pay, seniority and benefits starting out the same as someone fresh off the street...

The union does allow a % of drivers to be hired off the street who have not gained seniority... This would be your best bet as your husband could be hired on as a driver. Otherwise he is going to be rehired for part time preload at $9.50 an hour and then work his way up...