How long would it typically take someone to become a Driver?

[RitchieDavies]

I'm a preloader and that's my ultimate goal; however I've heard from some guys who've been there 5, 8 sometimes 10 years that have tried to become a driver for years with no luck. One preloader told me that someone would normally have to retire or die for a position to open up lol. ON the flip side, I've heard of some people becoming a driver in a year or 2 if they're lucky. So how long would it take or did it take you specifically?

 

[PiedmontSteward]

I have the better part of a decade under my belt and a driving gig is still out of reach for me. We had a glut of feeder drivers retire, so guys with 14+ years had a shot in the last feeder class and the current batch's least senior PT'er has 12 years. Package cars is a completely different game with route cutting; the last PT'er to go FT in package cars had over 18+ years of seniority.

I also work in one of the top 10 largest hubs in the country and we have over 1,200+ bargaining unit employees so the wait is quite a bit longer.

 

[RitchieDavies]

18 years?!? Heh... damn, and of course they choose by seniority so that's not good. However, I did hear recently about a guy getting sent to driver school and he's only been there 5 years. Of course, some other guys who've been there longer now hate this guy because he usually got the easiest jobs out of the three for unload (Scan) while the guys who are some of the best busted their asses in the trucks and still got passed over. Seniority or not, UPS does love its favorites. I hope it doesn't take that long.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

For every 6 FT openings, UPS is allowed 1 off-the-street hire. This can be a seasonal package car driver that management likes but it's usually a PT supervisor they want to groom to be an on-car supervisor -- if the opening is in package cars. If it's a 22.3 combo, it's usually a management kiss ass with no hopes of getting a FT manager slot.

 

[oldngray]

Extremely wide variation between different centers. Might only be 1 or 2 years or over 10 years. The average is in between.

 

[Tough Guy]

From what i've heard, saturday driving isn't seniority based. They had a few guys, or at least one i know of for certain, that was a saturday air driver, and given a regular route for the holidays, and they let him drive that route a handful of times over the regular year. Not sure how sound that is per the contract, but good for him regardless.

I've desperately been trying to get into saturday driving, if only for the purpose of getting the qualifications out of the way. But, "no openings" right now. Or ever, it seems.

 

[Areyoukiddinme]

There's a lot of factors that determine your shot at full time driving, it took me 6 six years of pt work which was ok cuz I was going to jc at the time. Most of the guys that I sorted with that wanted to drive had the same wait. But in a good economy more businesses need us and ups needs more drivers, so bide your time. And do utility and Saturday if possible.

 

[davidmex]

I'm a preloader and that's my ultimate goal; however I've heard from some guys who've been there 5, 8 sometimes 10 years that have tried to become a driver for years with no luck. One preloader told me that someone would normally have to retire or die for a position to open up lol. ON the flip side, I've heard of some people becoming a driver in a year or 2 if they're lucky. So how long would it take or did it take you specifically?

current people in the list started working here for 12 years ago.
If you live in a city and started this year. It will most likely take about 19 years give or take a year. If you live in the isolated rural outlands of the country, it might take 4 years.


The job is getting easier.
​I expect UPS to get rid of Teamsters in no more than 25 years for cheaper labor and maximize profits.


Thanks,
Davidmex

 

[oldngray]

current people in the list started working here for 12 years ago.
If you live in a city and started this year. It will most likely take about 19 years give or take a year. If you live in the isolated rural outlands of the country, it might take 4 years.


The job is getting easier.
​I expect UPS to get rid of Teamsters in no more than 25 years for cheaper labor and maximize profits.


Thanks,
Davidmex

You seem to be an expert. A real Loyal Teamster type of guy.

 

[nystripe96]

It's less than two years at my center. I just took my road test and have been working just 22 months

 

[you aint even know it]

It's less than two years at my center. I just took my road test and have been working just 22 months

No way two yrs in maspeth, when I went training, this supervisor named said that there are people with 12 yrs of seniority waiting to become drivers. The quickest hub to become a driver in nyc is uniondale.

 

[cosmo1]

No way two yrs in maspeth, when I went training, this supervisor named said that there are people with 12 yrs of seniority waiting to become drivers. The quickest hub to become a driver in nyc is uniondale.

Training for what?

 

[you aint even know it]

Training for what?

Trolling apprenticeship........lol joking, it was orientation. Man its like a dream to work at that building, in the cafeteria you got flat screen tvs, guys who make sandwiches, fries, etc. The fries was my favorite. But the break time in that building was a joke, it took you about 2 and a half minutes to get to the cafeteria and 5 minutes for the sandwich boys to make the stuff that you order, plus the supervisors want you to get back to your work area before your 10 minutes is up. If I was still working in that building, the sups and I would have definitely gotten into it, no way they're shortening my break with their stupid policies.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

No way two yrs in maspeth, when I went training, this supervisor named said that there are people with 12 yrs of seniority waiting to become drivers. The quickest hub to become a driver in nyc is uniondale.

It's very possible...the city's wait list is shorter i've heard. My cousin's been a driver in uniondale for 16 years. Have you SEEN the list? Obviously not, because you don't what the friend you're talking about. The wait list for the 2 hubs east of uniondale is at least 7-10 years....I know because I work in one of them.

 

[Shifting Contents]

Wow makes my one year one day wait seem like nothing

 

[nystripe96]

I work in maspeth and know for a fact less than two years. I start driver training in August with less than two years in. I know another driver with less than two years as well. It's not so much seniority as eligibility. A lot of guys with many years in either can't drive stick, or have accidents/moving violations. Gotta remember working in NYC a lot of people take the train and simply cannot drive period. Othersare simply content with being inside workers at my hub

 

[browntroll]

i think it depends on the hub i see some guys walking around the hub with the shorts on thinking today is gonna be the day they drive. they have 5 years in
as part timers and have been wearing those shorts for the past 6 months. then just a few days a go i had one guy a new hire has maybe 4 months in tell me
his uncle a ups driver with 15 years in is gonna be able to get him a driving position in 2 years.

 

[you aint even know it]

i think it depends on the hub i see some guys walking around the hub with the shorts on thinking today is gonna be the day they drive. they have 5 years in
as part timers and have been wearing those shorts for the past 6 months. then just a few days a go i had one guy a new hire has maybe 4 months in tell me
his uncle a ups driver with 15 years in is gonna be able to get him a driving position in 2 years.

His dad is going to help him get a driving position in 2 yrs? Tell him to dream on.

 

[HomeDelivery]

agree it varies hub to hub... the southern part of my state, my brother is in the box handling job for 5 years now & he's on a looooooong waiting list

the northern part of the state, however, has higher turnover for drivers for some reason & the wait time is 1-2 years

 

[serenity now]

2 days, 4 hours, 17 1/2 minutes * exactly