How old?

[UnconTROLLed]

Thanks for sharing that. I was thinking; work pre load, go home and take my ambien and sleep for 6 to 8 hours, wake & put myself together, go play gig, then off to work at UPS and do it all over again. Remember that the lions share of the time gigs are on Friday and Saturday nights. Sometimes on other nights, but mostly not.

I'm wondering why you would wait till 4PM to hit the sack?

I had a day job at the time. 10-3pm three or four days a week.

If you can do part-time UPS and music, and stay alive and pay your bills, God bless you! Right now I do UPS full-time 6pm-3am so the music thing doesn't work anymore.

 

[wangbar]

I had a day job at the time. 10-3pm three or four days a week.

If you can do part-time UPS and music, and stay alive and pay your bills, God bless you! Right now I do UPS full-time 6pm-3am so the music thing doesn't work anymore.

Oh yeah dood! House is paid for, minamal debt, wife works FT, kids are grown and on their own, this is my time to pursue my passion for music. The money from a UPS job will help, but its those benefits that will make everything cool. My wifes bennies kinda suck.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Oh yeah dood! House is paid for, minamal debt, wife works FT, kids are grown and on their own, this is my time to pursue my passion for music. The money from a UPS job will help, but its those benefits that will make everything cool. My wifes bennies kinda suck.

Great. I say go for it then. You have nothing to lose, but just be safe. It is not a job for everyone (as they say).

 

[helenofcalifornia]

And you know you have to wait a year for your benefits and a year and a half for your family?

 

[redshift1]

I'm gonna give it a shot. If I can't handle it, I'll know pretty quickly and I can bail, no worse off than I am now. Something tells me, however, that I might actually enjoy it, for 4 hours. After that might be too much. Losin' weight and gettin' in better shape sounds like a really good thing. Money is a secondary consideration. Benefits on the other hand are paramount. Opportunity? Well, I gotta tell you, what I've learned in life is: opportunity is where you make it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Good Luck, the physical aspect of UPS is overplayed, what erodes your longevity is the continual tension of production and repetitive nature of the job.

Come back and post your impressions after a couple of months I guarantee you will have a new perspective.

 

[JonFrum]

Just something to think about, if one takes pension distributions (monthly payments) before the tax year when they turn 55 years old, a 10% penalty, before taxes applies to all pension distributions. So, if one is thinking about retiring at 51 years old, hypothetically with "30 and out" then at tax time one will have to pay $3,600 a year in penalty in addition to your regular federal income tax and state taxes.

Is that a new rule? I retired in 2006 at 50 and pay no extra penalty. I thought Congress did away with that about 10 years ago.

That would apply to 401k's and IRA's, not pensions. Half of our retirees are under 55 and none pay any penalty.

Dusty,

Several of us tried to tell you in a previous thread that the tax penalty doesn't exist. Apparently you still don't believe us. Have you found anyone who has been assessed the penalty by the IRS yet?

 

[Tony31yrs]

No one that I've talked to in Western New York. When I had 7 years to go until 53, which was the limit without penalty at the time, Congress did away with it. All of a sudden, I only had 4 years to go! That's when I got refreshed on the job and the countdown started. Even during my last summer(which was one of the hottest ever here) when I was working 10-11 hours a day, I didn't care because I knew that I only had 6 months to go.

 

[tarbar66]

Take a cardboard box, put about 50 lbs. of sand in it. Pick it up. walk 20-30 feet, set it down.......rinse & repeat....10 times without stopping. Then see how ya feel.

no, I'm not kidding.

If you work the preload you are working way too hard. I never carried the heavy boxes to the car, I pulled them off when the conveyor belt got them there.

Unless you have a car that is a mostly industrial, 10+ 50 pound boxes is the norm not the rule.

 

[wangbar]

And you know you have to wait a year for your benefits and a year and a half for your family?

Whaa??? This can't be right. No employer I have ever had made you wait a year for health bennies.

 

[NHDRVR]

Good Luck, the physical aspect of UPS is overplayed, what erodes your longevity is the continual tension of production and repetitive nature of the job.

Come back and post your impressions after a couple of months I guarantee you will have a new perspective.

\\

I disagree, almost, with what you are saying. On the part-time shift the 'physical aspect' is what can ruin you if you are not careful. In 3+ hours a preloader, on average, loads 3 vehicles with 9+ hours of work for the driver. Depending on the route that is a lot of cardboard in a short period of time. It's hard on the body if you are not used to it. Your comment about 'continual tension of production and repetitive nature of the job' is part of my description of being a driver. You nailed what I think is the hardest part of my job. The mind numbing repetition and the badgering production fantasy...

good response though...

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Don't listen to the negativity there are a lot of positions on preload that don't' require heavy lifting like spa and data capture. I started UPS as a second career at 38 and have never been in better shape, started as a clerk and became a driver at 39 and love it.

Usually when you start at a company you start at the bottom and then move to a better position. I don't think they ask you at the interview what position you would like.

 

[NHDRVR]

Usually when you start at a company you start at the bottom and then move to a better position. I don't think they ask you at the interview what position you would like.

I wonder if being an older gentleman (assuming) maybe, just maybe, they would put him in a position that's less abusive...

Every center runs a bit different and I do recall a few center managers that were pretty good guys and used common sense when it came to staffing. Few and far between, I know, but they are out there...

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Joined UPS when I was in a similar age group (am not looking that old). The first 3 months were hell for my body (the positive side was I lost a lot of unnecessary weight). Moved a little bit higher after a relatively short time, but the demands on the body remained, and sometimes body, heart and spine send some very clear signals. Honestly, you should look into a mirror and ask yourselves: do you want your body (and spine) to go through this experience?
The positive side of it is BENEFITS (once you have reached this stage).
The questions you will have to ask yourselves are:
- what is more beneficial to your body: a free of charge workout at UPS or a gym membership?
- what is more cost-effective: to acquire benefits for you and your family associates (whoever will be eligible) or to look elsewhere?
Overheard a recent statement of a teamster rep to possible seasonal candidates: "Your "derrieres" will be worked off". Are you willing to meet this challenge?
Your mind might say yes, your body (during and after inititation) might give you different signals.
At this age, you have to weigh your options very carefully and wisely.
What are your expectations? To provide and acquire a certain safety net for you and your immediate companion?
If you join for just the pay (loader, unloader, wherever),you will be disappointed. If you join to be part of a winning and widely accepted company, then you are in the right place. Even at your age, there are opportunities. But it might take time.

Great post, FLCC, I hope the OP paid attention.

It's funny, There is a current position open, in my area, on the website. I applied, made my account, then it told me there were no positions open. Huh? I went back and searched again, there it was. I don't get it. So what now, I just kick back and wait for a call?

I'm guessing that they asked you your age?

Whaa??? This can't be right. No employer I have ever had made you wait a year for health bennies.

Welcome to the new UPS!

 

[wangbar]

Great post, FLCC, I hope the OP paid attention.
I'm guessing that they asked you your age?

Welcome to the new UPS!

No, didn't ask age.

 

[Clutch]

I've seen older folks at my hub loading up trailers. You'll need good stamina to start off, but regardless, it will take a good month or two to get used to the work.

As far as the job you will be doing, it really depends on your hub. For example, when I went on my tour they told me that I would be loading or unloading. However, when they hired me they put me and left me, to this day, in the small sort (I bag packages that are no more than 10lbs). Easy job. As far as loading and unloading I've seen guys with shirts that are drenched in sweat.

If you are good with numbers you can probably suffer with unloading/loading (worse case scenario) for 3 months and then move up to a sorter position, where you just toss packages from one belt to another.

You either love it or hate it, love it because it is a nice workout or hate it because it beats the **** out of you.

 

[cachsux]

A general rule of thumb for UPS everything else is it`s not how old something is,its whether or not it still works.