Integrad confusion.

scoot_

Active Member
At the beginning of the year they needed air drivers.
I signed the sheet for that and summer pt but not ft.
Going out the road test I drove the lot with the driver sup, got the basics on everything, didn't feel ready for the test yet. He said ok, after preload and drivers leave just grab some keys and practice on lot, just have someone to spot you to park. Which tbh I thought was sketchy throw you into the deep end stuff, did it once though, was sketchy. Then all the spare trucks broke down.

Fast forward a month and a half later, called to office, asked what I wanted to do, air driver, full time, summer peak etc. Said I wanted to do full time but whatever gets me driving faster I'll do it. He said they're working on getting approval for ft slots and directly asked if I wanted full time and I said yes.
Met with hr and am scheduled for integrad in Chicago in June. All within a week.

My preload sup asked me when I make my first delivery. Confused I said I'm going to Chicago in June. She winced, warned me about all that stuff. And then was confused why they're not having me drive air til then. Is integrad a prerequisite for air driving/summer peak?

And if I'm being honest I would like a little more experience driving before integrad than just driving around the tiny lot and the 1 1/2 road tests under my belt (1st was canceled midway though from bad truck, I drove back still).

I was under the impression I'd be doing some sort of driving after being trained in house and integrad was just for ft drivers.
Just really nervous. And everyone seems to have different answers along with wincing and warning me about Chicago
 

...

Nah
Is integrad a prerequisite for air driving/summer peak?
It was for me.
And everyone seems to have different answers along with wincing and warning me about Chicago
I went to Chicago. It wasn't that bad. Just make sure you have your 5s/10s memorized word for word by then, and ask if you can use a package car to practice a pre-trip. If you do these two things before you even board the plane, you'll be just fine.
 

Babagounj

Strength through joy
Should have asked to be an air driver.
Since FT isn't for everyone, being an Air Driver would have you given you some experience of what the job is really like.
Concern Air Driving as on-the-job-training.
Street knowledge is power at UPS. { not how the streets are lined up but how UPS expects you to know where every stop is }
{ I know of a stop where the old coal chute was the contact spot }
 
Should have asked to be an air driver.
Since FT isn't for everyone, being an Air Driver would have you given you some experience of what the job is really like.
Concern Air Driving as on-the-job-training.
Street knowledge is power at UPS. { not how the streets are lined up but how UPS expects you to know where every stop is }
{ I know of a stop where the old coal chute was the contact spot }
The have Map Nav now.

Gramps....
 

scoot_

Active Member
It was for me.

I went to Chicago. It wasn't that bad. Just make sure you have your 5s/10s memorized word for word by then, and ask if you can use a package car to practice a pre-trip. If you do these two things before you even board the plane, you'll be just fine.
Do they teach you how to drive the trucks better? efficiently / clearances / swing, emergency stop etc


Should have asked to be an air driver.
Since FT isn't for everyone, being an Air Driver would have you given you some experience of what the job is really like.
Concern Air Driving as on-the-job-training.
Street knowledge is power at UPS. { not how the streets are lined up but how UPS expects you to know where every stop is }
{ I know of a stop where the old coal chute was the contact spot }

Not moving forward with preload. And I assume since the dinosaurs here can do it I probably can too.


The advice I've been told was drive as much as I can before the ft 30 days test. I was thrown off thinking integrad was for people only doing full time and air/pt got something different in house or at the nearest large hub.
My thing is yeah I passed the test, but time behind the wheel is maybe a generous hour and 20 minutes, does integrad account for that?
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
Do they teach you how to drive the trucks better? efficiently / clearances / swing, emergency stop etc




Not moving forward with preload. And I assume since the dinosaurs here can do it I probably can too.


The advice I've been told was drive as much as I can before the ft 30 days test. I was thrown off thinking integrad was for people only doing full time and air/pt got something different in house or at the nearest large hub.
My thing is yeah I passed the test, but time behind the wheel is maybe a generous hour and 20 minutes, does integrad account for that?
It’s pass or fail either you can do the job or
you can’t. Nobody’s going to give you anything special because you’ve only driven 1 hour 20 minutes
Don’t forget about the handbrake
 

bumped

Well-Known Member
If you want more practice then just rent a uhaul for a weekend. Practice backing in general, and backing into docks. You'd probably be driving a uhaul during peak anyways. Make sure the job in FT permanent and not seasonal.
 

scoot_

Active Member
We don't have car wash(center manager thing).

They don't have a ft permanent position yet, but they don't normally send people to integrad unless they're aiming to put them in for ft permanent. the way it's looking I'm the highest on seniority(whopping 6 months) that can/wants to drive.

As far as driving as a whole I did feel comfortable/confident backing up into a dock.
I struggle with the swing of the rear, felt like a brush hog on a tractor. Managing the framing on taking a turn too tight, biting a curb. And push pull method on steering wheel. Everything else I feel I have a good grasp/can learn quickly
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
We don't have car wash(center manager thing).

They don't have a ft permanent position yet, but they don't normally send people to integrad unless they're aiming to put them in for ft permanent. the way it's looking I'm the highest on seniority(whopping 6 months) that can/wants to drive.

As far as driving as a whole I did feel comfortable/confident backing up into a dock.
I struggle with the swing of the rear, felt like a brush hog on a tractor. Managing the framing on taking a turn too tight, biting a curb. And push pull method on steering wheel. Everything else I feel I have a good grasp/can learn quickly
Jump up in that bad boy and give’er hell
If you hit something they just send you back to the hub
Rinse and repeat the next year
 

PPH_over_9000

Well-Known Member
@scoot_
Hey man, so everybody else has answered your questions pretty well, I just wanted to chime in and say that it might take you a bit longer than you anticipate to get comfortable driving a package car.

I didn't start to get comfortable until a few weeks after I qualified. While I was qualifying, though? Felt like I was out of control at all times even though I had it well in-hand. Every day felt a little bit better than the next, and eventually I found my groove... then I qualified, and that gave me a huge burst of confidence. Wanna know what I did with that confidence on my 31st day of driving?

They took me off my training route and I took out a mailbox, lol.

I say all that to say this: We're considered rookies for 2 years for a reason. Management doesn't expect you to be comfortable, they just expect you to be safe and follow the methods. If you just remember to stop, call and wait whenever you're in doubt or feel sketched out about something, you'll be fine. Just try to make that phone call before you make any decisions that might result in an accident, no matter how minor (remember, UPS considers pretty much everything to be an accident, whether you crack a branch off of a tree, tap a garbage can with your bumper, leave any kind of rut in somebody's yard or go all-out and t-bone an ambulance in an intersection.)

Keep your wheels on pavement (dirt roads are the worst, though) and always remember that it's okay to stop, call a supervisor and wait for proper instruction to be given.
 
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