Job at UPS?

[wonderingintexas]

Hey, I somehow found this when I Googled UPS. My husband is seriously considering trying to get hired by UPS. He would like to eventually become a driver. We live in Texas near the Stafford hub which we have been told has a high turnover. I have read tons of posts to this site and you all sound so cynical about your jobs. And it all sounds so complicated to get hired and then start in one position and then move up and hiring from within and off the street, etc. Can anyone give us some advice? He will be leaving a 50K a year job and he is turning 40 next month. He is burned out in his current job, no college or other job skills, and there is nowhere to move up and no benefits. Any non-cynical advice would be appriciated, like where you have to start, what the new contract means, how long to become a driver . . . thanks

 

[trplnkl]

Wonderin' everything varies from one center to another. So what anyone here can tell you may not hold true where y'all are. My advice is for him to get in touch with the Human Resource rep for your area and ask some questions. Keep in mind though the HR people are partially responsible for selling the company to perspective new hires. If you know anyone ( or a friend of a friend) that works there , talk to them.
I can tell you that ,IMO, starting a new career with UP$ at age forty isn't going to be easy on the body. The work is hard, hours long and one can get very stressed if they let it get to them. It takes 20 years minimum to get any kind of decent money out of retirement. The benefits (insurance ),again IMO, are the only reason to make a switch at this point in life.

 

[Mr Shifter]

I know that at the Stafford building there are no feeder routes they all come from the larger Sweetwater building. So if he wants to be a delivery driver until he retires then thats the place to go. If they have any combo jobs i'm sure they are pretty scarice. I've talked with a few people from that building and they WANT feeder routes put in but UPS wont do it.

As far as moving up he will almost definatly need to start out part time for aleast a year until he is eligable and with somewhat seniorty to win a cover driver job. It is HARD work but can be done but for his future he might die before he ever get in a feeder (tractor-trailer) route.

 

[old levi's]

Hey, I somehow found this when I Googled UPS. My husband is seriously considering trying to get hired by UPS. He would like to eventually become a driver. We live in Texas near the Stafford hub which we have been told has a high turnover. I have read tons of posts to this site and you all sound so cynical about your jobs. And it all sounds so complicated to get hired and then start in one position and then move up and hiring from within and off the street, etc. Can anyone give us some advice? He will be leaving a 50K a year job and he is turning 40 next month. He is burned out in his current job, no college or other job skills, and there is nowhere to move up and no benefits. Any non-cynical advice would be appriciated, like where you have to start, what the new contract means, how long to become a driver . . . thanks

At that age he should look in a different direction. As far as being burned out on the job, so am I. But I still go in every day. I think it's called sacrifice. I would not still be here if I was single.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

The timing of this post is not the best--had you posted this several months ago, I would have suggested that your husband work as a driver helper during our peak season so that he could get a really good feel of what this job is all about. I am soon to turn 47 with 20 yrs as of 4/08, which means I started when I was 27 which is actually late by UPS standards so to start at 40 would be really tough. In Upstate NY, you need to be at least 55 yrs old or have 30 yrs of service before you can retire under Normal Pension. I will be 58 and don't know that my body will allow me to complete my last 10+ yrs. Your husband's current salary of $50K is slightly less than what a full-time driver at top pay would make if he had absolutely no overtime, so most drivers make much more than that and to add the monetary value of our benefits to that make this a $80-100K job. UPS has afforded me the opportunity to put my daughter through college and to save for my retirement. However, and I would like to stress this, the grass is not always greener on the other side. This job tends to be highly repetitive and input from hourly employees is rarely sought and even lesser acknowledged.

My advice? Your husband should stay where he is, work to improve his education and, by doing so, his job skills, and pursue other interests aside from his job. Start a home business.

 

[Fnix]

Just because it takes so long to get anywhere in UPS to get any money without a guarantee, add on the psychical demand, I would recommend your husband stay where he is. If he was 20 years younger it would be different.

 

[wonderingintexas]

Thank you for all your input. More questions for Mrshifter. Where is the Sweetwater location? Should my husband apply there directly or tell hr he would like to work there? Does every wanna be driver begin as a package handler and then go to cover driver? Or what is the progression? What is a feeder driver? Thanks

 

[MonavieLeaker]

Should my husband apply there directly or tell hr he would like to work there? Does every wanna be driver begin as a package handler and then go to cover driver? Or what is the progression? What is a feeder driver? Thanks

You have to apply online at www.upsjobs.com ... yes most drivers start out as package handlers...with 6-1 outside hires being the exception.....feeder drivers are the semis you see on the road transporting trailers to hubs or centers

 

[Mr Shifter]

Sweetwater is the Hub for Souteast texas it is located in north houston between the belt and 6-10