Just made seniority driving!

scisector9

Well-Known Member
Greetings all! Been on this site a few times, and posted a few questions but it's official, just made my 30 days today and got seniority. Had the good old ride along with the business manager today, and he gave me the go ahead. Happy to be aboard the UPS team and happy for this website. It helped me gain a lot of additional information: some good, some bad, some indifferent. So thank you to all you posters out there leading the way.

As a side note I know a lot of people are always looking for advice and or information on tips to make it through probation so here is what helped me.

1. Organization is the key to success. I was given a new load builder about three times while going for seniority, and each of them did things different. The current builder I have is not very good so I would come in a half hour or forty-five minutes before start time and do what I could to organize my shelves. Air first, then the 1000's, 2000's, etc.
2. When you get comfortable with your training route, try your best to get the air off with ground. My first week flying solo I would do all air first (usually have around 10-12 air stops daily on my route), but when I got comfortable I would push the time and get my ground off with air as often as possible.
3. Don't dig for packages. I had a route that was a nice loop to train on, so I wouldn't spend more then a minute looking for package(s). I would run them back later.
4. Breaks I used for a quick snack or packed lunch and then worked on sorting my shelves. Organize, organize, organize. It helped me a lot because I wasn't and still am not great at a one look selection process. Especially with bad loads. Be careful because they did monitor my break times to make sure I wasn't recording while on break.
5. I jogged my residential stops when I could. It's been hot here where I am, but I moved quick for as long as I could. That will be coming to an end for me now, back to walking at a brisk pace. But I envisioned it as "UPS bootcamp" to get to seniority, so it was all worth it.
6. Ask for feedback daily or weekly. I tried to ask advice on what I could improve, how to get better, and where I was at as much as I could. I would ask drivers, on road sups, and business manager. Any help or information, positive or negative, I used to better myself.
7. A clean start stop car routine will save you big time. Keys in hand if you have keys, belt and fab ready to go if not. Practice makes perfect.
8. At my center you could print the forecast for the route the night before. Although not always reliable this would give you a good place to start. I would take home my forecast and Google addresses and write business names on the print out. It helped me remember those businesses without having to look in the DIAD all the time.
9. Drive your training route on your own time. I would do this when I got called off on Mondays on my personal time. Huge benefit for residential stops especially.
10. Take care of yourself. Probably necessary overall for all UPS employees, but especially when training. I would get good sleep, eat well, and hydrate all the time. I made the mistake of going out of town one weekend and over indulging and ran an hour over the next day.
11. Don't mingle at stops. Always convey a sense of urgency and don't get distracted. If you are a good multi tasker a quick conversation while unloading at a bulk stop or while getting a signature is fine, but save the chit chat. This won't be your route afterwards anyway, so just drop and go.

Think that about covers it. Thanks for your wealth of knowledge on this site. It helped a lot. I am happy to be a part of the UPS team, and hope to be an active member in this community. More to come.

Cheers!
 

jumpman23

Oh Yeah
Congratulations dude. 1ST important thing to remember is make sure you lube your cherry up in the morning before you come to work everyday and have enough lube for the entire day. You mite wanna google the prices of lube for like maybe a 5 to 8 year supplies worth lol. Cause I got to tell ya youngblood your going to need it for the first 5 years of hell. Get ready to get used and abused those first couple years every single day. First 5 blow :censored2: bad dude.
 

sortaisle

Livin the cardboard dream
Congrats bud! A lot of us has seen the demise of the nice UPS and every year it gets worse and worse. But hey, we're use to a different standard and this just might be right up your alley...true statement, the harder you work, the more they'll give you. Find an easy pace and stack them chips so when you retire, you can do so with ease and confidence.
 

jumpman23

Oh Yeah
I was just playin witcha dude. Seriously though im happy for ya. But first 5 years are the hardest. Now that you got your 30 days in, learn your methods and do the job by the book from day 1. Find your comfort zone mentally and physically and do your job by what you feel you have the most control. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you have indecision about something your getting ready to do stop right there and give it a 2nd thought or call a fellow driver or your driver supe. Goal is to stay accident and injury free. That's the most important thing. Good luck and be safe bro.
 

Indecisi0n

Well-Known Member
This stuff worked the best:
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Back first

Well-Known Member
Congrats, my advice for you is don't sort your truck before your start time. It is going to be a long 4 years until you make top rate. If you keep your feet moving you will be fine, Don't let the sups. Try and intimidate you into going faster. Trust they will!! You will Learn alot in the next year. Congrats again
 

Back first

Well-Known Member
And take your breaks and lunch. Management will tell you about your numbers and how you were paid over. Just do the best you can and you will be fine.
 
A

anonymous6

Guest
congrats. now that you know everything you should retire at the top of your game.
 

sortaisle

Livin the cardboard dream
Congrats, my advice for you is don't sort your truck before your start time. It is going to be a long 4 years until you make top rate. If you keep your feet moving you will be fine, Don't let the sups. Try and intimidate you into going faster. Trust they will!! You will Learn alot in the next year. Congrats again
I think that's a little iffy with the 4 year thing. The contract was extended, so he would only have the 3 year progression if I'm not mistaken...
 

MDupsernj

Member
Congrats...I just made my book a few weeks ago... Don't go from an hour under to an hour over right away...try and stay a consistent scratch driver and take your full lunch. I too crept on this board for info/advice
 

Dracula

Package Car is cake compared to this...
Oh man, do you guys remember thinking like that?

I know, me either.

Sounds like his supervisor gave him a list to write here.

But go easy on this fella, the world hasn't broken his spirit yet.
 

scisector9

Well-Known Member
Well thanks guys. I just wanted to say a quick thanks. Some of the people around my building were not so talkative and or friendly at first, so bc was a great resource for me. And yes, I notice there are like half the guys around my place that refuse to come in early, and half that are there at least a half hour early. We have guys come in an hour before start time. Crazy. Hope you all have a safe and happy labor day doing anything but laboring.
Cheers!
 

jumpman23

Oh Yeah
Oh yeah youll be over like a mother everyday thanx to the idiot dispatchers and idiot loaders. Everything is the drivers fault. If its raining outside-drivers fault, if its snowing out-drivers fault, war in Syria- that's definitely the drivers fault. You get my drift here. Get ready to be blamed for some other idiots screws ups every single day bro. Welcome to Hollywood lol.
 

728ups

All Trash No Trailer
a couple of things :
A)NEVER EVER hide a misload. Even if you know your supe will ream you a new one for a missed piece that is FAR better than being terminated.

B)Stay out of drive ways,dont cut across yards,and ALWAYS expect a child to come running into the street at any second. Drive the posted speed limit. If you are speeding because you are in a hurry and have an accident you can(and usually will be ) terminated,and if Telematics proves you were over the speed limit it's very hard to get your job back at Panel.

C)Don't play the Numbers Game. I ahve never seen anyone terminated for being Over Allowed but I've certainly seen a few fired for doing stupid **** to make the 'Numbers'
 
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