I also don't think that the mail carrier is 55 yrs old--I think that he is stating that he has to have 30 yrs or has to be 55 yrs old before he can retire. My advice would be to stay where you are and to do all that you can to ensure that your retirement is set, which means looking in to long-term health care insurance, 401k, Roth or traditional IRA, or any other retirement vehicle. To leave the USPS and to begin a career with UPS at this point would mean a potential drastic cut in pay (initially) and change in the kind of work that you would be performing until such time that your seniority may allow you to become a driver, which, depending upon your location, could take longer than you may be thinking. It took me 11 months as a casual driver (hired off the street in 1989) to become a full-time seniority driver--it is now taking, on average, 4-5 yrs. Stay where you are, invest in your retirement and, if your present income is still not enough to meet your needs, look in to a home business or some other source of supplemental income.