Making UPS a career?

[Lucidd]

Hello everyone. I am a 16 year old male, thinking about making UPS my future career. I'm not really big on college, and don't feel like spending another 2-4 years learning something i really just do not want to learn and in lots of student debt. However, i would consider going to a trade school since it's not as long as college and alot cheaper. I was thinking about making UPS a career. I could join right out of high school and what not, and work my way up until I'm a full time driver making $30 or so an hour. Sounds like a good deal to me. I get to drive around delivering packages, all whilst making good money. I hear it takes around five years of working with UPS to become a driver, is this correct? Would i be looked down upon in society if i decided to make UPS a career instead of something fancy like a doctor or some desk job lol? I mean i really don't see the need to go to college when i could make really good money doing a job i like.
I was interested in being an OTR trucker, but figured I'd just go along with UPS and become a feeder driver one day. Seems like a perfect job.

 

[NXA]

Trade school.

 

[Lucidd]

I was going to go to trade school anyway, but would it be wise to make UPS a career?

 

[NXA]

A full time driver works 12 hour days. (S) he drives the same hundred or so streets every day, stopping around 200 times. He picks the boxes out of his truck, carries them to where they go, records some data, and goes back to the truck, drives to the next stop. About a thousand times a week, fifty weeks a year.

It's a little more interesting than that, but does it sound like "career" material to you?

"About 30 an hour " is only going to be twice minimum wage in a couple years.

Check this dude out. http://www.entrepreneur.com/video/272115

 

[Lucidd]

Heck no! I refuse to wake up at 7am in the morning and get done with work around 8pm every single day. No thanks. Looks like I'm off to explore other career options lol. I may end up just going to trade school for 6 months- two years and become an electrician or welder or something. How does that sound? I hear they make bank.

 

[NXA]

bank. Find something you enjoy doing and do it well. I happen to enjoy delivery driving, best job I ever had. I'll probably do it another decade. But not for the bank.

If you're into electrical, explore security. I pu and dlv to a few places design and install security and virtual conference and entertainment systems. They are all growing.

 

[Lucidd]

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bank. Find something you enjoy doing and do it well. I happen to enjoy delivery driving, best job I ever had. I'll probably do it another decade. But not for the bank.

If you're into electrical, explore security. I pu and dlv to a few places design and install security and virtual conference and entertainment systems. They are all growing.

Your 100% correct. That's the mindset i usually have. As long as it's a job i love doing, i really wouldn't care how much they made. But of course, i wouldn't like to be struggling and living pay check to pay check lol. UPS honestly seems like a nice job, i just cannot imagine waking up at 7am and getting off work at 8pm.

I was also thinking about being a registered nurse or something. But I'm not 100% sure. A nurse's schedule is usually pretty flexible. God.. imagine peoples faces when i tell them I'm a nurse. Would being a male nurse be considered weird?

 

[Box Ox]

I think there's the potential that the next Teamster/UPS contract that goes into effect in 2018 could make the job a lot less appealing for new entrants into driving. Or any new employees, for that matter. Could be concessions over pensions and/or health benefits, two tier wage system because ORION supposedly makes the route run itself (absolutely doesn't) and the Union gives in, telematics discipline, an even longer progression to top rate, etc.

Healthcare, programming, automation, trade school etc are probably safer bets for you over the long term. And working your way up to a good living at UPS can be a very long slog that includes several years of middle of the night work loading package cars and then several more years getting to top rate driving.

I enjoy my job as a driver but really couldn't see recommending an uncertain UPS future over some of the paths you're considering.

 

[Turdferguson]

Heck no! I refuse to wake up at 7am in the morning and get done with work around 8pm every single day.

That a boy, that's the type of thinking that will take you far in life.

 

[Indecisi0n]

16 years old....Sorry can't go there. Good luck.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

16 years old....Sorry can't go there. Good luck.

It's nice to see that there is a line that even you will not cross.

 

[Turdferguson]

16 years old....Sorry can't go there. Good luck.

P*

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

When I took this job at age 21, I didn't intend to make it a career. I was fortunate. 14 months PT. A PC driver job came open, and since I was the only one who bid it, I got it (small center) Happened to be the delivery area where I grew up, so the learning curve wasn't bad. Nine years later, I bid on a feeder job. Actually passed that job up 2 times (biggest mistake I made at UPS.) 29 years later, retired with 38+ years in. Some places the journey from PT to feeder is short. Some places it may take 10 years or more. As far as people looking down on you because of you being a lowly truck driver, to hell with them. Invite them over to swim in your pool. lol. Good luck to you.

 

[Indecisi0n]

P*

I've sent multi private messages. Just didn't want to ruin my public appearance.

 

[nystripe96]

It's more like a 10 hour day on average, only 8 of which you're actively delivering. The rest is lunch and drive time to and from route. Top rate in my local will be nearly $37 by 2018. It's still a long day but with days off and vacations it's not a bad gig. That being said don't place all your eggs in one basket

 

[Savvy412]

$36 an hour, well by the time your full time..prob 38

But ya the hours..man..they fly by. Its the fastest 10-12 hours you probably could ever work. Not 1 time during the day am I looking at my watch like..COME ON TIME!!

and like the one guy said..its more like 10 hour days. I average about 50-53 hours a week. So about 13 hours of overtime

When I get back to the hub by say 7..85 percent of drivers are already in. Peak...thats 12 hour days. But it does seem contract by contract less incentive to become a ups driver. So my vote is.. RUNNNNNNNNNNNN...I wouldnt chose this per say.. I just fell into it..worked warehouse for benefits while I was a freelance graphic designer..got married/kid ...so driving it was. By that time I already had 6 years in so I got right in

 

[Mechanic86]

Become a lawyer or something along those lines. Don't turn something you enjoy into work because at some point you will no longer enjoy it and it will be just that, work. Even if it's a trade trust me on that, loved working on engines, now it's just work even when I'm not at work. =-/

 

[km3]

I was also thinking about being a registered nurse or something. But I'm not 100% sure. A nurse's schedule is usually pretty flexible.

Not from what I've seen. My mom was single when raising me, and she was a nurse. She never had trouble supporting the two of us, but she worked at night, on-call, and during the day sometimes. 12-hour shifts were not unusual.

It may be the case that things have changed a lot since back then, but I know nurses now who have crazy schedules and often difficulty finding childcare during their work hours.

You definitely have a lot to think about. I'd personally recommend trying to find some nurses who would be willing to sit down and tell you what it's like. Try to talk to one from a few different hospitals (assuming that you live in a city with more than one).

Don't make a hasty decision based on things you've heard. That goes for what I've said, as well.

God.. imagine peoples faces when i tell them I'm a nurse. Would being a male nurse be considered weird?

Just a little bit, but it's not a big deal. I'd consider going to nursing school if that were an available option for me at this point in my life. I'd probably lean more towards the police academy or fire academy, though.

As for UPS...I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing here. Drivers seem to have a love-hate relationship with their job. UPS management cracks the whip like no other company I've seen before.

 

[Indecisi0n]

I give free physicals. I even have a license from online. Who needs one?

 

[Arch]

Do something that will make you happy. UPS pays well long term. But money isn't everything if your not enjoying life. Keep your options open and like the other guy said, don't throw everything in one basket. Your still young, so you'll run into a lot of decision making and changes in your life that you may or may not like. Take the path of what you think will make you happy now and if it doesn't work out don't worry, it happens to a lot of people. Check your other options and continue to move forward.