Night Shift & Family Life Balance - Need Some Advice

T-Dubya

Member
Hey all,
I am a new PT loader in Central OH but I was a full time mechanic before joining UPS. I might have a shot at being hired as a mechanic with UPS, and I would like to stay with UPS for the long term. I spoke with an assistant fleet manager in Columbus and he told me to fill out an application online. If I were to be hired as a mechanic I would be on night shift for at least the next ten years.
- Whether you are a mechanic or not, do any of you have some advice on getting enough sleep with little kids in the house and a spouse who is working first shift hours full time? My wife usually works 7AM-4PM, I have a one year old son, and will have more kids in the future. If hired as a mechanic at UPS, I was told I would work 7PM-3:30AM. I think my daily routine would be the following: after arriving home from work at 4:30AM, I'll help get my baby boy ready for my wife to take him to the babysitter at 6AM, then I try to sleep from 6AM-2PM, wake up and go pick up my son from the babysitter, spend quality time with my son, make dinner and leave for work at 6PM.
- How did all of you manage your daily schedule with babies/young kids when you were on night shift?
- Did you miss a lot of teachable moments or good times with your family while working night shift & sleeping during daylight hours?
- Did you have a lot of trouble falling asleep with little kids on a different sleeping pattern than you?
- All of you who worked nights: would you do it again while raising young kids?
- Is the job, benefits & pension worth it to you to work night shift 10-15 years?
- How did you manage sleeping regularly during daylight hours? Thick, dark curtains?

I think once I gained seniority after ten years it would be worth it. But I want to hear what others think.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
You find a routine and stick with it.
There is no magic formula to lifestyle changes.
The first two weeks are the hardest then it gets easier.
 

Jackburton

Gone Fish'n
Unless you have other opportunities available, why not give it a shot. See how it works and find out if it's worth it. Only you and your family can decide the worth in a job like this. Perhaps work here for about 6 months and at that point reevaluate the pros and cons of employment, who knows, by then you may have other opportunities here or otherwise.

Good luck
 

silenze

Lunch is the best part of the day
Depends on what how big your building is and local union. Here Journeyman mechanics can bid on jobs within the metro area. So it would only take a few years to possibly switch. They also can bid on tractor or trailer mechanic jobs
 

1BROWNWRENCH

Amatuer Malthusian
Ugh. Too much for me to post. Ear plugs, melatonin, lots of fatigue, sacrifices, regrets, blackout shades, shouting "BE QUIET!!".
Already been at it on nights over 15 years. Some days people look at me and think I have some terminal disease. The lifestyle takes some getting used to, and it's never 100%.
Interacting with "Normal" friends on the weekends is never easy.
 
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Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
Working nights isn't so bad, as long as your wife is on board with it most of those concerns won't be that big of a deal. Healthwise it's better to stay on that night schedule 7 days a week, the guys who struggle the most are the ones who try and switch to days for the weekend and back to nights on Monday. If you do that your body never really adjusts and you wind up looking and feeling like a zombie half the time.
 

Ghost in the Darkness

Well-Known Member
From talking with one of our mechanics, he often says how much he has missed in his kids and his family life. I know he sacrifices a lot in his time with them to be able to provide for them the way he can financially. I think it weighs on him, the consequences of the choice itself, but it is what it is. He is a good guy with a good heart, & I don't envy being in his position.
 

1BROWNWRENCH

Amatuer Malthusian
On the weekends the wife wants to do stuff on her own because I'm at work during he week, so I see her even less. Busy time is rare.
 

Mechanic86

Turd Polishing Expert
Ive been doing nights going on 3 years now as a mechanic for UPS. My wife works during the day but we both have weekends off which helps but other than that.... I'm usually trying to get sleep and failing miserably because I have a 4 year old at home or working Mon-Fri. I tend to almost switch to a day schedule on the weekends then back to a night schedule on Monday which kind of wears on you. The financial incentive is there but it is for sure a major lifestyle change, especially if you've been wrenching M-friend during the day and then switching to this.
 

T-Dubya

Member
Unless you have other opportunities available, why not give it a shot. See how it works and find out if it's worth it. Only you and your family can decide the worth in a job like this. Perhaps work here for about 6 months and at that point reevaluate the pros and cons of employment, who knows, by then you may have other opportunities here or otherwise.

Good luck

I think I will take your advice. I'm waiting to hear back from a local school district for a mechanic job, which would be a 5:30AM-2PM M-friend schedule, but with a top rate pay of only $22/hr. I think I should take a full time job with UPS...IF it is offered. But I'll probably take the school district job over UPS in the long run, if it is offered to me. Whether I work first or third shift I would get to spend the same amount of time with my son, but not with my wife. I would only see the wife on my days off...We will see what happens. Thanks for your input.
 

1BROWNWRENCH

Amatuer Malthusian
Ive been doing nights going on 3 years now as a mechanic for UPS. My wife works during the day but we both have weekends off which helps but other than that.... I'm usually trying to get sleep and failing miserably because I have a 4 year old at home or working Mon-Fri. I tend to almost switch to a day schedule on the weekends then back to a night schedule on Monday which kind of wears on you. The financial incentive is there but it is for sure a major lifestyle change, especially if you've been wrenching M-friend during the day and then switching to this.
I used to try that when I would up on graveyard with a previous employer. Was too much to keep up.
 

Slow walker

Active Member
I hated night work and went back to PC. I've got friends that can do it but I never got adjusted even with 6-7 hours sleep a day. PC sucks but I'm in my bed every night with my wife and I feel better. I know we all have to do what pays the bills and I hope it works out for you.
 
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