"On Topic" When you were in high school was UPS employment your career plan?

[olroadbeech]

Never crossed my mind until a buddy told me they needed Peak drivers for feeder. ALready had almost 15 years of truck driving experience.

worked peak in Nor Cal , then went on with my life.

about 5 months later they called me and asked if I wanted to go FT. It was rough the first couple years working 2-3 days a week for months but that 2-3 days was better than FT anywhere else.

The strike really hurt us for work and I almost quit but a good ( rare ) feeder manager told me to hang in there and I did. Worked relief for only 3-4 years and then got bid runs for the rest of my career.

If I had to do it all over again , I would. Sure the BS can get to you sometimes but there is BS everywhere . I'd rather take the BS at UPS and get paid over 100k a year plus another 30-40k in bennies than half that anywhere else.

FYH.

 

[watdaflock?]

Not many other careers available that pay as well as UPS for the little actual work you do.

Tried the white collar office nonsense and the political BS that goes with it makes it not worth it.

 

[burrheadd]

UPS first started up here when I was in about 11th grade. I saw my first UPS driver when I was working in my Dads office supply/typewriter repair shop after school. I was like everyone else back then and assumed they were part of the Post Office. REA was the big guy on the block back then. It was said they were too big to fail------(there's a lesson there). I never thought about what I was going to do after High School because I knew I was destined to be drafted because I hated school and didn't want to go to college. My "Plan " after I graduated was to party and avoid the draft as long as I could. That worked for about a year then Uncle Sam caught me.

Now was this WW1 or WW2

 

[Re-Raise]

Not many other careers available that pay as well as UPS for the little actual work you do.

Tried the white collar office nonsense and the political BS that goes with it makes it not worth it.

I know the work I do for the company makes them plenty of profit. In fact that is one thing I liked about it.

In many jobs you are trying to convince people to buy something they don't need or want. I provide a service that they seek out.

 

[G.V. Rush]

10 years into being a professional chef. White table cloth fine dining. That last year of cooking I was so miserable I just quit with no backup plan. Than came UPS and I'm quite happy here. Some days are better than others of course. But I am by no means miserable

 

[Covemastah]

When I was 4 , watching Mr McFeeley deliver all the cool stuff to Mr Rogers ,,, I said , hey !!! Now that's a cool job !!

 

[rod]

Now was this WW1 or WW2

That would be in 1965. Vietnam era

 

[sailfish]

UPS never crossed my mind when I was in high school. And while I did kind of end up defaulting here, I in no way see it as some sort of personal failure because I've never considered a job the center of my life or a dream.

I use a job as simply a utility to fund my actual life, and with UPS I will continue to do the same and use the funds to assist in accomplishing those personal dreams and aspirations.

 

[BROWNCAT]

Didn't have UPS here when I was in school. Think REA was the big mover, then. UPS didn't come to this state til '71.

Excuse my ignorance, but what REA stands for? never ever have heard of it before....

 

[MC0493]

UPS was never even a thought in high school. I was big into computers and took vocational classes for computer repair during 11th and 12th grade. Liked what i was doing and did very well. Scraped together a plan for college and went to Devry university(there's a choice i regret) Eventually got my bachelors degree in computer information systems with a concentration in internet security.

All the while since 12th grade i worked in a grocery store doing various positions. Cashier, overnight stock crew and then frozen department. Tried to get somewhere while i was there, entered their management training program which just got me more work and more stress for no additional pay and it was seemingly dead end. Hated working there, was treated like crap, used and abused.

Finally i had enough and just quit the place (went to quit once and they convinced me to stay with a raise) Shortly after i finished college. The idea was to take a final free summer before getting into a career. Summer slowly ended, looking for work was depressing. Everything needed experience i didn't have or was stuff i didn't learn. Bombed a couple interviews due to lack of knowledge. Started questioning my path, really began to realize i'd go insane sitting in an office all day and started pursuing other paths.

Really tried to get in with the railroad but didn't have much luck. It was now November and i happened to look up UPS and see they were hiring seasonal drivers and i thought ehhh what the hell. Was auto scheduled for an interview and almost didn't go. Passed the interview, begged pleaded and borrowed manual cars to get practice before my road test. Went to class, did the best i could for peak, was let go and then called back a few months later to be permanent.

While i never in a million years imagined being here, i've come to realize that some things happen for a reason, i've lost alot of weight and in the best shape of my life. I'll be set financially for life and have excellent benefits. Sure some days aren't great, but every job has them, plus i love driving.


Yes that was long, i'll give you a dollar if you read it all, come find me

 

[rod]

When I was 4 , watching Mr McFeeley deliver all the cool stuff to Mr Rogers ,,, I said , hey !!! Now that's a cool job !!

Didn't Mr. McFeely (weird name if you ask me) work for Speedy Delivery? We have a Speedy Delivery here in Minnesota that was started years ago by some ex UPS management. They cover about a 5 state area now. Lots of shippers use them because they are cheaper than the USPS, FedEx or UPS.

 

[rod]

Excuse my ignorance, but what REA stands for? never ever have heard of it before....

Railway Express Agency

 

[rod]

 

[rod]

Excuse my ignorance, but what REA stands for? never ever have heard of it before....

Most every train station had a REA truck ready to deliver the freight when it came in by rail. That video says they were a Government agency ----I'm not sure about that. I always assumed they were a private business like UPS.

 

[bottomups]

In HS all I wanted to do was get into college , I barely made it into the last one I applied for .
I was doing fair . Until I started spending more time in the bar across from the library then in the library .
My pa used to do legal work for the local and tried to get me a few jobs. Screwed up everyone of them until UPS . I liked it , working midnight -4 am. I still had my days free and tried to stay in college but no way could I make those early classes . So after 7 yrs I gave up college and stayed at UPS . What a place we started at $1.00/ hr less than top rate and after a few months you got top rate,( $8.65/hr , considering min wage was about $2.30/hr ) which gave me plenty of beer money and a workout , too.

It was no dream career.
I look back to all my college friends who went the corp route , sure they made more money and spent most of it too. They had to show off their wealth , but with every down turn of the markets I kept a steady job while many of them ended up scrambling to find work.

There is a bar called The Library on the campus of UW-LaCrosse. When my daughter called and said she was at the library, I knew she was partying.

 

[rod]

 

[By The Book]

This is a good thread. People like to tell their stories.

So...what's your story?

 

[rod]

There is a bar called The Library on the campus of UW-LaCrosse. When my daughter called and said she was at the library, I knew she was partying.
View attachment 111095

We used to go to one in Hayward, Wisconsin called The Office. I always thought that was a neat name for a bar. When the wife calls you can tell her you're at the office .

 

[MyTripisCut]

I just told the seasonal driver that was my helper today that sometimes I wonder, how the hell did I end up here? In the pouring cold rain, with over 250 stops to do, where did I go wrong? Then I remember the pension, pay, and benefits it provides for my family and I stfu. Who thinks of this stuff in high school? Probably not many.

 

[BaggyPants]

So...what's your story?

Dropped out/moved out at 17. Waitress until 20 and realized I wasn't getting anywhere. Joined the Army for 6 years, did well, got to travel, but as someone else posted was always told to be a success in life you "need to go to college". Got out in 93 started community college, and just couldn't find a job. Went to the Employment office and there was a little sign that said " can you lift 70 pounds? I thought "why, yes I can" Call ###. Never really had heard of UPS. Hired as TCD, but switched to LS and air driving to go to school. I really really liked UPS, but after school, went to be a flat rate auto mechanic. After about 12 years I believed I should have never quit UPS (or the Army, lol!). Benefits we get are a real winner. Was a helper for 3 years before I got hired back part time. Cover drive occasionally now, and will be starting my TCD packet "after peak". But I'm not 27 anymore, it's gonna take everything I got.