Please help me with a school project I want to be a UPS driver

Analbumcover

ControlPkgs
I left a "white collar" job in education to work at UPS. It amazes me how everyone I talk to is shocked that I left such a "prestigious" job that involves low pay, mandatory summer lay-offs, massive administrative oversight, fist fights, angry parents, extreme levels of accountability for things way beyond your control, disrespect and tons of extracurricular responsibilities whose compensation doesn't come close to the time spent.
 

CoolStoryBro

Well-Known Member
There exists no software that can create a route that gets delivers done in a good order which takes into account time commits and business hours. We have ORION software that is a complete joke and disaster.

UPS cannot even figure out how to get packages loaded into trucks in the proper position within that truck.

How will UPS automate a job which requires me to go to 200 locations a day. Park safely. Find a package or multiple packages within a truck that is not loaded well. Then get those packages to the front door or inside a business? And then go to 20 businesses and pick up packages they are shipping. Load the packages into the truck?

Technology isn't even close to figuring out what the next delivery is.

You do not need a Class A CDL. Jobs that require a CDL at ups are difficult to obtain and may take 20-30 years of seniority. UPS will train you when the time comes (in my region UPS does 2 week training and then you take the CDL test with the state).

The path to UPS deliver driver is get hired ASAP as a warehouse worker. Either in the AM or PM loading or unloading trucks. Work this part time job until you are 21 then you are elligible to become a driver for UPS. Sign every bid that opens up and when you have enough seniority they will put you on road.

simple as that.
Don't listen to your teacher.
 

BadIdeaGuy

Moderator
Staff member
I am a highschool student my name is William. When I graduate school I want to get my class A CDL and do this amazing job you guys do.

For my school project we have to figure out what are our dream jobs and the future prospects for that job and room for advancement etc...

My teacher has spoken to me directly and basically said that truckers are 100% going to be obsolete within the next few years due to companies like TU simple , waymo and embark.

This now has me extremely concerned about my future. I have nothing else that actually interest me I do not want to a be a programmer or push paper for 8 hours a day.

So as of now I'm 17 years old is my teacher and parents right or will I be able to actually retire from trucking without being displaced by technology?

I have been following the subject closely and the technology is crazy from what I understand they have level 4 self driving capabilities.
So to break this down, it sounds like you are looking to end up in feeders?

Yeah. I'd be a bit concerned. They're going to be the first to get automated, if they can get the kinks ironed out.
But in a few years?
Lol. No.


Package car, though?
Nope. They can't replace human interaction in the actual delivery process. As much as they'd like to pretend they can.
(If you haven't researched this, it's called "the last mile problem". Real interesting stuff.)


Keep in mind you won't be able to drive anything till 21. And that most places require a year of package before you can bid on semi stuff. (At least here.)

If you are willing to hustle and put in your time in the building first, UPS will make you very financially comfortable. You're smarter than me for thinking about this now, instead of waiting.

Your teacher can be replaced by an ambitious kid with a laptop and Khan academy. UPS drivers can't.
 

542thruNthru

Well-Known Member
So to break this down, it sounds like you are looking to end up in feeders?

Yeah. I'd be a bit concerned. They're going to be the first to get automated, if they can get the kinks ironed out.
But in a few years?
Lol. No.


Package car, though?
Nope. They can't replace human interaction in the actual delivery process. As much as they'd like to pretend they can.
(If you haven't researched this, it's called "the last mile problem". Real interesting stuff.)


Keep in mind you won't be able to drive anything till 21. And that most places require a year of package before you can bid on semi stuff. (At least here.)

If you are willing to hustle and put in your time in the building first, UPS will make you very financially comfortable. You're smarter than me for thinking about this now, instead of waiting.

Your teacher can be replaced by an ambitious kid with a laptop and Khan academy. UPS drivers can't.
@Bsprink don't listen to this guy. He was homeschooled.
 

Wally

BrownCafe Innovator & King of Puns
I am a highschool student my name is William. When I graduate school I want to get my class A CDL and do this amazing job you guys do.

For my school project we have to figure out what are our dream jobs and the future prospects for that job and room for advancement etc...

My teacher has spoken to me directly and basically said that truckers are 100% going to be obsolete within the next few years due to companies like TU simple , waymo and embark.

This now has me extremely concerned about my future. I have nothing else that actually interest me I do not want to a be a programmer or push paper for 8 hours a day.

So as of now I'm 17 years old is my teacher and parents right or will I be able to actually retire from trucking without being displaced by technology?

I have been following the subject closely and the technology is crazy from what I understand they have level 4 self driving capabilities.
So a new package car driver fills in all over, many different routes.

Here's the good part, you meet lots of hot chicks! Some really smokin'!

You will get action like your buddies can only imagine!!!
 

sailfish

Master of Karate and Friendship for Everyone
It will be a long time before automation can threaten package delivery jobs. I don't see it happening in my lifetime. However, the sun is setting for CDL feeder jobs.
 

MethodsMan

Well-Known Member
People on here are going to say, no don’t do it.

But I say go for it.

I barely graduated high school. But make better money than my friends who went to college. Great money, great benefits, great retirement. The sacrifices are it’s not glamorous, you work long hours and have to deal with the inclement weather.

But in the grand scheme of things, making possible 6 figures to drop cardboard at a doorstep really isn’t that bad.
 

Bsprink

Member
People on here are going to say, no don’t do it.

But I say go for it.

I barely graduated high school. But make better money than my friends who went to college. Great money, great benefits, great retirement. The sacrifices are it’s not glamorous, you work long hours and have to deal with the inclement weather.

But in the grand scheme of things, making possible 6 figures to drop cardboard at a doorstep really isn’t that bad.
Yeah I'd 100% want to do it but I'm just very scared of being replaced by a self driving truck or another form of automation
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
Do you see that continuing for UPS drivers for the next 35-40 years?
I have no doubt that automation will eventually replace certain driver positions. Feeder runs between Hubs will be first. It will be easier to set up a system to just go from Point A to Point B. Intown Feeder making pickups will be more difficult. A lot more variables in Package driving, I don't see how that would be so easy to replace.
 

Box Ox

Well-Known Member
Yeah I'd 100% want to do it but I'm just very scared of being replaced by a self driving truck or another form of automation
In the nearer term I'd be more concerned about a company like Amazon potentially taking over larger chunks of the shipping industry (especially commercial) with less expensive contractors and driving down compensation. What a shipping company can pay its workers and still remain competitive.

Amazon can pour big money into whatever it wants by moving it from more profitable business segments like cloud computing to whatever cause or industry Jeff Bezos decides he'd like Amazon to dominate. And they don't necessarily have to make a profit while choking out the competition.
 

Sissy Brown Short Shorts

Well-Known Member
Yes we have specific language for this. Please share with your teacher. :)
View attachment 317892
Especially now, never seen a group of crybaby snowflakes before like our public school teachers. Afraid to catch the flu and willing to steal at this point two academic years away from America’s children while they get to sit at home hardly work and collect a paycheck. My kids will be doing private or home schooling at this point and if they want to go to one of these “colleges” they better get a scholarship or join the army I’m not forking out a cent, unless it’s a trade school. Good riddance. I make more than twice what a school teacher makes, have a superior benefit package and no college debt. I dropped out of college to do this job.
 

baklava

I don’t work at UPS anymore.
I paid a plumber $120 yesterday to fix my toilet that ran constantly.
He was here, maybe, 30 minutes.
Do the math on that.

Hope this helps.
Replace the inlet valve. $7 at Home Depot. Only tool needed is channel lock pliers.

not that this does you any good now
 
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