Hows it going everybody. I've enjoyed reading your posts and was wondering if you all could help me out a little for nothing in return but a thank you. Ive interviewed for a driver position, passed the driver test and I'm about to start the class. I applied for a full time position but was offered part time. When I asked why, they kinda gave me the run around and said I could work full time and get paid something around 16 an hour but w/ no benefits and theres a chance id get thrown into the warehouse after peak season. Is this normal? Ive done my fair share of warehouse work and don't feel like doing anymore. I heard different things from different people about UPS. I have a decent job right now but no benefits and the main reason I was interested in UPS was b/c of the benefit package. I have a feeling in my gut Im going to get used for the peak season and then cut afterwards. I've heard part timers work around 40 hours a week as it is. Part time is something around 11 an hour and id start right after the class is finished, which is good, but for the area i live in... times will be tight. What does it normally take to become a full time driver? By accepting the part time position, will it hurt my chances on becoming a full timer? Did you guys start out in the warehouse or part timers or did they hire you off the street for full time? Should I just accept the part time and do my best and hope for the best? Or do they hire drivers this time of the year for the peak, make them think theyll get a fair chance for full time, and then just cut them and say sorry. Ive asked them these questions but i don't completely trust them. I was a driver helped twice, and i was told if i showed up everyday I'd get a 500 dollar bonus at the end. I never missed a day and when I asked the guy who hired me about the bonus, he played dumb and said he's never heard of it before. I figure you guys will give it to me straight. Thanks for listening and Ill appreciate any information on my current situation. -newbie
potential new driver w/ questions
- Thread starter newbie
- Start date
Fnix
Well-Known Member
It depends on the prison you work in. I am 18 started a year ago when I was 17 and a fellow inmate of mine who started on same day as me is full time already after only cover driving for 2 weeks. While some other prisoners are still on Saturday air after 2 years.
Hopefully when I'm 21 my seniority level will blow up any competitors.
Hopefully when I'm 21 my seniority level will blow up any competitors.
browned_out
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure were you got that info, but most times you are hired in at pt and you work your way to ft by means of seniority. It is different in each center how long that process takes, I know that in our center it can be as much as 1/3 yrs before a postion might come up. As far as hours go pt is only 3-4hrs a day sometimes 5 if your lucky. Now I'm not saying you could not be hired ft, there are certain conditions under our contract that let ups hire for ft off the street for driving postions, however the odds of getting that golden egg are huge. As far as pay I think starting wage for pt is $8.50, and for a starting driver about $11.00, the driving postion has a two year wage progression that will take you to top pay. I'm not sure how the pt works. Anyway good luck with your situation.
Backlasher
Stronger, Faster, Browner
I was hired in as an under 8 which is different then part time.
They said I was to work 7 hr. days with potential of 8 hrs. or more.
I'm an air driver which job tasks include:
*Start at 5:30 a.m. get my truck or find one cause my truck gets snatched by others when their's in the shop.
*go straight to UPS airport.
* sort and pull parcels for my route (which for the most part is the same but changes alot) doing different routes or even a blend of different routes which can really be stressful if your not familiar with the routes cause you got 5 min to look at a list of areas your pulling for try to remember em all and sort threw all the other stuff to find your own. IT's not cut and dry presorted like at the center it's all dumped on the belt off the plain and you have everyone's stuff mixed in back to back and labels aren't set facing you so your fliping threw everything trying to remember what your suppossed to pull and labels facing everywere but you. and then you have hundreds of smalls back to back and every direction so ahhhhhhhhhhhh. And the plane was late so your leaving late got 40 min to get to your area and deliver 7 E.aM.s with 8:00 commit times and 40 A.M.s after that dew by 10:30 in an area that I'm not familiar with so there's no time to preplan trip but wait we have to gather together to listen to our P.C.M. that is the same recycled info that we got already every day just in a different format and ohh don't be late cause there's no exceptions.
(sorry bout that, I needed to vent).
IT's not usually that bad. It happens though. For the most part I love my job. Start real early so no traffic until after I depart the airport. Get in an early day and done early.
Here in lays the problem. No matter how much work you have it's all got to be done by 10:30 with exceptions to those long security stops which They do give exceptions for and you want to save them for last so they don't make your non exception air's late cause then you'll never here the end of it.
I was told 7 hr. days or more, that after donw with all driven tasks I would work at center till I get my 7 hrs.
It never happened. I get 2- 3 hrs. on Mondays and up to 4.5 hrs. each day from tues.-friday. I got lucky and get to work on Saturdays doind Sat. Air's. sometime I get an early start at 5;30 and most times I start at 7:30. All Sat air's due by 12
.M.
Saturdays are usually easy unless your in an area that your not familiar with but you usually aren't to heavy on stops and have time to play with your map.
Pay for part time air driver start at $11
goes to $12 after you get thirty days in.
6 months after the 30 day period goes to $12.50.
12th month after the thirty it goes to $13.
18th month after thirty goes to $13.50.
Then on your 24th month after that thirty day period you get the real $$$$$$$: top pay rate for part time air is:
$20.5 as of augest of 2007.
Top pay will probably change after new union contract.
I'm at $12.5 cause I'm in my 11 month plus that thirty day thing.
Raises are small and few but if can survive until 2 yrs. then your Pay is good. Benifits are pretty good but part timers get a watered down version.
I'm working 2 jobs like alot of fellow Upser's till I find the the gold at the end of the 2 yr. Rainbow.
Don't get to hyped about what they promise you. If it's not on paper it doesn't matter.
Full time depends on center, my area I hear 2-5 yrs.
It depends on available upcoming routes and how many higher senoirity want a full time driven position.
If they can pass D.O.T. physical and Driven tests.
If you go to part time driven position it will probably be as an air driver.
The key is don't get to excited about full time. Get a feel for the job consider part time job a way of building up your skills to become a good ground driver (full timer)
You don't want to just dive into a full time driven position anyways. You won't be ready, no one ever is.
Learn your methods, Learn as many areas as you can and by the time you have a chance at full time you'll be in good shape. Some choose to stay as air drivers cause they don't want the stress of being a ground.
As for me I want that full time like there's no tomorrow.
They said I was to work 7 hr. days with potential of 8 hrs. or more.
I'm an air driver which job tasks include:
*Start at 5:30 a.m. get my truck or find one cause my truck gets snatched by others when their's in the shop.
*go straight to UPS airport.
* sort and pull parcels for my route (which for the most part is the same but changes alot) doing different routes or even a blend of different routes which can really be stressful if your not familiar with the routes cause you got 5 min to look at a list of areas your pulling for try to remember em all and sort threw all the other stuff to find your own. IT's not cut and dry presorted like at the center it's all dumped on the belt off the plain and you have everyone's stuff mixed in back to back and labels aren't set facing you so your fliping threw everything trying to remember what your suppossed to pull and labels facing everywere but you. and then you have hundreds of smalls back to back and every direction so ahhhhhhhhhhhh. And the plane was late so your leaving late got 40 min to get to your area and deliver 7 E.aM.s with 8:00 commit times and 40 A.M.s after that dew by 10:30 in an area that I'm not familiar with so there's no time to preplan trip but wait we have to gather together to listen to our P.C.M. that is the same recycled info that we got already every day just in a different format and ohh don't be late cause there's no exceptions.
(sorry bout that, I needed to vent).
IT's not usually that bad. It happens though. For the most part I love my job. Start real early so no traffic until after I depart the airport. Get in an early day and done early.
Here in lays the problem. No matter how much work you have it's all got to be done by 10:30 with exceptions to those long security stops which They do give exceptions for and you want to save them for last so they don't make your non exception air's late cause then you'll never here the end of it.
I was told 7 hr. days or more, that after donw with all driven tasks I would work at center till I get my 7 hrs.
It never happened. I get 2- 3 hrs. on Mondays and up to 4.5 hrs. each day from tues.-friday. I got lucky and get to work on Saturdays doind Sat. Air's. sometime I get an early start at 5;30 and most times I start at 7:30. All Sat air's due by 12
.M. Saturdays are usually easy unless your in an area that your not familiar with but you usually aren't to heavy on stops and have time to play with your map.
Pay for part time air driver start at $11
goes to $12 after you get thirty days in.
6 months after the 30 day period goes to $12.50.
12th month after the thirty it goes to $13.
18th month after thirty goes to $13.50.
Then on your 24th month after that thirty day period you get the real $$$$$$$: top pay rate for part time air is:
$20.5 as of augest of 2007.
Top pay will probably change after new union contract.
I'm at $12.5 cause I'm in my 11 month plus that thirty day thing.
Raises are small and few but if can survive until 2 yrs. then your Pay is good. Benifits are pretty good but part timers get a watered down version.
I'm working 2 jobs like alot of fellow Upser's till I find the the gold at the end of the 2 yr. Rainbow.
Don't get to hyped about what they promise you. If it's not on paper it doesn't matter.
Full time depends on center, my area I hear 2-5 yrs.
It depends on available upcoming routes and how many higher senoirity want a full time driven position.
If they can pass D.O.T. physical and Driven tests.
If you go to part time driven position it will probably be as an air driver.
The key is don't get to excited about full time. Get a feel for the job consider part time job a way of building up your skills to become a good ground driver (full timer)
You don't want to just dive into a full time driven position anyways. You won't be ready, no one ever is.
Learn your methods, Learn as many areas as you can and by the time you have a chance at full time you'll be in good shape. Some choose to stay as air drivers cause they don't want the stress of being a ground.
As for me I want that full time like there's no tomorrow.
Last edited:
1989
Well-Known Member
If I were you I would break out of that prison you work in. Unless you are too attached to your cell mate.lol
brownrodster
Well-Known Member
I wish I started here when I was 17!
good luck! Sounds like you'll have plenty of seniority when you're 21.
brownrodster
Well-Known Member
Where I work you have to be 18 to start. I'm guessing it depends on the state you live in. Pretty sure 21 is driver age company wide.
you need to be aware that certain positions aren't awarded on whoever's closest to the manager's office when he's looking to fill a spot. it's done in seniority order. so you get in now, warehouse, pt or ft driving, you transfer into full time openings in order of seniority regardless of position. you need to look at the seniority lists and look around to figure this out. pay particular attention to the most jr full time drivers on that list. so get into pt driving, peak is pretty much from september until end of december.
gl.
gl.
JustTired
free at last.......
Air driver?..........What the heck is an air driver?
We used to have them around here years ago. No such thing anymore except on Sat. And most of them are friend/t drivers working Sat.
Sometimes I wonder if we all work for the same company!
As for newbie. ..........my usual response is to run for the door and don't look back. If you value your personal life, work elsewhere. But nobody listens til it's too late. So.......good luck!!
We used to have them around here years ago. No such thing anymore except on Sat. And most of them are friend/t drivers working Sat.
Sometimes I wonder if we all work for the same company!
As for newbie. ..........my usual response is to run for the door and don't look back. If you value your personal life, work elsewhere. But nobody listens til it's too late. So.......good luck!!
newenglandnasty
Member
I've only met one or two drivers who came in off the street that were rehired after peak as drivers.
It seems like they have to be the best of the best, and it's absolutely NOT an easy job, even when you've been around for 3 or 4 years before you get your shot.
I got my call after 6.5 years. Drove during peak, hated it, went back to the building.
Now I make some decent ching for part time, don't mind having the rest of the day to relax and take care of my daughter.
It takes a while to get there, though, and there are no guarantees how long you'll sit on the list.
But, while you're waiting, soak up the benefits, and go to school if you can on their tab.
Then, if you hate driving, and can't see yourself running around like that for 30 years, you have options.
It seems to me that only the best can hang on and make senority as drivers.
It seems like they have to be the best of the best, and it's absolutely NOT an easy job, even when you've been around for 3 or 4 years before you get your shot.
I got my call after 6.5 years. Drove during peak, hated it, went back to the building.
Now I make some decent ching for part time, don't mind having the rest of the day to relax and take care of my daughter.
It takes a while to get there, though, and there are no guarantees how long you'll sit on the list.
But, while you're waiting, soak up the benefits, and go to school if you can on their tab.
Then, if you hate driving, and can't see yourself running around like that for 30 years, you have options.
It seems to me that only the best can hang on and make senority as drivers.
It's not that bad, guy. Go to an airline where you have to bid on on your shifts and your shifts rotate on a 24 hour schedule. Compared to M-friend from 0800-anywhere between 1600-2100, I'd say the airline employees have it pretty crappy.
AirDriverAmy
Well-Known Member
My year will be this September. I am on the reg. temp list but have only worked as an Air Driver. I do well on Saturday Air's maybe 15 deliveries but, 150 - 200 deliveries a day. (As a FT driver) 
1 That's a lot!
I'm looking foward to giving it a try. I rather management tell me no instead of me telling myself no. (That I'm not ready to go FT)
1 That's a lot!I'm looking foward to giving it a try. I rather management tell me no instead of me telling myself no. (That I'm not ready to go FT)
Amy the problem isn't the 150 stops.
The problem is when you have to deal with a route that has been planned to fail (taking break at contract times) with service and a route driver who will run all day long and take his breaks at the end of the night or give time.
I used to counter this by running my time till the end of the night like the regular driver does....till I smartened up.
Take your breaks when your supposed to. Call in with any service issues that will arise.
Now the Management team has the responsibility of getting the help for the route or dealing with the service problem the next day.
If they give you a hard time? Tell them to show you on the previous day where the regular driver did his break time when he was supposed to.
The problem is when you have to deal with a route that has been planned to fail (taking break at contract times) with service and a route driver who will run all day long and take his breaks at the end of the night or give time.
I used to counter this by running my time till the end of the night like the regular driver does....till I smartened up.
Take your breaks when your supposed to. Call in with any service issues that will arise.
Now the Management team has the responsibility of getting the help for the route or dealing with the service problem the next day.
If they give you a hard time? Tell them to show you on the previous day where the regular driver did his break time when he was supposed to.
Harry Manback
Robot Extraordinaire
I'm one of the best of the best
Stop bein so modest!
Fnix
Well-Known Member
And go where?
