The Have's and Have nots of UPS

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muncher

Guest
I have been working now 6 and a half years part-time at UPS with no real hope of full time soon. When I started I was told by the HR person the wait was only 3-5 years, well 6 years laters still waiting, what a shock I was lied to by someone at UPS. I started driving Airs adfter 1 year of senority and was driving just about every day, now I am lucky to drive once during the week and have to drive Saturday just to bring home a decent paycheck. Air volume is up but you could never tell at our center, I guess they would rater pay the Drivers $40 a hour and have service failures, it is so bad at our center that I have caught on-road sups sneking out airs and delivering them just to aviod using air drivers, and ups talks about integity? I will never tell anyone to start a career at ups, its a joke, work about 8-10 years part-time making $15,000 a year, get full-time, starting at $14.70 and go through 2 1/2 years prgression and then start making some good money, what a joke!! And don't you just love those off the street full-time hires, you know, the one who complains about his load every day, but has never loaded once in his life!!!! I can promise you I have a bad memory on the days a off the street is driving my car! There is mo middle class at UPS, and no real hope for a good full time job, unless you want to wait 10 years}
 
A

afups

Guest
An old adage says "If you are happy where you are, you are in the right place." Sooooooo...
why don't you leave UPS and find a place where you will be happy. Tough to do....but...

Life is too short to spend the major part of your early years in an unhappy situation.
 
T

toonertoo

Guest
I understand the frustration. I had to wait 8 yrs, and had to leave my home center to take a job 70 mi from my home. BUT, it isnt like you are not told, and if it is what you want and dont have anything else come up while waiting, then what is your complaint?????? If some other fortune 500 company is head hunting you, then go man go!! If not, your turn will come and you will have more hours than you ever wanted! And then you will wish you were PT again some days. The off the street or outside hires have their hands full, and bet they wish on a daily basis during their training period that they had the knowledge and experience you do. If they make it, good for them. UPS is not the only opportunity out there, some of us just want that kind of job, and pay the price in time.
 
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dannyboy

Guest
A couple of things come to mind. What are you doing with the other 20 hours of your day.

When sups carry air out of the building, and you are air qualified, do you just cry or do you file for the time. It is a gimme if you do.

The last off the road was hired in 1982 in our center. Any outside hire is a part time sup. At a 6 to one hiring ratio, that might be a faster way for you to advance.

But only you would know for sure.

d
 
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brownmonster

Guest
Munchie, I'm an off the street driver and I don't ever complain about my loader even though he/she deserves it plenty, at least when he/she shows up. Go find another job, you have the potential to be another whining driver we don't need. You'll come into driving with a pissy attitude instead of earning the right!!
 
C

cheryl

Guest
My husband was part time at UPS for 7 years... while he was going to school and working a second job...
 
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archibald

Guest
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Took me 8 years to drive, I am on 12 now, be carefull what you ask for! I would also recomend you get spell check bubba!!! I am in it for the long run but if I could find a way out I would, things are not like they were 10 years ago when I was gung-ho rookie. If you are serious, stay the course, just be prepared for the results. We have some drivers here in AR biddin full-time combo jobs just to get less than 50 hours, hard to believe but it is happening. Make your choice.
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interested

Guest
Muncher,

Some good advice all around-Dannyboy touched on it-what are you doing with the rest of your day?

If you do have some free time, Ups is giving away tuition money. That's right-Free money!!!! If you really want to create some options for yourself to go full time with Ups or provide different career avenues down the line-get an education.

A college degree is still the best meal ticket around!!
 
T

tomb

Guest
I went full-time this summer, my seniority date is 3 days after my 5th anniversary. I feel very lucky some days. I thought it would take 6-7 years. I did quite a few other part-time jobs to earn enough and we were able to get by. I also was an air driver for 3 years, on the safety committee and a hazard spill responder. I basically signed on for any additional job that would add hours to my preloading base.

I would add that doing all those extras made it easier to be successful as a driver. I have driven 2 routes "blind," but I was a Christmas helper on both of them, so it went pretty darn well. And all the other routes that I have been on, I had experience with from air driving, also helped make the days go smoother.

I have not delivered a route that I preloaded, but am looking forward to that, as I think that that would go fairly well also.

I suspect that during layoff this winter I will bump back to preload and deliver pizzas during the day.

It seems to me that if a person really wants to get a bunch of p/t hours in, they can, they just have to be willing to do lots of different things.

Gotta do what you gotta do.

Tom B
 
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brownmonster

Guest
Munchkin, is the heaviest thing you lift all day that chip on your shoulder? Who lied to you? A full time job opens up when the volume grows, someone retires, etc. Can't blame it on the off the street hires. Your Email states that none of my fellow drivers respect me because I wasn't a preloader. I wasn't aware that you work in my center. You'll get your driving chance due to seniority, I had to beat out the other summer cover drivers. All your posts have been negative so far. Hope you get into driving soon, we need more good attitudes on the street for volume growth. Have a nice day. Monster
 
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tranham

Guest
Brownmonster,

"you have the potential to be another whining driver we don't need. You'll come into driving with a pissy attitude instead of earning the right!!"

Please! The reason most drivers are pissed off when they finally get to drive is because it took them forever and day to get there. You walked into the door and they handed you a uniform. Everyone else took years and the company just keeps using their quota no matter how long the PT wait list is. In Whites Creek, Tennessee it's 14 years to get a combojob! Another 2 for a FT driver position! Would you really had stuck trough it Brownmonster if they had given you a job loading trucks instead of driving them?? I am not here to whine but you can't jump on Munchers case until you have been there, done that and got the many, many T-shirts.


Robert Nitsche
 
D

dannyboy

Guest
Robert

I guess that is why the Creek has a 400% turn over rate. Hard to look at a future that is 14 years down the road. That means you would be 33-40 before starting driving, and 63-70 before you could retire with 30 years. hmmmmmm

d
 
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brownmonster

Guest
The system is the way it is. Wait or move on. I got hired as a summer help driver. Didn't apply for a part time job. Had no illusions. I was 28 with a wife and kid and looking for a job in the field I was in for the previous 10 years. The UPS job came along and though I didn't work much the 1st year (made $8000) I was able to wait it out. Compared to what I made before I still appreciate what I do for a living and maintain a good attitude even after 15 years. We have part timers who drove after a year and some who waited 8 years and many who tried and couldn't and are career part timers. I earned and still earn the right to wear the Browns!! The Monster
 
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brownmonster

Guest
Part time to street hire is now 6 to 1. Was 3 to 1 when I started. It is improving.
 
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toonertoo

Guest
There seems to be alot of frustration over the full time jobs at UPS and the openings are sometimes veeerrrryy slow in coming. I worked many other jobs while part time, and enjoyed the benefits, even though when I was PT they didnt have tuition reimbursement for part timers. Or I would have had less bills when I finally graduated. But it is worth it if nothing better comes along. It is aggravating when I hear PTers complain about the wait when I waited twice as long. But it is the nature of the society we live in. Young people want it ALL today, and so did I and there is nothing wrong with high hopes, but "anything worth having is worth waiting for" is an old saying that comes to mind. And in the meantime explore all other options and get your education. Enjoy life as it is today instead of saying "I will be happy when......"
 
R

rushfan

Guest
I had to wait 6.5 years for full time. Time well spent in college. After college, I stayed with UPS, and worked for a radio station as a technical engineer. Luck had it that the radio station was bought by a major corporation, and I lost my position. At that time I was called up to work full time for ups.

Use the other 20 hours of your day to get to school, I worked 2 jobs and went to school.

I've been with UPS for 10 years this month. I remember we lived in a horrible 1 room moldy apt, old car, nothing much. Now we have our own home, and a newer dependable vehicle. I can say UPS has treated me well.

If your goal is to become full-time, stick it out. If not, well go on.
 
F

feeder

Guest
Came to work at UPS, loading trailers to pay for books for college. I never in my wildest dreams wanted to stay here and "slave it out here", I remember making and changing my arrangement for my college courses when I was a temporary cover driver. My sup at the time got a real kick out of that. I quit school when I turned full time in pkgcar, now, driving feeders, making 75k a year. Looking back at all those crazy years, I think a made the right decision... Thanks Brown!!!!
 
W

wildrot56

Guest
Dude, if you wanted a full time job, why did you accept a part time job? You should have applied at other companies for a full time job. And FYI...if the HR guy had a crystal ball, he could have told you exactly when you would go full time. As it was, FedEx took alot of our volumn, contracts, etc...I'm sure this wasn't info he had 6 years ago.
 
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brownmonster

Guest
The munch came here to whine and didn't find much sympathy.
 
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