Want to Know What's Really Happening With the Economy?

[Just A UPS Guy]

I was just on a Mediterranean cruise. That ship was like 4 football fields long. If you have a big enough boat, little waves don't effect you much. Now if you're in a lil dingy, that's a different story. UPS pays big boat money. What am I missing?

It's not about just you and I, and our specific financial situations.

 

[Just A UPS Guy]

2017 = $18.75

2024 = $44.31

Maybe my math is off, but that's more than enough dough to weather inflation.

That's not what that means.

 

[vantexan]

Well that's nearly 1/4 of my pay now. Even when I began driving at UPS, starting wage was $18.75. Four years later, it was high $30s. Now it's $44+. If that's not enough money for you, then perhaps something else is wrong? I want for nothing. I love my job, even with the BS of UPS, the hard work and long hours. This rising tide has lifted my boat and those around me.

Yes prices go up and down. It takes $100 to fill up my truck, premium fuel. So what, I make that in like 2 hours, and I work about 50 of them a week. How is an extra 2 or 5 dollars going radically change your life, as if then you could buy that mansion or yacht? Live within your means, life is grand. If I was successful in life making say 50k, how could I suffer at double that?

I worked for FedEx. Never made $50k.

How about some clarity? There are easily a hundred million or more poor people in this country. Not impoverished, but working poor. Is the Democratic Party still the party of the little man, the poor man? Because it sounds like you've forgotten what it means to be poor. Or assume everyone else is in the same position you are.

 

[FedUPSer9816]

It's not about just you and I, and our specific financial situations.

There will always be lesser and greater. Everyone can't be billionaires. The truth is the majority of people are not living below standards. And if your standard is lower than you'd like, you have the opportunity to improve that, especially in this country. You can come from nothing and become something greater. I'm a high school graduate making 6 figures. Because I can drive a truck, put in long hours, pick up heavy packages, serve the customers. Opportunity in life is there. It's up to the individual and their will power to succeed in life. I've fallen off and had to start over. I face adversity. But I'm more determined to succeed in life and I put in the work.

 

[FedUPSer9816]

I worked for FedEx. Never made $50k.

How about some clarity? There are easily a hundred million or more poor people in this country. Not impoverished, but working poor. Is the Democratic Party still the party of the little man, the poor man? Because it sounds like you've forgotten what it means to be poor. Or assume everyone else is in the same position you are.

I worked for FedEx Express for 17 years. First 2 years I was pt package handier making like $9/hr. I drove for 15 years FT, starting at $13.13/hr to $22.52/hr. During that time, I got my own apartment, bought new cars. Bought my home, on FedEx money. My best year there was 65k.

I got fired and had to take a job paying $8/hr, it beat a 0. In the 2 years I was there, pay went up to about $14/hr.

I quit there and started driving for UPS, peak of 2016. Got rehired, FT, guaranteed pay, lottery ticket. Hard work. Determination. Smart financial moves.

I haven't forgotten anything. I love the little man. I give my mom $250 every week so she can be comfortable in her retirement and she's states away. Charity giving. I love being in a position where I can help others. Political ideologies have nothing to do with it. Be a decent person, bless others, reach beyond yourself. Dare I say have faith. I've sown the seeds in my life, I'm reaping the harvest, as are those around me.

 

[vantexan]

I worked for FedEx Express for 17 years. First 2 years I was pt package handier making like $9/hr. I drove for 15 years FT, starting at $13.13/hr to $22.52/hr. During that time, I got my own apartment, bought new cars. Bought my home, on FedEx money. My best year there was 65k.

I got fired and had to take a job paying $8/hr, it beat a 0. In the 2 years I was there, pay went up to about $14/hr.

I quit there and started driving for UPS, peak of 2016. Got rehired, FT, guaranteed pay, lottery ticket. Hard work. Determination. Smart financial moves.

I haven't forgotten anything. I love the little man. I give my mom $250 every week so she can be comfortable in her retirement and she's states away. Charity giving. I love being in a position where I can help others. Political ideologies have nothing to do with it. Be a decent person, bless others, reach beyond yourself. Dare I say have faith. I've sown the seeds in my life, I'm reaping the harvest, as are those around me.

I made the mistake of quitting FedEx after 11 years, 9 of them at Express. Left at $13.50 hr. Came back 17 months later at $10.85hr, left just shy of 15 years later at $18.17hr. Best year was $48k working 6 days a week most weeks.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

Maybe my math is off, but that's more than enough dough to weather inflation.

Yes your math is off.

Our real wage has gone down because of inflation.

 

[FedUPSer9816]

I made the mistake of quitting FedEx after 11 years, 9 of them at Express. Left at $13.50 hr. Came back 17 months later at $10.85hr, left just shy of 15 years later at $18.17hr. Best year was $48k working 6 days a week most weeks.

Wow, that's rough. FedEx always dangled the carrot in front of you. I never made top rate there, even after 17 years. That's why the 4 year plan at UPS was a godsend. Guaranteed higher wages by contracts with union protection.

 

[Thebrownblob]

I made the mistake of quitting FedEx after 11 years, 9 of them at Express. Left at $13.50 hr. Came back 17 months later at $10.85hr, left just shy of 15 years later at $18.17hr. Best year was $48k working 6 days a week most weeks.

Good grief those raises were awful. Shameful of FedEx.

 

[Just A UPS Guy]

There will always be lesser and greater. Everyone can't be billionaires. The truth is the majority of people are not living below standards. And if your standard is lower than you'd like, you have the opportunity to improve that, especially in this country. You can come from nothing and become something greater. I'm a high school graduate making 6 figures. Because I can drive a truck, put in long hours, pick up heavy packages, serve the customers. Opportunity in life is there. It's up to the individual and their will power to succeed in life. I've fallen off and had to start over. I face adversity. But I'm more determined to succeed in life and I put in the work.

Yeah, I agree 100%, but that's not what this is about.

 

[Over70irregs]

Ok… economy. Higher for longer. Get repairs done now. Seriously. Roof paint car all that crap. Get it done.

 

[Up In Smoke]

Ok… economy. Higher for longer. Get repairs done now. Seriously. Roof paint car all that crap. Get it done.

We are in a historically average place. Fed rate 5-6%, mortgage rates 6-8%, GDP growth 3-5% and wages / employment strong. We will be just fine at current trajectory. Government spending on the other hand, has to be resigned in.

 

[Thebrownblob]

We are in a historically average place. Fed rate 5-6%, mortgage rates 6-8%, GDP growth 3-5% and wages / employment strong. We will be just fine at current trajectory. Government spending on the other hand, has to be resigned in.

Government spending being reined in highly unlikely.

 

[Up In Smoke]

Government spending being reined in highly unlikely.

Can't win elections by telling voters "This will hurt".

 

[Over70irregs]

Government spending being reined in highly unlikely.

It’s too late. Countries are dropping are debt. We have to pick it up.

 

[Over70irregs]

Can't win elections by telling voters "This will hurt".

True. You can say that when your in.

 

[vantexan]

We are in a historically average place. Fed rate 5-6%, mortgage rates 6-8%, GDP growth 3-5% and wages / employment strong. We will be just fine at current trajectory. Government spending on the other hand, has to be resigned in.

Current GDP 1.6%. Wages aren't keeping up with inflation.

 

[vantexan]

Wow, that's rough. FedEx always dangled the carrot in front of you. I never made top rate there, even after 17 years. That's why the 4 year plan at UPS was a godsend. Guaranteed higher wages by contracts with union protection.

If you were making $22.52 and not topped out you were in a higher payscale area. That $13.50 I quit at was top pay and that was from a 39 cent raise two months earlier. First raise I got in 4 years, 4 months. While I was gone they dropped that payscale and the one below it. When I came back was on the B payscale which had been adjusted to over $17hr from $14.79. If I had only stayed I would have seen my pay go up about $4hr. From there on though for the next 15 years pay was slowed to a crawl. They used the money they weren't giving us to build Ground infrastructure.

 

[Babagounj]

Can't win elections by telling voters "This will hurt".

It worked for Obama.
He campaigned on the promise of raising electricity rates.
Which he did fulfill.

 

[Babagounj]

If you were making $22.52 and not topped out you were in a higher payscale area. That $13.50 I quit at was top pay and that was from a 39 cent raise two months earlier. First raise I got in 4 years, 4 months. While I was gone they dropped that payscale and the one below it. When I came back was on the B payscale which had been adjusted to over $17hr from $14.79. If I had only stayed I would have seen my pay go up about $4hr. From there on though for the next 15 years pay was slowed to a crawl. They used the money they weren't giving us to build Ground infrastructure.

I recall working a couple of contracts at UPS where all raises went directly into the Health & Welfare Funds.