Air Driver for life?

[margaritaville]

I been an air driver for a couple years. Last year i made slightly less total income than the max wages drivers and for sure more than any 1 or 2 year drivers. Im wondering what are some of the long term wins and loses of just staying an air driver.?

Ive been able to go fulltime for awhile but never did since i was making good money already. But lately UPS is hiring full time drivers like crazy. And its irking me bad that people with less senority than me are going fulltime. But at the same time they are forced to work long hours for less pay. When i can pretty much go in whenever i want for max wage. Vacation when i want etc. Plus i never get in trouble because im just as good as a fulltime driver and im helping them out by coming in. So they send me out blind with no supervisor all the time and the few times i it up they cant really get mad since im just coming into help.

So here are my wins and loses so far.

Wins: Max wage pay, can work when i want, more vacation, cant get in trouble nearly as easy
Fails: If i get hurt i get hub wage compensation im assuming and not driver wage, my income is not gauranteed except for hub wage, there can be one month where i make 10k and one month driving everyday for close to 14hours and months where i never get called and make under 2k. SOOO random and hard to predict.

But my biggest question is retirement: I know im getting a pension as a hub employee and air driver. But are full time drivers getting way more pension and a more hearty retirement than a hub employee air driver? Even though im making good money. Not as much as a full time driver but my life is stress free and i love driving instead of hate it from being overworked with unrealistic goals. If they give me unrealistic goals i can just not come in the next day.

People are just going fulltime like crazy lately so i feel like i should suck it up and go before i lose anymore senority points but i just dont know... im riding this out..

 

[Anonymous 12]

Do what you like.

 

[PT Car Washer]

I also are in your shoes. 36 years PT. Last 20 + working extra hours driving air during the week and on Saturday. Top PTer. Yes, will hurt me on pension. I figure the job is so easy I can keep working way past where a FT driver would have to retire. 7 weeks vacation, free health care, my pick of jobs. Boss tells me I am doing him a favor for helping him out. No PT Nazi to listen to. "and I love driving instead of hating it". I think you have answered your own question.

 

[margaritaville]

Do u know if our pension is based on the fact we are part time employees vs full timers? or is it based on how much we've made for our UPS careers? Because although im a part time employee im banking close to what drivers make. But if my pension is barely getting anything put in it since im part time that would suck.

That is the one thing im trying to figure out the most.

 

[cosmo1]

....But if my pension is barely getting anything put in it since im part time that would suck.

PT pension is just that. Sucky.

Did you ever consider that your management likes working you that much as a PT because of the money they are saving on your pension contributions?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Do u know if our pension is based on the fact we are part time employees vs full timers? or is it based on how much we've made for our UPS careers? Because although im a part time employee im banking close to what drivers make. But if my pension is barely getting anything put in it since im part time that would suck.

That is the one thing im trying to figure out the most.

If things get slow...part timers get laid off first

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Do u know if our pension is based on the fact we are part time employees vs full timers? or is it based on how much we've made for our UPS careers? Because although im a part time employee im banking close to what drivers make. But if my pension is barely getting anything put in it since im part time that would suck.

That is the one thing im trying to figure out the most.

If things get slow...part timers get laid off first

 

[Re-Raise]

Don't air drivers top out at like $25 an hour or something? And why would an air driver possibly work 14 hours in a day?
If it sounds like I am doubting your massive income it is because I am doubting your massive income.
Part-time pension sucks and I think you have to be about 65 to collect it.

 

[margaritaville]

Well not really. I wont get laid off ever atm since i have a ton of hub senority. In terms of making no money im pretty safe but in terms of making good money its all over the place. If things get slow when i go full time ill get laid off back to the hub. Anyways, the other guy asked what i was wondering. My pension may end up ty which is the main thing im worried about.

 

[Re-Raise]

What do they pay you an hour to deliver air?

 

[margaritaville]

Don't air drivers top out at like $25 an hour or something? And why would an air driver possibly work 14 hours in a day?
If it sounds like I am doubting your massive income it is because I am doubting your massive income.
Part-time pension sucks and I think you have to be about 65 to collect it.

I get the max ground wage if they call me in on weekdays and some months they will call me almost everyday. Which means i work like 8am to 9 or 10 pm. Since i will either be out driving or drive than come back to the hub and do my reg shift at 48$ an hour overtime. Its all cake work too for near 500$ in a day.

But like your saying i may be ing my pension and for that reason i will prob need to suck it up and go fulltime. I make max wage 25hr on saturday but i make 32-48$ and hour weekdays whenever they call me to help. Which is fairly frequently. At least once a week but sometimes 5 times a week during weeks were lots of driver on vacation etc.

 

[Re-Raise]

So you deliver ground? Don't they have cover drivers or drivers in the progression to work?

 

[margaritaville]

Air drivers deliver air on saturday and cover ground on weekdays when they are understaffed. Some weeks they dont call at all and some weeks they are understaffed almost every day. You get max ground wage for delivering ground if you arent fulltime and its not during peak season.

 

[Re-Raise]

Air drivers deliver air on saturday and cover ground on weekdays when they are understaffed. Some weeks they dont call at all and some weeks they are understaffed almost every day. You get max ground wage for delivering ground if you arent fulltime and its not during peak season.

Have you ever heard of the marshmallow test? They offer children one marshmallow now or they can wait and receive two marshmallows later.

The children's ability to forego the instant gratification and wait for the two marshmallows was a better indicator of future success than intelligence.

Staying an air driver is taking the one marshmallow now, biting the bullet and going through the progression is the better long term decision.

 

[margaritaville]

Its true it just look like a lot of full time drivers hate their life from overworking even though they are making good money. Im making 70% of what they make and take a day off whenever i want literally. But id like to be retired before im an old turd so if it means going fulltime, i will suck it up.

 

[Re-Raise]

I never work 14 hour days

 

[margaritaville]

Oh its weird cause i work 14 hour days all the time but i never complain about being overworked because one month ill work 14hours all month than the next month ill work barely at all. I live driving and know i can handle it, the supervisors love me and passing the fulltime 30 days would be cakewalk. I just have hard giving up my freedom when i make nearly the same amount of money but i should suck it up for long term reasons. Which are mainly retirement and protection if i ever have to go on disability. Otherwise id stay air for life.

 

[margaritaville]

I just hope you are correct about the ty pension for part timers though. Since you seem unaware that air drivers make the 32-48$ an hour weekdays

 

[Indecisi0n]

Have you ever heard of the marshmallow test? They offer children one marshmallow now or they can wait and receive two marshmallows later.

The children's ability to forego the instant gratification and wait for the two marshmallows was a better indicator of future success than intelligence.

Staying an air driver is taking the one marshmallow now, biting the bullet and going through the progression is the better long term decision.

Can I do things to the instructor for three marshmallows? Dirty things.

 

[Re-Raise]

I just hope you are correct about the ty pension for part timers though. Since you seem unaware that air drivers make the 32-48$ an hour weekdays

I have 7 years vested in the part-time pension and I received a letter saying I would receive $385 a month when I turn 65 in addition to my full-time pension.

I delivered air also before I went full-time, but they sure didn't let me deliver ground all week at full-time pay. We have full-time people for that.