insipidtoasts thread of questions

I'm 27. I'm in good shape, but I've heard the entry level, and driver jobs are really hard on the body over the long term. I was a seasonal driver helper last year and enjoyed the work, but I just don't know if I'm cut out for it over the long term.. Most of the drivers it seemed had started with UPS as handlers when they were fresh out of high school.

I feel bad recently, because I quit within the first month as a substitute rural carrier for the Post Office. I couldn't tolerate that 5 hours a day were spent organizing the mail before leaving the office by sticking thousands of oversized papers, magazines and letters into hundreds of corresponding tiny slots using only one hand without having everything bunch up, and still be told that I should be working 3 or 4 times faster. That was much too finnicky.

I have an Associate of Science and Bachelors of Arts Degree, so that isn't too helpful for getting any job. I was thinking of starting with Fedex so I could go straight into a delivery position and have a lighter load than what UPS drivers have. I know the benefits and pay are comparatively bad, but a part of me thinks that I may still find a better career someday doing something else. I might even pursue a Masters Degree in a field with a bright outlook. Any ideas?

Also, I applied for a package handler position in a city on the UPS website, but whenever I get to the screen where it says to click to schedule an appointment, it always just tells me that there are no more appointments available. This is how it's been for two months. Why do they even bother posting the job then? The worst thing is that I've decided to move out of state, and I can't even apply to another job elsewhere, because the website has me locked into the position I already applied to. I can't rescind my application.
 

DumbTruckDriver

Allergic to cardboard.
I'm 27. I'm in good shape, but I've heard the entry level, and driver jobs are really hard on the body over the long term. I was a seasonal driver helper last year and enjoyed the work, but I just don't know if I'm cut out for it over the long term.. Most of the drivers it seemed had started with UPS as handlers when they were fresh out of high school.

I feel bad recently, because I quit within the first month as a substitute rural carrier for the Post Office. I couldn't tolerate that 5 hours a day were spent organizing the mail before leaving the office by sticking thousands of oversized papers, magazines and letters into hundreds of corresponding tiny slots using only one hand without having everything bunch up, and still be told that I should be working 3 or 4 times faster. That was much too finnicky.

I have an Associate of Science and Bachelors of Arts Degree, so that isn't too helpful for getting any job. I was thinking of starting with Fedex so I could go straight into a delivery position and have a lighter load than what UPS drivers have. I know the benefits and pay are comparatively bad, but a part of me thinks that I may still find a better career someday doing something else. I might even pursue a Masters Degree in a field with a bright outlook. Any ideas?

Also, I applied for a package handler position in a city on the UPS website, but whenever I get to the screen where it says to click to schedule an appointment, it always just tells me that there are no more appointments available. This is how it's been for two months. Why do they even bother posting the job then? The worst thing is that I've decided to move out of state, and I can't even apply to another job elsewhere, because the website has me locked into the position I already applied to. I can't rescind my application.
I started as a preloader at 30. 7 years later I'm driving every day with few physical issues. It's all about how you take care of yourself.
 

km3

Well-Known Member
I'll be 27 next month, and I'm not in the best shape. You'll be fine. As physical as the job is, I think it's more mental in the sense that you need to have the will and motivation to show up every day and put up with conditions, including dealing with other employees (especially supervisors). I've seen a lot of people come through here in better condition than me, and they don't even make it 4 weeks. I've been at it for 6 months now.
 

retiredTxfeeder

cap'n crunch
You are in the prime of your life at 27. We had a driver who retired from the military and then started driving package cars, and then feeders. He was probably in his late 40's. That post office job would be hard for me to walk away from, with the benefits and pension and all. If you hard a hard time putting up with management constantly telling you that you weren't moving fast enough, Well, then you won't like it here then. It happens on a daily basis at just about every position I've held with this outfit. Good luck to you, and use that sheepskin to find a job that you do with your brain, not your back.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
You don't have to be a chiseled greek god to do drive here.
What beats you up is the repetitive motions and the mental aspect of delivery.
Each can be overcome with experience and technique.
 

nystripe96

Well-Known Member
I started as a loader at 29. Driving and 33 now. The job is what you make of it. Have a positive mindset and you'll be fine here. If all goes according to plan (it never does) I'll retire at 60 which is fairly young by todays standards.
 
You are in the prime of your life at 27. We had a driver who retired from the military and then started driving package cars, and then feeders. He was probably in his late 40's. That post office job would be hard for me to walk away from, with the benefits and pension and all. If you hard a hard time putting up with management constantly telling you that you weren't moving fast enough, Well, then you won't like it here then. It happens on a daily basis at just about every position I've held with this outfit. Good luck to you, and use that sheepskin to find a job that you do with your brain, not your back.

Nope, no benefits whatsoever. On-call. No union representation or protection for the first 90 worked days. Only guaranteed one-day per week of work.

Parcel delivery isn't nearly as bad as mail delivery in my opinion, because you don't have to spend hours organizing papers.

I'll be 27 next month, and I'm not in the best shape. You'll be fine. As physical as the job is, I think it's more mental in the sense that you need to have the will and motivation to show up every day and put up with conditions, including dealing with other employees (especially supervisors). I've seen a lot of people come through here in better condition than me, and they don't even make it 4 weeks. I've been at it for 6 months now.

Yes, there's a lot to be said for dealing with management. Bad managers can make an otherwise easy job a very unpleasant experience.

How is the management at UPS? Are they trained to give positive reinforcement at all? For myself and most people for that matter, I perform better when management compliments how I'm doing. I can't stand to be in a negative environment, and now understand why people go postal. Telling people that they're not fast enough is the stupidest management technique, because it lowers morale and often acheives the opposite of the desired result. That's psychologically proven.

When I worked as a driver helper, I received lots of praise for a job well-done, which motivated me to go faster and have a more positive attitude towards the job.
 
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nystripe96

Well-Known Member
In my estimation a tyrant manager can ultimately lead to poor performance in that center i.e. accidents and service failures due to the pressure imposed on drivers. Luckily my manager actually has a soul so I can breathe fairly easily on the day to day grind
 
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