How to become a Driver

[TearsInRain]

Center manager or higher? Otherwise, you don't make more than drivers.

per hour i do; do you realize how few hours i work?

 

[JL 0513]

per hour i do; do you realize how few hours i work?

Then you're not a sup/manager. Our on-cars work around 60 hrs every week for salary.

 

[TearsInRain]

Then you're not a sup/manager. Our on-cars work around 60 hrs every week for salary.

sucks to suck? it's not a 60 hour work week if you have a shred of organization

 

[Over 70]

How do you become a driver?

Apply even if it's just a seasonal position. That's what I did but once it became apparent that I had far more to offer than mirror fogging capabilities, I was immediately switched to perm part time reg temp driver.

Do anything to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack at school and once you start working. There's a lot of unhappy people who don't want to be there. Never be that guy, positivity is contageous. You never know, a customer might call your sup with positive feedback. That happened to me twice.

Read alot here. I know I read alot of things on here that answered a ton of questions I might of asked and my on-car was impressed that I didn't call in with a single question or have unexcused service failures. I didn't tell him why but a big part was soaking in alot of info from veterans here.

Hope for the best. It still might not work out unless you are in a financial position to "wait it out". It's union so sometimes your best is just enough for a chance to get in line, but I'm a big believer that honest hard work will be truly noticed and rewarded in the end.

 

[JL 0513]

sucks to suck? it's not a 60 hour work week if you have a shred of organization

We have 2 on cars and they're in the building at 7-7:30 am and are there until 9 pm almost everyday. Talk about a life.

 

[Nothing by 1030 anymore]

I'm 37 years old. I have a college degree. I am looking to change careers to be outside more (I was in an office environment since the age of 22). I was hired off the street as a seasonal driver with UPS for the '16-'17 peak season. From what the supervisors told me I did very well. They also really liked my attitude. I am a hard worker and being outside the office was great. I loved it once I got the hang of it. I'd like to become a regular driver.

They did not hire me as a regular driver at the end of the season. But then again they may not have hired any of the seasonal drivers as regulars. Or if they did, maybe they picked those that had done several seasons already. I don't know.

There is the other route of applying for a regular driver job on the external job postings site, but that is also a long shot with internal candidates aiming for those getting priority. I did apply recently to such a posting, but have not received a call yet.

So that leaves working as a part-time package handler or a part-time supervisor prior to becoming a regular driver. The head supervisor had told me at the end of the season it would be best to work as a package handler and work my way up. I told him I had no problem doing the physical work, but that given that I was making $70K a year at my full-time office job it would be difficult (maybe that is too light a term) to go to $12 / hour part-time. Would it be possible to have an office job for a time and then become a driver?

Next day, the supervisor working under him tells me to pick out and apply for some supervisor or other non-driver non-package handler jobs on the internal job postings site and he will give me a great recommendation. So that's what I did.

I didn't hear from any of those jobs, but I kept in touch with HR and they came through for me with a part-time package center supervisor (just to clarify - not a pre-load supervisor) job in the same building I worked out of for the season. I went to the interview and it went well. It became apparent that that same supervisor from my seasonal job gave me a great recommendation for this position. It looks like I very well may have this position. I will find out soon.

So now the question...is this what I should do if I want to become a regular driver? Or would I have a quicker route to a regular driver by being a union package handler?

What is the pay for a package center supervisor in the Chicago area? Any other insights would be helpful. Thanks.

Omg...what I would have given to use my degree inside instead of being a driver at ups for 30 miserable years...run and don't look back....stay outside on weekends.

 

[Nothing by 1030 anymore]

Assuming I only worked this past peak season and no more peak seasons for the next few years, explain to me how I would get called back years later to be a regular driver? Wouldn't the seasonals that come back year after year or the package handlers that have been there for however long always get called before me?

I understand I would have to work a few years as a regular driver before I am making top dollar doing that, but it is really annoying not having a general idea how many peak seasons I would have to work as a seasonal, how long I would have to work as a PT package handler, or how long I would have to work as a PT package center supervisor before I could even become a driver.

So I bet you get off work about 5 now...a safe bet is 8 as a driver...everyday...and in ur 40s and 50s... Struggle to do anything on weekends...hope ur single with no kids now...cuz chances are you will be.

 

[Nothing by 1030 anymore]

There is no such thing as applying for a regular driver job on the external job posting site. Anything you see is seasonal only. Only 2 ways to get a FT driver job. PT package handler and put your name on the list, seasonal hired off the street. Good luck. I hope it works out for you. Just because you didn't immediately get called back and hired permanent, doesn't really mean much. I've seen them call seasonals back years later when a spot opened up. If you left a good impression you never know

I was hired off the street in 1985

 

[Savvy412]

why cant you do both? I did for 5 years before becoming a driver

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

why cant you do both? I did for 5 years before becoming a driver

There is no way that he could do both at the same time.

 

[crow27]

There is no way that he could do both at the same time.

Did he post his schedule stating this anywhere? How is he going to work 12-13 hr peak days if he can't work a 4 hr preload and an 8 regular gig?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Did he post his schedule stating this anywhere? How is he going to work 12-13 hr peak days if he can't work a 4 hr preload and an 8 regular gig?

He works in an office setting and, while he did not specifically state his hours, one would have to assume that it is 9-5 with 30 minutes for lunch.

Who works 12-13 hour days during Peak?

 

[crow27]

He works in an office setting and, while he did not specifically state his hours, one would have to assume that it is 9-5 with 30 minutes for lunch.

Who works 12-13 hour days during Peak?

In our hub with over 300 drivers and cars several loaders have second jobs and are allowed to leave on time...You are pretty sure that this is in no way possible, out of the question, unheard of.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

In our hub with over 300 drivers and cars several loaders have second jobs and are allowed to leave on time...You are pretty sure that this is in no way possible, out of the question, unheard of.

I don't work in your building so there is no way that I could be 100% certain but, in general, it would be very difficult to try to work either the preload or metro and a 9-5 job.

 

[crow27]

I don't work in your building so there is no way that I could be 100% certain but, in general, it would be very difficult to try to work either the preload or metro and a 9-5 job.

It's definitely doable if his Chicago area hub is in need of drivers and he just needs to get inside until they hire the next round of full timers...I worked 7pm-3am at Amazon loading trailers then would head to UPS preload at 4...Would have much rather had 9-5 hrs. Preload would've been a morning workout

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When would he have time to shower and "suit up"?

 

[crow27]

When would he have time to shower and "suit up"?

Gold's gym...I'm not saying he should do this at 37, but it's possible if he truly wanted it. Plus no one even knows if the guy has to be in an office at 9. OP may have bailed on the idea.

 

[Nothing by 1030 anymore]

He works in an office setting and, while he did not specifically state his hours, one would have to assume that it is 9-5 with 30 minutes for lunch.

Who works 12-13 hour days during Peak?

I did for 30 years. Apparently my center was and still is a mess

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I did for 30 years. Apparently my center was and still is a mess

You would have thought things would have improved after you left.

 

[jaker]

The logistics of that would not work.

I don't understand how your think someone cant work both jobs , you have been saying no to every question like that but then again you didn't have to do it so you wouldn't understand

and I did it for 5 years