Leave Ground for Express?

[Route 66]

:kicksrocks:

Sad you’ll be leaving us in November. When’s the party, guys?

Who’s leaving? - Ancient Gas I’m assuming?....say it ain’t so!

 

[Oldfart]

Now don't hang around just so you can stay on the forum! Make that clean break and become a NASCAR deadhead. We're rootin' for ya!

Either way, I wont need to live in a tent to make ends meet

 

[El Burro]

If you can deal with the heat you can probably go right into driving for UPS in Bullhead City, AZ. Knew a Ground guy there who did that. But then they can hit 125+ with no AC!

Is this for real? I was just in Bullhead a few weeks ago for the Laughlin River Regatta. I'd be completely willing to move there for a UPS driver spot. But there are no transfers, right? Like I'd be stuck there forever?

 

[Fred's Myth]

Yep. My manager is trying to convince me to work a Monday Tuesday FO rt for a short time but I want to walk away. Might wait the necessary 6 months and be a casual but haven't decided yet. Depends on how far the medical lump sum money goes.

Not encouraging you to stay, but they are eliminating the waiting period to draw your pension and return to work. You have one year to return at your current payrate. After that you would start as a new hire.
Desperation?

 

[Route 66]

Yeah, you're probably right. Definitely a single person's job.

Can’t even draw single guys into it anymore. They’ve just totally destroyed anything left that was even remotely decent about the industry at all. Freedom of the open road? - fuhgeddabout it - no longer exists. Big Brother is watching all. It’s a real s#it show and getting worse all the time.

 

[vantexan]

Is this for real? I was just in Bullhead a few weeks ago for the Laughlin River Regatta. I'd be completely willing to move there for a UPS driver spot. But there are no transfers, right? Like I'd be stuck there forever?

That was about 2006 when I worked for FedEx there, but UPS had high turnover there, presumably because of the heat. Winters are great, would only be a bear in the summer, but not really bad until over 115, at least to me because of the dry air. It might be worth looking into if you want to drive quickly. I was told by a UPS manager in KS last year that there was going to be a lot of retirements coming up so it shouldn't take more than a year to become a driver. That might have been a recruitment pitch, but worth investigating in your area.

 

[cosis]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Is 35 too late in the game for UPS? Last I heard the waiting list around here in SoCal is 10 years to even get on a truck, whereas 10 years at Express would put me in a pretty good spot. Would I be stuck working 20 or less hours a week loading trucks for that entire time? I think I've heard you can drive during peak for top rate, though?

I know folks at UPS work insane hours but I gotta be honest -- I've never seen a UPS guy run like some of us Ground donkeys have to all day. I've gone 9 years using on average one vacation day a year, zero sick days, and typically don't have time to take lunch or breaks period for 10 hour shifts.

I love the freedom of working for Ground but I can never get any time off. My contractor always has a "we don't have anyone cover your route!" excuse.

To be honest, even pay aside, having a job with paid time off and a lunch break every day sounds so nice. Should I give UPS a try? It sounds risky in terms of how long it could take to become a driver. But also if the new contract passes they're going to be hiring TONS of new drivers.

The part timers at Express I know complain about never getting enough hours. How is it really?

Yes only complaint would be not enough hours. I average about 2.5 hours per day... I still get paid for 17.5 per week with full benefits. I am a small business owner so it's a nice gig for me. There are a handful of other people at my station that are small business owners.

 

[vantexan]

Either way, I wont need to live in a tent to make ends meet

Who's end are you meeting with?

 

[sandwich]

Stay away from Fred's station. He is the type that can suck the fun and the air out of any situation. People like him can clear a room just by walking in.

You realize there are only a few people left who don't have you on ignore right.

Nobody has Fred's myth on ignore because he's not a

 

[cosis]

Yes only complaint would be not enough hours. I average about 2.5 hours per day... I still get paid for 17.5 per week with full benefits. I am a small business owner so it's a nice gig for me. There are a handful of other people at my station that are small business owners.

Also I would probably work 4 hours per day but our station does not have enough trucks/vans. Pretty sad when you think about it.

 

[sandwich]

Is this for real? I was just in Bullhead a few weeks ago for the Laughlin River Regatta. I'd be completely willing to move there for a UPS driver spot. But there are no transfers, right? Like I'd be stuck there forever?

If you get a job with us (ups) yes you can transfer. Only in the western region of teamsters. Az being one of the areas you can transfer to. Here's a ups career hack. We are hiring off the street full time drivers in Washington. Come up here. Get hired on full time. Work 1 year and sign the transfer list for bullhead city.

 

[El Burro]

If you get a job with us (ups) yes you can transfer. Only in the western region of teamsters. Az being one of the areas you can transfer to. Here's a ups career hack. We are hiring off the street full time drivers in Washington. Come up here. Get hired on full time. Work 1 year and sign the transfer list for bullhead city.

What part of Washington and what's the process for that? Just apply on UPS's website for a position?

 

[El Burro]

I'm actually seeing a lot of driver positions even here in California. It's package delivery driver, right? If it's possible to get hired off the street by relocating that sounds like a no brainer over the Express route.

 

[Oldfart]

You realize there are only a few people left who don't have you on ignore right.

Nobody has Fred's myth on ignore because he's not a

Sure are plenty of responses to my post for everyone to have me on ignore.

 

[Oldfart]

Not encouraging you to stay, but they are eliminating the waiting period to draw your pension and return to work. You have one year to return at your current payrate. After that you would start as a new hire.
Desperation?

I heard the waiting period might be eliminated. I know at one time you could work 80 hours or so a month. Then it went to 1000 hrs a year. Then I heard it was as many as you want. A person could work 30 or so hours a month and not affect their SS payments. Not a bad side job.

 

[McFeely]

If it's possible to get hired off the street by relocating that sounds like a no brainer over the Express route.

All depends on how the Ground life is treating your body. UPSers make more money, but typically deliver more pieces/stops than the average Express driver. Around peak in my area, my truck will have maybe 120 stops and the UPS driver's truck is completely bricked out and he's got close to 200 stops. I work 10 hour days, he works closer to 11 (but keep in mind he punches in 2 hours later than we do).

Driving for UPS isn't gonna save your body, and neither will Express. While all Express drivers do is deliver envelopes, somehow I had a 146# King Size mattress in my truck the other day and plenty of other big crap from Walmart/Amazon/Target.

You gotta do what's best for your health, paycheck, but also your social and family life. I made more money at my previous job, but I'm way less stressed doing my Express route. I'm also WAY glad I didn't do Ground. They work you guys into dust.

 

[sandwich]

What part of Washington and what's the process for that? Just apply on UPS's website for a position?

Yes. Seattle building.

 

[sandwich]

I'm actually seeing a lot of driver positions even here in California. It's package delivery driver, right? If it's possible to get hired off the street by relocating that sounds like a no brainer over the Express route.

There is a long wait in so cal. We will hire you full time tomorrow up here.

 

[El Burro]

A measly 12 year wait last I was told. I would actually love to go back to Seattle I grew up there. I assume nobody wants to drive there because of the constant rain?

I get that UPS trucks get bricked out. But there's no pressure, really. If you don't finish it oh well they gave you too much. At FXG you can literally lose your job and your contractor their route if they send you out with 296 stops (like they did me during peak years ago when we got HD trailers diverted) and you fail. I'm not opposed to hard work, I actually enjoy it, provided I can get the time off to rest and recover.

I've always said they call it Ground because we're basically ground beef that is chewed up and disposed of.

 

[sandwich]

A measly 12 year wait last I was told. I would actually love to go back to Seattle I grew up there. I assume nobody wants to drive there because of the constant rain?

I get that UPS trucks get bricked out. But there's no pressure, really. If you don't finish it oh well they gave you too much. At FXG you can literally lose your job and your contractor their route if they send you out with 296 stops (like they did me during peak years ago when we got HD trailers diverted) and you fail. I'm not opposed to hard work, I actually enjoy it, provided I can get the time off to rest and recover.

I've always said they call it Ground because we're basically ground beef that is chewed up and disposed of.

It's been 6 months of rain. 6 months of hot no rain summer for the last couple years. Nobody wants to drive here cuz there are easier jobs for 18.75 (that's starting driver pay)