Switch From FedEx Express to UPS? What would YOU do?

[vantexan]

I always picture Tanya Roberts.

Now that's a blast from the past! I'm thinking Gal Gadot.

 

[Fred's Myth]

Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black!

So pots and kettles are the source of systemic racism?

Very interesting!

 

[floridays]

No she doesn't. That's my territory and I ain't letting some babe muscle me out of it.

I bet she could kick your ass though mussel man.

 

[floridays]

Not even close to being butch. Lol.

Not hard to see for a guy that knows what a girl is.
"What Is A Girl?" Alan Beck

by Alan Beck download as PDF ​ Little girls are the nicest things that can happen to people. They are born with a bit of angel-shine about them, and though it wears thin sometimes, there is always enough left to lasso your heart—even when they are sitting in the mud, or crying temperamental tears, or parading up the street in Mother’s best clothes. A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth, she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot. God borrows from many creatures to make a little girl. He uses the song of a bird, the squeal of a pig, the stubbornness of a mule, the antics of a monkey, the spryness of a grasshopper, the curiosity of a cat, the speed of a gazelle, the slyness of a fox, the softness of a kitten, and to top it all off He adds the mysterious mind of a woman. A little girl likes new shoes, party dresses, small animals, first grade, noisemakers, the girl next door, dolls, make-believe, dancing lessons, ice cream, kitchens, coloring books, make-up, cans of water, going visiting, tea parties, and one boy. She doesn’t care so much for visitors, boys in general, large dogs, hand-me-downs, straight chairs, vegetables, snowsuits, or staying in the front yard. She is loudest when you are thinking, the prettiest when she has provoked you, the busiest at bedtime, the quietest when you want to show her off, and the most flirtatious when she absolutely must not get the best of you again. Who else can cause you more grief, joy, irritation, satisfaction, embarrassment, and genuine delight than this combination of Eve, Salome, and Florence Nightingale. She can muss up your home, your hair, and your dignity—spend your money, your time, and your patience—and just when your temper is ready to crack, her sunshine peeks through and you’ve lost again. Yes, she is a nerve-wracking nuisance, just a noisy bundle of mischief. But when your dreams tumble down and the world is a mess—when it seems you are pretty much of a fool after all—she can make you a king when she climbs on your knee and whispers, "I love you best of all!" As the Spinners sang Best Thanksgiving to you and the Girls, @Operational needs I hate not having a daughter.

 

[vantexan]

I bet she could kick your ass though mussel man.

She wouldn't be the first!

 

[floridays]

She wouldn't be the first!

But she's a girl not a dyke.
I've had my ass kicked, so to speak, by a couple of girls, it didn't heal as quickly as getting kicked in the nuts or hit over the head however.

 

[vantexan]

But she's a girl not a dyke.
I've had my ass kicked, so to speak, by a couple of girls, it didn't heal as quickly as getting kicked in the nuts or hit over the head however.

I prefer to wrestle.

 

[vantexan]

I prefer to wrestle.

Beginning to sound like @Indecisi0n

 

[floridays]

I prefer to wrestle.

@Wrong, he's your guy.

 

[Operational needs]

Not hard to see for a guy that knows what a girl is.
"What Is A Girl?" Alan Beck

by Alan Beck download as PDF ​ Little girls are the nicest things that can happen to people. They are born with a bit of angel-shine about them, and though it wears thin sometimes, there is always enough left to lasso your heart—even when they are sitting in the mud, or crying temperamental tears, or parading up the street in Mother’s best clothes. A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth, she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot. God borrows from many creatures to make a little girl. He uses the song of a bird, the squeal of a pig, the stubbornness of a mule, the antics of a monkey, the spryness of a grasshopper, the curiosity of a cat, the speed of a gazelle, the slyness of a fox, the softness of a kitten, and to top it all off He adds the mysterious mind of a woman. A little girl likes new shoes, party dresses, small animals, first grade, noisemakers, the girl next door, dolls, make-believe, dancing lessons, ice cream, kitchens, coloring books, make-up, cans of water, going visiting, tea parties, and one boy. She doesn’t care so much for visitors, boys in general, large dogs, hand-me-downs, straight chairs, vegetables, snowsuits, or staying in the front yard. She is loudest when you are thinking, the prettiest when she has provoked you, the busiest at bedtime, the quietest when you want to show her off, and the most flirtatious when she absolutely must not get the best of you again. Who else can cause you more grief, joy, irritation, satisfaction, embarrassment, and genuine delight than this combination of Eve, Salome, and Florence Nightingale. She can muss up your home, your hair, and your dignity—spend your money, your time, and your patience—and just when your temper is ready to crack, her sunshine peeks through and you’ve lost again. Yes, she is a nerve-wracking nuisance, just a noisy bundle of mischief. But when your dreams tumble down and the world is a mess—when it seems you are pretty much of a fool after all—she can make you a king when she climbs on your knee and whispers, "I love you best of all!" As the Spinners sang Best Thanksgiving to you and the Girls, @Operational needs I hate not having a daughter.

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I hate not having a boy. My friends’ boys got spoiled by me because I didn’t have one.

 

[vantexan]

@Wrong, he's your guy.

Hey, hey, not while I'm eating turkey!

 

[floridays]

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I hate not having a boy. My friends’ boys got spoiled by me because I didn’t have one.

I understand.
Happy Thanksgiving to You and your girls.

 

[MrFedEx]

At UPS, the drivers never see their kids, can't participate in family functions and have no weekday personal life. Who cares if you make 100k if you can't enjoy it.

So, your wife and kids wish you had worked for UPS so they could have enjoyed not seeing you.

 

[floridays]

So, your wife and kids wish you had worked for UPS so they could have enjoyed not seeing you.

I bet you're killing it in real estate in Cali nowadays?

 

[MrFedEx]

I bet you're killing it in real estate in Cali nowadays?

Not in Cali, but RE is doing very well in my locale.

 

[falcon back]

So, your wife and kids wish you had worked for UPS so they could have enjoyed not seeing you.

Is that the best you got?

 

[AmazonDeliveryBoy]

Sounds like y’all need to start another class action lawsuit for over time pay.

NRLCA will not do class action lawsuits. Worst union in history.

 

[I have been lurking]

Beginning to sound like @Indecisi0n

He's Big Brown, so you're Big Purple?

 

[vantexan]

He's Big Brown, so you're Big Purple?

If you say so.

 

[FedUpBrown]

View attachment 281737
A little background with a follow up question for you fine folks in brown.

I'm 44 years old, married with 3 kids (16, 14, 12) and have been a full time courier with FedEx Express for 16 years.

I was hired in late 2003 making $14.00 per hour and after our last underwhelming 2% raise in October 2019, I'm now making $26.19 per hour...that's $12.19 per hour increase in 16 years...a whoppin' 76 cents per year.

Here's the thing: I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I'm still not topped out...and it really, really bothers me.

After the new Express "10 Step Progression Chart" was implemented a few years ago, I'm now currently on the 8th step and won't arrive at the top out mark ($29.00 in our market) until October of 2021...the end of my 18th year.

I say all that to say this: for the past few years I've spoken to many UPS drivers in my area about the pay, pension, benefits and overall culture of UPS and I've contemplated making the move. All of it -- especially the medical benefits -- blow away Express.

I don't pretend to ignore the fact that UPS works a hell of a lot harder than us folks over at Express, due to the simple fact that UPS is Ground and Air combined and your trucks (for the most part) are way more bulked out than ours.

I realize that I would have to begin in the warehouse/hub and become a package handler for awhile before I would get a crack at being a driver.

I also realize that I would have to give up my 4 weeks of vacation, current seniority, comfort of one route, and take a pay cut in the beginning to cross over to brown, but I'm so fed up (no pun intended) with how much of a gap in pay and benefits there is between the two of us.

According to the UPS drivers around my area, they top out at around $40.00 an hour after 4 years. This is extremely tempting.

My question to all of you is this: would YOU make the switch if you were in MY shoes?

Looking forward to reading your comments.

Hello Brown Cafe, it's the OP...five years later.

I created this thread in February 2020...right before the pandemic. Today, it's February 2025.

Thought I'd let you know what has transpired over the last 60 months.

FIVE YEARS later, I'm still at FedEx Express at the age of 49.

I just finished by 21st year as a courier, finally topped out after 18 long years, and have gone from $26.19 an hour to $35.19.

Still married (23 years now) with three kids (21, 19, 17).

At the start of 2023 I woke up and realized that I needed to change my depressing financial life. My wife and I were drowning in $58,000 of credit card debt.

Stupid decisions and absolutely no financial discipline for many years led us to this moment. Our minimum monthly payments to our seven credit cards were $867 per month. Disgusting.

We signed up for a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class and after 19 grueling months of hard work, sacrifice and throwing over $3000 a month to our CC's, we are now officially free from the shackles of debt. Words can't express what a feeling it is to have that weight taken from our shoulders.

Up until 2022, my best gross yearly salary at Express, including OT, was $77,654 in 2022

> In 2023, I made $108,881
> In 2024, I made $126,551

To crack $100k, I basically sold my soul to FedEx, working just about every scheduled day off, many Saturdays, and even sold some of my 5 weeks of vacation to make this happen. To me, it was WELL worth it.

As much as I cannot stomach the current changes from the Express and Ground merge, I'm grateful I was able to get the opportunity to make money to pay of my debt.

Currently working on a three month Emergency Fund, because quite honestly, I have no idea what will practically transpire with the Express and Ground merge in the months/years ahead.

Thank you all for your comments five years ago, especially for the vast majority of you who recommended that I stay at Express at the age of 44 to enjoy my kids teen years...and not take the plunge to UPS.

I'll pop back into this thread five years from now in 2030 for an update.

All the best.