Trucking at UPS

[208_UPSer]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here to the forums but I have been working for UPS as a loader for about 5 months. I was hired for peak season last fall. Anyways I really want to stay within the company and pursue a career as a trucker. I understand that if I want to be a feeder driver I either have to work my tail end off for years, gain seniority, get my CDL, bid for the job when it opens up, and pray and hope for the best. Or I will have to leave UPS, work at another tricking company for a year or two, and be an off the street hire.

I am also wondering if there is a way to start off as a UPS Freight driver, work there for some time, and then transfer to feeders? Would starting off at the freight division be a smart move?

Also, in my state, you can get a CDL at age 18, I am currently 19, but you have to be 21 to drive for UPS, so yeah I won't be able to drive trucks for UPS for awhile.

Any thoughts?

 

[upschuck]

For peak, off the street hires required at least 5 years experience, if I remember right. Only guaranteed way is to work your way up, and have UPS train you.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I believe you have to be 25 to be feeder qualified.

Freight is a separate division---transfers not allowed.

It is extremely rare to go from the inside directly to feeders.

You can train with a competitor and hope to get hired but that may be a long shot.

 

[208_UPSer]

Thanks for your input guys!

 

[PT Car Washer]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here to the forums but I have been working for UPS as a loader for about 5 months. I was hired for peak season last fall. Anyways I really want to stay within the company and pursue a career as a trucker. I understand that if I want to be a feeder driver I either have to work my tail end off for years, gain seniority, get my CDL, bid for the job when it opens up, and pray and hope for the best. Or I will have to leave UPS, work at another tricking company for a year or two, and be an off the street hire.

I am also wondering if there is a way to start off as a UPS Freight driver, work there for some time, and then transfer to feeders? Would starting off at the freight division be a smart move?

Also, in my state, you can get a CDL at age 18, I am currently 19, but you have to be 21 to drive for UPS, so yeah I won't be able to drive trucks for UPS for awhile.

Any thoughts?

Best way to go into Feeders is to work Package Cars until you have enough seniority to bid a Feeder job. Working at UPS Freight will not help you go into Feeders anytime sooner and could hurt your chances. At 19 the best thing you can do is keep your nose and driving record clean and do a good job working PT inside. When a package car bid does come up and you have the seniority to win the bid believe me your new supervisor will ask the Hub what kind of an employee you have been in the past. UPS can disqualify you from driving for any number of reasons.

 

[Cementups]

It is extremely rare to go from the inside directly to feeders.

Best way to go into Feeders is to work Package Cars until you have enough seniority to bid a Feeder job.

Neither one of these are true. Time at UPS doesn't matter in totality. People come into UPS and get their 30 days in and go almost directly to feeders. And also, you do NOT need to be a package car driver first. Any hourly employee (and a few management exceptions) are eligible to be feeder drivers.
Here going to feeders is the quickest way to full time at UPS. Once you are of age and have zero infractions on your driver's license in the past year, go to your states DMV, procure your CDL permit. Once you have your permit go to your HR department and put in a letter of intent to go to feeders. They will call you in due time.

 

[scratch]

My Center is about to hire 17 new drivers due to Saturday Ground coming in May or June. We don't have enough qualified part-timers to fill these spots, so they are going to hire off the street. Our Feeder Department is about to pull another 17 drivers for school, so even more spots are going to open up. The days of waiting years to go full-time are over.

 

[208_UPSer]

I really appreciate all of the feedback that I am getting on this topic! Do bear in mind that my center is a bit smaller than the regular ones out there. We have 3 belts, and we can have up to about 40 trailers or package cars inside at one time, but at the same time I would not mind transferring to another hub to get a position in feeders (assuming it's possible) but if it's not that is ok too.

I am a full time college student right now working on an associates degree in Information Technology, but I would also not mind one bit being a driver because I want to get out and be adventurous in my life, even if it's driving the same route, rather than being behind a desk working 9-5. Plus in my opinion a college degree is worth getting even if you don't end up doing something with it. And that's another reason I am doing an associates instead of a batchelors degree. And yes I am taking full advantage of the tuition assistance program! Besides I could do part time IT work while keeping my job at UPS while waiting for the feeder position to open up!

Again, keep your input coming and as always I really appreciate it!!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Neither one of these are true. Time at UPS doesn't matter in totality. People come into UPS and get their 30 days in and go almost directly to feeders. And also, you do NOT need to be a package car driver first. Any hourly employee (and a few management exceptions) are eligible to be feeder drivers.
Here going to feeders is the quickest way to full time at UPS. Once you are of age and have zero infractions on your driver's license in the past year, go to your states DMV, procure your CDL permit. Once you have your permit go to your HR department and put in a letter of intent to go to feeders. They will call you in due time.

My post was based on my experience at a small center. It is quite rare to walk in off the street and become a feeder driver within 30 days; in fact, I can't recall that ever happening.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I really appreciate all of the feedback that I am getting on this topic! Do bear in mind that my center is a bit smaller than the regular ones out there. We have 3 belts, and we can have up to about 40 trailers or package cars inside at one time, but at the same time I would not mind transferring to another hub to get a position in feeders (assuming it's possible) but if it's not that is ok too.

I am a full time college student right now working on an associates degree in Information Technology, but I would also not mind one bit being a driver because I want to get out and be adventurous in my life, even if it's driving the same route, rather than being behind a desk working 9-5. Plus in my opinion a college degree is worth getting even if you don't end up doing something with it. And that's another reason I am doing an associates instead of a batchelors degree. And yes I am taking full advantage of the tuition assistance program! Besides I could do part time IT work while keeping my job at UPS while waiting for the feeder position to open up!

Again, keep your input coming and as always I really appreciate it!!

I am going to take my driver hat off and put my Dad hat on.

You would be a fool to "settle" for a job delivering packages all day. IT is a growing field; however, you will never go above tech status with just a two year degree. Get a job within the field upon completion of your two year and pursue your 4 year online or at night. The opportunities that will open up at that time will allow you to pretty much write your own ticket.

Yes, UPS drivers do make good money, but the job is about as challenging as the trivia quiz before the movie starts.

 

[Mr. Sir]

IMO, I would put your degree to good use once you get it. I'm way too young in the UPS game to understand how drivers make near 100k for delivering boxes. Personally I would pursue a 4 year degree in IT. Good chance you might make the same money, if not more, all while being able to have a work life balance. That's just my opinion though.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

IMO, I would put your degree to good use once you get it. I'm way too young in the UPS game to understand how drivers make near 100k for delivering boxes. Personally I would pursue a 4 year degree in IT. Good chance you might make the same money, if not more, all while being able to have a work life balance. That's just my opinion though.

Take all of these $100K claims with a grain of salt. I have worked here for 28 years and have never broken $80K.

 

[PT Car Washer]

Neither one of these are true. Time at UPS doesn't matter in totality. People come into UPS and get their 30 days in and go almost directly to feeders. And also, you do NOT need to be a package car driver first. Any hourly employee (and a few management exceptions) are eligible to be feeder drivers.
Here going to feeders is the quickest way to full time at UPS. Once you are of age and have zero infractions on your driver's license in the past year, go to your states DMV, procure your CDL permit. Once you have your permit go to your HR department and put in a letter of intent to go to feeders. They will call you in due time.

At my building you must have a years safe driving in the FT package car classification before you can bid into Feeders. Air driving does not count. Never heard of a PT going straight into Feeders.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Never heard of a PT going straight into Feeders.

Same here.

 

[Cementups]

I'm way too young in the UPS game to understand how drivers make near 100k for delivering boxes.

Take all of these $100K claims with a grain of salt. I have worked here for 28 years and have never broken $80K.

My highest year was I think $90k but even last year I was off for 3 months and still made $70k. Base pay at top rate is just over $73k. We have several drivers who make over $100k but I can tell you that some are sand baggers and a couple also do Safety or EAMs to take onto their regular hours. And in feeders, being over $100k is fairly normal at top rate.

 

[Coldworld]

Take all of these $100K claims with a grain of salt. I have worked here for 28 years and have never broken $80K.

You only work 8.5 a day... That's why. You work 10-11 hours and you will hit 100k. I made 115k last couple of years..

 

[Jones]

At my building you must have a years safe driving in the FT package car classification before you can bid into Feeders. Air driving does not count. Never heard of a PT going straight into Feeders.

Happens a lot at @Cementups place, I know a guy from there who went into feeders straight from air diving. It's technically possible where I'm at but it's pretty uncommon, fulltimers get priority and feeder positions almost always get snapped up by peeps desperate to get out of delivery.

 

[scratch]

Its rare, but I have seen a part-time carwasher bid straight into Feeder. I know at least a dozen package drivers in the 100K club, they work every bit of overtime they can get, most of them run EAMs before their regular route. I know two that top out at $125-127K a year, so it is possible if you want to work 12 hours a day. If you do the math based on $35.21 an hour, you can make $2465.00 a week if you work exactly 60 hours a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks and thats over $128K a year. I know guys that will come in and work some vacation days, so this is very possible.

 

[olroadbeech]

depends what hub you are at. at some it can take 20 years. at ours we had pters going into feeder after only a couple years.

 

[Northbaypkg]

All these folks asking for info on different things about the job need to remember this: there are different circumstances at different hubs. Find out the situation for your hub. For all the folks saying they've never heard of PT going straight into feeders I can point out 10 guys at my hub right now that did exactly that and they are now 3 years into their feeder careers. As far as the 100K club over half the drivers in my building are in that group. I bet even some of the 9.5 guys gross 100K with the number of 9.5 grievances they have to file since they constantly still violate.

OP just remember this: if you are making 100K at this job your weekdays most likely consist of work and nothing else. Your free time is weekends, vacations, and sick days and that's about it. At that 'boring' desk job at least it's probably a conventional 9 to 5 job and you can still hit happy hour, or join that bowling league after work.