When you retired what was your final day like?

[Shiftless]

In other threads it pops up now and then how people experienced the last or last days before retirement by the company and your peer's.

So for all of you that have retired, what was your experience like?

 

[Jones]

I called in sick.

 

[UnionStrong]

Skipped my way through the day….not! It was a day like any other. But it was the last one….

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

My final day of work at UPS was painful. I tore my rotator cuff in my shoulder pulling a 5th wheel handle. Had surgery and 8 month rehab, and just decided to not come back. 38 years was about as much fun as I could stand. I did all the paperwork while off, and never got to say bye to my coworkers.

 

[brownelf]

Had an 8 hr request, worked 10 saying goodbye to my favorite stops. Boss said, “today’s your last day?”

 

[Non sequitur]

Had an 8 hr request, worked 10 saying goodbye to my favorite stops. Boss said, “today’s your last day?”

Milked the clock. Bought my own cake. Nice job driver.

 

[quad decade guy]

My final day of work at UPS was painful. I tore my rotator cuff in my shoulder pulling a 5th wheel handle. Had surgery and 8 month rehab, and just decided to not come back. 38 years was about as much fun as I could stand. I did all the paperwork while off, and never got to say bye to my coworkers.

38 years.....did you get belittled and made fun of? Abusive speculation about your 401K? Get a thumbs down on all your posts and comments........no matter what they are?

On a real note: at least you got to skip the safety ride and all that......didn't have to listen to why it was all your fault.....push/pull and such.

May I ask your age at retirement? Thanks and please.

I'm curious......could you have had a private get together of your co-workers? No one offered/suggested one? Or the Company?

How did you rate your relationship with the Company? You like your job? Did they like you? The ending sounds bitter. I've witnessed maybe 10 retirements in my 40 years so far. Food/cake, small family meet and greet. Maybe 20 people come through....most for the free food.....The retirement get together mostly word of mouth....strangely quiet by the company.....weird.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

38 years.....did you get belittled and made fun of? Abusive speculation about your 401K? Get a thumbs down on all your posts and comments........no matter what they are?

On a real note: at least you got to skip the safety ride and all that......didn't have to listen to why it was all your fault.....push/pull and such.

May I ask your age at retirement? Thanks and please.

I'm curious......could you have had a private get together of your co-workers? No one offered/suggested one? Or the Company?

How did you rate your relationship with the Company? You like your job? Did they like you? The ending sounds bitter. I've witnessed maybe 10 retirements in my 40 years so far. Food/cake, small family meet and greet. Maybe 20 people come through....most for the free food.....The retirement get together mostly word of mouth....strangely quiet by the company.....weird.

I started at 21, and retired at 59. Don't know if a get together would have been feasible. Feeder drivers come and go at all hours. Hard to get a bunch of them in one place at one time. The company never suggested any kind of farewell. When you are no longer on the clock, you are of no use to them. My son still works there (19 years, about 15 in feeders) He is in a new building, and I wanted to go visit him and see the operation, and was denied by security to even set foot on property. My relationship was a love/hate thing. I butted heads sometimes with immediate supervisors, but I was usually left alone to do my job. I do miss the camaraderie with my fellow drivers. I still stay in touch with a few on FB, and we have a retiree's luncheon about every 6 months.

My son did take a pic of my last tractor the day before they sent it to the junkyard. He had the pic blown up and posted it in dispatch for the employees to sign and say something to me, and he had it framed as a Christmas gift. I treasure that, and it hangs on my wall, complete with the set of keys from it.

 

[728ups]

My last day my wife,kids grandkids and father were there. Officers from my Local came out,and it was a grand time. I brought my OWN party: donuts,cookies OJ and Coffee as I wasn't depending on management for anything . I hooked my phone up to a powered speaker and played tunes like Take This Job and Shove it, Hit the Road Jack, and other songs about leaving.I had a GREAT time saying good bye to my co workers and went out in a grand style.

My center manager couldnt be bothered to come out of the office so I gave a bottle of Sparkling Wine to my onroad to pop when I leftand I KNOW they were glad to see me go.

It was a year ago today as a matter of fact and i'm SO glad to be done with that place

 

[Non sequitur]

No matter your attitude during your career at UPS, if you make it to the finish line you deserve a good retirement.

 

[tourists24]

I'll let you know this April 15th

 

[ski or die]

My last day was enjoyable. Worked in clerical, union. Came in, had a catered breakfast, hung around till about 10:00 a.m. saying goodbyes and left for the day and was paid for full 8 hours. I was a steward also, not on managements favorite list. But I think my manager respected me because I would give my best effort on every grievance, never selling someone out.

 

[rod]

Just another day with no mention of my retiring. Did my thing - punched out and went to the local saloon. Even up to within a couple weeks before I retired they were still on me to do better ----What a bunch of idiots. Heard later that the following day my old route had more stops added to it.

 

[UnionStrong]

Just another day with no mention of my retiring. Did my thing - punched out and went to the local saloon. Even up to within a couple weeks before I retired they were still on me to do better ----What a bunch of idiots. Heard later that the following day my old route had more stops added to it.

Same with me. Punched out, gave my ass hat supe the one finger salute and went home.
I hear my route is blown out at least 3 times a week. They gave it to a cover guy, a real runner I’m told. Lol. Not my concern.

 

[Buffet Master]

I started at 21, and retired at 59. Don't know if a get together would have been feasible. Feeder drivers come and go at all hours. Hard to get a bunch of them in one place at one time. The company never suggested any kind of farewell. When you are no longer on the clock, you are of no use to them. My son still works there (19 years, about 15 in feeders) He is in a new building, and I wanted to go visit him and see the operation, and was denied by security to even set foot on property. My relationship was a love/hate thing. I butted heads sometimes with immediate supervisors, but I was usually left alone to do my job. I do miss the camaraderie with my fellow drivers. I still stay in touch with a few on FB, and we have a retiree's luncheon about every 6 months.

My son did take a pic of my last tractor the day before they sent it to the junkyard. He had the pic blown up and posted it in dispatch for the employees to sign and say something to me, and he had it framed as a Christmas gift. I treasure that, and it hangs on my wall, complete with the set of keys from it.
View attachment 366953

Man, that picture right there is worth more than the grand send off videos I've seen posted. That's a piece of you and you of it. Your son honored you proper. Pat yourself on the back for a good job raising your son and a well deserved retirement. Enjoy!

 

[Shiftless]

I started at 21, and retired at 59. Don't know if a get together would have been feasible. Feeder drivers come and go at all hours. Hard to get a bunch of them in one place at one time. The company never suggested any kind of farewell. When you are no longer on the clock, you are of no use to them. My son still works there (19 years, about 15 in feeders) He is in a new building, and I wanted to go visit him and see the operation, and was denied by security to even set foot on property. My relationship was a love/hate thing. I butted heads sometimes with immediate supervisors, but I was usually left alone to do my job. I do miss the camaraderie with my fellow drivers. I still stay in touch with a few on FB, and we have a retiree's luncheon about every 6 months.

My son did take a pic of my last tractor the day before they sent it to the junkyard. He had the pic blown up and posted it in dispatch for the employees to sign and say something to me, and he had it framed as a Christmas gift. I treasure that, and it hangs on my wall, complete with the set of keys from it.
View attachment 366953

Pretty cool thing your son was able to do!

 

[Shiftless]

My last day when I hit the hub I worked for (altho I was from an outlying center just under 100 miles away) I showed up and there is a full BBQ going, Cake and a Plaque for me. The shifters broke down my set while I got to see guys from my 30 years of service who waited after work or were on the clock. A few guys drove over to that hub to say goodbye on their way to another hub. Many handshakes with my Buddies, Manager and Division manager there to talk about my time with UPS and give me a plaque.

Honestly I was SHOCKED! I had seen so little done over the years for retiree's and even less when it was my time to go, so I didn't expect this at all!

It was very surreal getting back to an empty building, taking out my key and unlocking the door for the last time and going up to my locker to clean it out. Just the sounds of a metal building that creaks and pops when no one is there! No one asked for anything from me when it came time to exit. I tore up my uniforms, and my new to me employee card that verified entry into UPS somewhere??? Definitely not at the outlying center where I worked out of as there was no fence, no guard just me and the owl's. They didn't even ask for my building key back??

On a side note: I only one time (about 4 years into my retirement) in my almost 17 years of retirement had to be on that street to pick something up and an old employee saw me on the sidewalk and came over to say hello.. NEVER set foot back on that property! Still have friends that we meet up now and then with and text with. Buried a few over the years!

I've heard it said I worked the Golden Years at UPS! Maybe? Being able to retire at 49 years old you wont hear me complain!!!

Choices, Ya gotta Love Choices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[728ups]

Just another day with no mention of my retiring. Did my thing - punched out and went to the local saloon. Even up to within a couple weeks before I retired they were still on me to do better ----What a bunch of idiots. Heard later that the following day my old route had more stops added to it.

My last two months were the best I ever had at UPS.I had more fun telling them I didnt give a damn about what they had to say. I was blowing up the Telematics report each and every day to the point where my center manager told me the DM knew my name................I told him to invite him to my retirement party lol. My onroad took me aside many times during this time and begged me to "be good" as he was getting his ass chewed over my "numbers" . I paid them back in full for all of the harassment,BS and mistreatment

 

[Been In Brown Too Long]

Well, my last week started with me telling the center manager, "Oh, by the way, I won't be here Friday." He looked at me and smirked. I said, "It isn't a request, nothing you can do." Petty, probably, but it felt good, so screw 'em. So Thursday became my last day. I handled no packages at all the last week since they wanted me to train my replacement on my way out. I went for four last rides, did a lot of pointing, go here, go there. Said bye to customers. Had the cake and speech thing on Thursday, thought maybe I'd avoid this by skipping out on Friday, no such luck. Last day I was floating on air, best day of work in 31 years. I had my wife drive me to work. Had other driver drop me off at a UPS Store around 1pm and my wife picked me up, and went home...never set foot back there since. My new life began at 49...life's good.

 

[Covemastah]

I started at 21, and retired at 59. Don't know if a get together would have been feasible. Feeder drivers come and go at all hours. Hard to get a bunch of them in one place at one time. The company never suggested any kind of farewell. When you are no longer on the clock, you are of no use to them. My son still works there (19 years, about 15 in feeders) He is in a new building, and I wanted to go visit him and see the operation, and was denied by security to even set foot on property. My relationship was a love/hate thing. I butted heads sometimes with immediate supervisors, but I was usually left alone to do my job. I do miss the camaraderie with my fellow drivers. I still stay in touch with a few on FB, and we have a retiree's luncheon about every 6 months.

My son did take a pic of my last tractor the day before they sent it to the junkyard. He had the pic blown up and posted it in dispatch for the employees to sign and say something to me, and he had it framed as a Christmas gift. I treasure that, and it hangs on my wall, complete with the set of keys from it.
View attachment 366953

Your sons a great kid !!
I'm sure you're very proud of him !!