Confused about UPS pay

What you are missing is you don’t start at the top wage in most parts of the country at UPS. The $21 was the old starting wage that topped out at roughly $42 in 3 years. The top wage is now roughly $45 a hour and part of the $10 increase over the life of the contract. Some locations like Chicago actually started new drivers closer to the $42 to get the number of drivers they needed to hire. I am not sure what the $21 starting wage is under the new contract, but if you are able to look long term it’s worth the wait. If you are wanting the big money day one, you may not find it. Locations that are busy will work you 60 hours or so and with overtime it’s possible to make reasonable money while you are in the 3 year pay progression.

 

You would need to find the local contract for the specific area you want to work in because every part of the country is not the same. If I was you I would speak to who ever is hiring at the location you want. Have them explain their local pay rates and number of years to top pay. In my part of the country they generally only hire you for “Peak season” initially to see if you do a good job or not. Fortunately that pay is within a few dollars an hour of top pay. After you prove yourself in the peak season and they decide to give you a full time job, you start the lower pay progression. This chart is generic and may or may not be the same as the location you may want to work.

 

If you started today at the lower rate in 4 years you will be making $49 an hour straight time and $73.60 for anything over 8 hours. If you work 60 hours a week, which is the average for many Feeder Drivers you will make $178,360 a year plus benefits which will put you at roughly $225,000 a year. It’s worth working for $20 something an hour for a few years in my opinion.

 

The starting wage right now in Chicago is $30 and $.71 and 7 cents a mile per diem. With new contract the top pay in 2027 will be like $49.50 hr and $1.14 a mile plus 8 cents a mile per diem. That’s for sleeper team.

Don’t ask about brown trucks. More than likely you won’t driver them anytime soon. Lol

 

Thanks for the current information and you are correct I won’t drive them anytime soon. I drove both White and Brown for many years and don’t have any plans to go back. Spring Ride suspension and Air Clutch. I wouldn’t trade my Pete for one, but they actually rode fairly good back in the day.