UPS or Cryo-Hauling/ Which Career Is Better?

Well when I started at Walmart I was put on a 21:00 gate time which I hated. But it was only a few weeks later that they started posting up other available gate times and I was able to get onto a 12 noon relatively easy. I think I did about 2 months on that 21:00 gate time. We have several guys here that lost jobs when USF Holland/Yellow went under that all they had ever done was nights and that's what most of them do here.

You can pretty much get the time you want, or close to it, at Walmart. Now you might not get an assigned truck or you may even have to slip seat, it is what it is, and ultimately comes down to what's really important to an individual. And from what I've learned just because a night shift time slot here pays more per mile that doesn't mean it'll pay more at the end of the pay period versus a given dayshifht gate time. A little over a month ago I switched from a night shift gate time that was working weekends getting weekend premium pay to a dayshift with Friday and Saturday off and am grossing more in the pay period on the dayshift gate time. That's after taking the paycut from nightshift cpm and giving up the weekend premium too.

Some gate times are just better than others. I'm liking the one I'm on now for sure! But yeah starting out anywhere sucks. Here it'll be easier and faster to move around into more desired gate times than most other places, imo.

 

Yeah lol, maybe 3 years, they're a decent company.

So UPS just give them a severance package and stuff. I'm in Florida, I think there's a FedEx hub near me, I don't know about UPS though.

 

Aww man, split seating... they have great benefits base on what you said, so I'm guessing you're regional, if you're off 2 days a week. You said you like it there, how are they? Are they laid back or are they pushy ( I forgot the correct for that lol )? What's the lanes, do you guys deliver to stores or to DCs, I think I was following a Walmart driver on YouTube and I think he said, Walmart DCs can be completely different from one another, and you can relocate to another DC if you're moving or stuff. One more question, I rarely sew Walmart trucks at truck stops, I'm assuming they have OTR guys right? So do they stop a store or a DC for the night or where do they park lol.

 

At my DC we've currently got 3 day cabs. They did have 6 drivers in them on 12 hour shifts. Those guys were pulling $90k a year. I don't think any of them had more seniority than me and I'm just a hair over 2 years. They recently switched those to just 3 drivers on dayshift only with the possibility of working a 14 hour clock. I think the guy with the Monday thru Friday shift has more seniority than me but the other two don't. I anticipate when our automated warehouse that's currently under construction is done and we take on a lot more stores, including a bunch of Sam's that we don't currently service any Sam's, they'll have more day cab spots available. It's not something I'm interested in until I see it making $450 or better a day which might happen after the DC expansion is done. So right now you don't need much seniority to get into a day cab at my DC not sure how daycabs work out at other DC's.

 

It's laid back as far as if you know what's expected and you do things that way no-one will say a word to you. If you think you're coming in there and doing things your way you won't last long. There are rules. Think of them as standards. Standards that are lacking in probably 95% or more of the rest of truck driving jobs. We all see the results of low or no standards out here every day. Standards are a good thing.

We hook to preloaded trailers and live unload perishables to the stores. 2 to 3 stores per load and typically 2 loads per shift. Sometimes there are backhauls. Usually drop and hook, sometimes live loads. You'll never be at a live load/unload for too long. Everything's on the clock and paid. We don't cheat and try to "save drive time by logging off duty" doing a bunch of on duty stuff, that's what you do at jobs that don't pay squat. Miles are paid by the hub, or EOBR these days. You break at the DC or a store. I never go to truck stops if I can help it. Maybe a half dozen times in the past two years?

 

Cool, what if you need to use the restroom or need a shower? You're regional right? Also how hard is it to get in there? How tight are some of these stores?

 

UPS offered a buy out package to people who had a minimum number of years in. Most of the people I am aware of who took it were ready to retire anyway. It didn’t change their pension, it was just an enticement to leave. I was told by my former co-driver it was 40 hours pay for every year of service.
Typically FedEx Ground doesn’t come close to UPS pay and benefits. FedEx Express (Air Package delivery) is nearly as good and FedEx Freight is also nearly as good as UPS pay.

 

Ok, thanks. I checked on the Walmart DC in Fort Pierce, and they're only hiring for Yard/City drivers, unfortunately I can't move or relocate so I'll stay where I am and keep an eye out for now. I don't know what my next move will be but I have a lot to think about for now.

 

Good luck, hopefully you find something that suits you. A yard or city driver job for Walmart would likely be a good job.