Walmart or UPS?

I was in parked traffic after a nasty crash that shut down the interstate and a UPS driver was in the lane next to me. I got out and went over to talk to him and kill time. I'm pretty sure he said he grossed over $130k last year. That's crazy money. Should be enough to quiet down anyone's inner Johnny Rebel!

 

buy some Power Ball and Mega Millions lottery tickets. win either one, and screw trucking.

this is what i do weekly


sadly, i am still trucking.

 

Two UPS drivers in my town. Just this year, one fell asleep and rolled a truck. Union was behind him and he still has a driving job. Other guy backed his package truck into a parked car. Not only was the the Union behind him, the supervisor did not write him up. He was really sweating that one, the shop said the damage to the package car was already there and the owner of the the old car didn't care about the brown stripe added to it.

My package car driver leaves his keys in it all the time.

The appearance thing is the real deal but overall UPS has to be the best job.

UPS freight is a different thing though.

 

pretty much right. I have many friends and ran with many brown drivers, all were great people, and top notch drivers, many been there for mucho years and many retired.

 

Go to UPS unless you like to like to deliver and live unload groceries at Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets most of you're work week. Now we are being forced to pull reefers too.Most loads, whether it is a general merchandise load or grocery load,are less than 100 miles anymore with multiple stops on the grocery loads.After you are empty with groceries then you live load somewhere ( after you donate 45 minutes you get paid $14.00 hr.) After a gm load you pickup a load to take to a grocery dc so you can haul groceries. They prefer the time you are backed in the dock off duty ( they don't outright tell you that) so you have more time left on you're 70hrs.I DO NOT do it off duty,the greedy ones will. Same on unloads but stores are told to try to get you out in 45 min. or less. Many days you will only run 350-400 miles because of that.You will run most miles in cities and 2 lane roads. If any of the blue kool-aid drinkers follow up on this and say any different they are not being honest. Be prepared to be followed and watched like a 2 year old at either place. Walmart health insurance is a complete joke too. It used to be a great job,not anymore. I've been here almost 16 years. It has drastically changed in the last 5 years and not for the good.If you do pick Walmart make sure you volunteer for things and donate to their charities so they get a tax right off and picture in the local paper so they look good. Then you will be one of the good ole boys or girls.They just love that.Just telling you the truth,good luck.

 

UPS parcel in Teamsters Local 30 tops out around $36/hr and their mileage guys get .76/mile to pull doubles. Pulling triples across Ohio will earn you .83 mile. The caveat is that you have to be FULL TIME (NOT full time seasonal) for those rates and it's nearly impossible to get hired from the street in to a bid.

Wal Mart private fleet guys supposedly make good bank, but if you pressure one of their drivers about the details they clam up rather quickly. Not saying they don't do well (supposedly paid to sleep in the bunk), but I've never gotten any specific pay rates.

I guess either place would be a good gig, but I'd lean towards UPS IF you can garner a full time position. I've worked their "peak" season for a few years and it's the easiest job you'll ever have. The doubles won't be an issue if you have a lot of experience pulling singles, I myself like pulling them.

Just my 2 cents, it's probably only worth a penny!

 

Yeah, but a penny saved is a penny earned though, right?

I've worked at UPS myself as a casual feeder driver and know former coworkers of mine working at both Walmart and UPS. One of them quit Walmart and is working for YRC because he mentioned it was worse than what he thought it would be. The other is a full time feeder driver and was one of the rare ones hired off the street.

I personally hated every second working for UPS. UPS has a saying, you either do it the UPS way or you hit the highway. For you drivers with 10-20 or more experience, you will find doing it the UPS way extremely annoying. If you start off at UPS and that's all you know, it's an easier transition. And just to add about the $36 and hour, that is the top rate at the end of thir current contract, their top rate currently is around $32 or 33.

UPS isn't for everyone. Yeah the money is good, but sometimes being happy at what you do is more important than money. I'm currently working for USPS and don't miss anything about UPS.

 

Current top hourly rate is $35 in my area. It will be 36.75(37.25 for triples) by the end of the contract.
Most runs over 500 miles pay by the mile. Current rate is just under 82 cpm for doubles, and just under 80 cpm pulling a single. Any delays are paid by hour with time and a half if it's at home domecile. If you are delayed at home domecile you are on the clock till you leave the gate, even if the delay only costed you 5 mins, you get payed for the whole duration you spent in the yard. By the end of the contract(2018 )mileage rate will be .8463cpm.

Sleeper teams get an aditional 2 cpm to the rate above along with 3.5 cpm per diem which covers ALL miles. It comes out to around 91 cpm(split). They also get payed hourly gate to gate at their stops. If their wheels arent turning they are on the clock for the most part. Both drivers get paid for ALL hourly pay, and if they take their 30 min lunch at a hub, or stop they get paid for it.

Saturdays are time and a half and double time for sundays.

 

Walmart pays $42.00 per night sleeper pay. Not sure but I believe that was based on 8 hour break at $ 5.25 per hour minimum wage.

 

I think the bottom line is: do you want to run a sleeper and make good money or do you want to be home daily and make 6 figures?

Or maybe go somewhere else with fewer hassles, make a little less but still be home daily.