Try being like Brown

I`ve seen most of the trucking companies that pay the most and have the Best Drivers in the Trucking Industry. I do have to say UPS Drivers make the most in the industry, and are some of the best drivers I have ever ran with. UPS/Frieght also makes very good money, and have the same quality of drivers. And the list goes on. But for any newbie driver, try and apply at UPS and be the quality driver that UPS hires. UPS will not put up with no BS. They are a tight ship company. I have Many friends who work for UPS, and make $90-100K a year. Home every day. No weekends. Great Pension. This is what you want to be. Many of your local companies, there drivers make well over $20.00 per hour. You can do this also. Drive your truck as safe as possible. When you apply at your next job, they want to see how many tickets, and Accidents. You must pertain a perfect driving record, period. Then the doors will open, and the phones will ring.
Gaurantee it.

 

Per your suggestion I have read your post here and it sounds pretty standard boilerplate Union type wages to me. Nothing against it and I have never worked for a union. I have seen union companies disappear over the past 20 some odd years I have been working. Pilots unions, Teamsters, Machinist Unions, Union organized paper mills etc have all seen a huge reduction in numbers.

Union carriers do have some pretty strict hiring guidelines but in the case of "Brown" they actually like to hire from within the ranks. Meaning a package handler that expresses a desire to drive may be sent to truck driving school and then moved into a driving position as needed. For me this was and is still not acceptable. I have paid my money for schooling and training. I have put in my time. I will not work on someones dock loading and unloading packages by hand just to get a chance at maybe getting a driving job later on. UPS likes to "train" drivers themselves so they can make them what they want without having other potential bad influences popping up in their organization.

Then factor into the on call BS these union carriers foist upon new hires and you can see why they are becoming a dying breed.

It may takes years of being on call to actually make it onto a regular route and then you might get bumped by a senior driver bidding for your run or transferring from another yard. Low man on the totem pole also gets laid off in an economic recession. Doesn't matter how skilled that driver is. It is based on longevity with the company.

Sorry, wargames unions are not all they are cracked up to be IMO anyway. I do things my way and get paid well. I do not have to wear a uniform or pay my hard earned money to some agency to protect my job. I am not limited to driving a 60 mph truck (been there, done that, got the t shirt). I am good at what I do and have risen to the top in 3 of the 4 companies I have worked for based on my work ethic and skill. The 4th company was a bad match (Shaffer) and I left after 3 months to start work for my current carrier.

Each carrier will have its boasters and detractors. I have the same at my company and have seen disgruntled drivers at every company i have ever had contact with.

The key is to find a carrier that YOU can live with.

 

We payed a little better than UPS but our industry is changing. (gasoline companies). But if you're lucky and have your sights set right you can make it to the top. With me the top is with the major oil compaies like Chevron, Shell, BP/ARCO, Exxon, and a few others. But just like with UPS you have to go after the job and wait until the job opens up and that can take a few years. Drivers do not quit from these jobs they retire. My job was not with the union. There are unions with the gasoline companies but it is not widespread like people may think.

You are 100% right about the record. It needs to be spotless and you also need to build a name for yourself because there will be many applicants after that job. These types of jobs come after years of driving with your career going for that job. You can't just walk into Chevron with 20 years OTR safe driving and expect a job. But if you have 20 years with OTR with tankers in there then they will be very interested.

That's why I suggest to new drivers to sit down and make out a plan for your future. Where do you want to be in 5,10,20 years. All the way up to retirement. However, there is no perfect job out there. Yes you can find great jobs but just like any other industry you have some drawbacks. In the gasoline business it runs 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Some will like working nights at $28.50 an hour for 10 hours then time and a half after that and some may not. Every job has some negative aspects so that is why you make a plan. You try to find the job that fits YOU the best. But you'll never get to experience those great jobs if your record is questionable.

 

I only wish I had enough sense to have went to work for brown when I was younger. Usual process is working warehouse, then going to parcel delivery ( the little delivery trucks), then on to linehaul. It would be a horrible horrible shame to be paid double time and a half for working a holiday or for being paid overtime for anything over eight hours a day. Even more horrendous to be paid for being on call at a nice wage..it would be so much better to be sitting in a truckstop waiting for a load for sometimes a couple days at a time....for nothing. Oh the shame and the horror of it all........ I would 100% FULLY encourage any young guys entering this industry that seriously care about their future, to go to brown and work your way into linehaul. Forget sleeper trucks and all the schidt that goes with it. It will be worth more than anyone can make you realize..make no mistake about it. And no..I am not a teamster and have never worked for brown, but have some close friends who do and have been there for a long time. There is no comparison between brown and a OTR job with a ho-hum typical cookie cutter (which all of them have turned into) company. They do run a tight ship...thats part of the job and why you are compensated very well.

 

JlKKlJ777, Gas Hauler, rambler, all three of you have Great post here. Newbies should read all 3 of your post, and pursue it. I don`t work for UPS, I heckle a couple of friends that work there, and tell them, Our company makes UPS look like a Ma-and-Pa store, They always laugh. But again, UPS, and I would have to say, Fuel Tankers, are some of the best paying jobs out there. Thanks guys for the Great Post.

 

Great post Wargames..

UPS Parcel/Freight are the two best jobs I know of on the road around here. It definitely takes some time to work your way up to a good position which is why I always try to advise younger guys to get on at an LTL freight or parcel company. If you start young, you get go through the lean times when it's not necessary to make a lot of money. I started at CCX when I was 22 and by time I was 27 I was at top rate and could pretty much do whatever I wanted to bid wise. The other thing about starting young especially at UPS which is union, is you'll have all that time in the pension and 401K plans and you'll be able to retire pretty young if you choose.

Hindsight is what it is and I'm definitely happy here, but there is a part of me that wishes I was at a UPS company. When I hired here back in 03 it was between CCX and Overnite - back then even the Overnite drivers said to go with CCX since it was a better job. We always thought, and the rumors were, that UPS was gonna purchase Con-way's regionals for their freight division but it ended up being Overnite and Motor Cargo - who knew right.

Most of the good jobs tend to be seniority based so just understand that you don't hire into the good runs and top pay scales. It takes some patience and it can take a while to move up the board because drivers very rarely quit these jobs unless they're leaving for something else altogether. Just be patient, do what you're asked to do, and remember it will pay off down the line..

 

Jakebrake12, thanks, CCX, Im not even sure If you guys use that name anymore, Now just Conway? But I had a friend that worked for them years ago. And Conway, is another Very good company. You guys have a lot of line-haul runs. Lot`s of Newbies, are trying the wrong companies. Just to name another few Great companies that pay very well are, RoadWay, Yellow, ABF, USF Holland, AAA Cooper, Vitran, just to name a few. I know RW, Yellow, are not doing well. There are So many more local companies that they probably can get hired on at. Some small companies might only have 5-6 trucks, but pay extremly well. Another good way for Newbies looking for work, when they drive down the road, Look at all the Trucks going by, write down there names, and call them. I say it all the time, Bottom line, Keep a perfect driving record. I have 37 years driving, No Accidents, 1 ticket in 1985 for crossing over double yellow lines in a small town. 2nd ticket in 1974 for driving in the left lane. So It can be done.

 

Even though I'm not a driver currently I agree. OTR may seem like where the money is to the new guys, plus the traveling. But the reality is you won't make more than 700 a week in most cases, excluding o/o's which is a different ballgame. I've been wanting to get on the road, and contacted a few places, but I also have the chance to get my cdl through my current job. Given the aspect of more money and hometime, addition to great benefits, if you can start in ltl, do it. Would you rather make good money and home every night, or barelY getting by and out for weeks at a time? Think about the future. I'll gladly pull chickens (hey, chicken lights, lol) or feed to move on to something better if I want, instead of driving for places like swift and werner. This is just an opinion from a guy that can move up within the ranks.

 

I have to say I'm a little disappointed that more questions have not been asked by new drivers on this thread - just comments by experienced drivers regarding very good jobs like UPS.

Everyone is always asking what the best jobs are and here you have some people that might be able to point you in the proper direction.

 

So could someone recommend a good route to a career with a company like UPS, given I still need to build experience first? I couldn't afford private school so I have to go OTR for atleast a year first, but what would be the first step towards working for a company like UPS after that first year? Or is it alot harder if you go OTR first, rather than going to a school then applying? Thanks alot for this info everyone, even about the union side of things. Definitely appreciated.