UPS Team OTR

Carter Express not working out?

 

I worked at UPS package this last season as a feeder driver. Hated every second of it, left a good job that I can not go back to now. Think long and hard.

 

Do UPS company teams exist? If it's not on a feeder truck I thought it was on a plane?

 

Too many rules for me plus I thought I could handle a uniform......Wrong. Also I like to have a beard. On call not to mention (not sure about the sleeper teams). Overall there good pay and benefits was not enough, for the B.S. Some can handle it some can not. You will find out why they get paid so good when you work there, they expect you to live, eat, breath, sleep UPS. All I am saying is do your research before jumping ship.

 

Yes they have sleeper teams, usually white Volvo, international, or cascadia

 

Yes we have teams, but not many. Most of our freight is moved by rail. Usually the most senior drivers bid team runs. The bid winner can then choose their teammate. Pay is about $.70 a mile. Most team guys will each make $120k to 130K a year. Runs vary, but most are out 4-4 1/2 days and off 2 1/2-3 days. I run local from a center in Northern Colorado to Denver. Make two round trips and work about 52-53 hours a week and pulled down 102K. Mileage guys do better than hourly guys like me, but I'm not complaining. Make $100k driving a truck. Not bad, but 80% of the work is at night for local guys which turns off a lot of package guys from bidding into feeders. I don't mind it, because I can sleep during the day.

UPS is a pay your dues company. The junior guys get the worse runs and the senior guys get the best runs. The longer you work here the better it gets. A junior guy can get into a team run if the senior driver who wins the team bid picks the junior guy to run with him. Make friends with a senior guy and get him to pick you as a teammate. I've been at UPS for 25 years, so life is good because I'm the most senior Feeder driver at my small center. We only have 3 feeder runs. I can choose which run I want, which vacation days I want, and which days off I want. It is great.

It is easier to get a job off the street at UPS as a Feeder driver than a Package car driver, because Feeder bids go unfilled because of the night work. If no one bids the Feeder job than the company will hire off the street. I'm not sure why the driver hated UPS so much, because every off the street hire I've ever met says UPS is like a vacation to every other driving job they have had. Work is steady, pay is great, benefits are great, equipment is great, repairs are done, great vacation time (I have 7 weeks off a year) and union protection. Seems a little silly to give up a good job over a beard and uniform, but some people aren't cut out for UPS. Suspect there may be more to that story. UPS does have its way, and they expect you to follow their way. I've never found any rules to be odd, but I came up through UPS, so maybe I'm just use to it. Most have a purpose behind them. Like memorizing driving and yard safety rules. Lots of drivers hate that, but it is designed to keep everyone safe. Most guys who can't cut it at UPS want do things their way and find when they can't they quit or get fired. Or they want to have the life of a senior driver like me. Best runs, best pay, best time off, but can't because of their lower seniority. They don't think it's fair etc. What they don't except is that we all put in the time and took the bad runs and worked the bad hours until we got to point we are at now where life it good. Some guys just don't want to pay their dues for a better life.

If anyone want to know more about UPS shoot me a message.