Will UPS (Parcel division) train you to get your CDL?

I am from Canada working for UPS and the answer is yes!

I was a loader, combo driver (loading and then express deliveries), full time driver... Worked on that for 7 or 8 years...

Then I signed up for the feeders department a year ago, win the bidding for the job but I don't have CDL... Now, UPS actually have a supervisor (my supervisor now) to give me 2 weeks of training and better yet... He can give me a CDL so I don't even have to go through the exam and all that stuff... (I am a very good driver in the snow after working for them for years, so most of the trainning was shifting and backing) So yea, I have been working for a year hauling doubles or do pickups using 53", mostly working evenings and nights as a cover driver.

I don't know how do the union works down in the states, but after working for years for UPS, I think the most important thing is seniority, if someone outbid me I would've never get into driving the big truck and I'll just keep working on packages.... (Honestly, I've never throught of becoming a big rig driver, I am becoming 1 simply because there's an opening and I happen to win the bid...) I guess in my center there are many package car drivers working on gravy runs and they don't even want to change anymore, some don't wanna work night and all that stuff...

 

Boonie you really want to work for UPS that badly? If your eventual goal is to become a trucker, why not just go with a trucking school, trucking company and start hauling trailers right away? I don't know how hard of a worker you are, but seriously, working on packages is back breaking work and yet you are always in a hurry... In my understanding, not many people can physically do the job on a daily basis, and maybe only half of the capable can take it mentally and emotionally of all the bs and stay... Over the years I've seen so many people quit on package delivery... And UPS always have "special treatment" for new drivers and ppl low on seniority, they give you the most demanding or the most undesirable runs...

I was probably 1 of the best or the most efficient package car driver in my center, which means I am doomed... Because of my ability to do blind runs, meaning you don't know the area at all but you can still efficiently do like 13 plus stops per hour... My management kept putting me on the worst and most demanding runs... And probably because I was too good of a delivery driver and hard to find, they don't even wanna make me a management even I've applied for it... (They would rather make an incapable sucker your management because they know that the guy can't make it as a delivery driver...) All the new runs up for bid are screwed, let's say a driver retire and he used to do 78 delivery stops per day, management will make it like 95 stops per day run and let you bid for it... So even though I had highest seniority among drivers without a run, I never bid on any package delivery runs cuz I know it's a rip off you are screwed everyday anyways... End up I said enough is enough I need a change and go into feeders... I love my job now and I think I've made a great decision, because at least the feeders department treat me with respect, they are not phony about safety, things aren't rushed and I actually have time to get things done unlike in package delivery...

My biggest concern for you is, before you've reached your goal, you have given up already just because package delivery can be so demanding...