UPS to hire 25,000 drivers over next 5 years... boomers retiring

[Peacetrain]

at 74,000 dollars a year. Who knew that UPS drivers made so much money.

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109258/ups-thinks-out-of-the-box?mod=career-leadership

If you are good with video games and technology.. (and making right hand turns) I would be checking this one out

[hedgehog]

1. and have the legs to wear shorts - don't forget that part!

B-)

[Peacetrain]

2. The most important part.. what was I thinking!

:rofl:... Actually our neighbor is a UPS driver, I just about dropped the coffee when I saw what the job pays..

[TwilightGardener]

3. Always thought that would be a cool job--but I can't lift enough weight, would

barely be able to see over the steering wheel. I don't think they hire women under five feet, LOL.

[Peacetrain]

5. Well the guy that comes used to deliver up by the church.. I swear

he was only 5 foot tall and a 110 pounds. I used to push cookies at him, to eat more. I think it is more being a little techie.. which cuts me out. That and right hand turns. Something about going right just goes against the grain ;)

[TwilightGardener]

10. Yeah, I guess...plus, I would submit that backing up is not my best talent.

I tend not to look. I've backed into several things: big truck, concrete post, boat (don't ask). Thank God no people or animals so far.

[Peacetrain]

15. Yep I hear you on the backing up part.

I want one of those car add ons that beeps when you back up and are about to take out the car behind you or move that concrete post to a new position.

[TwilightGardener]

17. That would help--I could stop doing "faith-based" reverse.

[Peacetrain]

18. I am stealing that line!!! So true

:rofl:

[iris27]

4. They are Teamsters and seniority-based. I applied to work at

UPS once, and they said they start everyone as a loader/unloader (unpacking the big semis into other semis or into the brown trucks depending where the package is going) and that the drivers are hired based on desire and seniority from the loader/unloaders. Apparently the waiting list to be a driver is 10 years long. I'd imagine by that time you've accumulated quite a few pay raises.

[Peacetrain]

8. They must be an okay company to work for.. Their people stay there..

These are all boomer retires that need to be replaced. I have to think about this a second. With all the boomers coming up for retirement, will this automatically start to ease the job crunch? Something I had not considered before this second.. Hmmmmm gotta think on this one for a minute

[Blue Diadem]

19. One of my sons worked for them during college.

He sorted everything by zip code and sent it down the conveyors/chutes to the loading area. Tremendously fast work. Waiting list 16 yrs ago was 10 yrs plus.

[Statistical]

6. Remember lots of drivers have years of experience. $74,000 isn't starting pay.

UPS pays well but it is demanding work.

Computers monitor every delivery. You know that little pad thing it timestamps each package.

Computer "knows" how long it takes to get from delivery 23 to delivery 24 even accounting for weather and traffic.

Drivers are constantly pushed to increase productivity/speed. As the system gets more efficient the standards go up and you are competing against the new standards. It is a continual cycle and as your peers do better the standards are constantly tightened. Either you keep up or you get a pink slip.

Still if you can "perform" it is a good company to work for.

[NeedleCast]

7. Salary Might be somewhat off

That 74,000 dollars/year is the average salary of UPS drivers which (if their need to replace 25K jobs in the next five years is true) appears to be top heavy with longer term workers. So new drives can probably expect to make somewhat less than that. Still seems like a good salary.

[Peacetrain]

11. That is what I thought..

[lame54]

9. that's a plum job

[ixion]

12. My understanding of the culture at UPS is that

you work your ass off, but you can make decent money for doing so.

[Peacetrain]

13. My neighbor has been doing this for years and years.. he is that boomer

generation getting ready to retire. Nice guy, easy going.. But you are right, he works hard..

[Brickbat]

14. That's a great job, and if you can hack it, I highly recommend it.

Had several friends who are/were drivers. You work your ass off, but the Teamsters are good and strong at UPS, and it generally works well. There's good money and benefits to be had.

[Peacetrain]

16. No wonder they have such a decent pay scale.. UNION!

[kestrel91316]

22. OT: My g-g-grandfather was a Teamster way back in the 1800s when

they actually drove TEAMS OF HORSES, lol. Or so he said on his census.

[Brickbat]

25. Heh. Mr. Brickbat is now technically a Teamster, as a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive

Engineers. We collect a lot of union ephemera; I like the Teamster emblem but he doesn't so much -- he says the horse heads gross him out.

http://blet578.org/mediac/450_0/media/BLET$20LOGO$20RED$20BLUE.JPG

[NJmaverick]

20. K&R

[kestrel91316]

21. Our UPS drivers keep their jobs for YEARS and are not motivated to

go work elsewhere - at least they say that to me when I ask. It's long days of hard work, but a GOOD job.

[Peacetrain]

23. Well there is a whole slug of them getting ready to retire!

:)

[seaglass]

24. I am surprised that UPS has so many 60 year old drivers, I've never seen one.

Just a bit skeptical about that. Or maybe they force their drivers into early retirement. Interesting.