Quote:
Originally Posted by tjv189
Thanks Snowman. That is how I figured it worked with UPS and their feeders. A lot of the guys I see driving the feeders just don't look like they are old enough to have gotten seniority, but I guess it just depends on the service center like you said. And you're right, you never know how long you will have to wait to get into a full time feeder position. So if that is what you ultimately wanted to do, you are better off starting OTR and getting 2 or 3 years of experience then going to UPS Freight rather than being a part time dock worker for x years waiting for a feeder position to open up and get through UPS's CDL training for the job. I think I would much rather do what you do (UPS Freight Road Driver) than wait around working a dock for low pay for who knows how long just to eventually get the CHANCE to get a feeder job. But that's just me.
However, I wouldn't mind driving a forklift or working docks every now and then like you said most LTL guys do. It would be nice to mix things up a little bit sometimes I think.
But I guess for now I have to concentrate on getting my 3 years of experience before I can start worrying about getting in with FedEx Freight or UPS Freight. But thank you very much Snowman for all your help. If I have any more questions regarding LTL, you can be sure I'm coming to you with them!
TJV189,
You are still going to have to wait it out at UPS Freight. As it has been stated they are Teamsters too which means all jobs are based on senority and bids.. I took my UPS Frieght job thinking it would be a great move up and it would have been if I wanted to work the docks for two plus years without ever seeing a driver's seat. I started as a Full Time Dock Worker with CDL at almost $19 an hour before the Teamster Contract was ratified this was July of 2007. I was told I would have to work the docks for the first six to nine months and would be used as a back up city driver to cover days off and vacations along with back up duty as the yard dog. During my first 8 months I saw a drivers seat twice and worked as the yard dog maybe four times, WHY So little you ask??? Well because there were two guys ahead of me on the docks who also had CDL'S and even before the union came on board they still worked off of senority so these two guys always got to choose first if they wanted to pull the specific shift. Fast forward to March / April of 2008 when all employees at the Orlando UPS Freight barn including myself decide to vote for the Teamsters to represent us at the barginning table. Once the contract was signed and in place the first thing UPS Frieght did was to cut back 8 city drivers to work the docks and two or three road drivers were bumped to city drivers. The one driver who had the most senority and who got bumped from his job had eight years with the comapany. That left me at the bottom of a long list of young guys who are not going anywhere, It soon became apparent that I would not be driving for at least another two years if I was lucky... The Union can work well for those who have senority all you have to do is stick it out and if you have patience and the ability to stand by while some (NOT ALL workers) "BUT SOME" lazy azz guys who have no work ethic and know how to play the system get to beat you out of the schedule / shift bid, & The job bid because they have been there longer then you. Nothing is based on how hard you work but rather how long you have been there and for some guys (not all) this breeds a form of laziness and a feeling of "I deserve this". It takes many many years to get your senority in these types of jobs and as I said if you have the patience then go for it.. I myself did not have the ability to wait it out and I am thankful for that as Iam now pretty damn close to what a road driver makes. Good luck with you choice in jobs...
(A little side note to the Union is that when the Teamsters were recruiting us at the front gate and all the meetings they held they never told us our contract would not be the same as the ground side or that they worked feverishly with UPS Ground to obtain a new contract for "them" and have it signed into effect six months early.)
In my book that was a underhanded move....
Timberwolf