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TForce | UPS Freight Diary:

With a check of $1236.53 you have to admit its better than flipping burgers at Mickey Dee's.
So tell us all are you happy with that wage?
Or unhappy & complaining it should be more?

I know the mood of many youngsters just starting out in the work force.
Is they want top pay even when they are starting at the bottom.
When in the days I started out,everyone knew they had to work their way up to better pay,benefits,& working conditions.

So let me offer you a good tip maxicoze,Happy are those who have learned to live within their means.
As a rule contentment has more value than desired wealth.
 
@ Apostolic:
Yes and no: No in that obviously i want more. Yes, in that it's steady, stable with decent benefits, better than doing burgers (as you pointed out) and realizing that we're on a graduated pay scale.

Sure, the eventual payoff is good. However, IF a potential candidate has a sizeable mortgage and/or a car or several car payments and/or a kid or several kids then they should really think about coming to work here at UPSF. Because the first 1-3 years can be TIGHT financially.

IF you are fortunate enough to have say, inherited a house OR have a low monthly mortgage AND drive a car that has been paid for AND is dependable AND will not likely need major repairs for the next 3 or so years, then you might be able to make it even if you have 1 or 2 and maybe even 3 kids.
 
Any job starting out at the bottom wage can be tight if you have a lot of debt.
However I did offer the advice that we should all except,which is to live within our means.
Don't get over your head in debt,then the early years at any company will be more comfortable.
Later on as the pay increases of course you can spend more,however nothings a sure thing.
So we are better off saving,for luxury items then buying debt.

A little about me,I can be a bit sarcastic,however it is never my intent to be hurtful,but only to be helpful when I can.
 
You're on track to make about 60k in your first year. That's really not bad. Things will get better and better the more time you put in. It's like that at any ltl. If your work is steady, then sounds like you're going to be just fine.
 
maxicoze said:
IF you are fortunate enough to have say, inherited a house OR have a low monthly mortgage AND drive a car that has been paid for AND is dependable AND will not likely need major repairs for the next 3 or so years, then you might be able to make it even if you have 1 or 2 and maybe even 3 kids.
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This is the part I have a problem with . .... the new generation believe it should be given to them . in my opinion . ..if you can't afford the child you have now don't have anymore. money would be better spent on castration. ... then your child won't be a burden on society or have to wait for a family member to die to get back in the black .

Live with in your means . ...you will have more pride of ownership . ...
 
I couldn't agree more with the sentiments of the old timers. Don't bury yourself up to your neck if you don't have a big enough shovel.

On the flip side though, as a younger man myself, the younger folks today don't have faith in job security. It's easy to have the rug pulled out from under you at most jobs, so starting all over again is difficult.

A lot of you old timers have been doing this your entire lives. You made a career out of this, and you stayed with one or two companies from beginning to end. That's not as easy to do today as it used to be. A young man with no seniority is the first one to go when layoffs hit. So he starts all over again somewhere else. Layoffs come, he's out of a job again. How do you get any seniority if you are never given the chance?
 
I'm not whining about it .....but I have started over several times through company closures.... it's not new to me.

If you have good work ethic and work hard at it you will get another job.
 
Heres my post from another forum,instead of re-typing it I thought I'd share what my trucking life was like with you youngsters.
So I copy & pasted it,check out what this old timer had to put up with in my 45 year trucking career.

Yes I'm one of the oldtimers,however it wasn't easy for me to get enough time to receive a Teamsters pension.
In the 45 years working on LTL docks & P & D,I worked for 15 companies,everyone has gone under.

My first LTL was a company called Eazor Express,I worked for them just 2 years when they merged with another LTL.
When the other company workers had to dove tail,it wasn't a pretty transition,which lead to a wildcat strike.
I needed work so I went to St.Johnsbury, I was at the bottom of the list,so I was always being laid off.

From there I started getting any work I could from the rest of the LTL's in my area.
Sometimes working for 4 companies to get in 5 days of work.
I finally got hooked up with Consolidated freight ways,& we all know what happened with them.

From there I went to Halls Motor Transit,of course started over,then over the years with them I was able to climb up the seniority ladder.
By the time they went bankrupted I was number 2 on the P&D list,I can still remember the phone call when I was notified of the closing.

By then there were not very many union LTL's left,so I took a withdrawal,to freeze the union pension I had earned.
Then I hired on with non-union Overnite Transportation where I was promised a 40 hour week with no layoffs.
You better believe I grabbed that job,although it was not fun starting over again after so many years.

I was with Overnite when UPS bought them out,they sent me to become a certified safety trainer,& I worked another 5 years till I was 63.
By then I had enough years between Overnite,& UPS Freight to get a pension from UPS.
So I retired after 45 yrs with 15 total LTL companies,& 2 million miles working P&D.

There you go I'm an oldtimer,I have been blessed to have earned enough time just over 20 union & the rest non-union to receive 2 pensions.
However after putting up with everything in the 45 yrs,now retired since 2008 I really hate to have to take a 31% cut on one of the payments I'm used to.
Living on a fixed income,yes it is going to hurt.
Oh & by the way my first Teamster LTL P & D trucking job in the early 60's was $3.30 an hour.
 
Apostolic said:
Heres my post from another forum,instead of re-typing it I thought I'd share what my trucking life was like with you youngsters.
So I copy & pasted it,check out what this old timer had to put up with in my 45 year trucking career.

Yes I'm one of the oldtimers,however it wasn't easy for me to get enough time to receive a Teamsters pension.
In the 45 years working on LTL docks & P & D,I worked for 15 companies,everyone has gone under.

My first LTL was a company called Eazor Express,I worked for them just 2 years when they merged with another LTL.
When the other company workers had to dove tail,it wasn't a pretty transition,which lead to a wildcat strike.
I needed work so I went to St.Johnsbury, I was at the bottom of the list,so I was always being laid off.

From there I started getting any work I could from the rest of the LTL's in my area.
Sometimes working for 4 companies to get in 5 days of work.
I finally got hooked up with Consolidated freight ways,& we all know what happened with them.

From there I went to Halls Motor Transit,of course started over,then over the years with them I was able to climb up the seniority ladder.
By the time they went bankrupted I was number 2 on the P&D list,I can still remember the phone call when I was notified of the closing.

By then there were not very many union LTL's left,so I took a withdrawal,to freeze the union pension I had earned.
Then I hired on with non-union Overnite Transportation where I was promised a 40 hour week with no layoffs.
You better believe I grabbed that job,although it was not fun starting over again after so many years.

I was with Overnite when UPS bought them out,they sent me to become a certified safety trainer,& I worked another 5 years till I was 63.
By then I had enough years between Overnite,& UPS Freight to get a pension from UPS.
So I retired after 45 yrs with 15 total LTL companies,& 2 million miles working P&D.

There you go I'm an oldtimer,I have been blessed to have earned enough time just over 20 union & the rest non-union to receive 2 pensions.
However after putting up with everything in the 45 yrs,now retired since 2008 I really hate to have to take a 31% cut on one of the payments I'm used to.
Living on a fixed income,yes it is going to hurt.
Oh & by the way my first Teamster LTL P & D trucking job in the early 60's was $3.30 an hour.
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I really appreciate you giving us or me an insight on your career during your forty five years in the LTL industry and I'll save this and read it every now and then. You've been through a lot during your career but I especially admire how you stuck through the tuff times and I'm sorry that you have to deal with the 31% cut from one of your payments and I pray everything works out well for you. I don't complain as much maybe I get frustrated every now and then but when I go in it's guys like you that's been there and done that so I have to respect that. Again thank you for this post. Coming from a twenty nine year old YOUNGSTER. I'll make sure to save your post to keep cause its very inspirational but again I hope and pray every thing works out for you Apostolic.
 
@Apo:
Thanks for posting your background. Could you explain in further detail the dovetail process that may happen if two companies "merge?"
 
Also, i have not had time to scan any checks----will probably post the year end one.

The latest check was $1,394.62 gross----3 days P+D, 2 days linehaul.

i am at $54,515 gross for the year.
 
Well there is what is known in industry when companies merge,if the company that does the take-over wants to save most of their employees.
They will do what is called (End Tailing),which is the company's employees that was bought out,or merged will all come in at the bottom as needed according to their years of service,or seniority,if none are needed,or only a few the ones farther down the list are terminated.

However if the company that is merging,& not being taken over or bought out ,has in the agreement they want to keep most of their employees.
Those employees according to seniority,or years of service will blend in with the company employees of the larger company doing the merger.

So say you have for example 10 years with the larger company doing the merger you will be ahead of one that has 10 years with the company that is merged,& so on going down the list.
This is called (Dove Tailing)

Either way the lesser company that is merged is the biggest loser when it comes to saving their employees.
 
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So my final gross at UPSF was $59,179.42 Not entirely happy about that and will explain why in a sec.

HOWEVER, My complete year end gross was actually $61,725.17 because remember that easy weekend drop and hook gig i was telling you about?

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59,179.42 + 2,545.75 = 61.725.17

This weekend gig i don't do every weekend---maybe once, twice a month usually on sunday only. And it's really easy----almost not a job really. You just show up, casually drive to like 2 grocery stores. You don't touch jack---the receivers do everything. The only things you touch are the steering wheel, shift lever and landing gear crank handle. Just very laid back----no time pressure---you get there when you get there.

But anyways, back to upsF: i'm not entirely happy with the number considering all the hours i put in. Also, remember that i actually had a linehaul run for a while-----and still couldn't break 60K; So i guess this kinda shows how low the pay is for P+D when you are just starting out.

On the other hand, the 59K was the most i had ever made at any job so far, period. And thus the 61K IS the most i've ever grossed in a year.

My assessment so far on UPSF:

Complaints:

1) Little too much time pressure; You could very well have 21 or more stops. This may or may not include pickups. And we don't leave until after 10am sometimes. Screw it, i don't rush anymore. i'll still work as swiftly as possible without rushing, but if it doesn't all get delivered i don't really care anymore. We'll do it tomorrow.
Rushing really isn't good for you health---mental as well as physical.

2) Too many inside deliveries. We have the staples account and it's ALL inside delivery. i want to drive more, not necessarily go inside office buildings all day.

3) Volvo.

Those are the only complaints i have. (i am somewhat sure, based on inside info, that we are switching to KW and liner tractors though)

Good points:

1) There is a lot to be said about a Monday-Friday 9-5 daytime gig! It's not exactly 9-5, but you know what i mean---it's all daytime work. Weekends completely off, although there are opportunities to work on the weekend frequently. This is assigned through seniority though, but you would be surprised how many people want off on the weekends, thus a person with low seniority may very well have a good change to get weekend work----it's usually going to be at time and half since by friday afternoon you are already over 40 hours. i think ALL sunday work is time and a half irregardless of how many hours you have for the week, but am not sure----would have to ask a steward.

There's always a place to park at the end of the day. i remember when i was doing OTR, MANY times i could not find a space to park at the truckstop and thus had to keep on going (many times OVER the 10hr limit) to find a spot.

2) UPSF is definitely one of the most, probably THE most organized and well run company i've been associated with. It was like that when we were Overnite as well.
We do things the right way----if a manager or co-worker starts to act a little wacky, that S gets stomped out REAL quick. The behavior changes or that person is GONE.

3) equipment is improving. i have an automatic with torque converter right now. This makes the job much easier and more fun. Doing p+d with a manual is more work than you might think; When i was with fedex freight i counted the number of shifts i made in a day, and this was a route with mostly industrial parks---it wasn't downtown. i shifted 400 times that day!

So overall i'd say UPSF is a good company.
 
Mr. Pinkers said:
Why do you list Volvo as a complaint?
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i just don't like them. Don't like their atmosphere. Plus we've been having a lot of problems with them. Remember that big steering recall? 3 of our tractors had to be put out of service immediately and towed back to the dealer to be corrected.

They just don't feel right to me.
 
Still looking for a daytime linehaul run with no dockwork.

Or at least a nightime run with absolutely no dockwork.

Please advise.
 
Apostolic said:
So you are grossing a bit under $1200.00 per week, not to shabby if you ask me.

When I first started working P & D for Overnite July of 1986 my pay was only $368.80 gross for a 40 hour week.
My assigned tractor had no power steering,or air conditioning,I was pretty happy just having a full time job.
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Same for me AP. I remember the first power steering tractor I got with Overnite it took me awhile to keep it in my lane...lol!
 
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