UPS drivers making $170,000 a year?

[Samething]

Do you have specific knowledge of what the metrics are for the drivers? Do they have to get a certain number of stops per hour or something like that? Can they get fired if they work at a more reasonable pace that is below what UPS expects?

Sorry I don’t know.

 

[aaronc879]

Sorry I don’t know.

That's fine I was just curious if they go so fast just because they want to get home at a reasonable time for dinner or if it's because they are pushed to by management and threatened with termination if they don't go sooo fast.

 

[jollystomper]

Another aspect of the job I did not realize - UPS trucks (and I believe their large warehouses) are not air conditioned. That certainly adds to the physical labor stress in warm weather. Those who think driving around makes it an easy should consider this aspect.

Once a UPS driver dropped something off on a hot day, we happened to have some frozen water bottles at the time, and DW offer her a couple. You would have thought we tipped her $100 from her reaction. Now I know part of the reason.

 

[aaronc879]

Another aspect of the job I did not realize - UPS trucks (and I believe their large warehouses) are not air conditioned. That certainly adds to the physical labor stress in warm weather. Those who think driving around makes it an easy should consider this aspect.

Once a UPS driver dropped something off on a hot day, we happened to have some frozen water bottles at the time, and DW offer her a couple. You would have thought we tipped her $100 from her reaction. Now I know part of the reason.

Like most other companies, the offices at UPS are the only place air conditioned. Never understood how management thinks they are the only ones who need A/C or heat.

 

[MarieIG]

Another aspect of the job I did not realize - UPS trucks (and I believe their large warehouses) are not air conditioned. That certainly adds to the physical labor stress in warm weather. Those who think driving around makes it an easy should consider this aspect.

Once a UPS driver dropped something off on a hot day, we happened to have some frozen water bottles at the time, and DW offer her a couple. You would have thought we tipped her $100 from her reaction. Now I know part of the reason.

That was very sweet of your DW.

 

[NW-Bound]

Surfing YouTube, I ran across a video describing the part-time delivery work for Amazon. People sign up, and drive to a warehouse where a preset load of packages will be loaded onto their vehicle. I think the lot is geared towards the vehicle they have, so that it will fit. People generally use a hatchback car.

Amazon gives them an app to log deliveries and to provide a routing to help with driving.

The job is called Amazon Flex delivery. It can pay as much as $150 for an itinerary that takes 3 hours. Some say it's better than driving Uber or other delivery services. No heavy lifting, because most of the time these packages are small and light. Or perhaps, the driver can specify whether he will take heavy packages.

Now, I understand why my Amazon packages are often delivered by individuals driving private cars.

PS. This Amazon Flex delivery scheme has been around for 4 years or more. I am always the last to know.

PPS. Looked some more. A YouTuber said he quit doing this because of competition. Too many people sign up for this gig job, and it does not pay much anymore.

 

[Texas Proud]

Talking all over the place...


High pay for UPS driver is not because they lift heavy packages... there are a lot of jobs that lifting heavy stuff is normal and are not getting that level of salary and benefits...


The reason software engineers complain is that they have studied and have a job that requires knowledge that requires their brain... the UPS driver has not and does not (well, some but not like most white collar jobs)


I would even say that other blue collar jobs require more skill than a UPS driver... electrician, plumber, HVAC all require training that you do not pick up in a few days or weeks...


The reason UPS is paid so well is.... they are unionized... without being in a union I would bet their salary might be half of what it is...


When I was working for my mega corp in NYC the doorman at my building was making more money than I was... they were unionized...


It is the way of the world...

 

[Yipper]

And UPS will pass along increased prices, then the sellers will raise their prices, and then the manufacturers will......and so on.

which is definitely one of the reasons Amazon decided to build out their own logistics and delivery organization.

 

[Yipper]

The reason UPS is paid so well is.... they are unionized... without being in a union I would bet their salary might be half of what it is...


When I was working for my mega corp in NYC the doorman at my building was making more money than I was... they were unionized...


It is the way of the world...

Unions are coming for tech workers too... it's not far off.

 

[ERD50]

I can barely walk for an hour without carrying anything so no way i'm working 9+ hours 5 days a week carrying hundreds of boxes. I read a story about a UPS driver who said he walked 11 miles or more every day for his route. That is while carrying boxes and sometimes going up stairs. No thanks.

That doesn't sound right. 11 miles is ~ 58,000 feet. Let's guess an average 200' round walking trip each stop. That's 290 stops, so in a 10 hour day, that's 29 stops per hour, or one stop every 2 minutes - on average, including walking/running 200' with a package, driving to the next stop, doing whatever paperwork they need to do per stop.

I never paid too much attention, but it seems the trucks stop for a while at each stop, looking up the next stop, I guess. I don't see them stop, run, go.

11 miles seems very high.

-ERD50

 

[aja8888]

That doesn't sound right. 11 miles is ~ 58,000 feet. Let's guess an average 200' round walking trip each stop. That's 290 stops, so in a 10 hour day, that's 29 stops per hour, or one stop every 2 minutes - on average, including walking/running 200' with a package, driving to the next stop, doing whatever paperwork they need to do per stop.

I never paid too much attention, but it seems the trucks stop for a while at each stop, looking up the next stop, I guess. I don't see them stop, run, go.

11 miles seems very high.

-ERD50

No Paperwork. It's all with a hand scanner. The time spent in the truck is to locate the package on the shelves. I've watched them do this numerous times.

 

[NW-Bound]

... The reason UPS is paid so well is.... they are unionized... without being in a union I would bet their salary might be half of what it is...

Won't competition take care of this? Amazon is doing its own delivery to reduce shipping costs, such as the Flex delivery I described above. It surely looks less expensive.

Does Amazon still use UPS or FedEx services? Then, Amazon may save the heavy packages for outside contractors. Amazon Flex couriers handle quite light and small packages using private passenger cars, as I have seen. Then, UPS drivers make more, but have to work harder because they handle exclusively big and heavy packages that cannot fit in passenger cars.

 

[aaronc879]

Surfing YouTube, I ran across a video describing the part-time delivery work for Amazon. People sign up, and drive to a warehouse where a preset load of packages will be loaded onto their vehicle. I think the lot is geared towards the vehicle they have, so that it will fit. People generally use a hatchback car.

Amazon gives them an app to log deliveries and to provide a routing to help with driving.

The job is called Amazon Flex delivery. It can pay as much as $150 for an itinerary that takes 3 hours. Some say it's better than driving Uber or other delivery services. No heavy lifting, because most of the time these packages are small and light. Or perhaps, the driver can specify whether he will take heavy packages.

Now, I understand why my Amazon packages are often delivered by individuals driving private cars.

PS. This Amazon Flex delivery scheme has been around for 4 years or more. I am always the last to know.

PPS. Looked some more. A YouTuber said he quit doing this because of competition. Too many people sign up for this gig job, and it does not pay much anymore.

It is only available in certain areas. i tried signing up for it just to find out it was not available anywhere near me. I have heard that by the time you take off self employment tax, income tax, and vehicle expenses the pay is very low.

 

[ERD50]

No Paperwork. It's all with a hand scanner. The time spent in the truck is to locate the package on the shelves. I've watched them do this numerous times.

Yes, I'm sure the 'paperwork' for the delivery is all handled by the scanner, but as you say, they have to locate the next package, and the next stop (that I would imagine automatically comes up on their GPS?). It still takes time.

But the point is, they are spending some time in the truck, and I just don't see how they could end up with 11+ miles walked in a day.

-ERD50

 

[aaronc879]

That doesn't sound right. 11 miles is ~ 58,000 feet. Let's guess an average 200' round walking trip each stop. That's 290 stops, so in a 10 hour day, that's 29 stops per hour, or one stop every 2 minutes - on average, including walking/running 200' with a package, driving to the next stop, doing whatever paperwork they need to do per stop.

I never paid too much attention, but it seems the trucks stop for a while at each stop, looking up the next stop, I guess. I don't see them stop, run, go.

11 miles seems very high.

-ERD50

Not every route is made up of suburban neighborhoods where every house is close to the street. A lot of drivers have a lot of apartments and/or offices on their route which require a lot more walking. The higher seniority drivers will often bid on rural routes where they have to drive more but have fewer stops and less walking. Most routes are between 100-200 stops but some of those stops may also have pickup and may require more than one trip.

 

[Walt34]

Does Amazon still use UPS or FedEx services?

Yes. Just yesterday I received three packages delivered by UPS, one ordered from Amazon and two from Home Depot. Normally the HD packages are delivered by Fedex but occasionally by UPS. And normally the Amazon boxes are delivered by Amazon.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if all three of the delivery companies have software that talks to each other and says. "since you're gonna go to that address next Wednesday anyway, what would you charge to take this package?" and then make the appropriate decision/arrangements.

 

[sparky08]

But they can't make left hand turns.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/world/ups-trucks-no-left-turns/index.html

 

[skyking1]

That is anti-NASCAR and therefore Un American.

 

[jollystomper]

Unions are coming for tech workers too... it's not far off.

Not sure about this - companies are more likely to move them (or try to, anyway) into "contractor" status.

I am aware of the lawsuit Microsoft lost years ago related to this, but they did things that fuzzed the line between employees and contractors. Companies are now aware of this, and know what to avoid if they choose to go this route.

 

[jollystomper]

The reason UPS is paid so well is.... they are unionized... without being in a union I would bet their salary might be half of what it is...

This is a factor. Fedex drivers are not unionized. The Fedex ground drivers are not Fedex employees, they are contractors. Their salary is much less than the UPS drivers salary.

The question might be what is a "fair amount" to pay the drivers in slary and benefits... but "fair" becomes a never-ending debate...

 

[Winemaker]

Just had 2 -12 bottle cases of wine delivered from Amador County, CA. $153 total Dropped at shipper last Friday morning, received yesterday afternoon.35yo Driver hand carried each box to door. Priceless, as I didn't have to shlep them in another wine suitcase. I already had that one full.

 

[Badger]

Reading it more, you have to work in a warehouse for a number of years before getting a driver position. Still, it does sound like a viable path for someone coming out of high school. Start in the warehouse at age 18, maybe get a driver position at age 23? Work until age 45, retire with $2 million and a pension. No college needed.

My son-in-law did exactly that. Started at 18 in the warehouse and worked up to a delivery job and then to driving an 18 wheeler up and down the state. He is now 60 and will work for a year or two to get health insurance when he retires. And here all this time I was worried for them having enough money to comfortably retire (my daughter will add to their retirement with a pension from teaching). Their present income is twice what we ever made and their pensions etc. will be quite a bit more than ours as well. They also trade cars often, eat at restaurants and go drinking a few times a week, and go to many concerts and football games during the year. I'm no longer concerned for their retirement future or supplementing with a sizeable inheritance. It may be time for me to BTD and donate more to animal rescues.

Cheers!

 

[otodd]

"It's important to note that the $170,000 figure represents the entire value of the UPS package, including benefits, and doesn't represent the base salary. UPS drivers currently make an average of about $95,000 a year with an additional $50,000 in benefits, the company says."

Sorry if this was posted already. I didn't read through all of the post.

 

[Koolau]

And UPS will pass along increased prices, then the sellers will raise their prices, and then the manufacturers will......and so on.

And UPS prices have been rising all along. They may well explode in the near future. These things tend to w*rk themselves out. It's not unlikely some of those folks earning the $170K may not have a position in the future if prices exceed people's willingness to pay. Nothing in the business world happens in a vacuum. (By the way, I'm not taking a stand on right, wrong or indifferent.) Just saying that prices/willingness to pay seek their own level. YMMV

 

[Sconie]

There are going to be LOTS of opportunities for lower-cost competitors.