UPS 7.5t multidrop driver, £14 ph Monday to Friday

Anyone worked for UPS as a 7.5 t multidrop driver, pay is better than most class 1 jobs and thinking of applying. Any advice from someone who’s worked there would be greatly appreciated. Also if there’s any chance of progressing onto class 1 and what their hourly rate is? Cheers.

Trapped.in.hell:
Anyone worked for UPS as a 7.5 t multidrop driver, pay is better than most class 1 jobs and thinking of applying. Any advice from someone who’s worked there would be greatly appreciated. Also if there’s any chance of progressing onto class 1 and what their hourly rate is? Cheers.

I would like to find out this as well as was looking at them for some time, they advertised in my area. From what I found from some reviews job is not easy because of pressure and work - life balance is not good but pay is good.

On a tacho so it can’t be as bad as van driving

Hard graft long days,expect mon-fri to be basically work and sleep and not much else.
Adverts used to say must be able to lift upto 70kg not sure if it still does…bear in mind lifting 70kg and walking 200 yards and up a flight of stairs with 70kg are 2 different things.
It’ll either make you fit, kill you or you’ll jack it in one of those 3 :laughing:

Very little chance of progressing to class one as most of the depots the parcels are brought in and out using class ones from the main hub but the regional depots don’t have anything more than 7.5T operating from there.

Lets say the run is 40 to 50 drops a day, triple that over Christmas, it sounds a lot, but 20 drops may be in a few industrial estates within a few miles area.
Maybe you load up for the next day when return to base, or night loaders do it for you.

A mate of mine came out of the mob and drove for them, great money and kept him fit, he was a freak though, he used to do 2 or 3 hundred miles on his pushbike for relaxation.

xichrisxi:
Hard graft long days,expect mon-fri to be basically work and sleep and not much else.
Adverts used to say must be able to lift upto 70kg not sure if it still does…bear in mind lifting 70kg and walking 100 yards and up a flight of stairs with 70kg are 2 different things.
It’ll either make you fit, kill you or you’ll jack it in one of those 3 :laughing:

Very little chance of progressing to class one as most of the depots the parcels are brought in and out using class ones from the main hub but the regional depots don’t have anything more than 7.5T operating from there.

Thanks for the insight, I’m guessing you’re talking from first hand experience? When I checked some reviews they pretty much said exactly what you have said, good pay but worked to the bone. A couple of other things I forgot to ask is if it’s hourly pay or salaried, paid breaks? I don’t think I’d mind too much if I were to work 12 hrs and get paid £168 for it, even breaking my back with large packages. I worked on the dray for a couple of years and that was hard labour, especially in the summer! I like the idea of getting my weekends back but maybe it’s just a case of ‘the grass is always greener’ syndrome.

xichrisxi:
Very little chance of progressing to class one as most of the depots the parcels are brought in and out using class ones from the main hub but the regional depots don’t have anything more than 7.5T operating from there.

:confused:

It was usually the opposite in that most trunks were based at the depots running either direct between them.Or all into the hub at Nuneaton then back to base after the transhipment sort.Also google street view of Feltham depot at least seems to show plenty of artics still based there.It’s difficult to see how the hub system could work otherwise.

Also don’t think much would have probably changed regarding class 1 drivers usually being recruited as that from day 1 and I’d guess if they’ve got anyone started on multi drop they’d preferably want to keep them on it being a difficult job to fill.While I’d happily earn less for class 1 than 7.5t multi drop with the latter earning every penny.

Site user nickyboy used to work for them, don’t know if he still does, but he did a ‘day in the life’ type post a few years back and it was a busy day with around 100+ deliveries, plus collections.
Unlike many white van men type courier/delivery people, UPS have standards to uphold.

Trapped.in.hell:

xichrisxi:
Hard graft long days,expect mon-fri to be basically work and sleep and not much else.
Adverts used to say must be able to lift upto 70kg not sure if it still does…bear in mind lifting 70kg and walking 100 yards and up a flight of stairs with 70kg are 2 different things.
It’ll either make you fit, kill you or you’ll jack it in one of those 3 :laughing:

Very little chance of progressing to class one as most of the depots the parcels are brought in and out using class ones from the main hub but the regional depots don’t have anything more than 7.5T operating from there.

Thanks for the insight, I’m guessing you’re talking from first hand experience? When I checked some reviews they pretty much said exactly what you have said, good pay but worked to the bone. A couple of other things I forgot to ask is if it’s hourly pay or salaried, paid breaks? I don’t think I’d mind too much if I were to work 12 hrs and get paid £168 for it, even breaking my back with large packages. I worked on the dray for a couple of years and that was hard labour, especially in the summer! I like the idea of getting my weekends back but maybe it’s just a case of ‘the grass is always greener’ syndrome.

Next door but one used to work for them,he was in his late 50s and managed it though…

Have a friend who works for UPS good company to work for. The vans are all 7.5t so you will work for your money, OT Is paid after 8 hrs daily work not weekly &
You get an average of Your ot hours while on holiday.They always seem to promote class 1 from within the company very rarely you will see a class 1 position advertised, The class 1 drivers are on v good money for what is asked of them straight trunks depot to depot.

Wheel Nut:
A mate of mine came out of the mob and drove for them, great money and kept him fit, he was a freak though, he used to do 2 or 3 hundred miles on his pushbike for relaxation.

It’s a sad state of affairs when a “Job” is expected to “Keep you fit” rather than “Keep the lights on” these days, eh? :frowning:

mjallby:
Have a friend who works for UPS good company to work for. The vans are all 7.5t so you will work for your money, OT Is paid after 8 hrs daily work not weekly &
You get an average of Your ot hours while on holiday.They always seem to promote class 1 from within the company very rarely you will see a class 1 position advertised, The class 1 drivers are on v good money for what is asked of them straight trunks depot to depot.

Let’s be finding out that hourly rate, and other contract details then… Mmmm! :smiley:

mjallby:
They always seem to promote class 1 from within the company very rarely you will see a class 1 position advertised, The class 1 drivers are on v good money for what is asked of them straight trunks depot to depot.

Changed out of all recognition to the job that I knew in the late 90’s. :confused:

It worked out at around £7.50 per hour class 1 nights.By that point mostly hub system work and the driver was expected to help with the sort at the hub and possibly also helping to load and tip at base.I was on one of the very few direct trunks left as a Feeder driver doing demount box/trailer swaps between Feltham/Luton-Dewsbury.As opposed to Line Haul ( direct trunking trailer box swap work ) usually based at Barking.

There could also be airfreight runs which involved helping to stuff air freight pods before leaving the depot.Then loading them onto the truck.Then offloading them at the airport then loading full ones to take back.Then unloading them at base and then helping to tip the pods.IE like in the case of parcels often a considerable amount of non driving work expected and certainly not usually a case of direct depot to depot trailer or demount box swaps which I was very lucky to mostly stay on.Also very little connection between the Feeder/Line Haul/Multi Drop division of the job at least then.

I don’t know the hourly rate but I do know the class 1 drivers are getting net £2600-£3000 a month depending if they do a couple of sundays a month.

It is advertising on net in Sheffield for 7.5 multidrop at £11.73 ph rising to £14.19 ph…thats 7.5 tonner.

The hourly rate goes up think you need to be employed 1 year to be on the top rate.

toby1234abc:
Lets say the run is 40 to 50 drops a day, triple that over Christmas, it sounds a lot, but 20 drops may be in a few industrial estates within a few miles area.
Maybe you load up for the next day when return to base, or night loaders do it for you.

It’s more like 80-100 drops a day and collections on top too. No one loads your van, you do it yourself at the start of the shift as the parcels only come in the early hours. Then you have to work out your route & load accordingly. Typically about one and a half to two hours graft before you even start delivering your 100 drops then unloading all the collected stuff before you go home. Some bloke love it, most hate it, very few do it for long. I did it for a couple of years as a self employed owner driver and was paid per delivery rather than hourly. I earned a lot but it was HARD earned.
I’d never consider doing it again.

I work for UPS on the freight side not the small pack side, so I’ll tell you what i know…

I’ve been with them 10 years and I’ve found them as a whole to be a decent company to work for.
If you apply for a small pack (brown van) job you’ll have to go through the companies driving school. Believe it or not they set very high standards and you are expected to stick to them and learn them off by heart.
Uniform and personal grooming standards are quite high and enforced.
You dont load or unload your van that is done for you.
You will possibly be signed on to a 36 hour contract which has its plus and minus sides.
Some small pack depots do run 18t on their daily collections, depending if what they are collecting is bulk or irregulars.
You may have a very busy route with 100+ drops in off peak.
Feeder driver (class 1) jobs are now pretty much dead mans shoes…and for good reason. Some drivers are on 40k+ pa.
They are good at promoting from within, especially in the small pack side.
Overall the job/company suits some but not others. Like i said as a whole I’ve found them a decent company to work for.
Hope that helps.

*double post