The stress level in this job is fairly high, and much of it is unavoidable. Outstanding performance is both expected and demanded. Everyday. Without exception. The physical demands of the job are extremely strenuous as well. The work/life balance leaves something to be desired - you can expect to work from 8 or 9am to around 8pm every single day. There's no leaving early because you're not feeling well or having a rough day - you are out until you finish with VERY few exceptions. Which means if you're having a bad day, as opposed to cutting out early and heading home to regroup, you will be out longer and later. If you're having a good day and you think you're gonna get out early, think again. Since they can now see your whole day in real-time, the minute you finish your work they'll message you telling you to go help in a different area with deliveries or covering pickups for them. Don't expect to EVER get out "early" or eat your dinner before 7pm. It will only set you up for disappointments. You will need to be prepared to drive and deliver no matter what the temperature or conditions. 100° and 100% humidity, torrential rain and flooding, -20° with 40mph winds, blizzards and ice storms - doesnt matter - we're out and delivering people's stuff. And you're not just worried about yourself and your skills - you've got to worry about grandma who's 90 and Jr. who's 16 and they're out driving in conditions they aren't equipped for. Let's not forget about Johnny the road rager who is trying to get nowhere in a hurry, and well, you get the picture. We are expected, as highly trained professional drivers to control the situation on the road around us - no exceptions. The management is obsessed with numbers...stops per hour, mileage, time-allowance, and on and on - these numbers are both unrealistic and/or unattainable, and none of them will be able to explain to you how they arrive at these figures. As an example, oftentimes you will have 1 minute allowed for a pickup that usually ships 20-50 packages that weigh 25+ lbs - an impossible feat if ever there was one...or you'll punch out at 7pm when your last bulk pickup requires you to stay until 630pm no matter what and its a 20 minute drive from there to the center - the next morning they'll tell you that you were 2 hrs over your allowed time, meaning that you should've been off the clock by 5pm...how could that ever be possible when you're required to stay at the pickup until 630pm? If you ask them how they expect that to be possible or how they could even arrive at that asinine figure considering the circumstances - they will NOT have an answer that makes any sense, if they even attempt to give you one. If you park under a tree and a branch breaks off in the wind and cracks your mirror or windshield, you're charged with an accident. If the girl texting her boyfriend backs into your truck while you're not even in it, you're charged with an accident. A deer runs out in front of you and you hit it and crack a headlight, you're charged with an accident. These are all considered AVOIDABLE. There are 2 kinds of accidents at UPS, avoidable or unavoidable, so they say...but it's probably less than 1 of 100 that their investigation will find to be unavoidable (you wouldn't believe the stuff they tell you could've been avoided and how) - so it's basically always your fault. Even if as I said, you're not even in the vehicle at the time. They can now track EVERYTHING about the vehicle(it's called telematics), right down to whether or not the doors are open or you hit the brakes hard to stop quickly. How often and how far you back the truck in reverse. How fast you're driving at any minute of the day. Etc etc etc. This is under the guise of vehicle maintenance/fuel economy and improving the efficiency of the route, but it's really a tracking system to monitor the drivers and micro-manage every aspect of their day if they feel the need, and they WILL at some point. Even if you're doing your job well there's something that you will have to answer for in regard to telematics, like pulling from a stop with the bulkhead door open or the seat belt fully engaged. You will also have to deal with customers who are dishonest - they'll keep a package and say it wasn't received, or call in and say you were speeding or the truck damaged something on their property even though you walked the stop off from the road(this is where telematics is your friend). Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to get some $$$ outta Big Brown, whether it be a new driveway or suing them for fake injuries - you always need to be cognizant of this...they don't think about the middle class guy they're potentially hurting - it's just a faceless mega-corporation to them and they want that unearned money. This job is literally fraught with hazards - dogs, irate customers, poorly maintained propery, and more. Avoiding them all is the name of the game, and the major key to a long and successful career with UPS.
