After my Federal job disappeared, under the Clinton-Gore Reinvention of Government, I found myself with a small business as a maritime carver. I carved quarterboards, transom banners, eagles, and portraits of people’s boats. My stress levels were significantly lower, and I was able to do what I enjoyed regularly. I attended about four to five boat shows a year and also loved the people I associated with – my fellow marine craftspeople, business owners, and “Boaties.” I had received the Palm d’Or for occupations as far as I was concerned.
There was only one fly in the ointment: tiny businesses pay no fringe benefits, such as healthcare, vacation, or sick leave. I found that I had to take on a part-time job that provided those benefits. I found all this, along with a flexible schedule that left free time for my business, at UPS (United Parcel Service).
At the age of fifty, I started loading trucks as a Teamster. Within six months, I moved into supervision. UPS consistently celebrated the fact that it offered full-time benefits to part-time employees. And it was true that, despite tough work, I had a very generous compensation package. And the fit with my own business was perfect. In fact, many of the Teamsters and other part-time sups I worked with were doing exactly the same thing I was: keeping a small business going while contributing to a retirement, and getting a generous benefit package. Sweet!
Was it easy? No. Was it wonderful work? No. It could literally stink on any given day. Teamsters and sups could often be heard loudly ranting about how awful our fate was. Lots of times, we both roundly hated our bosses, and the fates that had put us in the facility we called “the House of Pain.” Gotta love it, right? ” Where are you off to?”, “The House of Pain.”
Getting through a day, afternoon shift, or evening at “The House of Pain” required a certain amount of fortitude and motivation. We were supposed to provide that to the Teamsters. But in fact, those who tried to lord it over the Teamsters soon found out that less got done, and in less than wonderful circumstances. If you didn’t understand what leadership was, you would soon fail in “The House of Pain.”
I learned most of the leadership skills I have through my work at UPS. Some I was able to intuit, I had started as a Teamster – I wasn’t dumb. But the master class came from a Manger named Jim Lundy.
First, though, let me clue you into one of the things about “The House of Pain.” Some of us thought of it as a sort of French Foreign Legion of vocations. And when we were, literally, buried in packages, we’d exclaim that we were on the Island of Broken Toys. Most of us came from somewhere else, in terms of vocations. There was a science teacher, another anthropologist ( on the night shift), engineers, and more. Then there was Jim, who held a Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. His job as a manager was to teach people like me how to get results. While some managers in the upper echelons would rant and rave about Operational Statistics, costs, and discipline, Jimmy would look at you and ream you out.
It would start with “Look, Louie…UPS ain’t a nice place to work. We’ll hire you if you have two arms, two legs, and a set of lungs.” ” So you have to make something of what you got!” Then, some extremely practical, sane, and valuable bit of advice would follow. How to motivate people, help your team without compromising your position, or some similar gem worthy of leading strategists and philosophers would be presented.
It took a while before I realized that the tough, growling, no-nonsense, tough-love attitude hid a savvy thinker and leader. Eventually, I moved from “the House of Pain” to other jobs at UPS. But I took the lessons taught to me by Jim with me, and they served me well.
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This was interesting and well written. My second husband worked that job at UPS in South Florida so I can understand your pain.
We didn’t call it the House of Pain for nothing, And by the way it wasn’t just guys There were lots off women working the same jobs there.
At age 50 you started loading trucks… omg. My back just went out thinking about it. 🙂
(Also, I probably shouldn’t comment, but I can’t stop seeing it: Since you mentioned you use AI for your illustrations, I see it added a 3rd arm to the guy in the tie. 😀 )
Hey all UPser’ are special…some even more so!
Funny — one of the great people I know here in the valley is Norris, my UPS guy. There are so few jobs out here that everyone who has one is just grateful.
Drivers are teamsters, have great work ethics, are dedicated and are the public face of the company.
Yep. I also thought that not every place is a big city where people are in a hurry. This place runs on interpersonal relations. I think every place does to some extent, but small communities don’t have much else AND they rely on UPS and USPS.
I just talked to my UPS guy just now and learned all about the sinister changes. Most of the drivers in Colorado’s big cities have been replaced by robots. He is being controlled (micro-managed) by a supervisor who doesn’t live here. If he spends more than 2 minutes on a stop, he’s called out and could be fired. I feel really bad because he wanted to talk to me and I wanted to talk to him. He was LITERALLY the first person I met when I moved here in 2014. I had to order stuff because I didn’t move all that much from CA. Basically, he delivered my furniture (I assembled it, but once he helped). He told me his future plans, what his kids are doing, everything like. “I’ll still stop by,” he said. And I, with my newly expressive post fracture personality said, “I hope you do because,” I paused, “I like you. I’ll make you a cup of coffee.” This f–in fracture but it’s probably a good change.
Say hello to him for me from an old UPSer from SLIC 0140 ( if they still use that system). Yes I know the shit storm was starting about the time I retired. But it evidently has gotten worse. Most of the jobs we used to do in the hubs are now robotic, and their is talk about them letting go of 29,000 people. It is not the same company anymore. Too Bad!
I will. Nothings the same. My university wasn’t the same. But I guess nothing is ever the same.
My cousin drove truck and said they had to stick to a timed route
Things have changed over the years. When I spent a few years in “package” they found that for some routes you really could time it, but others were almost impossible – rural, very dense urban, or worse lots of complicated stops for pick ups and delivery. They had a program to check on where you were at any time. I understand that it’s just gotten worse. Which is a shame because very few drive successfully unless they have an outstanding work ethic.
I always wanted to go to college and get a degree but that never happened. My sister accomplished that and her sociology degree got her a job as a Tri-Met bus driver in Portland for 15 yrs. Great benefits though. Working for UPS has to have some of the same flavors. Isn’t life fun? Interesting facts here that I did not know at the time. Thanks for this. I enjoyed reading it in my few moments of down time.
Life is complicated, and there are no guarantees provided just because you have a degree.
It’s good time to be busy, and I hope all is well with you, and the gentleman you are trying to get services for.