UPS trying to attract younger drivers in tight labor market

DENVER, Co. — Sean Holland has driven the aforesaid way for enactment each time for much than 20 years. He says it hasn't gotten boring yet.

"It's not your 9 to 5 job," Holland said. "If that's what you're looking for, this isn't it."

Holland is simply a UPS operator successful suburban Denver. He took the occupation successful the aboriginal '90s, and since 1995, he's been driving the aforesaid truck: Bertha.

"I've had her, adjacent month, it volition beryllium 26 years," Holland said. "The aged girl, she comes retired afloat to the gills each day. I get escaped of each that, and past we bash different pickup tally successful the day and capable it backmost up. There's a consciousness of accomplishment that goes on with that."

Holland and transportation drivers crossed the state were deemed indispensable workers astatine the tallness of the pandemic. Stay-at-home orders forced radical to usage transportation services astatine a higher rate. U.S. parcel measurement went up 37% from 2019 to 2020.

UPS is hiring 100,000 seasonal workers this twelvemonth to support up with the request arsenic the holidays approach. But they are competing with different large companies successful astir each industry.

"We person a precise robust recruiting approach," said Jeff Bloedorn, manager of quality resources astatine UPS. "We are heavy into the societal media and making radical alert of what UPS offers."

The institution is starting immoderate caller hires astatine $23 an hour, with a $2,000 signing bonus. Bloedorn says determination are different incentives, galore of which can't beryllium measured with dollars and cents.

"It’s a large teamwork atmosphere," Bloedorn said. "[People] similar the hustle and bustle of moving each the packages... It’s a vocation that allows a idiosyncratic to instrumentality attraction of themselves and their family."

The pandemic has shifted a younger generation's sentiment of work. A UPS survey recovered 9 successful 10 millennials are "more open" to the types of jobs they'd accept.

But experts pass the beingness of a motortruck operator is inactive a hard sell.

"I ever inquire my students this," said Dr. Robert Novack, a prof astatine Penn State University. "'How galore of you would similar to turn up and beryllium a motortruck driver?' None of 'em."

Dr. Novack says the under-35 assemblage is looking for fulfillment and intent from a imaginable career. That tin beryllium pugnacious to find from the driver's spot of a transportation truck.

"You spot the rigs connected the road, and arsenic a car driver, they're an annoyance due to the fact that they're big, they get successful the way," Dr. Novack said. "We're moving with immoderate companies connected trying to marque the occupation of being a operator a small spot much suited to their needs. You know, treating them astir similar an asset."

Holland agrees that the occupation tin beryllium tough.

"It's agelong hours, but similar I said, it's rewarding," helium said.

"I really met my woman connected my way retired here," Holland said. "She was 1 of my customers for a mates years earlier we started dating, and yet got married, and present we’re joined 21 years. You know, I've had dead-end jobs. And, yeah, I've been doing the aforesaid happening for astir 29 years now."

Holland smiled.

"But I emotion it."