Nasty new UPS rumor
 

Ok, ok. It's not THAT nasty. Well, for regional or LCC guys, it's nasty.

AAAAnyways, I was flying with a capt. who has a buddy in new hire class right now. He said that HR came into his class and said that they got 1400 qualified apps from the last window that opened. In addition, supposedly 400 of those had "perfect" scores (whatever that means). If this is true, I can't see them dropping the gay transoceanic requirement anytime soon.

Anyone know if this is in fact true?

At least in the USAF, we're in the 2 year period where the 8 year to 10 year commitment gap is in effect- a drop in the bucket, but a number anyway... Except- all the "over" year groups are being allowed to separate, so there may actually be extra folks applying to UPS w/ all the sections of the world and the oceanic ops checked. And then there are all the CRAF type/ACMI AMC cargo and pax carriers that have TONS of crews w/ the same experience areas as the AMC/USAF pilots. No surprise that the 1400 folks maxed out the UPS online App. I had heard it took 2x as long as expected to fill the qualified apps, but they still filled...

Just one more reason to count my blessings!

At Air Inc. in Atlanta, they said they only had 500 from the last window, hhmmmm...... Or at least that is what I heard

I was told the same thing from a UPS line pilot in Atlanta.

any ideas on the meaning of "perfect scores"?????

Two lunar landings and one earth orbit.

The news just keeps getting worse and worse. Now, on top of all the flight time and oceanic experience you have to be gay too?:confused: Just what is it that they think we do up there on these long legs?

One of my friends recently interviewed and was turned down. I asked him why and he said he was only bi-curious.

Glad I interviewed before this requirement.

LOL! I needed that. That was some funny shiznit....

From what i have been told there is a possibility of 8 points on the application. You get a score of x/8 with 8/8 being perfect.

Thanks for that clarification!

Here's some more info you might not already know:

"We're gonna have to come in pretty low on this approach...It's just something you have to do...when you land."

Tipsy ;)

I'm military and years from applying to the airlines so I'm mainly here to daydream and maybe learn a little. UPS is my current dream job; I've seen many references here to outlandish hiring requirements. Other than apparently looking for pillow biters, what is they require that is so much worse than everyone else? Is it the transoceanic or something else?

I'm asking out of pure ignorance, nothing more. Appreciate any light you all could shed.

Thanks

the transoceanic seems rather unique to us.

guys for yesrs and years there has always been "Over 15,000 qualified applicants" for a pilot job at brand X airlines. When I applied in the early 90's the same rumors were going around about Delta and american. Just apply and don't sweat things you have no control over.

Just submit your application and don't sweat the rumors or other UPS HR issues you can't control.

To say that UPS is ONLY interviewing heavy jet, international pilots, excluding fighter or regional guys for our ANC base just is just NOT TRUE. I have recently flown with and/or trained new-hire ANC MD11 FOs that ONLY had 737 time at a "major", or single seat military fighter time. It's all a mix of younger and older (31-55 years) pilots, civilian and military. I would be ignorant to say that the company doesn't place a premium on heavy jet, international time though.

There are many unique factors here at UPS that you don't find elsewhere. For one, we don't get paid by weight, so there are unfilled FOs vacancies in all fleets, narrow-body to wide-body. Pilots here bid seat position based upon their personal QOL requirements, and don't necessarily chase the almighty $$....

Look, UPS manglement decided to open up the ANC base, and SURPRISE, it's gone very junior for both Captains, and especially FOs! Now they've decided to accelerate the base staffing, and find that we are VERY SHORT FOs in both SDF and ANC. There are a lot of junior Captains in ANC (who may or may not have much depth in international experience), and the company is taking a safe conservative route of initially staffing ANC with over-qualified/well-qualified candidates...

I just flew a leg from HKG to ANC, and my FO was hired this spring, on his first trip off IOE. My IRO was hired only last September. Now I've been a Captain here for ten years, and both FOs were well-trained, safe, and capable....but it's a new experience for us to have "new-hires" in the right seat/IRO position of the MD. When I took my 3 hour break in back, I felt very confident both "new" FOs could keep us on the magenta line and monitor the cpdlc reports.

For the past six years in the MD11, our FOs have usually been ones transitioning from another UPS aircraft, usually with some int'l experience (the domestic guys don't bid over-because they're scared-we tell all the senior guy how terrible int'l flying is). :rolleyes: We didn't start hiring FOs into the MD right seat until the September 2006 class.

As a line pilot, I think the company is doing the right thing and adding additional requirements for candidates to fill the UPS ANC FO vacancies. JMHO

Look, UPS manglement decided to open up the ANC base, and SURPRISE, it's gone very junior for both Captains, and especially FOs! Now they've decided to accelerate the base staffing, and find that we are VERY SHORT FOs in both SDF and ANC. There are a lot of junior Captains in ANC (who may or may not have much depth in international experience), and the company is taking a safe conservative route of initially staffing ANC with over-qualified/well-qualified candidates...



Thanks for the great insight on this one fr8rcaptain. That's the best explanation I've heard on this subject yet.

Well stated, fr8rcaptain. My experience with the newhires has been the same.

It's understandable for UPS to want people with international and heavy experience to staff the ANC domicile, but to make "transoceanic experience" a hard requirement is GAY!

La la la la la! It's GAY and I hope it don't STAY! (Ok, too many glasses of wine tonight boys ;) )

It has been said or implied on this and other forums…..FedEx is an airline with some trucks; UPS is a trucking company with some planes….

UPS, in most areas, has been an incredibly slow study in efficiently operating an airline. The saving grace….even with all their mistakes, making around $1.B a quarter. “Money talks, ………walks”…..

While disappointing to many, this ANC/Heavy/Over water theme for new hires does make some sense. And at the risk of alienating some on this forum, the super junior Philippine base of another package carrier has banged up a bunch of airplanes……UPS has learned from their mistake.

OK ... I'll bite. Exactly how would UPS's hiring requirements have prevented these incidents? Except, of course, for the known superior airmanship of the BROWN pilots?

Does anyone at UPS have any idea when the ANC heavy/Intl draft will subside enough to where the app page will allow the rest of us to continue to page 2 and at least put our app in the pile?

Nope, sure dont

Yup, and I'm sure all the guys/gals that banged up airplanes were ex-regional people that just got hired. :rolleyes: GMAFB!

Off subject I know but I'm guessing ANC is currently a junior type of hub because it's brand new, how do people feel in general about flying/living there though? I mean, will it always stay a junior hub? How is it for Fedex?

I'm way early on my job research (five years, not that I'm counting), but as a new UPS guy where could I expect to be based? Cyrstal ball kind of answer I know but what are the junior locations? And for Fedex?

Thanks

New-hires at UPS have been sent to every domicile that we have in the past 8, 9 months. So it's hard to say exactly where you'd be. UPS does it differently in terms that we can't bid for domicile. They'll assign fleet based on previous experience. So if you come from heavy, int'l background, you might get the MD11 or the -400, in which case you will most likely get ANC. Although not every MD11 pilot gets assigned ANC. That's what happening right now.

But in your case, 5 years from now ANC might be super-senior because Shanghai will probably be a domicile then!!

The big difference between UPS and FDX in regards to ANC is that FDX guys have an incentive to go there and UPS dudes do not. FDX has widebodies in ANC which means substantially more pay since the FDX payscale is skewed. UPS has a single payscale. WHy would I want to move to ANC and fly an MD-11 when I can stay in Louisville (SDF) and fly a 757 or A300 and make the same amount of money? It's actually more money in SDF since the cost of living is so much less.

but just think, you could have a lightbox in your house in the winter and you could tee off at midnight in the summer...how fun!

FliFast,
Curious that you mention "one of your friends". Are you sure which side of the plate you swing the bat? Next beer is on me.
Fish

That's right..please tell as many people that as possible.

Would anyone out there have a clue regarding what constitutes a "perfect score"? I've got the heavy/overwater box checked and submitted my app during the recent window and I'd like to figure out if my other quals meet the 8/8 standard.

DRIVER

Fish,

Sounds good, don't worry about me.

On a different note...what is a pillow biter ??? I seemed to have missed that on my application.

While disappointing to many, this ANC/Heavy/Over water theme for new hires does make some sense.

Yep, GPS, CPDLC and the USA Today crossword puzzle. Oh yeah, and an HF call or two. Pretty tough stuff.

Anyway
 

It's not "anywayS", it is "anyway."

If we're going to start correcting grammar on here, we are all in trouble...anywaysssss..........

AK Hawg, go fly 17s with the new Guard unit at Elmo, that'll solve your heavy international time in zero flat. I know nothing about their hiring right now, but worth a look if you haven't already and don't find the idea horrifying. Heck, maybe you could Palace Chase and start early.

I'm with you on the Louisville vs Anchorage by the way

Great advice.

Fish

Sensitive, aren't we ?

The requirement is GAY ? Are you for real ?

Don't feel bad. There are some of us that have the heavy international requirement and didn't get to proceed as well. Control the things you can and don't worry about the things you can't. I'm not telling you to do this. I'm only saying this helped me get past the anxiety when trying to get hired by the majors years ago. Believe it or not, there were "quota fillers" then just as there are now, albiet a different type.

Can somebody please rub their crystal ball and inform us as to when the UPS window will open again.