UPS faced criticism last Christmas when a surge in online shopping and a harsh winter caught the company off guard, leading to huge delays that frustrated customers and ran up costs. UPS underestimated holiday volume so most packages were delivered after Christmas. After the holiday debacle, UPS announced in February that it is investing more than $100 million to improve peak-period service.
Yesterday UPS announced that expects to hire up to 95,000 temporary workers. UPS also said on Tuesday it was adding thousands of new or leased delivery vehicles, trailers, aircraft and portable loading aids for the period as more people buy gifts online.
According to a UPS press release:
Atlanta, GA – September 16, 2014
- 90,000-95,000 seasonal employees needed to handle anticipated e-commerce-driven holiday delivery surge
- UPS improving forecasting, capacity, package tracking and customer communication to meet ongoing e-commerce and B2B shipping demands
- Seasonal positions often an entry point to long-term UPS employment
UPS announced that it expects to hire between 90,000 – 95,000 seasonal employees to support the anticipated holiday surge in package deliveries that will begin in October and continue through January 2015. The company is gearing up for increased holiday delivery volume in 2014 as it prepares to play a pivotal role in helping retailers take advantage of the holiday gift-giving season. The seasonal positions as package sorters, loaders, delivery helpers and drivers have long been an entry point for permanent employment, training and career opportunity after the company re-assesses its needs following the holiday period.
Interested job seekers can easily apply for peak season opportunities by visiting UPSjobs.com on their computer, smartphone or tablet. Applicants must apply online.
“We have initial volume forecasts from our customers and are starting the hiring process for our temporary peak season jobs,” said John McDevitt, UPS senior vice president of human resources and labor relations. “We have needs throughout the United States and anticipate more applicants this year than in 2013. Individuals who begin employment at UPS during the holiday season have the opportunity to pursue a permanent position afterwards. Seasonal positions provide an excellent entry point for becoming a long-term UPS employee.”
UPS is ready to provide customers a smooth 2014 holiday experience and has implemented the following actions since the 2013 peak shipping season:
- Using industry-wide delivery volume forecasts and working closely with high impact leading customers, UPS has made improvements to network utilization and schedule planning.
- Daily processing capacity will increase with the opening of new and expanded buildings, plus installation of temporary mobile sorting and delivery centers. UPS is adding thousands of new or leased delivery vehicles, trailers, aircraft and portable loading aids to flex capacity in the UPS network.
- Added operating days and shifts – full ground delivery and pick-up operations the Friday after Thanksgiving and nearly 50 new package sorting shifts throughout the company’s existing hub locations.
- Shipment tracking timing and accuracy will be improved with additional and mobile app upgrades for enhanced information on package location and shipment status.
- Enhancements to the UPS My Choice service will give consumers receiving home deliveries improved alerts on delivery time windows and options for re-scheduling and re-routing.
Why don’t they annnounce their rate increases as boldly as they do this type of stuff???
good job UPS now can you make about 50% of them permanent jobs.
UPS? Not me. Those folks have to work too hard. If your supervisor tells you to do something, you have to do it. At least here, we get to debate the wisdom of the instruction with the supervisor, and then if we believe that we won the debate, we don’t have to follow the instruction. I think it says that in Chapter 13 of the ELM somewhere. I don’t need a UPS supervior yelling at me – calling me lazy and sorry, no sir. I ain’t lost nothin’ over at UPS so there is no reason for me to go there.
They need the extra man power to process non machineable priority parcels.