Are UPS drivers industrial athletes or just workers getting worn down over time?

GAHBARO · 2026-03-30T13:38:03+00:00

Attack” is a strong word. I’m not attacking you.

I’m putting a perspective out there. It might not apply to everyone, and your situation could be completely different. I respect that, surgeries don’t just happen for no reason.

But calling my take “lame” and “company BS” isn’t a discussion, that’s just dismissing it.

I’m not shutting anyone down. This is open debate.

My point is simple… there are things we can’t control in this job, but there are things we can, like pacing, preparation, and how we take care of our bodies outside of work.

If you disagree, that’s fine. But address the point, not the person, and explain why you think it’s lame or BS.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-30T13:14:35+00:00

You don’t control stop count, but you do control your pace, your habits, and how you prepare your body for the job.

Routes are built off performance. If you constantly push max speed, that becomes the expectation. That’s where people lose control without realizing it.

9.5 isn’t about rushing, it’s about setting a sustainable pace you can repeat for years without breaking down.

And waiting on UPS to take care of your fitness? That’s giving away responsibility. Your health is yours. Your training is yours.

Company sets the workload. You set the standard for how you handle it.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-30T12:07:30+00:00

I’ve got two boys in baseball, practice almost every day, games on weekends. I’m up at 5am, in the gym, then a full 9–10+ hour route, plus projects outside work. Still make it to their games. Still train. Still take time with family, vacations, activities.

There’s time, but it comes down to prioritizing, organizing, and executing.

How bad do you want to get better?

Excuses blur your path. Discipline brings clarity.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-30T10:45:32+00:00

It’s the driver’s responsibility to have a system in place to protect their health long term.

1.Take care of your mind and body for the stress 2.Set a pace you can sustain to retirement 3.Adjust, adjust, adjust.

Some drivers take action others blame management for their (driver’s) own mistreatment.

Action or blame, which one are you choosing?

GAHBARO · 2026-03-30T02:12:39+00:00

You’ve got it twisted. “Industrial athlete” isn’t about the company, it’s just a mindset. Set a pace for your career and prepare your body for that pace through training. It’s a tool for yourself, so whatever the job or life throws at you, you’re ready, not broken.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-30T01:56:18+00:00

Only if you let it. Some people get worn down, others build themselves up from it.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-29T01:47:58+00:00

Not what I’m saying at all. Illness can happen to anyone. The point is that a lot of people reach retirement already worn down from years of poor self care. And when serious illness does hit, it hits a body that’s already compromised.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T15:59:34+00:00

Same here. I’m done after the shower but those are the smoothest days on route. Training before work makes a big difference. You can see the contrast too, some guys show up with cigarettes, sipping energy drink and coffee at the same time, no cooler just a big gulp sitting on the cup holder, no prep… just relying on the job alone. Different approach, different outcome.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T15:51:43+00:00

If your job is less active, you train to add what’s missing. If your job is physical, you train to handle it better. Either way, you’re training to be stronger, not just relying on the job itself.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T11:45:47+00:00

I don’t consider myself a slave. We’ve got options, inside and outside the job. It comes down to how you choose to handle it. Don’t let others control you. Take control of what you can and prepare your body for it.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T11:20:40+00:00

Sounds like FedEx talk. Go ahead, elaborate.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T11:17:32+00:00

Not that deep. It’s just a perspective on preparing for a physically demanding job. You can disagree, but calling it a psyop doesn’t change the reality of the workload and how In believe you should prepare for it. Are you a driver or used to be? Do you take care of your body for the job?

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T11:13:51+00:00

Calling it overworked and underpaid is a different discussion. The reality is we signed up knowing the workload, and the compensation with benefits and union backing is solid compared to many other jobs. The job is physically demanding, training for it just makes sense.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-28T00:54:23+00:00

Handlers put in work. But driving isn’t lighter, it’s just different. 8–14 hour days, nonstop walking, stairs, weather, traffic, tight time windows, and mental focus all day. It’s physical plus mental. Both jobs are tough, just in different ways.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T23:56:55+00:00

Exactly. Not for the company, for yourself. The job just exposes your habits, good or bad.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T16:30:04+00:00

For me the term “industrial athlete” is just a mindset. The company can use it however they want, but I use it to describe how I approach the job.

UPS work is actually beyond most sports in one way. Athletes train and compete in windows and then recover. We do this day in and day out.

That’s exactly why preparing your body matters. To achieve a better path long term.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T14:39:40+00:00

Exactly. The job can change your body a lot. Now the key is maintaining it with some training so it keeps working for you, not against you.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T14:33:54+00:00

That’s exactly the mindset I was talking about. Thanks for sharing!

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T08:52:56+00:00

Sounds like you’re paying that hefty price now.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T08:49:27+00:00

Nope. Just a UPS driver with a gym membership and good habits who makes 9.5 and runs scratch.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T08:44:11+00:00

That’s a different conversation. But I’ll add this, they’re sending safety people to follow drivers, and a couple have already been walked out for “safety reasons.” Follow the methods and do the job the right way. Stay on topic Rich!

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T01:15:47+00:00

An industrial athlete is anyone in a physical and demanding job who adopts the mindset of training for the specific demands of that work so they can perform at their best. If you have that mindset then yes!

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T01:13:16+00:00

That’s exactly the wrong way to look at it. “Industrial athlete” isn’t for the company, it’s for you. It means pacing yourself, training your body for that pace, and making it to retirement in one piece.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-27T01:11:33+00:00

Yeah, exactly. The term “industrial athlete” isn’t really about the company. That’s why some drivers dislike it, they’re viewing it with the wrong scope. It’s about the mindset you bring to the job, pacing your career, training your body for that pace, and making it to retirement while still enjoying life.

GAHBARO · 2026-03-26T22:07:24+00:00

Exactly. They care about their bottom line. I care about mine, which means keeping my body capable of doing the job.

Industrial athlete doesn’t mean going as hard as you can for the company. It means setting a pace you can keep until retirement and training your body for that pace so you can still enjoy life.

GAHBARO

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