Inside a UPS training school where workers haul boxes across slick 'ice,' perform high-stakes driving drills, and deliver packages to empty homes in a mock neighborhood

Feb 25, 2020, 19:29 IST

The training school, called Integrad, is like an intense boot camp for new UPS driver candidates and aspiring supervisors. The courses last five to nine days, depending on the training level sought.

As part of their training, drivers must memorize word-for-word the cornerstones of safe driving at UPS: the 10-point commentary and five seeing habits, otherwise known as the "five and 10."

In interviews, several UPS employees said that the "five and 10" methods have changed their lives.

The Integrad training curriculum begins in a classroom setting.

Later, students get hands-on training in a nearby room where four UPS trucks are parked.

Before checking out the trucks, we stopped at a "slip-and-fall" station, where UPS drivers learn how to safely walk on ice. I strapped into a harness to test out the machine.

A UPS instructor, Paolo Delgado, asked me to walk at different speeds and focus on how stable I felt at those speeds.

Delgado then strapped a contraption onto my shoes that mimicked the sensation of walking on ice.

When walking at a brisk pace, I lost my footing and fell ...

... several times.

Then, Delgado instructed me to walk like a penguin. He asked me to bend my knees slightly and narrow my stance to leave only a couple inches of space between my feet.

He told me to take small steps, moving my feet forward only about six inches at a time. I later learned that UPS has in the past brought live penguins to a delivery center in Cincinnati to help drivers learn how to mimic their gait.

He told me to take small steps, moving my feet forward only about six inches at a time. I later learned that UPS has in the past brought live penguins to a delivery center in Cincinnati to help drivers learn how to mimic their gait.

Miraculously, I found my balance using these tactics and successfully walked on "ice" — while carrying a package — with relative ease.

After mastering the ice, we stopped at a station where students learn how to properly shine their shoes.

Nearby, I spotted this poster displaying suggested stretches for drivers. Drivers at many UPS delivery centers do yoga and meditation or stretch in morning meetings together before their shifts, according to the company.

Nearby, I spotted this poster displaying suggested stretches for drivers. Drivers at many UPS delivery centers do yoga and meditation or stretch in morning meetings together before their shifts, according to the company.

Next, we visited a truck that's outfitted with pressure plates to measure how much weight workers are placing on their knees, hips, and lower back when they enter and exit the vehicle.

UPS teaches students to evenly distribute their weight using three points of contact when entering and exiting a truck or climbing stairs.

Delgado, who has worked for UPS for 22 years, demonstrated how this works. When he exited the truck without three points of contact, the pressure plate measured 509 pounds of force.

The amount of force dropped to 145 pounds when Delgado exited the truck using three points of contact.

UPS says it has calculated that 20 years of delivering packages without using three points of contact could result in an extra 75 million pounds of force — or about the weight of a cruise ship — on the human body over time.

UPS says it has calculated that 20 years of delivering packages without using three points of contact could result in an extra 75 million pounds of force — or about the weight of a cruise ship — on the human body over time.

At the next training station, a UPS truck was outfitted with plexiglass to allow instructors to watch students sort and select packages.

We spotted some students practicing pre-trip and post-trip assessments on this truck, which is a bumper-to-bumper check on any potential vehicle problems, scratches, or other issues.

At another truck station, we learned how to start a UPS vehicle.

Then, drivers press a button on a key fob, climb inside the truck, press a button to start the ignition, check the mirrors, check the rear-view camera, and look over their left shoulder for any hazards.

Then, drivers press a button on a key fob, climb inside the truck, press a button to start the ignition, check the mirrors, check the rear-view camera, and look over their left shoulder for any hazards.

Students also learn how to safely manage heavy loads. UPS fills boxes with bags of sand to weigh them down, and students practice carrying the loads out of the back of a truck ...

... and over a curb.

Students also make deliveries with a prop door ...

... and practice wheeling packages through the door.

Cameras in this room record everything students are doing, so if they make a mistake on a drill, they can go back through the footage and see where they went wrong.

After reviewing practice footage, I sat down for some virtual reality training. I wore a headset and drove down city streets practicing UPS' safety methods.

After that, it was time to walk outside to Clarkville, also called "tiny town USA," which is a mock neighborhood with street signs, sidewalks, and small sheds meant to serve as customers' homes.

Here, drivers get behind the wheel of a UPS truck and practice using the Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD) to scan packages and navigate between stops.

Notes on the DIAD instruct drivers to be wary of dogs at certain stops and alert them when a customer has asked for packages to be dropped in a specific location.

At the first stop, a note in the DIAD tells us a dog is present. Delgado shouts "UPS!" as he exits the truck to notify the dog that he is arriving at the home.

At the next stop, a customer note requests that UPS drop the package inside the door. This type of delivery requires a special technique.

Finally, we got to the most intense part of the training, which was on the road. For this segment, I climbed in a truck with Tom Edstrom, an on-road supervisor for UPS.

From the moment we stepped inside the vehicle, Edstrom was talking me through all the potential hazards that were largely invisible to my untrained eye — a dog in a distant yard, a blind spot around a curve ahead, exhaust emitting from a parked car.

From the moment we stepped inside the vehicle, Edstrom was talking me through all the potential hazards that were largely invisible to my untrained eye — a dog in a distant yard, a blind spot around a curve ahead, exhaust emitting from a parked car.

Even on empty stretches of road with no other cars or pedestrians, Edstrom was on high alert.

This went on for an entire hour, with Edstrom continuously narrating his defensive driving techniques and identifying hazards without taking a single break. It was one of the most intense experiences I've ever had on the road.

This went on for an entire hour, with Edstrom continuously narrating his defensive driving techniques and identifying hazards without taking a single break. It was one of the most intense experiences I've ever had on the road.

By the end of the Integrad training course, all students must complete a "driver drill," which is a version of what Edstrom did with me, and identify hazards while driving with a trainer present.

The experience at Integrad left me with the impression that UPS takes driver health and safety seriously, and it gave me an entirely new appreciation for the rigorous demands of delivery work.

Living and working abroad can take a toll on your mental health. Here are 4 ways I've practiced self-care after having left the US 5 years ago.

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Inside a UPS training school where workers haul boxes across slick 'ice,' perform high-stakes driving drills, and deliver packages to empty homes in a mock neighborhood

The training school, called Integrad, is like an intense boot camp for new UPS driver candidates and aspiring supervisors. The courses last five to nine days, depending on the training level sought.

As part of their training, drivers must memorize word-for-word the cornerstones of safe driving at UPS: the 10-point commentary and five seeing habits, otherwise known as the "five and 10."

In interviews, several UPS employees said that the "five and 10" methods have changed their lives.

The Integrad training curriculum begins in a classroom setting.

Later, students get hands-on training in a nearby room where four UPS trucks are parked.

Before checking out the trucks, we stopped at a "slip-and-fall" station, where UPS drivers learn how to safely walk on ice. I strapped into a harness to test out the machine.

A UPS instructor, Paolo Delgado, asked me to walk at different speeds and focus on how stable I felt at those speeds.

Delgado then strapped a contraption onto my shoes that mimicked the sensation of walking on ice.

When walking at a brisk pace, I lost my footing and fell ...

... several times.

Then, Delgado instructed me to walk like a penguin. He asked me to bend my knees slightly and narrow my stance to leave only a couple inches of space between my feet.

He told me to take small steps, moving my feet forward only about six inches at a time. I later learned that UPS has in the past brought live penguins to a delivery center in Cincinnati to help drivers learn how to mimic their gait.

Miraculously, I found my balance using these tactics and successfully walked on "ice" — while carrying a package — with relative ease.

After mastering the ice, we stopped at a station where students learn how to properly shine their shoes.

Nearby, I spotted this poster displaying suggested stretches for drivers. Drivers at many UPS delivery centers do yoga and meditation or stretch in morning meetings together before their shifts, according to the company.

Next, we visited a truck that's outfitted with pressure plates to measure how much weight workers are placing on their knees, hips, and lower back when they enter and exit the vehicle.

UPS teaches students to evenly distribute their weight using three points of contact when entering and exiting a truck or climbing stairs.

Delgado, who has worked for UPS for 22 years, demonstrated how this works. When he exited the truck without three points of contact, the pressure plate measured 509 pounds of force.

The amount of force dropped to 145 pounds when Delgado exited the truck using three points of contact.

UPS says it has calculated that 20 years of delivering packages without using three points of contact could result in an extra 75 million pounds of force — or about the weight of a cruise ship — on the human body over time.

At the next training station, a UPS truck was outfitted with plexiglass to allow instructors to watch students sort and select packages.

We spotted some students practicing pre-trip and post-trip assessments on this truck, which is a bumper-to-bumper check on any potential vehicle problems, scratches, or other issues.

At another truck station, we learned how to start a UPS vehicle.

Then, drivers press a button on a key fob, climb inside the truck, press a button to start the ignition, check the mirrors, check the rear-view camera, and look over their left shoulder for any hazards.

Students also learn how to safely manage heavy loads. UPS fills boxes with bags of sand to weigh them down, and students practice carrying the loads out of the back of a truck ...

... and over a curb.

Students also make deliveries with a prop door ...

... and practice wheeling packages through the door.

Cameras in this room record everything students are doing, so if they make a mistake on a drill, they can go back through the footage and see where they went wrong.

After reviewing practice footage, I sat down for some virtual reality training. I wore a headset and drove down city streets practicing UPS' safety methods.

After that, it was time to walk outside to Clarkville, also called "tiny town USA," which is a mock neighborhood with street signs, sidewalks, and small sheds meant to serve as customers' homes.

Here, drivers get behind the wheel of a UPS truck and practice using the Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD) to scan packages and navigate between stops.

Notes on the DIAD instruct drivers to be wary of dogs at certain stops and alert them when a customer has asked for packages to be dropped in a specific location.

At the first stop, a note in the DIAD tells us a dog is present. Delgado shouts "UPS!" as he exits the truck to notify the dog that he is arriving at the home.

At the next stop, a customer note requests that UPS drop the package inside the door. This type of delivery requires a special technique.

Finally, we got to the most intense part of the training, which was on the road. For this segment, I climbed in a truck with Tom Edstrom, an on-road supervisor for UPS.

From the moment we stepped inside the vehicle, Edstrom was talking me through all the potential hazards that were largely invisible to my untrained eye — a dog in a distant yard, a blind spot around a curve ahead, exhaust emitting from a parked car.

Even on empty stretches of road with no other cars or pedestrians, Edstrom was on high alert.

This went on for an entire hour, with Edstrom continuously narrating his defensive driving techniques and identifying hazards without taking a single break. It was one of the most intense experiences I've ever had on the road.

By the end of the Integrad training course, all students must complete a "driver drill," which is a version of what Edstrom did with me, and identify hazards while driving with a trainer present.

The experience at Integrad left me with the impression that UPS takes driver health and safety seriously, and it gave me an entirely new appreciation for the rigorous demands of delivery work.