A female UPS driver is setting the record straight: Being a woman doesn’t mean you get lighter routes.
Mandy (@user581613985017), a self-identified UPS worker, gave viewers a peek inside her delivery truck, which was completely packed from front to back with boxes.
“I love when people ask, ‘Do you get the easier routes because you’re a girl?’” she said in her video, panning across the mountain of packages she was expected to deliver that day.
In case the visual wasn’t enough, she spelled it out.
“I get whatever route is given to me because I don’t own my own route yet,” she said.
In the caption, Mandy added, “We know what we signed up for.”
As of Saturday, the video had been viewed more than 11,100 times.
Eventually, yes. But not right away. According to other drivers, it takes years of experience and seniority to lock down a consistent route.
One UPS driver told Business Insider in 2022 that getting to “bid on and win” a route is a “pretty big deal.” Once you land one, she said, you stick with the same route, truck, and loader every day.
“Having the same route every day… makes a major difference as far as quality of life goes,” she said. Routes don’t open up often, the worker added. She said they only become available if a driver retires, gets fired, or switches to another division.
When that happens, a notice is posted in the office for two weeks. During that window, drivers can bid by writing their name and seniority date. The highest-ranking driver, she said, automatically wins.
Most new or mid-level UPS drivers start as “cover drivers,” meaning they’re assigned different routes and trucks each day—no consistency, no perks.
The role can vary slightly depending on location. At some hubs, cover drivers are part-timers filling in during vacations or peak times; at others, they’re full-timers without a set route.
During the holiday season, UPS ramps up its use of cover drivers—often labeled as part-time or “temporary”—to handle the spike in package volume and meet demand.
And no, being a woman doesn’t earn you a lighter load. As Mandy made clear, in this business, everyone pulls their weight.
Viewers who saw Mandy’s video—many of whom said they work at UPS, too—backed up her point: gender doesn’t earn you a break on the job.
“They treat all genders like [expletive],” one commenter wrote.
“They do not care what gender you are,” another said.
Some even argued that women sometimes end up with tougher assignments.
“My coworker Lisa goes out with 300 packages daily,” one TikTok user claimed. “And she’s mid-50s.”
“I feel like we get tested a lot,” another worker chimed in.
“I swear they give us harder stuff! I’ve noticed that women UPS drivers don’t complain as much as men do,” added a third. “They expect more of us and I don’t like it!”
Others gave Mandy props for her hustle and work ethic.
“At least you’re being built into a hard-working woman,” one person wrote. “I’m proud of you.”
“Make it happen, girl, you got this,” another added.
“Let them know what time it is, momma,” a third user said.