Am I stupid for turning down a bid into feeders?

[pickup]

As a guy who has some seniority in my feeder department and who has worked all the different shifts , I have to say that the shift with daylight hours is a lot healthier for me. I can easily work 12 hours a day from 6am to 6pm(especially in the summer) than 9 hours from 8pm to 5am.

But's that's just me.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Everybody is different, do whatever you are comfortable with , but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try on the next bid . If you don't like it , simply disqualify yourself , but getting your c.d.l. surely doesn't hurt your career . Having a cdl in your back pocket would help greatly if you were terminated (God forbid that to ever happen) for something . I'm a 22.3 who has been with the company for 23 years 8 of those fulltime 22.3 . I finally landed a day job 22.3 Combo job from 8am to 5pm , less hours than my previous 22.3 job , but I would not trade what I have now with my family for anything . Much luck to you brother as I have worked nights for 20 of those 23 years , so I do speak of experience.

You're lucky to have a day 22.3 job...I won't see one of those for another 20 years and I've got more FT seniority.

To the OP, it sounds as though your heart wasn't in it. I personally wouldn't want to be covering night runs and getting bumped all the time, no summer vacas, for at least a decade or two.

 

[ManInBrown]

As a father, it should be your obligation to be a provider in the best way possible. The $30k raise should provide a lot of opportunity for your family

I've heard different answers on this subject. Some drivers say there is no OT and it's actually a paycut from package. I'm patiently waiting for the call

 

[superballs63]

I've heard different answers on this subject. Some drivers say there is no OT and it's actually a paycut from package. I'm patiently waiting for the call

There is certainly no pay cut involved. Feeders pays $.10 per hour more than package, and if you pull doubles, it's $.50 additional. Depending on how hard up your center is for drivers, getting consistent work might screw you a bit, more money but less hours = less money, period.

You'll work more hours daily than you do in delivery, there are no Eight hour days, or "punching out early". You should be able to see between 45-52 hours weekly. My jobs is a 4-10 (Four Ten hour shifts, so I get overtime after my 10th hour each day), and I'm still pulling in easy OT. I get paid more to do easier work and rock out to my ipod with steering wheel controls. Oh, and Air conditioning, too

I have a 1 year old, several other feeder guys had kids shortly after they came out and I haven't heard any of them complaining, myself included.

The shifts are odd, and WHEN you see your family is screwy, but were still in package, getting home after 8pm every night, my daughter would be asleep, and my wife would be close to that point as well. At Christmas time, I saw SO much more of my family than I would have back in package. I was off for ALL of Christmas eve, Christmas day, and that whole weekend. Got to enjoy a holiday for once, it was kind of strange coming from delivery.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Everything OUT posts is 'factual'.

OUT doesn't seem to understand that other people have different/equally valid viewpoints.

You liberals just aren't capable of dealing with differing opinions. That's why you all get so upset and say others are claiming their opinions are facts when they aren't. My opinions were just as valid as anyone else's. If you, and Mr Too Obsessed With Feeders that was beating his chest earlier, can't deal with that than stay off the internet. There's lots of deferring opinions on it. It's scary.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

You're lucky to have a day 22.3 job...I won't see one of those for another 20 years and I've got more FT seniority.

To the OP, it sounds as though your heart wasn't in it. I personally wouldn't want to be covering night runs and getting bumped all the time, no summer vacas, for at least a decade or two.

Well those are differing opinions and some people on the forum can't have that. LOL.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

I've heard different answers on this subject. Some drivers say there is no OT and it's actually a paycut from package. I'm patiently waiting for the call

That can be true for certain runs as far as no OT. CPU runs mostly. They typically make local pickups so there might not be enough work for OT.

Some feeder drivers have to work half a day in a tractor and the other half in package or inside.

 

[Dracula]

I got it and turned it down. Ive been on day shift for like 23 yrs, I like being home at night. I have no kids at home. I dont want to commit 3 yrs, I believe that is what they ask, and I sure as heck dont want to be on I90/271/480 in Cleveland in the winter....With 52 ft behind me. 28 is enough.

Being home in the day is something you actually get more of in feeders, particularly if you are in a bigger hub. Driving in the winter isn't as bad as you might think. The more weight you have, the easier it is to drive. And if it gets too bad, or it is ice, you just shut it down. You'll get there when you get there. If you miss a sort by three or four hours, then that is what happens. A lot of people just call in if it looks real bad, and UPS actually shuts down a lot of runs.

You would not believe how much easier feeders is on your body than package car.

 

[Dracula]

That can be true for certain runs as far as no OT. CPU runs mostly. They typically make local pickups so there might not be enough work for OT.

Some feeder drivers have to work half a day in a tractor and the other half in package or inside.

Just depends on the hub. Our hub is huge, and roughly 2/3's of the runs are about 9 to 10 hours. Shifting is 9.5. The final 1/3rd is 10-12 hour runs and mileage. I usually run mileage.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Well those are differing opinions and some people on the forum can't have that. LOL.

Yeah I saw that....and frankly, you didn't offer anything more than your opinion. lol

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Yeah I saw that....and frankly, you didn't offer anything more than your opinion. lol

That's exactly right because that's what the OP wanted and that's all we should have given. I simply touched on working nights, which would happen, and possibly missing the family, which could happen. New feeder drivers in the hub near me where dropping like flies for those very reasons. So those were valid points but still my opinions because some people might not care about things like that. But one particular jerk couldn't handle different opinions. I think he night like his job a little more than most. LOL

 

[Faceplanted]

They recently put a bid up in my hub for a lot of feeder spots. A bunch of guys in my center and other few centers in my hub with less seniority than me took the spots. I'm good friends with quite a few of them and had regrets that I didnt take the offer too. After talking to them many times since they have been in feeders, 85% are back in package. They have cut feeder routes in my hub. I have taken a few things in my talks with them that make me happy I did not bid.

Working nights sucks very bad for most humans. Your carcadian rythems do not support a feeder schedule. You will be tired all the time. You cannot truelly enjoy your weekend as you have to maintain some type of sleep schedule if you are covering nights which 90% of feeder runs are.

You will work 60 hours a week during peak. IMHO that is insane, I don't care how easy of a job it is

If you like package as do I because time flys, prepare to be bored as hell.

You will he doing cpu routes which in my hub mostly consists of delivering 400 packages to malls, with no circulation in the back of the trailor. It's only till 2/3 till u start pu/swap trailors.

If you are like me and love social interaction with customer, that will also be gone.

I'm estatic I stayed in package. Feeder life is not for me. My time off is my time off, I want to be able to get tore up drunk, go out of town on weekends and not wait by the phone for the next 5-10 years. I have no kids and enjoy spending evenings with my wife, weather it be sitting at home watching a movie, or going out for dinner. Its not for everybody and it bothers me that feeder guys think they have the best job at ups. To most it seems like the best. I would prefer a nice high mile resi route all day. To top all this off, I'm in the best shape of my life in package. If you take care of your body, follow methods ect you will retire in great shape. Many of these old timers who say otherwise have driven trucks with no power steering, high steps, and come from a day where safety and methods were an after though.

Also, I hAve previously experience with big equipment as I have trained for diesel mechanics, and moved equipment around the shop. No I wasn't driving with a 53 behind me, but everything is learnable. Being scared of the equipment is not a reaoson for me.

Most people who went to feeders love, some pass up ebery route they can and stay in package. If u like to have it easy, don't mind nights and possible weekend, don't mind no summers off, and can deal with being at the bottom u can cope. i plan to retire very young, 40/45. No kids helps my plans big. I'm not willing to end up back at the bottom after 10 years driving package and finally getting a pretty sweet bid route. I actually love my job the 8 months my area has great weather. I can't think of a better job in the world when the weather is nice and you have a fair amount of work in your bid route.

 

[govols019]

I got about 2hrs of guarantee pay every week during the last peak in feeders.

 

[Faceplanted]

I got about 2hrs of guarantee pay every week during the last peak in feeders.

I'm sure every hub is diff. Feeder guys at my hub all got 60 even with the shinny wheels getting money too. Most hours were spent waiting for possible extra loads or at the airport napping in the cab. Lots of guys had to pull over and get relieved not to go over dot hours.

 

[govols019]

Getting paid over $50 an hour to take a nap? Sounds pretty awesome to me.

I'll take 60hrs in feeders over 45hrs in package everyday of the week.

 

[Faceplanted]

Getting paid over $50 an hour to take a nap? Sounds pretty awesome to me.

I'll take 60hrs in feeders over 45hrs in package everyday of the week.

Considering that technically Your stealing time and all it takes is a part time car wash sup to see you and be a snitch brown noser to potentially get u terminate for a few weeks that's u. I would rather get my 45-48 a week while time is flying and enjoy my nights and weekend. Like I said to each their own. Feeders is way better for the majority of people but you guys have to understand as hard as it is, that amazingly some people would rather work and have time fly. There are only so many web sites to check and so much facebook pimping you can do before you get bored as hell.

 

[wayfair]

Considering that technically Your stealing time and all it takes is a part time car wash sup to see you and be a snitch brown noser to potentially get u terminate for a few weeks that's u. I would rather get my 45-48 a week while time is flying and enjoy my nights and weekend. Like I said to each their own. Feeders is way better for the majority of people but you guys have to understand as hard as it is, that amazingly some people would rather work and have time fly. There are only so many web sites to check and so much facebook pimping you can do before you get bored as hell.

how is it stealing time??

 

[Faceplanted]

how is it stealing time??

If a district manager or wanna be tough guy sup catches u in the yard on the clock sleeping in the cab its not a good look. The feeder sups in my hub are cool and know what goes on, but during peak when a few peope are at work "on call" on the clock waiting for an extra load they should be in the feeder office or close enough to check back every few min. People have been fired for less. It wouldn't stick but I hope u can catch my drift. Tons of our senior feeder guys are snitches and cry baby's, always complain when a rookie gets a new freder, or is slacking. Bunch of haters so from what I hear In my hub u gotta watch for them because they will cry and snitch.

 

[silenze]

Its encouraged that we take naps when tired.
Feeders is like an alternate universe.
You just can't understand until you make the switch.

 

[Faceplanted]

Its encouraged that we take naps when tired.
Feeders is like an alternate universe.
You just can't understand until you make the switch.

You are right I don't understand or get the life but neither do the guys sleeping on the floor of their cab to not get caught. If nothing to hide those puss cakes should pull right into the few feeder spots in front or the feede office and just knock out in the driver seat. If I planned on staying till 55 there would have been more pros than cons for me to consider when I made my decision to turn it down. Lots of our feeder guys are old and have gravy routes, 4x10s or one of the very few early morn day runs. Why retire right?