Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Mugarolla]

Being in berth are you still on the clock , I know your drive hours are not effected

But what about working hours

Your drive hours, DOT working hours, or company working hours are not affected as long as you do nothing that could be construed as work.

They schedule my days off Sunday and Monday , but I am on a sleeper those days

While technically I am not driving Monday I am still in the berth and I scheduled to work tues through Sat

You are off duty while in the sleeper berth for UPS hours and DOT hours.

In short will I be able to get a 7 day punch even trough I didn't actually drive on Monday

7 day punch? You can't even get a 6 day punch. I mean you could if you had enough drive hours left, but you are off duty Sunday and Monday. You only "work" 5 days a week.

 

[Busta Brown]

Started feeder school today and was told that since I already have a cdl that I get paid for my first week can anybody give me some insight on that and or let me no who if have to talk to to verify that

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Started feeder school today and was told that since I already have a cdl that I get paid for my first week can anybody give me some insight on that and or let me no who if have to talk to to verify that

That's news to me, at least when I went thru feeder school in '85. It was understood and accepted that you attended feeder school on your own time.

 

[Rick Ross]

We had a few with CDL's who didn't make it through my class. Both were pt employees who drove OTR and didn't like it. They failed because of the 5 and 10 and not knowing how they applied to driving.

That being said I wouldn't think you would be paid since you haven't made it through training to your production week.

 

[DC7]

When I did my training I did not get paid the first three days the last two I got paid for and then got paid my production week

 

[Mugarolla]

Where I am, the first week is unpaid. The second week, production week is paid.

If you pass, get your CDL and are placed on the qualified feeder list, you then get paid for the first week that was originally unpaid.

If you fail the class or do not get your CDL, the first week remains unpaid.

 

[olroadbeech]

Where I am, the first week is unpaid. The second week, production week is paid.

If you pass, get your CDL and are placed on the qualified feeder list, you then get paid for the first week that was originally unpaid.

If you fail the class or do not get your CDL, the first week remains unpaid.

wow. how can they get away with not paying you for your time?? completely unAmerican.

 

[jose93209]

I have been thinking of going into feeder driving for a bit now. Only thing holding me back, other than seniority of course, is that I have a wife and 1 1/2 year old at home.. I'm worried working those long shifts and wanting to just sleep on my days off is really going to change things at home. The paycheck is the main thing behind wanting to go into feeders, like most people I'm guessing.

Anybody have suggestions? Just stick it out and wait for package to come around? Was anybody in the same situation as this prior to going into driving? Thanks.

 

[jaker]

Your drive hours, DOT working hours, or company working hours are not affected as long as you do nothing that could be construed as work.



You are off duty while in the sleeper berth for UPS hours and DOT hours.



7 day punch? You can't even get a 6 day punch. I mean you could if you had enough drive hours left, but you are off duty Sunday and Monday. You only "work" 5 days a week.

I got paid for 6 and 7 day punch , I was in the berth for more then 4 hours on a single day so it counted as a work day

 

[brownburro]

I have been thinking of going into feeder driving for a bit now. Only thing holding me back, other than seniority of course, is that I have a wife and 1 1/2 year old at home.. I'm worried working those long shifts and wanting to just sleep on my days off is really going to change things at home. The paycheck is the main thing behind wanting to go into feeders, like most people I'm guessing.

Anybody have suggestions? Just stick it out and wait for package to come around? Was anybody in the same situation as this prior to going into driving? Thanks.

From a career perspective on say jump on feeders. From a family perspective I'd say don't do it unless your wife is 100% on board. Delivering packages is not what it used to be. Their days are getting just as long as feeders. A whole hell of a lot rougher on the body though. Good luck with your choice.

 

[Rick Ross]

From a career perspective on say jump on feeders. From a family perspective I'd say don't do it unless your wife is 100% on board. Delivering packages is not what it used to be. Their days are getting just as long as feeders. A whole hell of a lot rougher on the body though. Good luck with your choice.

To me feeders is absolutely better than package for family life. I have young kids who need to be in bed by 8:00 during the week... Package would allow me to help get them ready and drive them to school at 7:20 each morning but that's not really quality time for us.

In feeders I usually go to work after they are asleep and have the time from school being out until bedtime to be with them. There are times when I'm up 30 hours straight or go a few consecutive days with 3-4 hours of sleep, but my body can do that.

If you need a lot of sleep stay in package. If you can function and not have issues falling asleep at the wheel feeders is best for the kids 100%, the down side is its tougher on the marriage.

 

[Mugarolla]

I got paid for 6 and 7 day punch , I was in the berth for more then 4 hours on a single day so it counted as a work day

So even though you were not driving, your 2 scheduled off days (days not counted against your HOS) you were paid time and a half and then double time for your 2 days off (6th and 7th punch) only because you spent more than 4 hours in the berth?

I will admit that I am not overly familiar with sleeper runs because we have none here and I never dug too deep into the language but is this a local agreement? I have read the language before and do not recall this, at least in the master.

 

[olroadbeech]

I have been thinking of going into feeder driving for a bit now. Only thing holding me back, other than seniority of course, is that I have a wife and 1 1/2 year old at home.. I'm worried working those long shifts and wanting to just sleep on my days off is really going to change things at home. The paycheck is the main thing behind wanting to go into feeders, like most people I'm guessing.

Anybody have suggestions? Just stick it out and wait for package to come around? Was anybody in the same situation as this prior to going into driving? Thanks.

Many drivers have this concern when the opportunity for feeders come up. Let me tell you that I don't think I have ever met a driver that Regretted the decision for doing it. There is pros and cons of course.

The cons are working night hrs, trying to sleep during the day , maybe being a cover driver for years and working all kinds of strange hours.
The pros is the pay, little wear and tear on the body which most drivers appreciate more as they get older, and actually working strange hours has its advantages as well. You will be able to do things during the off hours that you could not do during package driver hrs. You can have dinner with the family or pick up the kids from school , or be able to help wife out more depending on your work hours. You do have to catch up on sleep on the weekends unless you are young and can handle your days off with very little sleep.

Like another poster mentioned it's important that you and your spouse talk about all the variables before making a decision.

One other con and it may be only at my hub but the divorce rate for feeder drivers seem to be higher. not sure why. feeders make big bucks , over 100k . maybe that is part of it or maybe the strange hours has something to do with it. it takes a long time to get a day run. I was in feeders for over 20 years and NEVER had a day run unless I worked cover and then it was about half days and half nights.

good luck with whatever you decide to do.

do yourself a favor and ask feeder drivers at your hub. people love to talk about themselves.

 

[burrheadd]

Many drivers have this concern when the opportunity for feeders come up. Let me tell you that I don't think I have ever met a driver that Regretted the decision for doing it. There is pros and cons of course.

The cons are working night hrs, trying to sleep during the day , maybe being a cover driver for years and working all kinds of strange hours.
The pros is the pay, little wear and tear on the body which most drivers appreciate more as they get older, and actually working strange hours has its advantages as well. You will be able to do things during the off hours that you could not do during package driver hrs. You can have dinner with the family or pick up the kids from school , or be able to help wife out more depending on your work hours. You do have to catch up on sleep on the weekends unless you are young and can handle your days off with very little sleep.

Like another poster mentioned it's important that you and your spouse talk about all the variables before making a decision.

people love to talk about themselves.

Ain't that the truth!!!

 

[barnyard]

The other thing for a low seniority person is how much you value a prime time vacation. You have to look at the seniority list for your building to figure if that is an issue.

 

[FrigidFTSup]

The other thing for a low seniority person is how much you value a prime time vacation. You have to look at the seniority list for your building to figure if that is an issue.

How does it work for you since you do both feeders and PC?

 

[govols019]

If you are feeder qualified you chose vacations from the feeder list.


Our lowest seniority cover feeder had to use his vacation weeks in January and November.

 

[brown67]

Started feeder school today and was told that since I already have a cdl that I get paid for my first week can anybody give me some insight on that and or let me no who if have to talk to to verify that

Here in feeder school is 3 weeks. 2 weeks school and 1 week production. Production week is a week on a real run with a sup. Week 1 is unpaid. Week 2 and 3 paid. If you have a CDL you skip week one and start on week 2.

 

[brown67]

wow. how can they get away with not paying you for your time?? completely unAmerican.

Great. Go take a couple months off and spend 3k to 5k to get you're CDL. Or, 3 weeks at UPS with 1 week unpaid. It's not woek, it's school. I took a week of vacation for my unpaid week. Nothing out of pocket.

 

[barnyard]

How does it work for you since you do both feeders and PC?

I bid my vacations, turn them in, then my supe and I sit down and see if there are any conflicts. Usually, the schedule is marked for closed weeks (full for all drivers) and my schedule is sometimes marked for full feeder weeks. This year it wasn't marked for feeder weeks.

This year, I bid 4 weeks in a row and had to start 2 weeks earlier to ensure coverage. It worked since there were spots open the previous weeks.

The top cover guy bids his vacations so that he can work any feeder vacation bid, so I am on if 2 are on vacation and it messes with my vacation bid if 3 are on vacation.

Pretty sure I have changed at least 1 week per year since signing up for feeders. It seems more complicated than it is.