Pros and Cons of going to Feeders.....????!!!!!!

[MaceFremonti]

Full time driver in downtown Washington D.C. for 20 years. I have SERIOUSLY been considering signing the next Feeder bid list when it is posted. The workload on every route in our center has been increased by almost 50% compared to a few years ago. The missloads, missroutes, DFUs, bad time studies, telematics, and all the other Service Provider b.s. that happens everyday has become too much.

The only downside I can see at the moment is that overtime is actually OVERTIME. What I mean is I am a bonus driver. My route HAS to be done before 5:00 since it is all commercial. A paid 10 hour day for me is the guaranteed 8 pay and 2 hours of bonus time. A 10 hour day in feeders is exactly that.

So ffor those of you who have made the switch what are the pros and cons?


Happy Holidays!

 

[wo88upsman]

Just went to feeders after 25+ years in package car. Wow what a difference! I am on a Peak run right now that runs a daytime route but first of year will be going to a night run fulltime because on of our drivers is retiring. But wish I would have done this years ago you have to learn to slow down to a whole different pace, not near as much stress and a lot less physical work.

 

[Old International]

No, thats 8 hours of regular pay, and 2 hours of OT. Of course, you arn't getting paid on your way home, like on a bonus run. But then again, you won't be getting in and out of your seat 400 times a day either. Plus, feeders have A/C and good heaters, nice seats, power steering, and you can run a radio of your own choosing.

 

[cachsux]

1) You`ll be junior so expect the worst choices in start times.
2) Those start times might actually work for you depending on your life/family schedules.
3) You touched on it. Hours are hours, no paid bonus.
4) You`ll be covered by the DOT hour rules so 60 is the max, hell or high water.
5) You`ll never have an easier peak than one in feeder.
6) You`ll be driving something big enough to crush you like a bug so always respect the equipment.

There`s more but thats off the top of my head. I had a cake retail route that I left 16 1/2 yrs ago and especially with all the new techno-BS that package car is experiencing I am glad I made the jump.

 

[Anonymous 10]

You might get fat.

 

[cachsux]

You might get fat.

As opposed to maybe getting crippled up in package? Roll those dice.

 

[Anonymous 10]

As opposed to maybe getting crippled up in package? Roll those dice.

I agree with you just stating the facts.

 

[Old International]

Peaks are easy. Was called in Friday, worked 11 hours at 2.5 rate. Did nothing but haul trailers on a 122 mile round trip.
Last year, for peak, I averaged 44 hours a week. Could hardly tell it was Peak with those hours.

 

[menotyou]

I'm going into feeders.

 

[cachsux]

They don`t let girls. It`s a he-mans job. You just look pretty as we drive by and wave. lol j/k

 

[menotyou]

I certainly don't want to get, uhmmm, bigger pants lets say. Smartarse!

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

I'm going into feeders.

You have to be a part-timer to do that.

 

[over9five]

CONS:

You never know how long you have to work on any day. In Package, you can kinda guess when you'll be done based on what's in your car. In Feeders you may think you're almost done, but they can and do send you right back out if you have time left. 14 hours at their whim, think about that.

You'll have a new start time every few weeks. Unlike Package, in Feeders there's bumps every week.

God help you if you get stuck in a shifter for 14 hours. I'm looking for a razor blade to slice my wrists after about 6.

Here's my worst: You're in that shifter all night....You have about 10 minutes left till your 8, so you're thinking, "One more move, and they'll send me home".
Oh, no. That's when they'll tell you, "We need you to go onroad". Now you have to pre-trip a tractor just when you thought you'd be going home.

It's a big decision. Good Luck, whatever you decide!

And let us know.

 

[Anonymous 10]

You can walk into work everyday with one of those cool cb radios/lunchboxs. Plus you will probably get a cool handle(cb name) like kooder or brownmonster. I also see a lot of the guys wearing really cool belt buckles that we don't get to wear in package and every once in a while I see someone with their cowboy boots on at work. That's some cool ass $h|+ !!!!!!

 

[moreluck]

You can walk into work everyday with one of those cool cb radios/lunchboxs. Plus you will probably get a cool handle(cb name) like kooder or brownmonster. I also see a lot of the guys wearing really cool belt buckles that we don't get to wear in package and every once in a while I see someone with their cowboy boots on at work. That's some cool ass $h|+ !!!!!!

You fail to mention that those cool belt buckles are on 60 inch belts!!

 

[Anonymous 10]

You fail to mention that those cool belt buckles are on 60 inch belts!!

see post #5

 

[barnyard]

I signed a feeder bid in my center. Realistically, I will probably never be able to sign a bid for my own route (our center has 4 bid feeder jobs.) However, I am in the middle of the list, so I do not have to cover single days, only full weeks. I like the break from package cars. If I could sign a FT feeder bid, I probably would.

 

[cachsux]

CONS:

You never know how long you have to work on any day. In Package, you can kinda guess when you'll be done based on what's in your car. In Feeders you may think you're almost done, but they can and do send you right back out if you have time left. 14 hours at their whim, think about that.

You'll have a new start time every few weeks. Unlike Package, in Feeders there's bumps every week.

God help you if you get stuck in a shifter for 14 hours. I'm looking for a razor blade to slice my wrists after about 6.

Here's my worst: You're in that shifter all night....You have about 10 minutes left till your 8, so you're thinking, "One more move, and they'll send me home".
Oh, no. That's when they'll tell you, "We need you to go onroad". Now you have to pre-trip a tractor just when you thought you'd be going home.

It's a big decision. Good Luck, whatever you decide!

And let us know.

What are you,at the bottom of the board? For a rookie,yea, they might have those nightmares but once you have some time in that diminishes.
At least if your going to do 14 though its a way easier 14 than in package. No reams of paper in that day.

 

[terrymac]

Peak day in feeder: two boxes, one stop.

 

[over9five]

What are you,at the bottom of the board? For a rookie,yea, they might have those nightmares but once you have some time in that diminishes.
At least if your going to do 14 though its a way easier 14 than in package. No reams of paper in that day.

Yeah, but your building has 400 Feeder drivers. They can always find some fool to work the OT so others aren't forced.

Yikes, I hate forced OT. Especially last minute forced OT you can't plan on.
2012 is a bid year, so I have some options.