To feed(er) or not to feeder?

[superballs63]

So I may have the chance to go into feeders in the next few months, but am unsure if I should go.

My wife and I are soon to be joined by a beautiful little baby girl, and the uncertainty of hours and weekends and lack of a summer vacation of any kind is giving me some reservations about jumping in head first.

So, what are your guys feeder horror stories about terrible hours, and any other negatives you dealt with.

A/C in the summer and no blown out rental trucks at peak are my two biggest positives aside from the financial motivation.

Any pointers or warnings?

 

[Ant12]

My dad works like 2pm-2am during the weekdays. Never weekends. He also gets a load of vacation time. He always tries to call people while he's working though on his headset 24/7....so it must be boring

 

[Coca Cola Delivery Man87]

Any pointers

stop over thinking and worrying,give it a try...if you don't like it,you can always leave.

 

[Anonymous 12]

So I may have the chance to go into feeders in the next few months, but am unsure if I should go.

My wife and I are soon to be joined by a beautiful little baby girl, and the uncertainty of hours and weekends and lack of a summer vacation of any kind is giving me some reservations about jumping in head first.

So, what are your guys feeder horror stories about terrible hours, and any other negatives you dealt with.

A/C in the summer and no blown out rental trucks at peak are my two biggest positives aside from the financial motivation.

Any pointers or warnings?

Becoming a fat boy.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

I put in 9 years in packages before I went into feeders. I actually passed the first time the bid list went up. guys that were under me in seniority went in and told me how great it was. I went in the next time it was available. You start over in feeders. you are lower than a wagon wheel track in a mudhole. you start off in coverage, and you're liable to stay in there a while. Some guys like coverage, something different every day. When you are there long enough, you will get a bid job. Nights or some bastid job with weird days off like work sat and sun, off mon, work tues and wed, off thurs, work fri...nights might last for years. I personally worked nights my entire feeder career. 28 years, but it was my choice. I did it for the sake of my marriage. I knew if I worked days and would be home at night with my wife, we would be divorced in 2 weeks. She wants to watch cooking channel, rich housewives of anywhere while I'm more of a discovery and reality kind of guy. 28 years I told her there weren't any day jobs available. She never knew any better. haha Those guys who were under me in packages that went into feeders. Well, they are ahead of me now cause everyone starts over. You keep your company seniority as far as how much vacation you get, but that's about it. The job you bid on, the tractor you drive, even the locker you get assigned is done by feeder seniority. I was number 2 in my package center, but about #75 when I started in feeders. I would do it again, however. If you get the chance to go into feeders at a relatively young age, I'd say go for it. There's a saying in my department. "A bad day in feeders is still better than a good day in packages."

 

[you aint even know it]

No way I would work 12+ hours a day if I had a child and/or a wife. No matter how much money they are paying me. Even if I dont have a family I still wouldnt do it. Thats no life.

 

[greengrenades]

I'm going in 2 weeks. I will be on call 6 to midnight. Honestly if I want my family to have a good life, I'm going to take this job, make good money, and give them the best life they can have. My dad was a feeder driver my entire life, I saw him all the time and he was a great dad. We never had to worry about money or food, because he always provided for us. You start off at the bottom and end at the top, this is how it is everywhere. You have to remember there are truck drivers for other companies who are gone for weeks at a time, and you will still make more money than they will. My brother owns his on trucking company and these guys are gone all week long and get saturday and half of sunday off and still don't make as much as UPS drivers. I really think you should give it a shot and not worry so much about it.

 

[30yearstolife]

Those guys who were under me in packages that went into feeders. Well, they are ahead of me now cause everyone starts over. You keep your company seniority as far as how much vacation you get, but that's about it. The job you bid on, the tractor you drive, even the locker you get assigned is done by feeder seniority. I was number 2 in my package center, but about #75 when I started in feeders.

I believe seniority is retained if you go from package to feeders around here (job/run bids). A longtime package driver (28+ years) after a year in feeders said it was so much easier on his body but he also said don't let anyone tell you it is good for family life or marriages. The hours are longer than package and many marriages fail.

 

[Rgt85]

I just started out Feeder driving and it's not bad at all. It is true that for a while you will not get your summers off, but you have to start somewhere. Also, you may or may not work weekends. I got a kind of crummy run because I'm 3rd from the bottom, but at the same time it's not really that bad. MOST routes wont have you work weekends. If you plan on staying at UPS I'd definitely go feeders. I use to not want it, but I wised up. I work maybe 9-10 hours a night, sometimes less and still bring home 1k a week. Not bad at all. It has it's downsides, but what doesn't?

 

[superballs63]

Thanks for the advice guys

I spoke with a feeder manager yesterday who told me, based on my FT date that more than likely I'll make the cut. So I'm just trying to make the most informed decision I can. as far as feeder seniority, I'm going to be like #2 or 3 from the bottom

I'm at about 6 years FT in delivery, and to be honest there are days when I think about quitting because I hate it THAT much. Just time for a change, not sure if I'll stay in feeders until I retire, or after a good while pop my head into delivery and see how things are going

 

[jaker]

Wow 6 years and that's it and you are going feeder , put here in the west we are 12+ years to get into feeder

For me I am taking it my first chance , but I want to do long hauls I rather be gone for 3 or 4 days

 

[Back first]

6 years in are you a cover driver? I personally wouldn't go feeders because the hours suck. With your seniority you are looking at nights for the next 20 years.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

We had about 4 team runs out of our building (white tractors) and those guys are the only drivers who stay gone overnight (unless you get caught in an ice storm or something) I believe those guys drive around 4000 miles/week and they get paid mileage. That is the top job in feeders. The way it works is they post those OTR jobs for bid and the long term drivers usually snatch them up. Then they choose anyone in the department they want to be their co-driver. A noob who just came into feeders was chosen by a vet to drive with him and did he ever get lucky. No layoffs, no getting bumped and a fast lane to achieving seniority. In feeders they like to string the new guys along a lot. bring them in, send them back...work 3 days..layoff for 2..etc. This guy fell into a job right out of packages that's paying him probably 125-130k...that's the way to go..if you can swing it.

 

[Quigley]

I have been in feeders 21 years. Right off the street. Nights this whole time. I personally wouldnt want a day run. Working days I woulld never see my kids, have to take a sick day to get any business done. Working nights I have all afternoon to spend with my kids and if I have any business to do I have the time to do it. As far as sleeper teams go I can see where it would be good for some but I really cant think of anybody I like well enough to spend that much time with in such a tight place for that much time.

 

[raceanoncr]

To succeed in feeders and have a family, you are going to have to have a very understanding family, to say the least. I'm not going to bad-mouth feeders in any way because that's what I wanted to do here and I made it work. BUT....

It's true, you may get stuck on nights for a very long time. I did but I, notice I said "I", didn't mind a bit. My ex sure did mind. Notice I said "Ex". Not understanding at all.

Depending on the hub/center you are at, you COULD be driving on some weekends. Years ago, we were at Union meeting. Guys were screaming to BA that we needed more feeder runs. I mean, SCREAMING! He said, "Well, you know, it could mean working weekends". The whole room erupted into the same chant, "Hell, YES, we'll work weekends". Later, by golly, we DID get a mileage run that started on Sat morn. Laid over in CACH, came back Sun morn. Fired back up on Mon night. Off on Thur morn. The bid went all the way down to me and I was pretty low at that time. I took it. Made a boat load of $ on it too.

Sleepers came along, I took it. Another boat load of $, BUT gone every weekend, every Thanksgiving w/e, every 4 of July w/e. It's just the nature of the beast.

Thankfully, the current wife was VERY understanding. Put up with it without a whimper.

Was it a rough life? Yes, but I loved it. I was made for it. Was it rough on the family? Well, obviously, but if you work TOGETHER, you can ALL made it work.

So, depending on your hub, it could be a good life, it could be a bad life. Depending on your family, it could be a good life, it could be a bad life. Only you can make that decision.

Good luck and keep us informed, please.

 

[cachsux]

We had about 4 team runs out of our building (white tractors) and those guys are the only drivers who stay gone overnight (unless you get caught in an ice storm or something) I believe those guys drive around 4000 miles/week and they get paid mileage. That is the top job in feeders. The way it works is they post those OTR jobs for bid and the long term drivers usually snatch them up. Then they choose anyone in the department they want to be their co-driver. A noob who just came into feeders was chosen by a vet to drive with him and did he ever get lucky. No layoffs, no getting bumped and a fast lane to achieving seniority. In feeders they like to string the new guys along a lot. bring them in, send them back...work 3 days..layoff for 2..etc. This guy fell into a job right out of packages that's paying him probably 125-130k...that's the way to go..if you can swing it.

Guess what that noob is doing on the road to keep that spot.

 

[cachsux]

I've said it before. Feeder, or UPS driving in general, will not save or ruin your marriage/family life. If the idea of what you're doing for the good of the family isn't acceptable to them then you've got problems regardless of what job you take.

That said I was afternoons/late nights because of my seniority at first because it was all I could get. Now I'm top of the board and its what I take because it's all I want. Like retiredTX said, I can do stuff when I get home, I see the wife and kids, eat dinner at regular times, and actually sleep when it's halfway dark.

 

[superballs63]

Like retiredTX said, I can do stuff when I get home, I see the wife and kids, eat dinner at regular times, and actually sleep when it's halfway dark.

I enjoy that part too. So many times in delivery I have something I need to do, and the offices are LONG gone by the time I get there

 

[bluebiker]

I think it really depends on where you are as far as hours, type of work, etc. If you work in a hub with a lot of CPU jobs there's more 2-3pm start to after midnite jobs. A hub with a lot of hub to hub stuff has runs around the clock. Some people like the CPU, local stuff, some people like the long distance runs. Some guys just like to shift.
Ask some of the feeder drivers where you work about their runs, and what's available.

As far as A/C, hopefully it works, the hubs with a lot of CPU work have some really old tractors, some well maintained, some not so well. Some guys won't write up their tractors till they really break.
Most years during peak we got some nice rentals, this last year we had some real junk, they'd throw a "rental car" sticker and a DVIR book in it and put it on the line. One I got had ripped seats, air lines all screwed up, instant red tag.

We've had some guys go back to package, I know one guy said he was going back to package 5yrs ago and he's still in feeders.

I'm off the street, tell people it's the best job I ever had, (but the worst company I ever worked for). There's no one looking over your shoulder but the technology basically allows them to do it. I don't know how I'd feel if they had cameras in the truck that they could just randomly check you.

Good Luck!

 

[Jones]

Thanks for the advice guys

I spoke with a feeder manager yesterday who told me, based on my FT date that more than likely I'll make the cut. So I'm just trying to make the most informed decision I can. as far as feeder seniority, I'm going to be like #2 or 3 from the bottom

I'm at about 6 years FT in delivery, and to be honest there are days when I think about quitting because I hate it THAT much. Just time for a change, not sure if I'll stay in feeders until I retire, or after a good while pop my head into delivery and see how things are going

Package will not get better, if you hate it now that hatred will only grow with the passing years. Take the feeder job and don't look back, you will not regret it.