Yard feeder?

[Super Shifter]

Oh yes do not forget your safety vest while shifting.Its strange drivers dressed in brown in the dark (hard to see not required to wear vests)Proves they are easily replaced with shiney wheels lol

 

[over9five]

Congratulations, K.Pop! Go in to the interview with a good attitude, look sharp.
You'll be backing all day, so you'll be real good in a few weeks.

Always, SAFETY FIRST!

 

[dragracer66]

Have you ever seen the yard at the NJ meadowlands? It is a complete mess and the suits realize it too. Imo, I am surprised no one else has died in that building and I am sure that your friend wont be the last. The blame totally cant be placed on the shifters though. They do not have cameras on the back of thier boxes and have to mantain a quota.( they usually want 7 moves in an hour) There is very little room for the safest back up in that building and UPS can easily have that problem corrected.(straight back). But instead, they store trailers in front of every mf primary and make the feeder drivers use blind side backs or left side backs which makes the drivers view out of 1 mirror instead of two. If UPS is so concerned about safety and does not even want us to back, why would they even allow this type of back. If you have not been to the NJ meadowlands and not seen the chaos, please dont even answer on this question.

I know what you mean,I have been to the Meadowland's building about a dozen time's I also have quite of few friend's there who are feeder driver's. That building is BYFAR the most unorganized building I have ever seen. I give everybody who either drives out of there or goes into there every night credit!!! I thought 43'rd street or even Island city were bad until I saw the Meadowland's in person!!!

 

[Rocking chair guy]

I shifted for about 25 years ft ....yep I know I was crazy according to my fellow feeder drivers but it kept me busy and I liked it ....summers are hell when it gets really hot and winters are no fun working all day in the cold and snow or freezing rain , but every job has its bad sides right ? Like someone already told you , take your time , be safe and watch EVERYTHING around you ! Dont be afraid to ask the experienced shifters for adivce , to be a good shifter takes time but before long it is second nature and you will be taking only one shot at spotting a trailer in a door or hooking up the doubles . Over 25 years of shifting I saw a lot of new guys come in who had just gotten to feeders , usually they got stuck on the shifting jobs because the senority feeder drivers didnt want the shifting jobs and it was hell for them at first trying to learn how to back up or get the fundementals down at the same time trying to keep up with the inbound and outbound moves around the building during the sorts but eventually you learn all the little tricks you need to know to make your job easier and safer . Even some of the feeder drivers who had been around for awhile would struggle for a little while getting into the different routine of being on a shifter job and what it entails what with the speed of the moves needing to be done and amount of trailers you have to move and sets of doubles needing to be hooked up . You are no different than anyone else , it just takes time and experience ....my first couple of weeks in feeders as a shifter , trying to learn how to back up and all that goes with it , I thought I would never get it but I did after awhile and it ended up being like second nature to me . Good luck and be safe .

 

[local804]

I know what you mean,I have been to the Meadowland's building about a dozen time's I also have quite of few friend's there who are feeder driver's. That building is BYFAR the most unorganized building I have ever seen. I give everybody who either drives out of there or goes into there every night credit!!! I thought 43'rd street or even Island city were bad until I saw the Meadowland's in person!!!

Agree totally with you again....
43rd street is a disaster also, no excuse for NJM.

 

[rushfan]

Same here the yard shifting position is the worst position in the feeder dept. However, you do get to see the newly unemployed get escorted off the property.

 

[Super Shifter]

Same here the yard shifting position is the worst position in the feeder dept. However, you do get to see the newly unemployed get escorted off the property.

as stated before drivers say yard work the worst,but its strange when they get laid off,bumped the 1 st job they go for is shifting...In our hub there are many other jobs that must be better than the worst(shifting)Is it they prefer the worst over better .Or could it be they are jealous1

 

[raceanoncr]

as stated before drivers say yard work the worst,but its strange when they get laid off,bumped the 1 st job they go for is shifting...In our hub there are many other jobs that must be better than the worst(shifting)Is it they prefer the worst over better .Or could it be they are jealous1

My opinion is this with UPS: I've had most jobs here; porter, unload, load, p/c, even tho I was hired as friend/t many yrs ago. Was p/c for 3 full yrs off the street, another 5 gettin bounced around feeders and p/c til friend/t with feeders. The worst job in feeders is still better than the best job elsewhere in this company.

If you, as a feeder, consider shifting the worst job, so be it. Try package car for many years. My hats off to all package drivers. I couldn't do it now.

 

[BottomFeeder]

Good thread!
I am a new hire and start seasonal feeder training next week.
Can anyone tell me what to expect in training and what my first few weeks will be like?
Thanks

 

[diesel96]

as stated before drivers say yard work the worst,but its strange when they get laid off,bumped the 1 st job they go for is shifting...In our hub there are many other jobs that must be better than the worst(shifting)Is it they prefer the worst over better .Or could it be they are jealous1

Why would Feeder Driver's be jealous of shifters?
Shifting is harder,faster,and sort of controlled chaos..... And why would I want a yard supervisor barking in my ear constantly...do this, do that, hurry up. Maybe thats why your so cranky towards Feeder Drivers. What do you want Feeder Cover drivers to do when there's no work? Phyiscal hub work ? It's part of the senority process to bump, get over it, they earned it.
I'll be the first to admit, there are Feeder drivers with bad attitudes out there but the other side of the coin there are also plenty of shifters with major issues . I tend to judge people by individuallity not classify them in bunches..
BTW...Most of the shifters in my center are great guys.

 

[robot]

ah shifting on the yard isn't too bad. my main complaint about it is that it's freaking hot in that thing. especially during the summer. it's like sitting on top of a stove. plus it seems time goes by a lot slower. i tend to watch the clock when i'm shifting on the yard.

 

[rumblestrips]

I think shifting should be done by FT feeder drivers.

Of course it should. At my location, after the shifting is done, most yard people go on the road, on a short leg. Full time rate and overtime, as it should be.

 

[local804]

ah shifting on the yard isn't too bad. my main complaint about it is that it's freaking hot in that thing. especially during the summer. it's like sitting on top of a stove. plus it seems time goes by a lot slower. i tend to watch the clock when i'm shifting on the yard.

New shifters come with AC. (no I am not kidding)

 

[raceanoncr]

Most people love us when their trailer is too low.

That was YOU???? When we used to come into Cach and have to hook up our own set (ouch! That hurts for sleeper guys), we ALWAYS had to flag one o yous guys down to raise back and sometimes front just sos we could LOOK at it!

I hate you!
sarcasm intended

 

[local804]

You sure on this? Our new ones are coming in only with the manual a/c,as in the man sticks his head out the window to cool off.

The non-union shifters in NJ meadowlands got 2 and some are coming to Long Island.

 

[Anonymous Gearjammers]

Ours break down so often now they have to rent some which all have a/c, and no exaggeration when ran on high the bird gets cold as a fridge even when outside it is high 90's. As for the job, way to repetitive for my liking only thing that makes it somewhat bearable is the cb chatter, which can also make it worse.

 

[ManInBrown]

I know what you mean,I have been to the Meadowland's building about a dozen time's I also have quite of few friend's there who are feeder driver's. That building is BYFAR the most unorganized building I have ever seen. I give everybody who either drives out of there or goes into there every night credit!!! I thought 43'rd street or even Island city were bad until I saw the Meadowland's in person!!!

Anyone know if Meadowlands is still bad? Got the call to go to feeder school and it's the Meadowlands HR supervisor who sent me the letter, so I'm thinking I might have to start there until I can transfer to the Edison building. Anyone else have any info on the Mewdownlands feeder?

 

[Rick Ross]

This company needs to keep unexperienced people out of any kind of feeder work period!!! You get all these jackasses who think they can back a trailer up because they can back there camper or boat trailer up. Not the same!!! They smash into other trailers and don't report it, they drive around with the dolly lift dragging on the ground bending the crap out of it and don't report it, they rip off the airline's by jacking the trailers to hard, they drive out of the building and forget to lower the boom and roof the trailer, they drive to close to the jersey wall's and rip off the step's and that's just to name a few!!! They should do what they do in my building and hire experienced part time drivers we never have any problem with them. The teamster steward in my building started that and it work's fine. Building worker's if they want to drive should be a package car driver first then go into feeder's and get the proper training. As a mechanic we don't need any more job security, putting those kind of people out there give's us more work!!!!

We've had part-timers go directly to feeders without any issues. If they aren't ready they should be dq'd during the production week.

IMO, part-time employees at UPS are hosed enough...No reason to take the opportunity for more jobs away if they can do it. Especially since we are a bonus hub and the full-time guys coming over are very wreckless.

 

[pickup]

Anyone know if Meadowlands is still bad? Got the call to go to feeder school and it's the Meadowlands HR supervisor who sent me the letter, so I'm thinking I might have to start there until I can transfer to the Edison building. Anyone else have any info on the Mewdownlands feeder?

Anyone know if Meadowlands is still bad? Got the call to go to feeder school and it's the Meadowlands HR supervisor who sent me the letter, so I'm thinking I might have to start there until I can transfer to the Edison building. Anyone else have any info on the Mewdownlands feeder?

The posts about how bad Meadowlands feeders are from 2007. Things have improved somewhat. The trailers parked in front of half the primary doors are now parked on an angle, so there is now more room to back up.

As for the other half of the primary doors which is in front of what is called Square D, they seem to be now pretty good in not parking trailers to close to the primary doors, so there is now more room than in 2007, but you still need to be pay attention to the front of your shifter when backing in .

Meadowlands also purchased the property of what used to be a bagel manufacturing place and now there is no longer a narrow alley in front of doors 160 to 200. Around 196 to 200(?), there is still a fire hydrant in front of that area so that is a confined area to be concerned about.

Once trailers were parked perpendicular to the curb in front of trailer doors 117 to 159, but now they have pups parked parallel to the curb which gives you a helluva lot more room to maneuver.

Still some tight areas to maneuver in. If you hit the pole on the corner that is on the top of the hill that takes you down to the feeder dispatch office, with a trailer, you wouldn't be the first, and you wouldn't be the first to get written up for it, so don't be that guy. You and that pole need to know where you are both at at all times when you are maneuvering around it.

What has gotten worse is technology and how I mean that is that many of your soon to be fellow shifters are constantly updating their Facebook statuses or watching you tube videos while driving. And this results in lack of attention to what they should be doing, such as only using their 4 ways to indicate that they are backing up. Instead , many of the shifters, keep them on all night so you have no idea if you can pass the limping duck of a driver or if he is really about to back up.

Also, gypsy drivers are no longer allowed on property with trailers, so you don't have to worry about dealing with them blocking up the yard but they still have their shenanigans when backing up in the lot across the street . A lot you may have to enter to get trailers.

Given your seniority, you will probably end up on the night shift and if so, I would try to get one that is half shifting if not all shifting. You're probably not going to be able to avoid the road even in the beginning. You will probably end up going to the rail yard or depending on your job, you might end up with a spring valley or a trenton on the second half of your job.

So to sum up, Meadowlands got easier, but your fellow drivers are now more distracted(especially the shifters), you need to compensate for that and the best way you can do that is to stay off the phone (in more ways than one), and pay attention, particularly when backing over the pedestrian walkway near door 139, (there is a concrete block with a stop sign that has been hit more than once, plus you do have to look out for pedestrians coming both ways, that move needs to be calculated beforehand and ideally executed as quick as possible without hurting any one or hitting anything, but safety always first).

This is not the worse time to come in, it ain't peak and the days are getting longer. More daylight , and less yard traffic. By the time peak comes around, you should have the skills to take it to the next level and that next level will come with the volume and the 90 extra casuals on property trying to make an impression(translation: trying to cut you off to make an extra move).

 

[pickup]

To the Original Poster: I gave you some good info and most drivers at Meanj will be more than happy to give you more. So don't be afraid to ask. You'll get conflicting advice from time to time, but sort the wheat from the chaff and discern who is giving good info and who is going to give you advice that can get you in trouble.