Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[ManInBrown]

Thank goodness for strong union representation. Lol.

177 is one of the strongest locals in the country. We still get Black Friday off. We cannot be forced a 6th punch. What that driver told him is completely incorrect. You are not thrown on whatever job they want. Job picks for drivers on the spare list are by seniority. But it can be complicated for new drivers. It takes a couple weeks to get the hang of how they decipher what you write down as your picks. And when you are new you cannot write down 5 jobs. You need to write down 15-20. Take for example my building, which might be where he works also. We have 45+ drivers on the spare list last Time I looked. He’s brand new so he’s probably at least #45. There is no chance he is getting one of 5 jobs he writes down unless all 5 jobs start after 11pm. It’s not happening. We have brandy new drivers that first week write down jobs that start at 7am as their picks. Drivers with 15 years in feeders on the spare list can’t get jobs that start at 7am. You have to know your place when you write down your picks and don’t even bother with jobs you have zero chance of getting. All that does is take up space on the line you have to write your picks in.

 

[ManInBrown]

But like everything at UPS, if you noticed you were wronged with regards to job picks and don’t say anything, prepare to be wronged in the future.

 

[olroadbeech]

I Have a question.
How does bidding on local 177 works?

This week I bid on 5 different jobs and also put my building sun-thu as primary choice and mon-fri as second choice incase the first 5 bid got awarded to someone else.

Today they put up the list and non of the route i bid on got covered yet I got sent to another building that i didnt even bid on.

I asked a coworker and for what he told me is that putting your name on a route is just a formality because they will just place you on any job they want.

That doesnt make any sense. seniority is everything. stand up for your rights or else they will keep walking all over you. speak to a respected stew.

 

[ManInBrown]

That doesnt make any sense. seniority is everything. stand up for your rights or else they will keep walking all over you. speak to a respected stew.

If he works in my building I guarantee he wasn’t wronged. He didn’t write enough picks in, and like I said, once they go thru all your picks if none of them are available you automatically get assigned to the earliest start time available in any building. The on road who makes the schedule, rarely makes mistakes with regards to violating spare list seniority. It’s not that hard. He goes down the list. Driver #1 gets his first pick regardless, on and on to the next drivers. But again, there is a certain way you need to write the picks in. He needs to get with a steward or he can PM me and I will tell him exactly how to write them in.

 

[brownwannabe]

Hello all. Does anyone know if the feeder road test is with a manual or auto? I can drive the heck out of a manual car, but my experience in a truck has been all automatic. Have driven a 10 speed Freightliner a few times but it was sketchy. I know I could get it down with more time doing it, but worried about it for the test. They said you don't even hook up the doubles now, the set is already built. Just drive for 40 minutes. I have doubles experience.

 

[SaladTosser]

The test was manual for me. I had no experience with trucks before this, and I passed. You can grind all you want, just don’t lose a gear and coast. Jam that stick in there as hard as you can if you have to.

 

[Jones]

Hello all. Does anyone know if the feeder road test is with a manual or auto? I can drive the heck out of a manual car, but my experience in a truck has been all automatic. Have driven a 10 speed Freightliner a few times but it was sketchy. I know I could get it down with more time doing it, but worried about it for the test. They said you don't even hook up the doubles now, the set is already built. Just drive for 40 minutes. I have doubles experience.

Might depend on your location. Everyone still qualifies on a manual here but I've heard there are buildings where they use an automatic. All the new tractors are automatics, UPS isn't buying any more manuals so eventually that's how it will be everywhere.

 

[burrheadd]

The test was manual for me. I had no experience with trucks before this, and I passed. You can grind all you want, just don’t lose a gear and coast. Jam that stick in there as hard as you can if you have to.

TWSS

 

[burrheadd]

The test was manual for me. I had no experience with trucks before this, and I passed. You can grind all you want, just don’t lose a gear and coast. Jam that stick in there as hard as you can if you have to.

Does nobody know how to double clutch anymore

 

[olroadbeech]

Hello all. Does anyone know if the feeder road test is with a manual or auto? I can drive the heck out of a manual car, but my experience in a truck has been all automatic. Have driven a 10 speed Freightliner a few times but it was sketchy. I know I could get it down with more time doing it, but worried about it for the test. They said you don't even hook up the doubles now, the set is already built. Just drive for 40 minutes. I have doubles experience.

never heard that you don't have to build a set . oh , maybe not just for the test? better do a proper pretrip of that tractor and set.

 

[olroadbeech]

If he works in my building I guarantee he wasn’t wronged. He didn’t write enough picks in, and like I said, once they go thru all your picks if none of them are available you automatically get assigned to the earliest start time available in any building. The on road who makes the schedule, rarely makes mistakes with regards to violating spare list seniority. It’s not that hard. He goes down the list. Driver #1 gets his first pick regardless, on and on to the next drivers. But again, there is a certain way you need to write the picks in. He needs to get with a steward or he can PM me and I will tell him exactly how to write them in.

You're probably correct that he did not bid right. or the runs were all taken. When I was on feeder relief I had the same problem at first. at the beginning I very rarely even signed the list since I was so low. Knew the bottom drivers would all be on call anyway.

 

[Johney]

Hello all. Does anyone know if the feeder road test is with a manual or auto? I can drive the heck out of a manual car, but my experience in a truck has been all automatic. Have driven a 10 speed Freightliner a few times but it was sketchy. I know I could get it down with more time doing it, but worried about it for the test. They said you don't even hook up the doubles now, the set is already built. Just drive for 40 minutes. I have doubles experience.

Here if you train on an automatic your license has a restriction for automatic only. I have no idea what they will do when we finally run out of manual transmission tractors.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

Does nobody know how to double clutch anymore

My first experience in a manual transmission was in CDL school in a 10 speed. The package car test was difficult for me because the transmission in a rig is assisted by the huge engine. I had no idea my first time around that a standard transmission package car required the clutch to go all the way down. This is a cardinal sin in a tractor unless stopped, because depressing the clutch fully activates the clutch brake. So yes I did come to UPS as a double-clutcher and had to quickly shed that and some other old habits.

 

[ManInBrown]

Shifting in a manual isn’t the problem when you first come to feeders. It’s shifting while doing everything else for the first time. You have a million things running thru your head, and oh yeah shifting also. If you can’t drive a manual you have no business being in feeders. You need to know how to drive a manual for package. I drove manuals since the day I got my DL. It was a challenge coming to feeders. It’s all the other new stuff you have to think about, and then you also have to drive a manual. And they will want you to double clutch when training.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

On a passenger train engine, there is a similar learning curve as combined power handles are becoming the norm. This is best described as adjusting to an automatic transmission after being accustomed to the extra train handling abilities afforded previously with "manual" independent locomotive, service, and dynamic brake handles. Also, bailing off the locomotive brakes is now forbidden. This means releasing the brakes up front while allowing the rear of the train to apply braking.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

Oh and if no one cares then give me a beer. I'll stop lurking.

 

[brownwannabe]

Shifting in a manual isn’t the problem when you first come to feeders. It’s shifting while doing everything else for the first time. You have a million things running thru your head, and oh yeah shifting also. If you can’t drive a manual you have no business being in feeders. You need to know how to drive a manual for package. I drove manuals since the day I got my DL. It was a challenge coming to feeders. It’s all the other new stuff you have to think about, and then you also have to drive a manual. And they will want you to double clutch when training.

considering UPS isn't buying manuals anymore as is NO ONE ELSE I think that "you have no business driving feeders" is a bit rich. I have driven a truck all over the midwest, northeast, and southeast in all seasons, including doubles. I am sorry if it was in a less than par automatic transmission truck.

 

[ManInBrown]

considering UPS isn't buying manuals anymore as is NO ONE ELSE I think that "you have no business driving feeders" is a bit rich. I have driven a truck all over the midwest, northeast, and southeast in all seasons, including doubles. I am sorry if it was in a less than par automatic transmission truck.

If you think UPS not buying manuals anymore means anything, then you don’t know how UPS operates. There are plenty of manuals still in the fleet, and they will be run into the ground before they are ADA’d.

 

[brownwannabe]

If you think UPS not buying manuals anymore means anything, then you don’t know how UPS operates. There are plenty of manuals still in the fleet, and they will be run into the ground before they are ADA’d.

good point. I saw trucks at XPO with 900k miles on them. Pretty sure I could be up to speed on a manual in less than a month of driving and if it was over the summer I don't feel that would be hazardous to myself or the public.

 

[burrheadd]

good point. I saw trucks at XPO with 900k miles on them. Pretty sure I could be up to speed on a manual in less than a month of driving and if it was over the summer I don't feel that would be hazardous to myself or the public.

Only problem is you don’t have a month to get up to speed

They”ll grab the biggest pos in the fleet to take your road test on