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Finally joined BrownCafe! - Input on Package Car Driver job
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<blockquote data-quote="SCV good to go sir." data-source="post: 1820743" data-attributes="member: 56200"><p>First off, welcome to Browncafe. Don't apologize. This place is a great resource for getting answers to questions. The fact that you have a gung go attitude and a passion for the job is the most important thing. My initial trainer hit the nail on the head about this job, "It's a hard job, but it's a good job." You're going to face a lot of bull <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" /> that will piss you off, there might be times where you want to cry for your momma, and sometimes you'll look at a map for 10 minutes knowing how to get where you need to go and you'll still be lost. If you can hold on to that positive attitude and take things in stride, you'll be able to overcome those challenges. It's a great job.</p><p></p><p></p><p>It sounds like your initial driving experience will be during peak. If that's the case you'll probably get really easy residential routes (that's how it is at my center). Understand that many aspects of this job vary from center to center so don't be surprised if you get a bunch of different answers or find that your own experience varies. A lot of factors contribute to route difficulty: # of apartments with lots of stairs, gated communities (sometimes you don't have the code or key), finding parking especially in areas with lots of traffic and often times no safe parking for commercial vehicles, pick ups with lots of packages, # of business stops, etc.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The gears are set much lower in the package cars compared to regular cars. You'll find that you can easily get going in 2nd gear and everyone does. You should two to save wear and tear on your knees. The only exception is when a supervisor is riding along with you and during the test so that you don't get dinged. The vast majority of package cars that I've driven didn't have a tachometer so you have to shift based on the engine noise. Give the gearbox a good second when moving from one gear to the next.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I only know of one shift.</p><p></p><p></p><p>If you need maps you can print them at the center. I personally carry a laminated Thomas Guide in my backpack just in case technology fails me. The diad will have all your delivery addresses on it. There are two modes for viewing it: ODO (Orion) or RDO (EDD). Your truck is loaded according to EDD and EDD is very intuitive. Most of us will strongly encourage you to follow EDD. Orion is supposed to save miles, sometimes it works well, sometimes you need to avoid that <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" /> like the plague. Regardless of how you run the route here are the 2 things that matter most:</p><p></p><p>1) No safety incidents</p><p>2) No service issues - That means no late air and no missed business (including schools and churches)</p><p></p><p>Repeat after me, "No safety incidents, no service issues, no problem." Get that tattooed on you somewhere.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Not doing their pretrip and running out of gas.</p><p></p><p>Not validating their air before they leave.</p><p></p><p>Being anxious and getting overwhelmed. This is kind of unavoidable since the real learning experience is going to be a trial by fire. If you find yourself paralyzed, driving in literal circles or in hazardous manner.. STOP. Take a deep breath. Have a sip of water, take a deep breath, everything is going to be alright. Take another deep breath.</p><p></p><p>Being indecisive. Not being able to make a decision or taking too long is the worst possible thing you can do. You lose time, which ends up nullifying the benefits of the correct decision or making the wrong choice even worse. In my experience, you're usually better off making the wrong choice. Just to clarify this doesn't mean run a red light when you know there's no traffic, but more along the lines of:</p><p>Should I go on the property when there are signs of a dog but I don't see one?</p><p>Should I run all my air only or should I knock off some ground stops as well at some of them?</p><p>Do I have enough time to knock out these two stops before my next pick up?</p><p>Should I take my handcart with me to this pick up?</p><p></p><p>Don't do anything that will jeopardize your safety (or that of others). You are more important than some box or their numbers.</p><p></p><p>Not taking a deep breath.</p><p></p><p>Not trusting their gut instinct. We'll use dogs for example. I don't give a flying <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" /> if the 80 year old woman tells you her angry German Shepard won't bite as she begs you to bring in a 100 pound box into her house. If you don't feel comfortable around that damn dog, that's your survival instinct kicking in. That's an unbroken line of thousands of years of evolution at work. What are you going to trust? The tried and true gut feeling that got your ancestors to ultimately produce you? Or some negligent <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" /> that owns a dog to fill up the void in her senile life who couldn't be bothered to arrange to have a friend/neighbor/family member (i.e. someone familiar with her dog) to safely move the package inside for her?</p><p></p><p>Learn to deal with stupid <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" />. People are going to cut you off all day and drive like retards. They're going to tell you stupid <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" />. One time I was eating pork rinds at a red light, <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" />ing old man next to me tells me I'm not supposed to be eating while I'm on duty. They'll you that you can't park there and then you'll see them commit traffic violations. I had one woman chastise me for getting her dog's gender wrong when I asked her to restrain it. Let that <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" /> go. Take a deep breath and go on to the next stop. Then once you get off work tell us about it so we can laugh at them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SCV good to go sir., post: 1820743, member: 56200"] First off, welcome to Browncafe. Don't apologize. This place is a great resource for getting answers to questions. The fact that you have a gung go attitude and a passion for the job is the most important thing. My initial trainer hit the nail on the head about this job, "It's a hard job, but it's a good job." You're going to face a lot of bull :censored: that will piss you off, there might be times where you want to cry for your momma, and sometimes you'll look at a map for 10 minutes knowing how to get where you need to go and you'll still be lost. If you can hold on to that positive attitude and take things in stride, you'll be able to overcome those challenges. It's a great job. It sounds like your initial driving experience will be during peak. If that's the case you'll probably get really easy residential routes (that's how it is at my center). Understand that many aspects of this job vary from center to center so don't be surprised if you get a bunch of different answers or find that your own experience varies. A lot of factors contribute to route difficulty: # of apartments with lots of stairs, gated communities (sometimes you don't have the code or key), finding parking especially in areas with lots of traffic and often times no safe parking for commercial vehicles, pick ups with lots of packages, # of business stops, etc. The gears are set much lower in the package cars compared to regular cars. You'll find that you can easily get going in 2nd gear and everyone does. You should two to save wear and tear on your knees. The only exception is when a supervisor is riding along with you and during the test so that you don't get dinged. The vast majority of package cars that I've driven didn't have a tachometer so you have to shift based on the engine noise. Give the gearbox a good second when moving from one gear to the next. I only know of one shift. If you need maps you can print them at the center. I personally carry a laminated Thomas Guide in my backpack just in case technology fails me. The diad will have all your delivery addresses on it. There are two modes for viewing it: ODO (Orion) or RDO (EDD). Your truck is loaded according to EDD and EDD is very intuitive. Most of us will strongly encourage you to follow EDD. Orion is supposed to save miles, sometimes it works well, sometimes you need to avoid that :censored: like the plague. Regardless of how you run the route here are the 2 things that matter most: 1) No safety incidents 2) No service issues - That means no late air and no missed business (including schools and churches) Repeat after me, "No safety incidents, no service issues, no problem." Get that tattooed on you somewhere. Not doing their pretrip and running out of gas. Not validating their air before they leave. Being anxious and getting overwhelmed. This is kind of unavoidable since the real learning experience is going to be a trial by fire. If you find yourself paralyzed, driving in literal circles or in hazardous manner.. STOP. Take a deep breath. Have a sip of water, take a deep breath, everything is going to be alright. Take another deep breath. Being indecisive. Not being able to make a decision or taking too long is the worst possible thing you can do. You lose time, which ends up nullifying the benefits of the correct decision or making the wrong choice even worse. In my experience, you're usually better off making the wrong choice. Just to clarify this doesn't mean run a red light when you know there's no traffic, but more along the lines of: Should I go on the property when there are signs of a dog but I don't see one? Should I run all my air only or should I knock off some ground stops as well at some of them? Do I have enough time to knock out these two stops before my next pick up? Should I take my handcart with me to this pick up? Don't do anything that will jeopardize your safety (or that of others). You are more important than some box or their numbers. Not taking a deep breath. Not trusting their gut instinct. We'll use dogs for example. I don't give a flying :censored: if the 80 year old woman tells you her angry German Shepard won't bite as she begs you to bring in a 100 pound box into her house. If you don't feel comfortable around that damn dog, that's your survival instinct kicking in. That's an unbroken line of thousands of years of evolution at work. What are you going to trust? The tried and true gut feeling that got your ancestors to ultimately produce you? Or some negligent :censored: that owns a dog to fill up the void in her senile life who couldn't be bothered to arrange to have a friend/neighbor/family member (i.e. someone familiar with her dog) to safely move the package inside for her? Learn to deal with stupid :censored:. People are going to cut you off all day and drive like retards. They're going to tell you stupid :censored:. One time I was eating pork rinds at a red light, :censored:ing old man next to me tells me I'm not supposed to be eating while I'm on duty. They'll you that you can't park there and then you'll see them commit traffic violations. I had one woman chastise me for getting her dog's gender wrong when I asked her to restrain it. Let that :censored: go. Take a deep breath and go on to the next stop. Then once you get off work tell us about it so we can laugh at them. [/QUOTE]
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