Thinking of going into feeders.

[35years]

I guess I'm just going to have to talk with some of the local drivers in the center and see how the shifts usually work/ job bidding and go from there.

I don't really mind busting my butt off in the bread truck, but if I can make more money and have less stress on my body then it just makes sense.

Just to let you know...
I have known several drivers who started in pkg, went to feeders and have come back.

Strait from a feeder drivers mouth (who came from pkg)...
-Is feeders easier on your body? Yes
-Do feeder drivers deal with less crap from management? Yes
-Is it better for family life? No, and he said don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The messed up, and long hrs will not allow most feeder drivers see their kid's activities. Around here unless you have 30+ years in you will be bouncing around for start times and your internal clock will be seriously messed up. Other places may be different. I have heard it from more than one feeder driver that switching to feeders will stress your married life and it is not good if you have kids in school.

I know some one will now respond that they see their kids more now that they are in feeders etc. etc. It may be true for a few, but talk to more than a few and some that have come back to pkg as well.

Some try to rationalize their decisions. Make an informed choice. Consider your family, which hours you will work and how much your start time changes. It will definitely be easier on your body.

 

[Jones]

If going to feeders stresses your married life then your marriage is already in trouble.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Speak for yourself. Sounds like someone who is still sweating it out in the bread box.

Stress is a thing of the past when you make the switch to feeders. It's like working for a different company. I mean, they're still prick$. But I can go a month without ever speaking to my on-road supervisor.

You'll probably work nights if you don't have a load of seniority. Some guys don't like nights. I love them. Nothing better than having the road to yourself. Plus, you miss rush hour traffic going and coming to work.

One of the biggest misconceptions about going to feeders is that you won't see your family as much. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it. In package car, typically, you wake up, get ready for work, and maybe you rush around and see your family for a few minutes before you leave. Then you work until seven, come home and maybe you have an hour or two before the kids and wife go to bed. You're lucky if you have three hours out of the day for any family time.

When I work nights in feeders, I may go in at 10PM and get off at 8AM. Since my wife doesn't work, I can spend four or five hours with her before I go to bed.

And where I'm at, the lowest seniority jobs are afternoon shift jobs. So even those guys, technically, should get more home time, as most shift jobs are 9-10 hour jobs. Mind you, these are the worst feeder jobs, but they are still better any job in the package car world.

I've never known a feeder driver who regretted going. And you can make $30,000 to $40,000 more a year if you find the right kind of work.

You have abs?

 

[silenze]

-Is it better for family life? No, and he said don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
.

It's absolutely different for each person. I have a son not in school. The ideal time to see him is 7am to 1pm before his nap. So i pick an afternoon run.
If you have school age children you want to see them probably 4pm to 9pm so you take a night run.
If you are at a hub Feeders allows so much flexibility. Package has turned into a 9am to 8pm job plus Saturday. The choice is easy.

 

[barnyard]

The hub where we pull our boxes has 26 start times a day.

 

[olroadbeech]

this q gets axed once a week.

use search function.

short answer. go feeder.

 

[35years]

It's absolutely different for each person. I have a son not in school. The ideal time to see him is 7am to 1pm before his nap. So i pick an afternoon run.
If you have school age children you want to see them probably 4pm to 9pm so you take a night run.
If you are at a hub Feeders allows so much flexibility. Package has turned into a 9am to 8pm job plus Saturday. The choice is easy.

New feeder drivers get the pick of runs and consistant start times?
Package with the 9.5 list is less than 45 paid hours a week for me. And I only have to take 10 min unpaid lunch.
Most days I am home by 6 PM. 8 hr requests= 8:30 AM to 4:50 PM, 8 hrs paid.

The only ones who work to 8 PM daily around here are overtime whores and those too scared to get on the 9.5 list.

 

[Cementups]

-Is it better for family life? No, and he said don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The messed up, and long hrs will not allow most feeder drivers see their kid's activities. Around here unless you have 30+ years in you will be bouncing around for start times and your internal clock will be seriously messed up. Other places may be different. I have heard it from more than one feeder driver that switching to feeders will stress your married life and it is not good if you have kids in school.

I know some one will now respond that they see their kids more now that they are in feeders etc. etc. It may be true for a few, but talk to more than a few and some that have come back to pkg as well.

Some try to rationalize their decisions. Make an informed choice. Consider your family, which hours you will work and how much your start time changes. It will definitely be easier on your body.

This all depends on your location and your seniority you are taking with you, i you can dovetail in. As you said, someone will chime in and I will be someone. I do see my family more than I did before. But I also carried a bit of seniority with me in to feeders which allows me to start earlier and be done earlier. And you are correct, it is FARRRR easier on the body.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Am I the only package driver who has ZERO interest in going to feeders?

 

[Inthegame]

Am I the only package driver who has ZERO interest in going to feeders?

No, but you're at the top of the list of pkg drivers feeders has zero interest in.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

No, but you're at the top of the list of pkg drivers feeders has zero interest in.

You might be right.

 

[Indecisi0n]

From package to feeder transformation.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

From package to feeder transformation.

Worth it.

 

[Johney]

From package to feeder transformation.

That's pretty accurate.

 

[barnyard]

In my building, the feeder guys (accept one of the cover guys) are all in better shape than most of the package guys. I used to race dirtbikes with 1 and now I do distance biking (try hard to, anyways) to keep fit.

Did 35 miles this morning.

 

[Jones]

That's pretty accurate.

Sad but true for a lot of guys. Best bet is to get on a good exercise program and really start paying attention to what you eat.

 

[barnyard]

Best bet is to get on a good exercise program

I know several guys that take their meal and break at a health club and get in a good workout during break.

 

[Jones]

I know several guys that take their meal and break at a health club and get in a good workout during break.

Not too many gyms open at 0200. I gotta get it done before I go to work.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Not too many gyms open at 0200. I gotta get it done before I go to work.

Bigger cities have 24 hour key card access.

 

[barnyard]

We have LOTS of 24 hour gyms here. My nephew and his wife own a chain of them, members get a key card, the gym itself is only staffed 4-6 hours a day.