Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Indecisi0n]

Definitely drop the soap.

There is soap at truck stops? I thought the dispensers were filled with lube?

 

[gatorkev85]

So I was finally given a packet to study, how in the heck did everyone learn all this stuff word for word. I have to know both pages and study my cdl book for a test on Tuesday. Why do they wait until the last minute to give us this info? I feel like they are setting us up to fail

 

[jaker]

So I was finally given a packet to study, how in the heck did everyone learn all this stuff word for word. I have to know both pages and study my cdl book for a test on Tuesday. Why do they wait until the last minute to give us this info? I feel like they are setting us up to fail

We all go though it , if you want it bad enough you will do it

When I went to class we had 4 days to learn all of it to dmv test , Monday was my first time in a tractor and Thursday I tested

 

[Knothead]

So I was finally given a packet to study, how in the heck did everyone learn all this stuff word for word. I have to know both pages and study my cdl book for a test on Tuesday. Why do they wait until the last minute to give us this info? I feel like they are setting us up to fail

Some of had many years in package to learn all that stuff before we had the seniority to move to feeders. You're fortunate to be in an area that needs feeder drivers badly, but are behind the curve as a result. Put your nose to the grindstone and study hard. If you want this bad enough, you will make it

 

[gatorkev85]

We all go though it , if you want it bad enough you will do it

When I went to class we had 4 days to learn all of it to dmv test , Monday was my first time in a tractor and Thursday I tested

So everyone is given a packet 3 days before class starts? I feel like you should get this study packet at least 2 weeks in advance to study.

 

[Johney]

So I was finally given a packet to study, how in the heck did everyone learn all this stuff word for word. I have to know both pages and study my cdl book for a test on Tuesday. Why do they wait until the last minute to give us this info? I feel like they are setting us up to fail

CDL test on Tuesday? They let you drive without your permit?

 

[Jones]

So everyone is given a packet 3 days before class starts? I feel like you should get this study packet at least 2 weeks in advance to study.

During my first week we were given new stuff every day that we had to memorize and be able to write down verbatim for a test the following morning. It kinda sucked but I wanted the job so I did it, if you want the job you'll do it too. Life aint perfect.

 

[Indecisi0n]

During my first week we were given new stuff every day that we had to memorize and be able to write down verbatim for a test the following morning. It kinda sucked but I wanted the job so I did it, if you want the job you'll do it too. Life aint perfect.

Agree. I must have wrote out the ten point and 5 seeing habits 100 times in order to help me remember it.

 

[Jones]

Agree. I must have wrote out the ten point and 5 seeing habits 100 times in order to help me remember it.

8 rules of backing, yard safety, conveyor security, all that crap plus a whole bunch of new feeder specific stuff. My wife would stand there at night with the sheet double checking me while I rattled it off. Then me and another guy in the class carpooled in together and we would take turns reciting it during the ride.

 

[burrheadd]

So everyone is given a packet 3 days before class starts? I feel like you should get this study packet at least 2 weeks in advance to study.

So everyone is given a packet 3 days before class starts? I feel like you should get this study packet at least 2 weeks in advance to study.

You should apply at Swift don’t think you need memorize all the nonsense over their

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

We all go though it , if you want it bad enough you will do it

When I went to class we had 4 days to learn all of it to dmv test , Monday was my first time in a tractor and Thursday I tested

So everyone is given a packet 3 days before class starts? I feel like you should get this study packet at least 2 weeks in advance to study.

When I went thru 3 years ago they told us we had to know everything word for word but when they actually tested us all they really cared about was the 5 seeing habits and 10 point commentary. Everything else they told us would be “extra credit”. But when they said word for word they meant it, that included punctuation too. I lost 5 points because I forgot a period.

 

[barnyard]

I got my packet of materials on the 1st day of feeder school. I had a day of layoff and took the test for my CDL temp and passed on my 1st try. There is a study booklet in the DMV office, thumb through that, at the end of every chapter, there are bullet points. Those bullet points are the test questions.
As for everything else, if you do not want to be a feeder driver, don't bother. It is not for everyone.

The hardest thing for me was completing the log book sheet. My bosses wanted perfect lines, with perfect corners and no smudges. After working on it for 2 hours, the supe said, "Do it at home tonight, or you are never going to drive." At home, with less pressure, it only took 4 or 5 more tries.

I also found that if I was giving an honest effort, the training supes were very helpful.

 

[Dracula]

So, cover drivers in Feeders...is that an actual thing? I have yet to see any trace of it where I am, but see people taking about it on here.

Here, we have bid cover drivers and variable cover drivers. We don't have that BS on call drivers. All feeder drivers are full time. You're either a full time driver, or you're not a driver. Sometimes, if volume is real low, they might lay off the lowest drivers, but even then, those drivers can go back to package car, or work in the hub.

As far as cover drivers go, the bid cover drivers have a set start time and cover call-ins, vacation days, optional holidays or drivers who are off that aren't injured for more than a week at a time.

Variable cover drivers cover vacations and injuries, whether work comp or disability.

 

[Dracula]

Rookie feeder drivers are so cute.

They wanna run with the big dogs but they keep tripping on their ears.

You can always spot a rookie. He's the one with his fog lights on.

 

[barnyard]

There are not enough feeder jobs in my building for a person to work as FT cover, even if only 1 feeder vacation per week were allowed, there still is not enough jobs for 1 FT cover job.

 

[barnyard]

You can always spot a rookie. He's the one with his fog lights on.

or someone having their annual ride.

 

[Dracula]

When I was working it was .45/hr more for feeders over PC, then .55/hr on top of that for pulling a set. Back then you had to pull a set at least one leg of your work day to receive set pay for your entire day. It might take years to go from cover feeder driver to FT, it depends on your situation and manpower/turnover/needs where you are. If you're only cover, I don't think you'd rebid your vacation, because that might cause some bumping. Odds are, if you do have to change vacations, they would assign you weeks that nobody has spoken for like Jan-Feb. Your results may vary.

This whole q list and on-call drivers is nuts. I never knew how good we had it until I started talking to other drivers around the country. We also carry our package car seniority into feeders.

 

[barnyard]

We also carry our package car seniority into feeders.

Here also.

 

[Dracula]

or someone having their annual ride.

Other than a pre-trip, my fog lights are never on. Of course, all of our Kenworths don't even have them.

 

[Dracula]

Here also.

I think most hubs don't.