Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Dracula]

There's a whole lot of stuff you're gonna have to know word for word, starting with the 10 point commentary and the 5 seeing habits. The big one is the pretrip on the tractor trailer that you have to know to pass your CDL test.

And the parallel parking test. That's always the toughest part of the driving test.

 

[Dracula]

I accepted feeder this year and I'm currently in the mentally (but not physically) painful and not fun process of adapting to it. All the guys who have been doing it for a long time seem to enjoy it but I know they all went through the same process. It's a big change from packages but I'm pretty sure it will be worth it in a year from now.

My body already feels better.

Don't let anyone lie to you. It takes a good year or so to get real comfortable driving these things. But then, there's really nothing to it. It's just an adjustment to driving something so long. Taking turns, adjusting to longer braking distances and turning the wheel the opposite way when you're backing equipment. What surprised me the most, was how much easier driving a big rig is in snow, than a package car.

 

[Dracula]

Sleep and life style adjustments are some of your biggest challanges

I know some guys who never got adjusted to sleeping during the day and driving at night. I wouldn't have it any other way. Nothing better than driving at night on a deserted highway.

Oh, and unless you want to blow up like a blimp, you better have some discipline and a plan for your diet. If you plan on eating like you did when you humped a package car, you better start making plans for a new wardrobe.

 

[Dracula]

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

I guess it depends where you are. They told us, too, that we had to memorize all of that crap. The feeder school was nerve-racking enough as it was, but when we were in the office taking all of the tests, our trainer left all of the answer sheets on the table and told us, "Pass these tests anyway you can figure out," and winked at us. And why not? They're spending a truckload of money to get us in the department, so why make it more difficult? They were more concerned about getting us ready to pass the CDL tests.

 

[Dracula]

Let me guess....a friend told you this?

No, that was me.

 

[gatorkev85]

I guess it depends where you are. They told us, too, that we had to memorize all of that crap. The feeder school was nerve-racking enough as it was, but when we were in the office taking all of the tests, our trainer left all of the answer sheets on the table and told us, "Pass these tests anyway you can figure out," and winked at us. And why not? They're spending a truckload of money to get us in the department, so why make it more difficult? They were more concerned about getting us ready to pass the CDL tests.

This is how I feel about the situation. Theses 10 point commentary paragraphs are pointless to know word for word. Imo you should know each 10 and give a statement on each and based on your statement they should determine if you understand it. #8 Eye contact is ridiculously long for no reason. I'm gonna bust my butt to try and get it done. Not struggling very much on the 5 keys like I am with the 10

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

We also carry our package car seniority into feeders.

Here, You keep PC seniority for vacation purposes, but you go to the bottom of the feeder seniority list and basically start all over.

 

[Jones]

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.

Q list aint a bad gig depending on the person, we have guys who have been on it for years and always pass on the opportunity to take a full time feeder job.

 

[Indecisi0n]

This is how I feel about the situation. Theses 10 point commentary paragraphs are pointless to know word for word. Imo you should know each 10 and give a statement on each and based on your statement they should determine if you understand it. #8 Eye contact is ridiculously long for no reason. I'm gonna bust my butt to try and get it done. Not struggling very much on the 5 keys like I am with the 10

All Good Kids Love Milk

 

[Covemastah]

All Good Kids Love Milk

Is it milk ?
Or creeeam ????

 

[Indecisi0n]

Is it milk ?
Or creeeam ????

Depends on the diet.

 

[gatorkev85]

All Good Kids Love Milk

That's what I was using. Is there any kind of phrase to help with the 10 point commentary

 

[Covemastah]

I don’t know any of that crap

 

[Cyclops]

Got a call from HR about training for feeder driving. I’ve never driven a tractor trailer before. How do I prepair for this? Do you have to memorize the 10 point commentary, 5 seeing habits and all of that crap? How tough is the week of actual training? I heard it’s pretty tough. Do you have to have your CDL learners permit?

 

[Covemastah]

I had safe year driving in pc
Had my cdl and got 4 Days training then stayed in feeders
Things were different In
2000

 

[gatorkev85]

I don’t know any of that crap

Must be nice I think it's kind of a waste of time when they should be teaching us how to actally drive instead of worrying if we can write this crap out word for word and if we miss one word we fail. It's not like you have to know to pass a cdl test it' just something ups wants you to know

 

[sameolebrown]

Yes you have to know all of that. Start watching videos on youtube of ups feeder pretrip. Just prepare in advance. I also hope you know how to back a trailer. Its is overwhelming at first and they put a lot of pressure on you on purpose. If you truly want to do it, you can. Its just a mindset. If you get thru week 1 then you get to do a production week of doing the actual job. Don't quit even if you change your mind. Make them fail you.

 

[Jones]

Yes you have to know all of that. Start watching videos on youtube of ups feeder pretrip. Just prepare in advance. I also hope you know how to back a trailer. Its is overwhelming at first and they put a lot of pressure on you on purpose. If you truly want to do it, you can. Its just a mindset. If you get thru week 1 then you get to do a production week of doing the actual job. Don't quit even if you change your mind. Make them fail you.

This. Here if they DQ you you have to wait a year before trying again. If you DQ yourself you have to wait 2 years.

 

[Indecisi0n]

That's what I was using. Is there any kind of phrase to help with the 10 point commentary

Nope. I suppose you could make one up but there are a mixture of letters and numbers.

 

[burrheadd]

Got a call from HR about training for feeder driving. I’ve never driven a tractor trailer before. How do I prepair for this? Do you have to memorize the 10 point commentary, 5 seeing habits and all of that crap? How tough is the week of actual training? I heard it’s pretty tough. Do you have to have your CDL learners permit?