Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Coldworld]

You have to sign a feeder school bid, which will qualify you for a feeder job. Until you are UPS qualified, you cannot sign a feeder bid. All you can do is ask when the next feeder school bid will be hung in your building. It has been 8 years since a feeder school bid was hung in my building.

If you are in a small building you pretty much are out of luck if there are no feeder jobs out of there, or you are not grouped in with other buildings....I have known a few guys who have quit and moved into locals with large feeder Dept’s just for the opportunity...

 

[jaker]

Does anyone have advice who to talk to about getting into feeders? And not any local union people, I tried, they are useless. Maybe HR or something? I've been in package for 4 years.

A lot has to do with where you are also , in my area it takes 12 years to get into feeder and you have to ask HR to put your name on the feeder list

 

[averageguy14]

Has anyone ever gotten a ticket while being on the clock?

 

[Covemastah]

Has anyone ever gotten a ticket while being on the clock?

I got a ticket from Sister Mary Jean. To St Mary’s Christmas raffle
On my rte ,,,

 

[Maple Grove MN Driver]

Does anyone have advice who to talk to about getting into feeders? And not any local union people, I tried, they are useless. Maybe HR or something? I've been in package for 4 years.

Read your contract.
The process is laid out in very easy to understand terms

 

[Indecisi0n]

I been observing feeda's backing up they thingggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg to understand back better. I notice some guys do the pull up turn hard right then hard left and back on an angle into their spot. Then there are other guys who pull up parallel then hard 90 degree and swing it in. A old timer told me not to 90 degree it because it "jacks the *" out of the tractor. What does that mean and it does matter? Are you damaging the tractor by doing this?

 

[Covemastah]

If you jack trailer to hard you could rip off air lines and elect cord , every backing situation is different, you look at the situation around you as approach spot

 

[trickpony1]

Are you damaging the tractor by doing this?

If you jack a tractor too much you can:
-rip/break off the gladhands and;
-mash the fairing, hand rails up against the trailer thereby damaging them.

The "approach" you make to each backing situation is different and important.
-are you backing a 53 with a tailsweep that could hit/damage any trailer on your "blind" side?
-is there adequate room on your blind side and did you determine what is in your blindside as you approached for your back?
-it's always better to pull forward how ever many times you need to so your truck is as straight as possible and you are more aware of your surroundings. Don't try to wrestle it into the spot. It's easier to pull up.
-don't oversteer while backing. The shorter the trailer, the quicker it will respond to input at the steering wheel. I can always tell the new drivers when they back:
oversteer to the right;
oversteer to the left;
oversteer to the right;
oversteer to the left.

At some point they figure out they are wrestling the trailer into the spot.

Take a deep breath and chill.... you got this.

 

[trickpony1]

OOPS! I forgot...

Balls to the wall.
Kick it back.

 

[Indecisi0n]

OOPS! I forgot...

Balls to the wall.
Kick it back.

I was in the Fifty-dollar lane the other night when a bear showed up out of no where. I just moved my Wiggle wagon over and was fine.
Copy

 

[Covemastah]

Wiggle wagon Lol havnt heard that one in yrs!!

 

[Rick Ross]

IMO, the biggest thing to watch when your new is when you put a pup in next to a longbox to your right. We've had a few drivers get zoned in on their driverside mirror and hit the trailer on the right with the tractor. You really need to be aware of all your surroundings.

My approach to backing varies depending on the tractor I'm driving and where I'm putting the trailer. Some of our Kenworth tractors have twice the turning radius of a Mack or Sterling. For a new driver the Kenworth is probably easier because it's harder to overcorrect.

Lots of new drivers struggle backing a dolly and stress backing one with a CNG because there isn't a back window. Centering the dolly is very important when you're new because you won't have the skills to pull forward and center it while attached to the lead. If you're building on the wall you need to be fairly straight so drivers can build sets next to you. I also feel embarrassed if my set isn't straight.

 

[MrFeeder]

I been observing feeda's backing up they thingggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg to understand back better. I notice some guys do the pull up turn hard right then hard left and back on an angle into their spot. Then there are other guys who pull up parallel then hard 90 degree and swing it in. A old timer told me not to 90 degree it because it "jacks the *" out of the tractor. What does that mean and it does matter? Are you damaging the tractor by doing this?

I use different angle set ups depending on the situation. When it’s really close and tight, I set up a 90 degree and jack knife it. Otherwise with a lot of room to play with I go with a 45 degree. The two set ups all based on how much “cutting” and “recovering” you’ll have to do.

 

[trickpony1]

I was in the Fifty-dollar lane the other night when a bear showed up out of no where. I just moved my Wiggle wagon over and was fine.
Copy

Keep your large car sunny side up, keep the bears off your donkey and don't get shutter eye.

Roger?

 

[jaker]

So why do we not have air horns

 

[over9five]

So why do we not have air horns

Tractor would have costed $12 more...

 

[Indecisi0n]

So why do we not have air horns

Noise ordinances in some areas.

 

[trickpony1]

Noise ordinances in some areas.

Tell that to all the other truckers that drive through your state.

Kick it back.

 

[trickpony1]

We don't have airhorns for the same reason we don't have Jake brakes.

The company thinks we're too stupid to know when not to use them.

C'mon...

 

[Jones]

We don't have airhorns for the same reason we don't have Jake brakes.

The company thinks we're too stupid to know when not to use them.

C'mon...

You guys don't have jake brakes?