Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[cachsux]

Having a close call today and seeing the report on the WILPA driver's accident reinforced the fact that you ALWAYS have to be focused and paying attention in Feeders!

My run has a couple of blind spots where you come up over a small hill and the road curves at the top and then doglegs down onto the backside of the hill. The road is cut into the hill so you can't see the downgrade until you are straightened up and headed down it. You can see the face of the hill a good half mile away as the road is a straight downgrade directly to it. The speed limit is 65 and it can be a pretty nasty spot even in good weather.

So today I have a heavy set of doubles and I'm approaching the spot in light traffic and can see all the brake lights coming on as people go up the hill and disappear through the corner like usual. The only thing is they are hitting the brakes in a weird spot. I can't really describe what I mean but it just "felt" like something was off. I see people go through there everyday and everyone brakes in just about the same spot but something wasn't right.

I slowed down enough to put me back a good distance away from all the traffic so I could go up and over all by myself. I went through at about 45 mph...as soon as the road straightened out and headed down there was a state trooper parked in the RIGHT LANE!

He had one flare out 5 feet from his rear bumper. On the shoulder was a guy changing a flat tire on a small truck. I had maybe 200 feet at the most to get into the left lane and clear the trooper. I managed to quickly change lanes and avoid twisting my set up.

If I hadn't been paying attention and went through there in traffic at the speed limit I would have either taken out the trooper or taken out whatever was to my left.

HORRIBLE spot for the trooper to park - especially with no flairs or triangles setup prior to the corner.

I stopped at the next rest stop and walked around for a few minutes until my legs stopped shaking!

Good catch driver.

You'll be amazed at how you develop that "feel", "vibe", "spidey-sense", what ever you want to call it. It always,always, better to trust it and back it down a minute to make sure things are ok than to ignore it and suffer the consequences.

 

[Covemastah]

always assume there is a problem ahead when things
don't look right !! Good call ,,,"stay back and see it all " !!!
Like cach says you develop that 6th sense over the course of time !!

 

[BSWALKS]

always assume there is a problem ahead when things
don't look right !! Good call ,,,"stay back and see it all " !!!
Like cach says you develop that 6th sense over the course of time !!

I agree with you both. You definitely sense trouble. Like you said, if something doesn't look right, it's because something's not. Slow down, be more vigilant, or just don't proceed. Whatever the situation warrants.

 

[MaceFremonti]

Semi-annual bids just finished up and I was bumped off of my "gravy train". I must admit though the 1st 10 months in Feeders WAS quite easy. My new run is still day work and a 2013 Mack but now I have to work five days a week instead of four......grrrrrrrrr@$!#.....LOL

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[Jones]

You'll get that run back for the winter.

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

Semi-annual bids just finished up and I was bumped off of my "gravy train". I must admit though the 1st 10 months in Feeders WAS quite easy. My new run is still day work and a 2013 Mack but now I have to work five days a week instead of four......grrrrrrrrr@$!#.....LOL

So you were never on a Q List; you were hired right into a bid?

 

[MaceFremonti]

I was #5 on Q list for 2 months...pretty much ran what I wanted. After a number of drivers retired a handful of routes became open for Q list guys to bid on. NO ONE wanted mine for the winter bid so I took it again....

Jones must know who I am...

 

[Johney]

Semi-annual bids just finished up and I was bumped off of my "gravy train". I must admit though the 1st 10 months in Feeders WAS quite easy.Aren't they all easy? I mean seriously. My new run is still day work and a 2013 Mack but now I have to work five days a week instead of four......grrrrrrrrr@$!#.....LOL Oh let me cry you a river. 5 whole days? Boo Hoo!

 

[MaceFremonti]

Just being sarcastic believe me I know how good I have it in Feeders...

 

[Johney]

Just being sarcastic believe me I know how good I have it in Feeders...

So do I........just screwing with ya.

 

[jedi_243]

Since we don't have our own section I thought I would post this for anyone with Feeder questions.

What's our schedule like? What did it take to qualify? Why do we get so fat? How do we stay awake on the road? What does the Dispatcher do? What do the On-roads do? Why does the Company subcontract Feeder work? What is the pay like? What do mileage runs pay? What's a layover? What's a gladhand? What's a button hook? Why are you guys so slow on the road? What happens in high winds/snow/hard rain/if you hit a deer?

Any question is up for discussion. If you need specific information to your area be sure to post where that is as Feeder work rules vary quite a bit by location (and we are always arguing about the work rules).

If you're in Feeders, sound off. If you are in Feeder Management or Dispatch you are welcome too and lets have some respectful discussion.

feeder positions- i have a friend going to interview for a feeder position, will they call this time of year a seasonal period? if they use him/her two seasonal periods in a row will the company have to hire after the second? he would be an outside hire

 

[over9five]

feeder positions- i have a friend going to interview for a feeder position, will they call this time of year a seasonal period? if they use him/her two seasonal periods in a row will the company have to hire after the second? he would be an outside hire

Peak and Summer (vacation cover) are our two seasonal periods.
The company does not have to hire him ever. In fact, we keep people coming back seasonal year after year after year with false promises of hiring them "next time".

 

[jedi_243]

Peak and Summer (vacation cover) are our two seasonal periods.
The company does not have to hire him ever. In fact, we keep people coming back seasonal year after year after year with false promises of hiring them "next time".

he was told at interview that is was in fact a full time position, they may have an inside package car driver that may want the position and my friend would be the fall back guy, the company would know in a few weeks. is this the same old song and dance?

 

[Johney]

Peak and Summer (vacation cover) are our two seasonal periods.
The company does not have to hire him ever. In fact, we keep people coming back seasonal year after year after year with false promises of hiring them "next time".

How about when hiring from within? What is the criteria for gaining seniority in feeders? Say you work from Nov. until Feb. then bounce back and forth week here week there?

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

How about when hiring from within? What is the criteria for gaining seniority in feeders? Say you work from Nov. until Feb. then bounce back and forth week here week there?

Yes; that is called being on the "Qualified" -or Q- List. You will bounce back and forth until a regular feeder drive retires or otherwise leaves the position.

Inside guys who go to Feeders for all intents and purposes belong to Feeders, even as seasonals.

 

[Johney]

Yes; that is called being on the "Qualified" -or Q- List. You will bounce back and forth until a regular feeder drive retires or otherwise leaves the position.

Inside guys who go to Feeders for all intents and purposes belong to Feeders, even as seasonals.

Thank you sir.

 

[barnyard]

Inside guys who go to Feeders for all intents and purposes belong to Feeders, even as seasonals.

That kind of depends on the number of jobs at the building. Out-state buildings typically get their feeder cover guys from package. In my building, chances are, I will never have enough seniority to bid a FT feeder job.

 

[Johney]

That kind of depends on the number of jobs at the building. Out-state buildings typically get their feeder cover guys from package. In my building, chances are, I will never have enough seniority to bid a FT feeder job.

Our building takes feeder from within. They have taken two in the past year for cover and are taking two more this year for training. They are expecting a few retirements in the next year. We only have 12 feeder jobs in our building. They are very sought after.
Don't you cover feeder now?

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

That kind of depends on the number of jobs at the building. Out-state buildings typically get their feeder cover guys from package. In my building, chances are, I will never have enough seniority to bid a FT feeder job.

Maybe it is different in your local. Here, when they need covers they'll train cover drivers, who then become part of the q-list. There is a q-list for each year drivers are trained. So this year I will be joining q-q-list "B", since there are drivers already on the q-list, who are now q list "A". When Feeder positions open up they will promote all the drivers in q-list A, and then go with list B, and so on until all the positions are filled. Who ever is left on the list moves to list "A"; guys on list "c" move to "B" (if there is a list "C").

Drivers are picked in seniority order respective to their q-list; so if someone with less seniority than me is on q-list A while I am on B, he will be in line to get the feeder bid ahead of me. However, once we both get bids then my company seniority rules.

So, once you are placed on a q-list you are in line for a Feeder bid. Someone with more seniority cannot "bump" you unless they are in your q-list, which goes by the year you were trained. However, here to qualify for feeders you must have driven in Package for at least the last year (maybe more.)

 

[Jones]

Maybe it is different in your local. Here, when they need covers they'll train cover drivers, who then become part of the q-list. There is a q-list for each year drivers are trained. So this year I will be joining q-q-list "B", since there are drivers already on the q-list, who are now q list "A". When Feeder positions open up they will promote all the drivers in q-list A, and then go with list B, and so on until all the positions are filled. Who ever is left on the list moves to list "A"; guys on list "c" move to "B" (if there is a list "C").

Drivers are picked in seniority order respective to their q-list; so if someone with less seniority than me is on q-list A while I am on B, he will be in line to get the feeder bid ahead of me. However, once we both get bids then my company seniority rules.

So, once you are placed on a q-list you are in line for a Feeder bid. Someone with more seniority cannot "bump" you unless they are in your q-list, which goes by the year you were trained. However, here to qualify for feeders you must have driven in Package for at least the last year (maybe more.)

We don't have q list seniority here it's straight full time. Regardless of when you were trained you dovetail into the q list at your full time date.