Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[retiredTxfeeder]

And then it would go back to normal, no more secured loads

There must be a memo from the ivory tower once a year about load retainers. Feeders would tell us "no loads pulled without retainers." Like you said, it usually lasted a week or so, then it changed to "why were you late hitting the gate?" When you tell the PT sup on the door that you aren't going to pull without a retainer, he rolls his eyes and then goes into the "go steal a load retainer from another nearby trailer mode." There was a time when the PT hub sups would would get on their little orange electric cart and go through the yard before their shifts start, "borrowing" load retainers from empties on the yard. Feeders told them to stop, because it caused a ripple effect with drivers on their SW. I pulled a CPU trailer every day on my first leg, and it would sometimes take me 15-20 minutes to find a load retainer to use.

 

[jaker]

Yes I am. You?

In 63 and you know what happen here . I would have loved to wait it out and do it right

 

[olroadbeech]

I said that tongue in cheek. Of course I checked the kingbox. Everyone should. I will say this. In my 29 years in feeders, maybe because I stayed local about 50% of the time, I never had a DOT check, and a majority of the time, they wave us through at weigh stations down here. Unless things have changed, they used to use peel off numbers on the kingbox to let mechanics know when the inspections were going to run out. Do they still do that?

Yes they do. I have to admit I rarely opened the kingbox because of this. when stopped at the scales they checked the kingbox and it was always okay. you get lulled into a false sense of security because our shop was 99.9% on the ball with inspections and up to date registrations. in almost 23 years in feeder I may have come across 5-6 trailers with expired inspections.

Dracula, as for load restraints , that was a high priority with me also. Back in the early 80's I opened a trailer door and something fell on top of me and injured my shoulder. this was while working for a non union trucking company and i worked hurt for weeks as it healed . Could not afford to take time off and usually when you did that the company would either lay you off or give your tractor to someone else.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

I raised a trailer door once to check the load, and a flat box with a table in it slid out and caught me between the eyes. Next thing I know is people standing over me asking me if I was alright. Don't know how long I was out.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Yes they do. I have to admit I rarely opened the kingbox because of this. when stopped at the scales they checked the kingbox and it was always okay. you get lulled into a false sense of security because our shop was 99.9% on the ball with inspections and up to date registrations. in almost 23 years in feeder I may have come across 5-6 trailers with expired inspections.

Dracula, as for load restraints , that was a high priority with me also. Back in the early 80's I opened a trailer door and something fell on top of me and injured my shoulder. this was while working for a non union trucking company and i worked hurt for weeks as it healed . Could not afford to take time off and usually when you did that the company would either lay you off or give your tractor to someone else.

If stopped at an inspection station what do they check? Do we need to know anything ?

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

If stopped at an inspection station what do they check? Do we need to know anything ?

They could do anything from just wave you through to checking everything on your equipment with a fine-toothed comb. They could check the weight, paperwork, Elog, washer fluid level, crawl up under your equipment with a creeper. Depends on the situation, the manpower they have, etc.

 

[Indecisi0n]

They could do anything from just wave you through to checking everything on your equipment with a fine-toothed comb. They could check the weight, paperwork, Elog, washer fluid level, crawl up under your equipment with a creeper. Depends on the situation, the manpower they have, etc.

Just as long as they don't ask me the 10 point commentary lol.

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

If stopped at an inspection station what do they check? Do we need to know anything ?

I have only been stopped once in two and a half years and they did what I think they called a level 2 inspection. All they did was check my paperwork, make sure all of my equipment was up to date with inspections, and check my Elog. They didn't inspect anything mechanically or even kick the tires. In my experience they usually leave the UPS guys alone.

 

[Indecisi0n]

I have only been stopped once in two and a half years and they did what I think they called a level 2 inspection. All they did was check my paperwork, make sure all of my equipment was up to date with inspections, and check my Elog. They didn't inspect anything mechanically or even kick the tires. In my experience they usually leave the UPS guys alone.

When you say paperwork, you mean trailer paperwork or DVIR and such? Do they know how to check Elogs in the Ivis because I don't?

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

When you say paperwork, you mean trailer paperwork or DVIR and such? Do they know how to check Elogs in the Ivis because I don't?

The seal control paperwork that goes with the load you are pulling. It has the origin location, destination location, and seal number on it. The part time sups are supposed to leave one a pouch with the seal and paperwork with every trailer they load but it is kind of hit or miss. If i pull a load off a door and it doesn't have a seal i go into the office and get them to give me one. I didn't know how to bring up the Elog on IVIS either but after a couple minutes of fumbling around (and the cop getting a little frustrated) i managed to figure it out. There should be instructions on how to bring it up in the pouch in the tractor with your registration and all your other documents.

 

[Jones]

When you say paperwork, you mean trailer paperwork or DVIR and such? Do they know how to check Elogs in the Ivis because I don't?

options -> DOT log

 

[hondo]

When you say paperwork, you mean trailer paperwork or DVIR and such? Do they know how to check Elogs in the Ivis because I don't?

I think what you're looking for: hit options button, then click on DOT. That should bring up the chart of your current workday. From that screen there is an 'hours summary' option that will show your hours available, and hours worked in last 7 & last 8 days.

 

[olroadbeech]

I think what you're looking for: hit options button, then click on DOT. That should bring up the chart of your current workday. From that screen there is an 'hours summary' option that will show your hours available, and hours worked in last 7 & last 8 days.

ya. you HAVE to know that or else you'll get a ticket if an officer asks you to bring that info up and you don't know how.

they can red tag you on the spot and will not let you drive.

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

When you say paperwork, you mean trailer paperwork or DVIR and such? Do they know how to check Elogs in the Ivis because I don't?

I think what you're looking for: hit options button, then click on DOT. That should bring up the chart of your current workday. From that screen there is an 'hours summary' option that will show your hours available, and hours worked in last 7 & last 8 days.

You can also hit one of the buttons on the side and it brings it right up.(on the old IVIS’ at least, we don’t have the new ones yet)

 

[over9five]

I have never been stopped at a weigh station. Always get waved thru. I agree with the poster who said they seem to do this for UPS.

 

[Johney]

I'm pretty sure there are instructions for DOT in the paperwork you are required to carry in the truck. 6 things I think are supposed to be in that pouch.
1.Registration
2.Insurance card
3.Instructions for DOT to access log
4. IFTA permit
I can't remember the rest, I drive the same tractor everyday so I know they were there at one point. I remember needing to know them for my CDL test.

 

[hondo]

I'm pretty sure there are instructions for DOT in the paperwork you are required to carry in the truck. 6 things I think are supposed to be in that pouch.
1.Registration
2.Insurance card
3.Instructions for DOT to access log
4. IFTA permit
I can't remember the rest, I drive the same tractor everyday so I know they were there at one point.

also (not necessarily DOT, but UPS required?):

• SP15747 hazmat special permit paperwork
• laminated card with phone #/contact info that goes with the SP15747 program
• spare paper time cards
• blank DOT carbon copy hours log sheets
• accident report form
• hazmat response guidebook

That's everything I make sure is there. And if I'm in someone else's tractor, there's a better than 50% chance something is missing or out of date.

 

[silenze]

They turn into total knob heads if you don't know how to immediately pull up your elog.

 

[ManInBrown]

Absolutely.

You're the captain of the ship when you're driving. Try going into the scales with a violation, and tell them, "my dispatcher said it was fine".

Let me know how that works, and also tell me how much your ticket was.

A hot load doesn't take priority over DOT laws, or safety. You need to get comfortable with the idea of planting your flag and sticking to it. Because you WILL be tested. Dispatch cares about dispatch, not you.

I used to butt heads with dispatch and on-road about leaving late because I wouldn't leave until my trailers had load bars or the straps secured, as the law requires. I would tell them if they could get the hubs to do their jobs, and secure the loads, I wouldn't be late, and for a week or so, the loads would get secured and I would be on time.

And then it would go back to normal, no more secured loads, but they stopped asking me why I was late, because they knew and they knew I wasn't leaving until my loads were legal.

In typical UPS logic, they seem to prefer me leaving late than making the hub do its job. Whatever.

Who am I going to learn all this from? The sup that rides with me for a week isn’t going to tell me any of this I’m assuming. Stewart? Feeder is different than package because there are runs around the clock. Not like package where you can show up 15 minutes before start time and ask someone.

I want to do the Feeder job the right way from day 1, just like I work in package. I am not a runner gunner. I follow the methods.

 

[Jones]

I had a bunch of friends already in feeders when I came up and they took care of me. They kept a conference call going all night so I pretty much had instantaneous answers to any questions I had. If it hadn't been for that I'm sure I would have made a lot more mistakes than I did.