Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Covemastah]

I’d be happy with a 272 Mack with springs and 400 k on it for now ,, we are still driving 05 sterling’s in this group that are glued together and 265 internationals that kill yah back if you t/o.

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

They used to train all new drivers in sterlings here but they recently had to stop and switch to the old internationals or macks because the stickers with the gvw and other info on them are all worn out and they can't read them at the mva. We had multiple people go to take their test and were not allowed to test because the tester couldn't get the info they needed off the tractor.

 

[Upstate Road-Driver]

Hi guys. New to the forum. Have a random question, I’m sure that’s unwanted, but hoping warrants at least one helpful answer. I am an Overnight Line-Haul Road Driver (out and back) for UPS Freight. I live in South Carolina with family in Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA. (Willing to relocate) now I’m sure this is a question you guys get asked all of the time, so I understand your hesitation at reserving an answer, but what direction would you go, if at all a possibility, in making a transition in career path to getting in line for a Feeder Position with you guys at smallpack??? Please understand my reasons, as I’m sure you already know, as well as understanding the utmost respect I have for you guys and your position with the company... any direction at this point would truly help.

 

[Johney]

I feel guilty for saying , hate to complain , but others and I get a bit p o “d when we see a young feeder guy with 7-8 yrs seniority parked next to yah in a shiney new tractor , and you got 25-30 yrs seniority and your in a truck with zip ties holding it together !!!

Boy you'd hate Jacksonville. Some of those guys are barely over 22 and driving brand new twin screw CNG tractors.

 

[Rick Ross]

Hi guys. New to the forum. Have a random question, I’m sure that’s unwanted, but hoping warrants at least one helpful answer. I am an Overnight Line-Haul Road Driver (out and back) for UPS Freight. I live in South Carolina with family in Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA. (Willing to relocate) now I’m sure this is a question you guys get asked all of the time, so I understand your hesitation at reserving an answer, but what direction would you go, if at all a possibility, in making a transition in career path to getting in line for a Feeder Position with you guys at smallpack??? Please understand my reasons, as I’m sure you already know, as well as understanding the utmost respect I have for you guys and your position with the company... any direction at this point would truly help.

Go to Atlanta, Charlotte isn't growing. I've heard Columbia has been hiring a few off the street lately as well.

Rumor I heard last week in Atlanta is that they aren't cutting sorts at any of the other buildings when the new hub comes online. That means they would have to find hundreds of drivers from somewhere for that big building.

 

[Rick Ross]

Boy you'd hate Jacksonville. Some of those guys are barely over 22 and driving brand new twin screw CNG tractors.

LNG,

They finally started working on their expansion again. Not sure why they had stopped.

 

[Johney]

I wonder how they decide who gets the new tractors? My hub is the same way, most tractors have close to a million miles on them or more, although we did get some new freightliners in last year. We have at least 10 rentals right now that are all nicer than the majority of our tractors. The hub 30 minutes down the road is basically the same way with probably about 350 feeder drivers between the two of us but then you go to a place like HARPA and they have almost all newer macks (275 and up) sitting in the yard as far as the eye can see.

Mileage runs get the new ones here.

I’d be happy with a 272 Mack with springs and 400 k on it for now ,, we are still driving 05 sterling’s in this group that are glued together and 265 internationals that kill yah back if you t/o.

We have a couple of 269 Sterlings left(way over a million miles) and a few new(400,000) KW's that are hand me downs.

 

[Johney]

LNG,

They finally started working on their expansion again. Not sure why they had stopped.

They run both down here CNG outta Jax and LNG outta Orlando Or is it the other way around.
Not sure why they stopped either we were all discussing that the other night.

 

[Upstate Road-Driver]

Go to Atlanta, Charlotte isn't growing. I've heard Columbia has been hiring a few off the street lately as well.

Rumor I heard last week in Atlanta is that they aren't cutting sorts at any of the other buildings when the new hub comes online. That means they would have to find hundreds of drivers from somewhere for that big building.

I know that this is a shot in the dark, but as I’m sure you know, it was difficult to get a position where I am at now. Small pack seems even more impossible. Any advice on how to reach out to the company to find out where, if any feeder openings are? Any information as well on when the new hub will be opening? Is this the ginormous facility that everyone buzzed about set to open out near six flags? Or different? Thank you For your help “Rick Ross”...

 

[KoWag]

I used to. it was better than waiting a couple hours for a service truck. my days were long enough as it was.

As much as I don't want to be a mechanic, I will be doing the same thing. I don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere

 

[Rick Ross]

CNG must be in Orlando.

I guess they may just be getting ready to pour concrete to the right (1500-1800 sections I think). It's all closed off and they were packing down the gravel.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Told tractors go by route , not seniority.

 

[ManInBrown]

Will I go weeks without seeing my sup, or hopefully months? Are we treated like adults in feeder or is everything micromanaged like package? SiNce there is no 9.5 in feeder is everyday WAD? You’re done when they say you’re done? My start date got pushed back a few weeks. It feels like I’m going to have to learn a million things

 

[Johney]

I guess they may just be getting ready to pour concrete to the right (1500-1800 sections I think). It's all closed off and they were packing down the gravel.

That's what I hear. I hear River City is already blowing out that's why the remodel is back on.

 

[Coldworld]

What!!!! Jesus!

Probably a sleeper team... they run like Gypos out there....

 

[Coldworld]

Just curious, does it still look like peak everywhere with all the rental equipment? Our rental equipment used to always be gone by the end of february but this year it seems like we just keep getting more. The tractors don't bother me as they are usually nicer than anything UPS would buy but I am sick of all of the pos USAZ and CTLZ pieces of s#@!

Usaz’s... lmao.. yeah, they were pretty much all POS trailers....

 

[Coldworld]

Aww poor you , it is luck of the draw where I am at and usually the older feeder guys want to older trucks because of the technology in the new ones

Some of those older internationals have very good power... but I hated driving them because if you had to think about the next gear you were going into then you were already behind in shifting by three gears...lol

 

[Rick Ross]

That's what I hear. I hear River City is already blowing out that's why the remodel is back on.

They don't seem to be connected at all. If I go to River City they usually tell me to take an empty to JACFL, their inbound tells me to drop trailer and go to the feeder office where they dispatch me out with another empty.

Well oiled machine!

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

@MeLlamoMud where u at biiiiaaaattttcch

 

[Coldworld]

Will I go weeks without seeing my sup, or hopefully months? Are we treated like adults in feeder or is everything micromanaged like package? SiNce there is no 9.5 in feeder is everyday WAD? You’re done when they say you’re done? My start date got pushed back a few weeks. It feels like I’m going to have to learn a million things

Just take everything slow and ask lots of questions....and yes you won’t see your Onroad sup for weeks on end, especially if they are training new drivers. Most of your interactions will be with dispatch and although there will be a dispatch manager most of the people working in the office are either pt or full time OMS types. I feel like we are treated with more respect and as professional drivers but one thing feeder is all over you about is pull times... even though the hub is sometimes not ready I would just notify dispatch about trailers not being wrapped up on time... but just remember feeder has ie making out their pull times and how long it takes to make a set and such and even over here the times to do these things are also bogus just like in package but you won’t be harped to death about it....it’s important to go slow when you first start hooking up sets by yourself so you dont miss something.... as as others have said 99.9% of the drivers will be more than happy to help you out if you need something....sometimes the shifters at buildings can be arrogant or very helpful, just depends because some are pt. Employees and others are full time feeder drivers with yard runs... but if you drop a trailer most of these shifters will help you if there is one at the building .... good luck and don’t get overwhelmed because you will be learning new things everyday once you are on your own but the biggest piece of advice I would tell you is don’t waste time but take everything slow....there is a difference in the two