Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[ManInBrown]

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

Thank you for taking the time to type all that out. The more nuggets of info I can get on here he better.

One more thing. When you say notify dispatch if trailers aren’t ready how do you communicate with them, let’s say if you’re at a different building or somewhere else on road. In package I’m real big with not using my cell phone to communicate with mgmt. I always felt it opened up a can of worms and I wasn’t going down that road. That’s what the diad is for. Should I plan on forgetting about that once I start feeder? Do you guys and gals use your personal cell phones? Or do you communicate with dispatch thru ivis?

What about needing to use the restroom while on the road. If I have to go 15 minutes out of my way to use the facilities am I going to hear about that? In package it’s if you have to break trace and drive to a bathroom you do it. But in feeders you can only go in certain places with a 53 footer.

What does dropping a trailer mean? Not hooking properly? Or when you get where you’re going unhooking?

 

[barnyard]

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

That is excellent advice.

There are 205 pages in this thread. There is nothing wrong with starting at the beginning and reading. You may not make it through the whole thread, skip some pages here and there, but there is a metric crap ton of good advice in this thread. Advice that I use every week I work in feeders.

 

[jaker]

Thank you for taking the time to type all that out. The more nuggets of info I can get on here he better.

One more thing. When you say notify dispatch if trailers aren’t ready how do you communicate with them, let’s say if you’re at a different building or somewhere else on road. In package I’m real big with not using my cell phone to communicate with mgmt. I always felt it opened up a can of worms and I wasn’t going down that road. That’s what the diad is for. Should I plan on forgetting about that once I start feeder? Do you guys and gals use your personal cell phones? Or do you communicate with dispatch thru ivis?

What about needing to use the restroom while on the road. If I have to go 15 minutes out of my way to use the facilities am I going to hear about that? In package it’s if you have to break trace and drive to a bathroom you do it. But in feeders you can only go in certain places with a 53 footer.

What does dropping a trailer mean? Not hooking properly? Or when you get where you’re going unhooking?

Most of us use ours because it is way easier and they don't call you unless they really need to

Try thinking ahead when you are out at certain places to use the bathroom before you hit the road , but incase it does happen you just have to use your best judgement to find one

Dropping a trailer sounds just like what it is , usually happens because you are rushing or got distracted

 

[ManInBrown]

Most of us use ours because it is way easier and they don't call you unless they really need to

Try thinking ahead when you are out at certain places to use the bathroom before you hit the road , but incase it does happen you just have to use your best judgement to find one

Dropping a trailer sounds just like what it is , usually happens because you are rushing or got distracted

Thx

 

[over9five]

Told tractors go by route , not seniority.

In CHEMA, tractors go by favoritism.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

In my old building, the tractors were assigned by run, reserving the better power units for the longer runs, and the faster ones for the mileage runs and runs that were tight, hour-wise. For a while, they gave Circle of Honor drivers newer tractors, and they drove their assigned tractors, no matter what. Don't know if they still do that, tho.

 

[Coldworld]

Thank you for taking the time to type all that out. The more nuggets of info I can get on here he better.

One more thing. When you say notify dispatch if trailers aren’t ready how do you communicate with them, let’s say if you’re at a different building or somewhere else on road. In package I’m real big with not using my cell phone to communicate with mgmt. I always felt it opened up a can of worms and I wasn’t going down that road. That’s what the diad is for. Should I plan on forgetting about that once I start feeder? Do you guys and gals use your personal cell phones? Or do you communicate with dispatch thru ivis?

What about needing to use the restroom while on the road. If I have to go 15 minutes out of my way to use the facilities am I going to hear about that? In package it’s if you have to break trace and drive to a bathroom you do it. But in feeders you can only go in certain places with a 53 footer.

What does dropping a trailer mean? Not hooking properly? Or when you get where you’re going unhooking?

I personally use my phone ONCE IN A WHILE.... if your dispatch and the trailers you are taking out are at the same location then they can usually radio over to dispatch in the larger buildings...I have tried to msg through the ivis and really don’t get any msg back... we don’t use it as communication like they do in pkg with the diad...I have never had an issue with stopping to use the bathroom or getting out at a rest stop to walk around to try to wake up or stretch....but if you are stopping for a safety nap at night I would record that time as a meal or break, some guys don’t and they can burn you on that if they catch wind you are doing it... you usually have access to the building you are going to and might be a good idea to just try to use the bathroom even if you don’t have to go because you won’t be sweating anymore and a bathroom urge can sneAk up on you.. dropping a trailer means you dont hook or unhook properly and drop it... usually is caused by not lowering your landing gear when unhooking and it drops on the raised shorter legs.... and many times if the hoses and light cord are still attachehed they will fly back and break the back window... just make sure when hooking up you get underneath the trailer and check the couple and do your test tug... and when unhooking remember L.A.P. Landing gear, Airlines, Pin... do it in that order, lower landing gear , take off airlines, and finally pull the pin... you will learn all of that in training ....more than likely you WILL drop a trailer at some point in your first year ... the first time I did it I was at a small Bldg with nobody around and you will remember that sound for a long time... biggest boom you could imagine... if it happens you will be cranking up the landing gear in low gear for 30 minutes...lol

 

[ManInBrown]

I personally use my phone ONCE IN A WHILE.... if your dispatch and the trailers you are taking out are at the same location then they can usually radio over to dispatch in the larger buildings...I have tried to msg through the ivis and really don’t get any msg back... we don’t use it as communication like they do in pkg with the diad...I have never had an issue with stopping to use the bathroom or getting out at a rest stop to walk around to try to wake up or stretch....but if you are stopping for a safety nap at night I would record that time as a meal or break, some guys don’t and they can burn you on that if they catch wind you are doing it... you usually have access to the building you are going to and might be a good idea to just try to use the bathroom even if you don’t have to go because you won’t be sweating anymore and a bathroom urge can sneAk up on you.. dropping a trailer means you dont hook or unhook properly and drop it... usually is caused by not lowering your landing gear when unhooking and it drops on the raised shorter legs.... and many times if the hoses and light cord are still attachehed they will fly back and break the back window... just make sure when hooking up you get underneath the trailer and check the couple and do your test tug... and when unhooking remember L.A.P. Landing gear, Airlines, Pin... do it in that order, lower landing gear , take off airlines, and finally pull the pin... you will learn all of that in training ....more than likely you WILL drop a trailer at some point in your first year ... the first time I did it I was at a small Bldg with nobody around and you will remember that sound for a long time... biggest boom you could imagine... if it happens you will be cranking up the landing gear in low gear for 30 minutes...lol

Thx

 

[Jones]

Every bid it says right on the bid sheet that tractors are assigned to the run, not the driver. Then once the bid is over all the guys who switched go crying to management to let them take "their" tractor to their new run and of course they get the ok. Used to piss me off but now I just accept it.

 

[MeLlamoMud]

@MeLlamoMud where u at biiiiaaaattttcch

Lol wrong thread...I think...

 

[Coldworld]

Thx

Many of the feeder drivers on here can elaborate on what I said but during training you will second guess even being there and become frustrated many times.... but this is the place you want to be ....most people don’t go back to package so that should tell you something....

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

Lol wrong thread...I think...

Nope. I’m an every thread guy.

 

[MeLlamoMud]

Nope. I’m an every thread guy.

I don't want to hijack and information post...meet me in fluff lol

 

[Indecisi0n]

Many of the feeder drivers on here can elaborate on what I said but during training you will second guess even being there and become frustrated many times.... but this is the place you want to be ....most people don’t go back to package so that should tell you something....

Ironically we have had a handful of drivers come back. I guess it isn't for everyone but you have to give it a chance.

 

[ManInBrown]

Many of the feeder drivers on here can elaborate on what I said but during training you will second guess even being there and become frustrated many times.... but this is the place you want to be ....most people don’t go back to package so that should tell you something....

Yeah I’ve already told myself no way am I going back without completing my 30 days. And the plan is to stay. I do not want to go back to package. I’m not giving up. I’m expecting a lot of frustrating days early on and scary days when I’m by myself for the first few days. I’ve been told a sup is usually with you for 2 weeks.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

dropping a trailer means you dont hook or unhook properly and drop it... usually is caused by not lowering your landing gear when unhooking and it drops on the raised shorter legs.... and many times if the hoses and light cord are still attachehed they will fly back and break the back window... just make sure when hooking up you get underneath the trailer and check the couple and do your test tug... and when unhooking remember L.A.P. Landing gear, Airlines, Pin... do it in that order, lower landing gear , take off airlines, and finally pull the pin... you will learn all of that in training ....more than likely you WILL drop a trailer at some point in your first year ... the first time I did it I was at a small Bldg with nobody around and you will remember that sound for a long time... biggest boom you could imagine... if it happens you will be cranking up the landing gear in low gear for 30 minutes...lol

legs lines latch, I repeat it in my head every time, partly because of this thread. Everyone on here says it will happen at some point so I'm all paranoid lol.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

legs lines latch, I repeat it in my head every time, partly because of this thread. Everyone on here says it will happen at some point so I'm all paranoid lol.

It doesn't happen often, but 5th wheels sometimes DO fail. Happened to me 2 times. Once in a yardmule and a dolly. Most times it is simply the driver not tugging/visually checking on couple and forgetting his sequence on uncouple.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

It doesn't happen often, but 5th wheels sometimes DO fail. Happened to me 2 times. Once in a yardmule and a dolly. Most times it is simply the driver not tugging/visually checking on couple and forgetting his sequence on uncouple.

Built a set I swear had hooked, pulled off the door a bit and hit the hand valve, got out to do a final walk around, and my rear trailer was sitting on the edge of the dolly. Just about my pants. I cranked the legs down. No matter what I did I couldn't get it to hook, never figured out what was wrong with it, no one around to ask.... red tagged and started over with a differernt dolly.

 

[Coldworld]

Ironically we have had a handful of drivers come back. I guess it isn't for everyone but you have to give it a chance.

Absolutely....and regards to the hours there are ways to manipulate it so you can get 3 days off In a row or not work if you don’t want... in feeders you can pull yourself out of service if you don’t feel road worthy enough to go out because of being dead tired... try doing that in package..

 

[Coldworld]

It doesn't happen often, but 5th wheels sometimes DO fail. Happened to me 2 times. Once in a yardmule and a dolly. Most times it is simply the driver not tugging/visually checking on couple and forgetting his sequence on uncouple.

And I’m going to assume that it doesn’t mean to test tug it half way across the yard either... lmao... I’ve seen drivers do that and bend the hell out of the trailer legs...I just think they like the sound of steel on concrete....