Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Rick Ross]

Last week, the job that I covered included a couple of trips to the railyard. In the past, it has always taken a load to the railyard and TO back to the hub. Last week, I picked up incoming loads from the railyard to take back to the hub. I asked the check in dude where to find them, he punched in the trailer number and directed me to the general direction of where they were. Saved me lots of time looking, as UPS trailers were parked along 3 different tracks and scattered throughout the trailer overflow parking.
Take away: when you get to the railyard, hit 'done' and 'outbound load' at the gate. Ask the check in dude where to find your load.
Would have been good information to have before I left.

The railyards I go to are clueless as to where the loads are. The rail it comes in on is a good place to start, but the shifters are paid by the move (or so I've been told), and drop trailers anywhere and everywhere. Rarely are they in the area they are supposed to be.

With all the train delays I would say 25% of the time I'm waiting for them to lift it off the train. UPS must be pressuring the rail, sometimes they will unload all UPS trailers before touching any other loads. On a long train that's a big waste of time for them.

Has anyone else considered the mention of hiring 2000 feeder drivers a negoitiating ploy with the railroads? I know we have lots of late rail loads but it seems like they were very specific in mentioning the number of jobs and what they would be doing...taking rail work.

 

[barnyard]

Has anyone else considered the mention of hiring 2000 feeder drivers a negoitiating ploy with the railroads?

I do not thing the railroads care. The western railroads are all paying bonuses to new hires. Up to $20k if you are willing to live in rural areas. I just read an article that suggested the UP was holding trains for crews across the system. Not sure about the BNSF, but I know that they are also paying big bonuses to people that sign on to be on a rural crew point.

I think UPS knows that railroads are not interested in moving the volume, so they made a big deal of having to create jobs for this contract, even though they would have had to create them to do what the railroads cannot.

 

[jaker]

Is the hand vavle brake that applies all brakes suppose to work on just the tractor (if Bob tailing)?

Should've just pulled it and found out yourself

 

[jaker]

I go to rail yards two or three times a night , some are a pain but only on trying to find a empty to bring back

UPS pushed UP to make a app just for us to check in and out faster from what a worker said

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

UP was kinda funny down here. Sometimes they wouldn't let us pass a certain point and their yard people had to bring the loades to us where we were parked (they are union, too, or they were back then) other times they let us TO right up to where they were lifting them off the train and setting them down on the side. I think some of the UP hostlers resented us coming across the tracks. They would sit the trailers down at angles where we couldn't get under the loads.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Should've just pulled it and found out yourself

I was told it engaged all brakes. I did test it with the tractor and the tractor rolled. I asked because I wanted to make sure how it operated before I took it to a mechanic.

 

[Coldworld]

WOW.
That is concerning.
Were you daydreaming about something else when they talked about it in class?

The other day he was giving advice to another driver...lol

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

I was told it engaged all brakes.

Don't listen to this person again.

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

I was told it engaged all brakes. I did test it with the tractor and the tractor rolled. I asked because I wanted to make sure how it operated before I took it to a mechanic.

It will turn brake lights on. I believe you are trying to make a funny. If not, you probably should not be in a tractor and definitely not with a trailer behind it. Not being mean here.

 

[over9five]

It will turn brake lights on. I believe you are trying to make a funny. If not, you probably should not be in a tractor and definitely not with a trailer behind it. Not being mean here.

Nah, he just started. AND he's asking questions.
All good.

 

[burrheadd]

It will turn brake lights on. I believe you are trying to make a funny. If not, you probably should not be in a tractor and definitely not with a trailer behind it. Not being mean here.

Sounds like he’s asking the right questions to me

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

Nah, he just started. AND he's asking questions.
All good.

I beg to differ- you should know how that works. What if "he" didn't know it applied any of the brakes then decided to slap it down for fun on icy roads? (Yes- I realize the question was pertaining to TO, but think about it...)

 

[over9five]

I beg to differ- you should know how that works. What if "he" didn't know it applied any of the brakes then decided to slap it down for fun on icy roads? (Yes- I realize the question was pertaining to TO, but think about it...)

All I can say is I wasn't smart enough to know everything on Day One (or week one, maybe even month one). But I was smart enough to ask questions.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Yeah, I'll give Indy a pass on this one, too. They throw so much at you in feeder school, no way you can absorb it all. the real learning process is when you get out on your own, actually drive and talk to other drivers.

 

[Rick Ross]

Yeah, I'll give Indy a pass on this one, too. They throw so much at you in feeder school, no way you can absorb it all. the real learning process is when you get out on your own, actually drive and talk to other drivers.

I'm guessing he heard an instructor mention a "tug test" and let his mind run with it...

 

[Indecisi0n]

I beg to differ- you should know how that works. What if "he" didn't know it applied any of the brakes then decided to slap it down for fun on icy roads? (Yes- I realize the question was pertaining to TO, but think about it...)

I know how to use the hand valve but was told in training it engages "all brakes". When you tell me all brakes I assume that means all brakes (tractor/trailer). I use it all the time for checking brake lights on pretrip but again wasnt sure about just the tractor. I really don't care about your opinion on the matter.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Yeah, I'll give Indy a pass on this one, too. They throw so much at you in feeder school, no way you can absorb it all. the real learning process is when you get out on your own, actually drive and talk to other drivers.

I have learned more from other drivers than I have in training. They rush us through so fast.

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

I have learned more from other drivers than I have in training. They rush us through so fast.

We have a dispatcher that was just promoted to full time on road sup and they are sending him to All State to train him and get him his license because they have no one to train him in house. I'm sure this will turn out well.

 

[Indecisi0n]

We have a dispatcher that was just promoted to full time on road sup and they are sending him to All State to train him and get him his license because they have no one to train him in house. I'm sure this will turn out well.

It was sort of like how they "train" in package. I was running a schedule and the sup seem more worried about getting done on time than training me. It's a lot at first so you have to expect to go over things a few things. I have already seen a lot of noobs do stupid things in the yard and it's hard to tell if it's because they are rushing or just don't know any better n

 

[Indecisi0n]

Anyway this thread has been amazing. I tend to ask a lot of questions because I want to know everything. It might me annoying at first for someone but i am not going to know until I ask. Again I thank all you old heads except for @What'dyabringmetoday??? , He can go choke on a jumbo size Weiner dog.