Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Dracula]

Just wanted to share that it was a long nerve wracking first few months in feeders, but I’ve started to settle in and feel more comfortable. I just have two things to say.

I cannot believe this is the same company I’m working for.

And this move I made, might be the greatest thing that’s happened in my life. No kids. I feel like I won the lottery every day I go to work. Aches and pains completely gone. It’s utterly amazing. Working way more hours now than I did in package, making more money every week, and I’m not lifting a finger.

Yeah, it takes about a year to get real comfortable. Your lottery winnings will feel lost when the snow and ice falls, but your point is valid. If you know the bad weather is coming, many just call in sick. Being in feeders, you should never have an attendance problem as you might in package car. And the bad weather can be dealt with by drastically altering the way you drive, or by simply parking your equipment.

You are the captain of the ship. The man on the shore can't tell you how to operate the boat. PERIOD.

But you're right, it's the best possible move while wearing the brown monkey suit.

Just watch the diet.

 

[Hadjabear]

How would the first day of a strike work in feeders with many night routes?

Do they stop when they are doing at midnight? Pull off to first safe spot? Drive back to home hub/center, park at gate or on the pad? Continue to current TA, taxi back or To? Not start the work day since 72hr is given?

 

[jaker]

How would the first day of a strike work in feeders with many night routes?

Do they stop when they are doing at midnight? Pull off to first safe spot? Drive back to home hub/center, park at gate or on the pad? Continue to current TA, taxi back or To? Not start the work day since 72hr is given?

Whatever pull you are doing you finsh it back at the hub and then go on strike . If it happens at the while you are at the rail yard you come back punch out and go on strike

 

[Indecisi0n]

I almost hit a gator tonight.

 

[Johney]

I almost hit a gator tonight.

Stay outta the ditch then.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

I almost hit a gator tonight.

You sure it wasn't one of those overweight lot lizards?

 

[Indecisi0n]

When you pull off a trailer and the lines come slamming into the tractor scaring the out of you because you forgot to take them off.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

When you pull off a trailer and the lines come slamming into the tractor scaring the out of you because you forgot to take them off.

You're lucky if that's all it did. You could have pulled the hoses out of the back of the tractor (avoidable accident) or the glad hands could have gone thru the back window of the tractor. (another avoidable accident). 3 times in my center (that I know of) glad hands went thru the back window like that. One time it knocked the driver out cold for several hours. I was lucky. I did have several dents in the back of my cab for some unknown reason.

 

[Indecisi0n]

You're lucky if that's all it did. You could have pulled the hoses out of the back of the tractor (avoidable accident) or the glad hands could have gone thru the back window of the tractor. (another avoidable accident). 3 times in my center (that I know of) glad hands went thru the back window like that. One time it knocked the driver out cold for several hours. I was lucky. I did have several dents in the back of my cab for some unknown reason.

Just slammed into the back of the tractor. I had other drivers tell me about them smashing the window.

 

[olroadbeech]

Just wanted to share that it was a long nerve wracking first few months in feeders, but I’ve started to settle in and feel more comfortable. I just have two things to say.

I cannot believe this is the same company I’m working for.

And this move I made, might be the greatest thing that’s happened in my life. No kids. I feel like I won the lottery every day I go to work. Aches and pains completely gone. It’s utterly amazing. Working way more hours now than I did in package, making more money every week, and I’m not lifting a finger.

one negative......keeping the weight off down the line.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Just slammed into the back of the tractor. I had other drivers tell me about them smashing the window.

The aluminum glad hands not so bad, but the lead ones will go thru that glass like it's not even there.

 

[Indecisi0n]

The aluminum glad hands not so bad, but the lead ones will go thru that glass like it's not even there.

It's a very fast way of unhooking them lol

 

[Covemastah]

one negative......keeping the weight off down the line.

Keep this a secret !!
The hours suck !
The job sucks !
I hate this !
Wink. Wink

Just don’t ever get over confident !!
Always have your game face on
Welcome to the club

 

[Covemastah]

It's a very fast way of unhooking them lol

Consider it a learning experience,, like @retiredTxfeeder said , could of been really bad !! He’s our respected older king of feedah wisdom !!!
Take it slow @Indecisi0n ,, like being with a new man !!

 

[Covemastah]

I have only come here seeking knowledge,,,, things they would not teach me of in college ,,,,,

 

[Indecisi0n]

I have only come here seeking knowledge,,,, things they would not teach me of in college ,,,,,

I learned a lot of new things in college.

 

[Covemastah]

I learned a lot of new things in college.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

I did rip the hoses off the back of my tractor 2 times in 29 years. Not because I forgot to take them off after uncoupling, but because there was a little square piece of metal on the back of my cab, and the hoses would hang on that every once in a while on a sharp turn. Most of the time I would catch it, 2 times I did not. It pays to be friends with a mechanic during your shift. A lot of mechanics used me to transfer parts between buildings during my shift. They appreciated it.

 

[pickup]

 

[olroadbeech]

Keep this a secret !!
The hours suck !
The job sucks !
I hate this !
Wink. Wink

Just don’t ever get over confident !!
Always have your game face on
Welcome to the club

the package drivers at my hub stayed out of feeders for years because we told them horror stories about chaining the big rigs and driving in white outs in snowstorms.

then one of them took a chance and tried it........then a flood