Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[fedx]

Since we don't have our own section I thought I would post this for anyone with Feeder questions.

What's our schedule like? What did it take to qualify? Why do we get so fat? How do we stay awake on the road? What does the Dispatcher do? What do the On-roads do? Why does the Company subcontract Feeder work? What is the pay like? What do mileage runs pay? What's a layover? What's a gladhand? What's a button hook? Why are you guys so slow on the road? What happens in high winds/snow/hard rain/if you hit a deer?

Any question is up for discussion. If you need specific information to your area be sure to post where that is as Feeder work rules vary quite a bit by location (and we are always arguing about the work rules).

If you're in Feeders, sound off. If you are in Feeder Management or Dispatch you are welcome too and lets have some respectful discussion.

Do UPS feeder drivers have driver facing cameras in the cabs? Do drivers get paid by the hour or by the mile or both? How much is starting pay vs top out pay and how long does it take to top out? Thanks.

 

[brostalss]

Back from three day Chicago run. Good weather. Easy money.

 

[104Feeder]

View attachment 241142

A Phoenix Feeder Driver showed me this.

You're welcome

 

[104Feeder]

Do UPS feeder drivers have driver facing cameras in the cabs? Do drivers get paid by the hour or by the mile or both? How much is starting pay vs top out pay and how long does it take to top out? Thanks.

No cameras except for the lane monitoring system. Depends on run but most are hourly. Layover and Sleeper are mileage except for some delay times. Everyone who comes my way have been at top pay for a decade at least, doing their FT progression in Package. Here it is $36.77/hr which includes $.68/hr more for Feeder work.

 

[Driver7906]

No cameras except for the lane monitoring system. Depends on run but most are hourly. Layover and Sleeper are mileage except for some delay times. Everyone who comes my way have been at top pay for a decade at least, doing their FT progression in Package. Here it is $36.77/hr which includes $.68/hr more for Feeder work.

I’ve heard of drivers who live in states that allow pulling triples making an extra .75 per hour on days that they actually do pull triples.

 

[Mugarolla]

I’ve heard of drivers who live in states that allow pulling triples making an extra .75 per hour on days that they actually do pull triples.

Here, we get .45 extra per hour to pull doubles and .35 on top of that to pull triples.

So that is an extra .80 to pull triples as opposed to pulling a single.

 

[Coldworld]

I’ve heard of drivers who live in states that allow pulling triples making an extra .75 per hour on days that they actually do pull triples.

.75 cents to pull a set that is 110 feet long is not even worth it....should be at least a dollar more than package cars to pull a trailer, 2.00 for a set and 3.00 extra for triples....traffic now days is heavier and more aggressive than ever before.....

 

[Coldworld]

Here, we get .45 extra per hour to pull doubles and .35 on top of that to pull triples.

So that is an extra .80 to pull triples as opposed to pulling a single.

Pretty ridiculous that we have CDL’s and there is a supposed commercial trucking shortage and guys get less than a dollar an hour to pull a set of triples....

 

[trickpony1]

Pretty ridiculous that we have CDL’s and there is a supposed commercial trucking shortage and guys get less than a dollar an hour to pull a set of triples....

Two drivers pulling triples eliminates a job pulling doubles.

Do the math and figure out who's making the money...not the drivers.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Just saw a full hairy moon .

 

[Driver7906]

.75 cents to pull a set that is 110 feet long is not even worth it....should be at least a dollar more than package cars to pull a trailer, 2.00 for a set and 3.00 extra for triples....traffic now days is heavier and more aggressive than ever before.....

The hourly wage without triples pay is plenty worth it to be.

Two drivers pulling triples eliminates a job pulling doubles.

Do the math and figure out who's making the money...not the drivers.

That makes it a good thing pulling triple trailers is only allowed by law in thirteen states.

 

[Coldworld]

I’ve heard of drivers who live in states that allow pulling triples making an extra .75 per hour on days that they actually do pull triples.

Only .75 cents more than a package car guy to deal with something 105k pounds ....all the responsibility of learning and keeping a cdl license.... you think it’s not worth more money running sets through mountain passes in winter, working all sorts of hours and conditions??? I drove a package car for years... I know what it takes to do that... driving a semi truck is on a whole other level.....

 

[Coldworld]

The hourly wage without triples pay is plenty worth it to be.


That makes it a good thing pulling triple trailers is only allowed by law in thirteen states.

You sound like a new on road sup.... you want to drive my set through the snow and get down the other side of a mountain without jackknifing the whole damn thing????

 

[Driver7906]

You sound like a new on road sup.... you want to drive my set through the snow and get down the other side of a mountain without jackknifing the whole damn thing????

No. I just completed my first year of feeder and I’ll never be a sup. But in my department, if the weather gets excessively windy or snowy, they will allow us to drop our rear trailer or they will only send us out with doubles. Triples only go out when it’s safe, which is most of the time.

 

[Mugarolla]

That makes it a good thing pulling triple trailers is only allowed by law in thirteen states.

28 States allow it.

 

[fedx]

No cameras except for the lane monitoring system. Depends on run but most are hourly. Layover and Sleeper are mileage except for some delay times. Everyone who comes my way have been at top pay for a decade at least, doing their FT progression in Package. Here it is $36.77/hr which includes $.68/hr more for Feeder work.

Thank you for that info. Also, I'm asking about UPS parcel not UPS freight. For the hourly paid UPS feeder drivers (who pull doubles) how many hours do they typically work a day? 8, 10, 12 hours? How far do they typically drive on their shift? Also, do they just drop and hook at their destination or do they do dock work before heading back? I wondering because a lot of other driving jobs (like FedEx Freight, XPO, etc) have the driver do almost as much dock work as they do driving. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mugarolla]

Thank you for that info. Also, I'm asking about UPS parcel not UPS freight.

He told you about small package, not freight.

For the hourly paid UPS feeder drivers (who pull doubles) how many hours do they typically work a day? 8, 10, 12 hours?

All of the above.

It varies by job. Where I am, we have more 9 to 10 hour jobs than 8 or 12, but we have them all.

How far do they typically drive on their shift?

From just yard work to 600 miles.

We have more 300 to 350 mile jobs than 100 or 600.

Also, do they just drop and hook at their destination

Some do, but the majority breaks their set down and builds their outbound set.

Some only pull singles and some pull triples.

Some even just bobtail.

And quite a few jobs have to wait for their loads when they get to their destination.

Some buildings make them shift in the yard for some of that wait time.

At other buildings, it's nap time.

or do they do dock work before heading back?

We don't have dock work.

I wondering because a lot of other driving jobs (like FedEx Freight, XPO, etc) have the driver do almost as much dock work as they do driving. Thanks in advance.

We don't have dock work like freight has.

All our trailers are hand loaded by part timers, with a few exceptions.

We're either driving, sleeping, shifting in the yard or swapping trailers at a customer account.

 

[fedx]

He told you about small package, not freight.



All of the above.

It varies by job. Where I am, we have more 9 to 10 hour jobs than 8 or 12, but we have them all.



From just yard work to 600 miles.

We have more 300 to 350 mile jobs than 100 or 600.



Some do, but the majority breaks their set down and builds their outbound set.

Some only pull singles and some pull triples.

Some even just bobtail.

And quite a few jobs have to wait for their loads when they get to their destination.

Some buildings make them shift in the yard for some of that wait time.

At other buildings, it's nap time.



We don't have dock work.



We don't have dock work like freight has.

All our trailers are hand loaded by part timers, with a few exceptions.

We're either driving, sleeping, shifting in the yard or swapping trailers at a customer account.

Thanks for that info. So it sounds like anything is possible driving feeder (from doing nothing to driving a yard mule). The 300-350 miles is that one way or round trip? If it's one way that would be cutting it close to the 11 hr driving rule. I'm guess it's round trip since you said you generally work 9-10 hours. I really wouldn't want to work more than that anyway. Some other companies make their drivers work 12-14 hrs. I would get burned out in no time doing those kind of hours. All you would be doing is working, going home to eat dinner, going to bed, and then waking up to go back to work, and repeat.

 

[Mugarolla]

Thanks for that info. So it sounds like anything is possible driving feeder (from doing nothing to driving a yard mule). The 300-350 miles is that one way or round trip? If it's one way that would be cutting it close to the 11 hr driving rule. I'm guess it's round trip since you said you generally work 9-10 hours. I really wouldn't want to work more than that anyway. Some other companies make their drivers work 12-14 hrs. I would get burned out in no time doing those kind of hours. All you would be doing is working, going home to eat dinner, going to bed, and then waking up to go back to work, and repeat.

That is round trip, and we do not have many 12 hour jobs. Actually, none here.

The lower seniority guys usually get stuck on the 8 hour jobs, since a lot of the old timers want that big money on the longer jobs.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Thanks for that info. So it sounds like anything is possible driving feeder (from doing nothing to driving a yard mule). The 300-350 miles is that one way or round trip? If it's one way that would be cutting it close to the 11 hr driving rule. I'm guess it's round trip since you said you generally work 9-10 hours. I really wouldn't want to work more than that anyway. Some other companies make their drivers work 12-14 hrs. I would get burned out in no time doing those kind of hours. All you would be doing is working, going home to eat dinner, going to bed, and then waking up to go back to work, and repeat.

Sleep is for the weak !