Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

That sucks.

We have feeder drivers that drop and hook with other Locals and they bitch about that.

Personally, I find it offensive that you can't carry your seniority between classifications.


After all.... in a Union shop, what else do you have besides your seniority ?

By George, we agree on something Big UPS Man.

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

That's where the dichotomy lies.

You are safe where you are at.... but, you could have been higher.

Dichotomy- look at you typing big words!,

 

[ManInBrown]

We have company seniority here and I've never heard of a 20 year wait to get into feeders. We routinely got package drivers who hadn't even hit top pay yet.

43rd st. 20-25 years a driver told me about 18 months ago. Local 804 I believe.

 

[BigUnionGuy]

Dichotomy- look at you typing big words!,

Look at you.... still having problems with punctuation.

 

[Jones]

43rd st. 20-25 years a driver told me about 18 months ago. Local 804 I believe.

If I'm not mistaken in 804 PT seniority dovetails right into FT seniority.

 

[Treegrower]

I’ve seen it work both ways. It doesn’t happen often at all but we’ve had low seniority feeder drivers ( off the street hires) bump into packages. Usually due to being laid off all the time or doing a stint in the hub. They’ll bump in, dovetail in, stay 3-5-7 years. Sometimes less, sometimes more and then go back to feeders when it’s clear they will work every day.
I’m in a big hub, I’ve never seen a 20 wait to get into feeders. I have however seen many, many package car guys wait 20+ years to go to feeders only because they don’t want to be on call or work straight nights or get the left over “crappy” routes. Where I am at 20 years seniority will get you something decent. 25+ years and you’ll get something really good. So a lot of package cars wait till their seniority will do them some good. 5 years after qualifying for feeders they can get a tripled card. Even more great opportunities for them. Company seniority and dovetailing is a great perk in my opinion.

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

Look at you.... still having problems with punctuation.

More like trouble typing. But yes- I'm no match for your superior intellect.

 

[9.5er]

It was a 22 year wait for me to go feeders. I’m bottom cover driver and will be until the next retirement. Now there are a couple senior package guys saying they will sign next time around. If one does come over I’ll still be bottom cover. Thanks COVID

 

[ManInBrown]

I’ve seen it work both ways. It doesn’t happen often at all but we’ve had low seniority feeder drivers ( off the street hires) bump into packages. Usually due to being laid off all the time or doing a stint in the hub. They’ll bump in, dovetail in, stay 3-5-7 years. Sometimes less, sometimes more and then go back to feeders when it’s clear they will work every day.
I’m in a big hub, I’ve never seen a 20 wait to get into feeders. I have however seen many, many package car guys wait 20+ years to go to feeders only because they don’t want to be on call or work straight nights or get the left over “crappy” routes. Where I am at 20 years seniority will get you something decent. 25+ years and you’ll get something really good. So a lot of package cars wait till their seniority will do them some good. 5 years after qualifying for feeders they can get a tripled card. Even more great opportunities for them. Company seniority and dovetailing is a great perk in my opinion.

We don’t go back to package here. One of the benefits of 177. No going back to package. They find work for you. When it’s slow off the streets get laid off first. Layoff is company.

 

[Treegrower]

We don’t go back to package here. One of the benefits of 177. No going back to package. They find work for you. When it’s slow off the streets get laid off first. Layoff is company.

No one is ever forced to go back to packages here. It’s just an option they have. A off the street feeder hire may find himself suddenly with no work and no pay after peak. They usually have a family to provide for in addition to the usual mortgage and car payment. A stint in the hub isn’t to their liking so in order to work as a “ driver” they come to packages and keep their health and welfare and pension contributions and credits going as well as maintaining their full time company seniority with out interruptions. I’ve seen laid off feeder drivers bid into packages and then retire as package car drivers. Go figure!

 

[Jones]

Here q list drivers can go back to package and run their bid route if feeders doesn't have work for them but most of the time they have the option of being on call and picking up daily work. When I was on the q list I never went back. Once you're in feeders that's pretty much it, you're not going back. Technically there's layoff language that would allow you to go back and work as a cover driver if you wanted but no one ever does that.

 

[over9five]

I bid back to Package shortly after going to Feeders. Was sick of the crap jobs and hours. Got drafted back to Feeders the next Peak and never went back.

 

[CHEMA-DELMA]

A bad day in Feeders is better than a great day in package.

 

[ManInBrown]

No one is ever forced to go back to packages here. It’s just an option they have. A off the street feeder hire may find himself suddenly with no work and no pay after peak. They usually have a family to provide for in addition to the usual mortgage and car payment. A stint in the hub isn’t to their liking so in order to work as a “ driver” they come to packages and keep their health and welfare and pension contributions and credits going as well as maintaining their full time company seniority with out interruptions. I’ve seen laid off feeder drivers bid into packages and then retire as package car drivers. Go figure!

Yes, but there are locals where you are forced to go back when it gets slow.

 

[barnyard]

A bad day in Feeders is better than a great day in package.

And an 8 hour day in feeders is like barely coming into work at all.

 

[Non sequitur]

Maybe at the next scheduled in person union meeting, the idea of encouraging old and wounded package car drivers to give feeders a look. It might be the difference between getting 30 or not making it to the finish line. Love the Brotherhood

 

[quad decade guy]

Maybe at the next scheduled in person union meeting, the idea of encouraging old and wounded package car drivers to give feeders a look. It might be the difference between getting 30 or not making it to the finish line. Love the Brotherhood

You think they don't already know about feeders? Really? A 30 year guy? This notion is bizarre.

 

[Non sequitur]

The suggestion is kryptonite. A lot of people think they can't do it and maybe that's a good thing?

 

[Made brown]

Do the off the street feeders have to go through the hoops to be able to work package? They never went through intergad so how does that work?

 

[Covemastah]

I bid back to Package shortly after going to Feeders. Was sick of the crap jobs and hours. Got drafted back to Feeders the next Peak and never went back.

Quitter