silenze
Lunch is the best part of the day
Lol they dont even spec them out for cold weather. Ours didnt even come with block heaters.
Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ
- Thread starter 104Feeder
- Start date
MoarTape
Well-Known Member
Saw one of those today in NewPA. Assuming it came from Burt. Pretty nice.
MaceFremonti
Well-Known Member
I have not had a chance to wheel one yet...have actually had my assigned tractor for 10+ days in a row! LOL!
QKRSTKR
Well-Known Member
Those wide nose look pretty cool. I drive a 276.. Twin screw. Are all the newer ones automatics? Kind of wonder what's the point since most of our runs once your on the highway there isn't much shifting involved. Unless they are gearing up for people who don't know how to drive sticks in package. I like to be able to shift and down shift when I want to. Do like the fact of a single axle. The tag axle sucks and takes too much weight off 5th wheel when it's slick.
MaceFremonti
Well-Known Member
My assigned is a Mack w/a tag axle...they suck when it's not raining as well.....
MoarTape
Well-Known Member
They make people do their road test in a manual here. The training cars are manuals also.
Browndriver5
Well-Known Member
Do you have to be a full time driver before you can go into feeders?
Brownslave688
You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Depends. On how desperate they are. I think we have answered this for you before. In most cases you're gonna need to be a driver with at least 1 year safe driving.
Browndriver5
Well-Known Member
No I have never asked before
Brownslave688
You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Sorry. Well it's been asked 100 times before. And 2-3 in the last month.
guyinthebrownbox
Well-Known Member
In my building they waived the 1 year of safe driving when I came up. However everyone coming up has at least been a full time driver. There has been talk about pulling from the part time pool but we have not reached that point yet
raceanoncr
Well-Known Member
Here, and again I say, HERE, there was a time when P/Ters were called. At the time, we were growing but no, NO friend/T package drivers wanted to come up to be trained. The company, HERE, opened it up to ANYBODY in the building with a CDL already in hand. No, they weren't gonna train P/Ters to GET their CDL, they only opened it up to those that already had it on their own.
They ain't doing THAT anymore. At least here, HERE.
They ain't doing THAT anymore. At least here, HERE.
retiredTxfeeder
cap'n crunch
Personally, I think all feeder candidates should come from the package car driver pool, as opposed from the part time ranks. You may not realize it, but you learn a lot of good driving habits from PC time. I know I'd feel more comfortable whether being in a sleeper or driving next to someone in the lane next to me if they had the benefits of 5 seeing habits training, experience driving a commercial vehicle, etc, before being put behind the wheel of an 80,000 lb machine. 5 days of classroom, behind the wheel training and then 1 week of someone sitting beside you and you are on your own. All accidents have the potential to be serious, but a feeder miscalculation could cost millions and cost multiple lives. I can't blame a PTer for wanting to go from PT wages to (in my opinion) one of the top jobs in the company. Experience goes a long way.
Mugarolla
Light 'em up!
I agree but usually the only time they take PTers is when no FT package drivers, or not enough, sign up.
Then UPS gets into trouble with their 6 for 1 ratio when they have to hire 10 feeder drivers off the street.
So I say give the PTers a shot if they want it. Or anyone else in the building, clerks, porters, 22.3's etc.
Kicked Your Dog
25 Year UPSer/SoCal Feeder
Maybe the training period for pt'ers needs to be longer and more intense. There's no way I'm riding sleeper with a pt'er that never drove package, either.
Mugarolla
Light 'em up!
I am not arguing with you there.
Instead of a week in class and a week on road, maybe it needs to be 2 or 3 weeks on road.
The trainer does have the authority to not pass him though if he/she does not think he is ready to go it alone.
Most feeder runs, though, are very different than package driving.
Package cars drive in congested cities during the day and residential streets.
Most feeder runs are mostly highway driving.
Yes, you need to know what is around you, but most feeder accidents happen in the yard.
UPS4Life
Well-Known Member
80% of ours are on property and the majority of them are by people with 5-10 years in. Or the new trend lately has been package car drivers that just came feeders.
I think it goes by the person themselves not where they came from. I see a lot of squirrels in our yard every day who have YEARS of feeders or package car experience doesn't mean I would trust someone with more years over safe habits. You see who is safe and who is isn't in the yard let alone out on the road.
