Not a 30 year job?
- Thread starter MC0493
- Start date
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Isn't everything our fault though?
Might as well not show up for work at all with that attitude.
1st rule of backing?
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Is open for interpretation.
I'm the captain of my ship
sandwich
The resident gearhead
that's runner gunner style right there. slow the efff down.
Catatonic
Nine Lives
I thought that was just sheep.
Orion inc.
I like turtles
Those 17 years you put in were rough huh?
Catatonic
Nine Lives
Stalk much?
Orion inc.
I like turtles
When you back over a kid or anyone else, who do you think will be fired and lose their job??
Take a guess. It won't be your management team.
It'll be the guy that did an unnecessary back and killed someone.
Work as directed won't save you at panel either
Orion inc.
I like turtles
It's cute how you follow me around but you're just not my type no matter how much you beg.
Catatonic
Nine Lives
The stalker becomes the stalked?
I like to fish
JL 0513
Well-Known Member
Lots of debate on whether the job is more physical today or back in the day.
-Today we get more stops, more pieces, more heavy weights, more hours
-Years ago, the worst thing was awful package cars
We still have some lingering 1980's no power steering, high step/narrow cab and door, manuals. Comparing first hand doing a day with one of these POS vs a newer car, I find virtually all the "work" is actually just fighting those old PC's. Just steering with no power steering drains more energy than any other task of the day. Add the clutch work and 2 foot high step and IMO the job was more physically demanding when you had to go out everyday in those PC's. I feel like I could do 40 more stops in a current package car and feel less worn out at the end of the day.
So I'd take the job as it is today because of the modern comforts and conveniences.
-Today we get more stops, more pieces, more heavy weights, more hours
-Years ago, the worst thing was awful package cars
We still have some lingering 1980's no power steering, high step/narrow cab and door, manuals. Comparing first hand doing a day with one of these POS vs a newer car, I find virtually all the "work" is actually just fighting those old PC's. Just steering with no power steering drains more energy than any other task of the day. Add the clutch work and 2 foot high step and IMO the job was more physically demanding when you had to go out everyday in those PC's. I feel like I could do 40 more stops in a current package car and feel less worn out at the end of the day.
So I'd take the job as it is today because of the modern comforts and conveniences.
Catatonic
Nine Lives
I like turtles.
rod
Retired 23 years
Its a strange job. When I started and was a young pup and in great shape the weight limit was 50 lbs. (No more than 100 lbs could be shipped to the same consignee from a shipper per day. NO time commits on anything. You more or less ran your route as you felt was the best way. Fast forward 30 years and the weight limit was 150lbs with no cap on how much you could ship and a dozen time commits on air and pickups. Now from what I gather UPS will haul most anything and the drivers may as well have shock collars on. Who knows what the next 30 years will bring? One thing for certain it won't be pretty. I would look into getting a Government job (anything but the Post Office) if I was starting over.
dookie stain
Cornfed whiteboy
It's always funny to me when I see the "team lift" and pictures of a forklift on a package that I'm supposed to haul up three flights of stairs...but then I get back to the building with three clerk packages and a sup will yell at me about safety if I'm not carrying them correctly
35years
Gravy route
The job is not the same for everyone. Delivering 120 boxes on a rural route is an entirely different job than a bricked out industrial ball buster.
Here is how I would rank the most common routes for body wear and tear:
1.Old Industrial:
I started on the industrial routes in the old part of a city. That was by far the hardest on my body. Heavy boxes, high piece counts, lots of long caries, stairs etc. No elevators up to 4 floors. Hard on back and joints. This is harder on your body than a 200+ resi route.
2. New Industrial:
Suburban industrial parks at least, have mainly well designed docks, but the piece count and average weight of boxes takes a toll.
3. Storefront Retail:
Piece count and ave weight is less than industrial but yanking full two-wheelers thru snow or up steps is no picnic. Long walks with multiple pkgs.
4.Mall Retail
More controlled conditions (carts and few, if any, stairs). Heavy piece count however will take it's toll if your body mechanics are poor. Heat/cold is controlled as well.
5. Residential Urban/suburban:
Ave stop count is often 200+. Getting on and off the truck that many times is taxing on joints but ave weight and ave piece count (per stop and overall) is usually better than pure industrial. Don't run, jump etc. and it can be done for decades. You just need an iron will to put up with the production pressure which usually comes with a resi route.
6. Rural
It is more like delivering Saturday Air than a normal route. This is assuming they don't combine it with heavy pickups. Drive all the way to the door, very low piece counts (some with less than 110 pkgs del+p/u combined). Cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than other outdoor routes. The only drawback is driving in the snow/ice but that doesn't wear your body down unless you are a white-knuckler.
After 35+ years I do feel the aches, but delivering rural is quite easy on the body. I don't ever run or hurry. My body mechanics have been nearly perfect for 2 decades. If you want to last, every movement must be evaluated for stress and done correctly including; pivoting when getting out of the seat, stepping softly off the truck, etc.
Even with perfect mechanics I could not have lasted 35+ years on a ball-buster industrial.
Here is how I would rank the most common routes for body wear and tear:
1.Old Industrial:
I started on the industrial routes in the old part of a city. That was by far the hardest on my body. Heavy boxes, high piece counts, lots of long caries, stairs etc. No elevators up to 4 floors. Hard on back and joints. This is harder on your body than a 200+ resi route.
2. New Industrial:
Suburban industrial parks at least, have mainly well designed docks, but the piece count and average weight of boxes takes a toll.
3. Storefront Retail:
Piece count and ave weight is less than industrial but yanking full two-wheelers thru snow or up steps is no picnic. Long walks with multiple pkgs.
4.Mall Retail
More controlled conditions (carts and few, if any, stairs). Heavy piece count however will take it's toll if your body mechanics are poor. Heat/cold is controlled as well.
5. Residential Urban/suburban:
Ave stop count is often 200+. Getting on and off the truck that many times is taxing on joints but ave weight and ave piece count (per stop and overall) is usually better than pure industrial. Don't run, jump etc. and it can be done for decades. You just need an iron will to put up with the production pressure which usually comes with a resi route.
6. Rural
It is more like delivering Saturday Air than a normal route. This is assuming they don't combine it with heavy pickups. Drive all the way to the door, very low piece counts (some with less than 110 pkgs del+p/u combined). Cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than other outdoor routes. The only drawback is driving in the snow/ice but that doesn't wear your body down unless you are a white-knuckler.
After 35+ years I do feel the aches, but delivering rural is quite easy on the body. I don't ever run or hurry. My body mechanics have been nearly perfect for 2 decades. If you want to last, every movement must be evaluated for stress and done correctly including; pivoting when getting out of the seat, stepping softly off the truck, etc.
Even with perfect mechanics I could not have lasted 35+ years on a ball-buster industrial.
Last edited:
scooby0048
This page left intentionally blank
Great job on so many years of service. I have to ask...the pin, is it even made of any precious metals like silver or gold or even rhodium or is it just another junk trinket?
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