Want to become a feeder driver
- Thread starter BrandonC
- Start date
UPS4Life
Well-Known Member
When??? We still have guys in the hub almost every night.
Lead Belly
BANNED
First thing you need to do is get about 40 to 60 more pounds on your frame. Then you n Ed to know if you are on the do not rehire registry.
P
pickup
Guest
off the street hires need at least one year of tractor trailer experience with no accidents in the last year and I believe no more than a moving violation or two in the last few years leading up to application. Many new drivers usually have an accident in the first year so those guys never make it past the first five questions they are asked on the online application(a "yes" to an accident in the last year will lead you to an exit window that explains that you are no eligible to continue the application).
So by the time an off the street applicant is sitting in the HR office talking to a HR rep, he , to some degree, has been vetted as a good driver. A preliminary road test will also weed out those who have the year experience on paper but maybe they did it on pups and not longer trailers. An inroad sup can tell in two minutes if the candidate is of sufficient quality. The backing in at the end of the road test is final confirmation of the the skills of the driver applicant.
Then the guy has three months of peak driving to show that he can shave, show up on time, get manure thrown on him by dispatchers without barking and not hit anything.
Throw in the fact that most of these off the street hires worked for companies such as Swift, Schneider , JB hunt, etc in which the SMITH System (which contains the five seeing habits), was drilled into those drivers' heads. The same Smith system that UPS used as a core to which UPS added more fun stuff such as the 10 points of the Depth of Knowledge. So , these concepts are no alien to an experienced trailer driver who applies as off the street driver.
In actuality, the off the street hire trailer can bring in a world of experience but the best driver, if seemingly untrainable, will only be kept on as casual and never brought back full time. At my hub , we have a casual who keeps coming back every peak. He would like to be hired, but UPS has shown that they don't consider him viable as they hired at least 20 casuals who showed up years after he did. His tractor trailer driving skills are very good, but he can't work within the UPS system. Too many rough spots and he is unteachable. He may shine his shoes and be clean shaven but he doesn't know when to go with the flow and keep his mouth shut.
And may I add that an off the street feeder hire starts at the bottom rung of progression at $18.75 an hour and takes four years to get to top rate. So Ups gets a guy with tractor trailer experience and doesn't have to pay for his tractor training school as opposed to a guy coming from package for whom UPS has to pay for their schooling and put a lot of applied on road teaching into and they end up having a guy whose tractor trailer skills are spotty in some places (especially backing up) who is making top rate.
Cementups
Box Monkey
That just means those guys need more seniority. I would have no problem signing the list Monday morning and going right after a piss test. I would drop into position at about 80th of the 220+ feeder drivers. But I also have almost 22 years in at HARPA. 14 FT.
EasyTrucker
Well-Known Member
When you get feeder seniority does it go by your PT or FT date? Ours goes by FT and 14 years doesn't get you much in feeders at my hub.
Cementups
Box Monkey
FT. and if you were PT before going into feeders, you become a FTer as there are no PT feeder bids.
and like I said, I would be about 80 amongst a group of over 220. It may be closer to 240 now, I'm not sure. I'm told that I would still be able to get a decent daytime run that I want if I go out. I would prefer to just run local stuff, hooking and unhooking trailers as opposed to doing anything OTR. Like we have runs that go from Harrisburg to Richmond, VA.........I would have absolutely no interest in that.
and like I said, I would be about 80 amongst a group of over 220. It may be closer to 240 now, I'm not sure. I'm told that I would still be able to get a decent daytime run that I want if I go out. I would prefer to just run local stuff, hooking and unhooking trailers as opposed to doing anything OTR. Like we have runs that go from Harrisburg to Richmond, VA.........I would have absolutely no interest in that.
Cementups
Box Monkey
5 times as much then you'll make working at McDonald's
LOL thanks. I'm going hoping I can get the job. I think it's a long shot because I quit few years ago but you never know. They were going to hire me back this past winter as a package handler but it never happened because I they did not have any openings that did not work around school. It is a temp/seasonal position is there any shot of getting hire on perm if I do a good job?
UPS4Life
Well-Known Member
Day time as in starting around noon maybe? Are other buildings the same that package car drivers that transfer to feeders keep their seniority date and dove tail in line?
Cementups
Box Monkey
From whatI gather from guys who I know in feeders I could get a bid starting at 6-7am, just dropping and picking trailers from different local warehouses, which is what I would like to be doing.
Don't knock it til you try it. Working local has it's advantages but sometimes it's nice to just hook up a long box and get on the highway, set the cruise and spend the day/night bsing with your buddies. Either way sign that bid list, 80 out of 220 you'll find something you like and I guarantee you won't regret it.
Wally
BrownCafe Innovator & King of Puns
Like deer in the headlights...
olroadbeech
Happy Verified UPSer
im surprised people here are trying to help a guy that quit here after 2 months. he probably would quit feeder after 2 weeks.
Navajo is the place for you guy.
Navajo is the place for you guy.
