interview with Coca-Cola

I work for a beer distributor in Cleveland, Ohio pulling a side loader which is probably what you will be doing as well. It's hard work, you could be looking at anywhere between 10-17 stops a day. There are bulk routes and then there are side loader routes. The side loaders could be pulling a side loader trailer any where from 14-16 bays. Or you maybe in a 12 bay straight body side loader Coca Cola here in Cleveland has quite a few of both.

A side loader will have you going to a lot of gas stations, convenience stores and maybe a restaurant or two. Also a lot of drugs stores as well i.e. CVS Pharmacy stuff like that.

At places like CVS Pharmacy you will be well at least here in Cleveland merchandising. That means you will two wheel the stuff in and then, you will stock the shelves. Usually they pay you a commission for every piece you stock.

Coca Cola here in Cleveland has a lot of different equipment they have a lot of 16 bay trailers a lot of 12 bay straight body side loader trucks, a good amount of bulk trucks and a couple little 6 bay straight bodies that can pretty much go anywhere and they take them to office buildings and use them to stock vending machines and stock small cafeterias stuff like that.

You will work hard at Coca Cola, I work hard everyday driving a side loader beer truck. Like I said it's going to be a lot of gas stations, convenience stores and maybe a mid sized grocery store.

The bulk trucks are more like standard tractor trailers usually they run and deliver to grocery stores, however those trucks a lot of them have lift gates and those guys do, go to convenience stores and gas stations as well. Usually they have lift gates and a pallet jack in those trucks and you ride the lift gate down, break down the pallet and deliver the stuff inside.

You won't be putting on a lot of miles, as beverage distribution routes are pretty dense. My Friday I have 3 stops that I do and don't have to move the truck for a single one.

Some days will be long and some days will be shorter. Then other days no matter how hard you try the day will get away from you and you'll get back to the yard at 6:00pm when you got there at 5:00am.

However, if you keep your noise to the grind stone you'll get through, some days are very rough, I've had a few. Don't lose you palm or printer. Make sure your hand truck is secured, in the truck a Coca Cola driver here in town was telling me his fell off the back of his truck and a car ran it over, not good.

Some days are rough you won't know where you are going you won't know where to park and then worst of all, what to actually do at the stop when you get there and where everything goes.

However, it gets easier, once you get all the mistakes out of the way and learn and yes there's a big learning curve, you'll make paper work errors, you'll deliver the wrong things how do I know? I've done all of it. I've lost my computer palm, I've made paper work errors I've done it all. Customers will yell at you for not doing things right or they way they feel they should be done, remember none of that means anything.

It's rough, you'll make money, but you will earn every penny of it. However it's very good city truck driving experience and a year or two of doing that and you can work anywhere you want.

 

^ basically cover it. I use to do pop, hard work, make sure you know how to lift properly or you live with the pain for the rest of your life

 

I know a guy who got his CDL permit and Coca Cola hired him and put him in a truck with another driver to get experience and get him ready for his CDL. He has his CDL now, he loves it. Good pay as far as I know. The only downside about being a vender, some locations / managers (or regular employees) can be #######es. I talked to a Pepsi driver (he's lazy and doesn't really stock the cooler that well) - he said he sometimes has problems with managers telling them do this do that.

I guess, just make sure you stock what you're supposed to stock if you're going to be a vender and delivering product to stores. Else, you may get a call from your Coke Rep, maybe even a write up! (not sure how they do it)

We got our Pepsi guy moved to a different route because he wouldn't do his job.

 

Just out of curiosity, is this job going to working for Coca Cola Corp. or is it a coke distributor. Not sure how they do it in other places, but here in SW Utah, coke is a privately owned distributor. Small outfit, that according to their drivers, leave a lot to be desired.
Shoot, I don't even know if Coke has any Corporate distribution centers. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

 

Please keep us informed on your experience there. I looked into them briefly but need more insight. Good luck!!!

 

I'm pretty sure you are home every day... I could be wrong, but pretty sure if you are delivering as a vender, you run routes within a radius around the Coca Cola distribution building.

 

OK, they are an independent. Thought that was the case. As I said, I don't even know if the parent company has ANY bottling or distribution centers.

It does sound like they are a large organization, and probably won't have the mismanagement that a lot of the smaller outfits have. Might be a very good job!

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