The Sygma Network

Discussion in 'Motor Carrier Questions - The Inside Scoop' started by Tackman, Dec 17, 2007.

  1. Tackman

    Tackman Bobtail Member

    12
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    Nov 25, 2007
    central ohio
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    Does anyone know what kind of work week one can expect with this company? I've heard all nights and weekends. How long are thier runs usually? The lady at the interview told me overnite and ocasionally two days out. I was looking into them as the construction business here in Ohio has fallen off in the past three years, I dont see an increase in the forseeable future. So i am looking for a new line of work.
     
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  3. Strngs012

    Strngs012 Light Load Member

    126
    30
    Jul 16, 2007
    Palm Coast, Fl
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    Before I comment on Sygma let me preface it by stating I have never worked for them. I did however work for US Foodservice for eight months, it was the worst eight months of my career. Both Sygma and US Food are food service related companies. You get your trailer loaded at the wharehouse and then your out there delivering to resturaunts, nursing homes, anyone who basically needs food. Sounds good so far right. Now the reality, Do you like to run as fast as you can with a fully loaded hand cart (200-300 pounds in some cases) down a ramp attatched to your trailer and into a greasy kitchen floor in the back of some resturaunt? Well that is what you will be doing. Some stops you will probably deliver up to 500 cases. It is very labor intensive work, and I found at US Food that I was nothing more than a lumper with a CDL. For me the pay was not worth the amount of work I was doing. They will probably pay based on how many cases you can deliver in an hour, miles driven (which will be very low, probably somewhere between .10 cpm - .20 cpm). I won't try to discourage you from looking into them because like I said I never worked for them, I can only tell you how it was at US Food. From what I've discovered all the food sevice companies US Food, Sygma, Sysco, and the smaller ones are all the same.
     
  4. Tackman

    Tackman Bobtail Member

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    Nov 25, 2007
    central ohio
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    Thanks for the info on the unloading I can handle that. I was just wondering what type of routes to expect.As for the pay it seems decent but what do you guys think? Here it is off of the sheet she gave me.
    per mile .358
    per stop 2.627
    per case .218
    backhaul 62.43
    per hour 14.899 in the event of a breakdown customer delay dispatch delay or classroom training
    This pay is after probationary period first 120 days are at 90% of above.
     
  5. Strngs012

    Strngs012 Light Load Member

    126
    30
    Jul 16, 2007
    Palm Coast, Fl
    0
    Thats more than I expected, but you need to find out how many miles per route and the week you can expect to run.

    thats low, that tells me there are probably a lot of stops on the truck. Again you need to find out how many stops per route you can expect.

    Thats comparable to what I was getting at US Food service. Find out how many cases an aveage route has. Also you may want to ask if this is a sliding scale based on preformance. US Food sevice changed over to this type of scale and pissed off alot of there drivers.

    I guess it's ok, are miles included with this?

    Again comparable to US Food.

    I also checked out Sygma's website, I didn't know they are an offshoot of Sysco. If they load there trailers like Sysco than you will find that they will cram as much as they can, floor to cieling, in there.
     
  6. Rhode70

    Rhode70 Bobtail Member

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    Dec 31, 2006
    0
    I work for Sygma, its not all that bad. Yes you work nights and weekends but in time it gets better. I have been there for only eight months and have my own route which I leave on Sunday at 1:00am drive four hours, finish 6 stops ave. 200 pieces per stop finish by 2:00pm and layover at a hotel (company pays) leave hotel around 3:00am next day do two more stops pick up back haul and I am home by 3:00 PM. (my house not Sygma). I repeat this run on Wed-Thurs. My days off are Tues, Fri & Sat. My ave. pay per week is 900. newbie pay (est. 1100-1200 at top pay.) AVE miles 600- weight 36000-40000.
     
  7. kjb1611

    kjb1611 Bobtail Member

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    May 21, 2007
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    My husband has been working for Sygma for about 4 years. He started in the warehouse, then moved up to driver after obtaining his CDL. He has been driving for over 2 years now and this job has been a blessing! Yes, it is hard work. My husband likes it, though. I'm sure it's not for everyone (some new guys don't make it a week) for both mental and physical reasons. No, it's not the perfect company ... but overall I think they are fair. (Some centers are union, though his is not.) Management has really ticked us off a couple of times, but I think that is more often the individual in charge, not the company itself.

    So, regarding pay and time out. Last year, my husband made about $60k. He was an "extra board" driver (basically a substitute driver) and worked 5 - 6 days per week. Extra board drivers call in every day to find out if and where they are going. I would say the routes averate 10 - 16 hours out. Everyone at his center gets at least 2 days off per week. They aren't necessarily consecutive days off. Oh, at his center there are no routes that require a layover. Longer routes require a team. The team leaves one night and comes back by the next morning or afternoon. My husband is now a team route driver. The pay isn't that great, but it was his choice to take the route. Sygma honestly presents wage expectations.

    Does that help? Hope you don't mind a girl responding. ;-)
     
  8. hendersoncnc

    hendersoncnc Light Load Member

    109
    2
    Oct 28, 2007
    baltimore,maryland
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    #### that sounds good.
     
  9. BearGator56

    BearGator56 "The G stands for GOOD!"

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    52
    Apr 11, 2006
    Orlando, FL
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    I worked for SYGMA for 7 years, as both a driver and as a supervisor in FL and GA. As a driver, it's a great company. The two folks who replied that know about actually working there have given a good representation. Being a driver is pretty much being the boss of your own route.

    The Columbus center is one of the few union houses in the country. If you don't mind unions, then it's not a big deal. I've worked with a few of their supervisors there, and they're all pretty good people.

    The basic idea of SYGMA, is that it is the chain restaurant provider of SYSCO. They service places like Texas Roadhouse, Wendy's, Boston Market, etc... No mom 'n pop places. Average stops on a route are anywhere from 8 to about 20. Anything more than 15 is pretty rare. Average pieces per stop is usually about 100 or so. A loaded trailer will be no more than 42,000 pounds or 1850 cubes. They're very strict on sending out overweight trucks, so that's the max.

    Stops are pretty quick. I'd say 95% of them are key drops when no one is in the store. Usually, you'll have a co-driver (or helper on locals). If you're solo, chances are it's a layover. Solo routes pay more than teams.

    Your average driver will make from 55-65 per year, and there are bonuses based on on time performance and order accuracy that can increase that. My performance bonuses were never less than $1000 per quarter. There is also a yearly safety bonus. You'll start out with two weeks vacation and 3 personal days. At 5 years in, you'll have 3 weeks vacation. Stock purchase plan is SYSCO stock. They have all the other major benefits that the major players have.

    When I was driving, I never made less than 50k. That was from 1999-2003, so it's been a while. My best year was about 65k. Pay increases every year, usually about 3% COLA. You also "re-bid" at least once a year, and usually every 6 months. You will get to choose your route based on seniority. Everything is based on seniority, including picking vacation time. SYGMA is also a 365/24/7 operation. You'll work holidays, and that includes Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. They compensate holiday work by paying you 10 hours at the hourly rate in addition to whatever route pay you earn. And yes, you'll probably start out as a relief/extra board guy-and that means being on call.

    Supervision is minimal, as long as you are meeting on time and order accuracy standards. Slip below 99% accuracy or 90% on time, and expect to "have a talk" with someone. Not to mention, your bonus will suffer.

    One thing I always respected about SYGMA is the safety aspect. They will NEVER ask you to drive over your hours. If you run out of time, and they are in position to do so, they will usually find a way to come get you. If you choose to drive illegally, expect to be terminated. Logs, speeding, and idle time are all monitored very closely by an on-board computer (Cadec). The thing can pinpoint you wherever you are, and will maintain all your logs to the second. It's a really cool system, and much more advanced than Qualcomm or Tripmaster.

    We had another thread on here some time ago about SYGMA. It may be archived by now, but it had most of this information. It's a good company to drive for. As long as you do a good job, you'll never have any issues. If you have any questions, just ask! I'll be glad to help with any knowledge I have.
     
  10. Tackman

    Tackman Bobtail Member

    12
    0
    Nov 25, 2007
    central ohio
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    Thanks everyone for the information. I think I am gonna give it a try. I was layed off friday from the construction company I worked for.I need year round employment anyways plus better benefits.
     
  11. cj8

    cj8 Light Load Member

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    93
    Sep 11, 2006
    0
    I worked for sygma for a brief time and I have to say, it was the worst job I've had. Humping heavy boxes of frozen meat in Wendys all night in the freezing cold, then driving another 3-4 hours to get home after your dog tired from all the work. I didn't feel safe doing it.

    Let me tell ya about the extra boad. It sucks. You will get the crap routes in the getto and all the long runs with huge peice count.

    Every driver they teamed me with was a total jerk. If you weren't quick enough at throwing the freight they would get an attitude. One guy liked to lay in the sleeper instead of helping me find the next store.

    My dispatcher was a ####y son of a gun too. He had no problem sending me right back out on the road after I had just come in. When I refused I got fired. I tried to get union help, but they won't help the new extra board workers. Basicly they try to see how much bs you'll put up with, and if you put up with enough, then they'll keep you.

    It's all good though, I have a driving job I love now, so good ridence Sygma!
     
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