Final Thoughts: Beer Truck Driving

Recently I was offered a job that I am going to take working for Gordon Food Service of Grand Rapids, MI.
However, I want to say a thing or two about beer truck driving, which is what I currently do. The beverage distributor I work for is not a bad company however that being said I don't really care for the culture there which is why I choose to leave and also because it's not really what I wanted to do or why I got into this.

However working for the beer company was not a bad job at all. Actually it's a fairly good job. If any of you are interested in hauling beer and making beer deliveries and are willing to work really really hard in the beginning it can be a good job. If you work for a decent distributor that makes it even better. The distributor I work for has some good points unfortunately they also have some bad points and I know every company has things they don't do well, but where I work there the old adage of either you are going to fix the problem or you are not and they opt for the were not going to fix the problem and I don't know how much money that costs them opting not to fix the problems. Like the warehouse where I work and the way that all gets together has been a real thorn in the companies side miss picks and other troubles broken stuff late late loading people working huge amounts of overtime missed delivery times because stuff isn't leaving on time, I don't know how much money that costs the company, but it has to be an absolute ton. Warehouse guys and yard spotters working 60 hours a week when it gets busy.

If I was the owner of the beer company I work for there would be more then a few suits and clip board monkeys looking for new work.

However let me get past all of that. If you are interested in doing beer deliveries and think you have what it takes I would tell you that it defiantly can be a good job and jeeze it took me 8-9 months for the lights to turn on, but once they do it's a good job, you work good hours don't drive anywhere no truck stops most distributors have real nice automatic trucks usually not all the time, but usually the side loaders are automatics they work real good you will have weekends off you won't get rich delivering beer, but you won't be poor either, you'll earn a solid wage and have good health care benefits and where I work we have a nice company 401K. You might start 4,5 & 6 am, but by 3-4pm you should be done sometimes earlier sometimes later, but it's really not a bad gig. Sure some days will be frustrating as heck and sure you'll have a 15 hour day now and then, but really it's not a bad job at all.

If you're OTR right now and want a nice job doing local work check with you're local beer distributor you'll find it's really not bad.

Heck I mean a typical day working for the beer distributor driving wise is only a few city blocks or maybe one road from one side of town to the other. Not a bad job at all really it is a good job it's just takes 8-9 months to really see it.

 

Depends a little on the route, but generally I make maybe $240 a day give or take. Pretty much in the $40,000 a year range some routes have more cases though and pay more. Our top where I work is $60,000 a year and most guys in between $40,000-$50,000 a year. Depends on the route. We have guys who have been pushing beer for 30 years.

 

Well there are warehouse breaker sales and you can get beer at a pretty good discount. I buy my mom wine at the warehouse breaker sales usually get a 12-14 bottle of wine for 4 bucks. The beer goes quickly at those sales. Bought my self an entire case of Arizona Teas for like $5.00

 

I understand what you are saying, I think for some people they get comfortable and it's a quality of life thing. The guy who does my route for another beer company flat out said "I'm not really after money anymore. He goes I'm after quality of life, I like this job I come in do my thing get done early can get home early and be able to get my kids off the school bus."

So I guess that's what I am saying, if you made you're money already and are looking to have more of a quality of life and have decent benefits and even a little bit of retirement then beer truck driving might just be for you. Depends some distributors are better to work for then others, I mean no you're not going to be buying a house in the hamptons driving a beer truck, that's not going to happen, but you if you manage you're money correctly you'll be just fine.

People like it, we've got guys at my yard both young and old who like it. Me it's not my thing, but we all have to start somewhere.