Have you worked for a food service company?

Food Service is a great way to get into driving trucks. I seen a lot of guys posting on these forums about going to school and looking for somewhere to get their Class A and first jobs... I was a helper at Pepsi and they always (especially in summer when its 100+ outside every day) need drivers. They begged me to get a cdl permit so they could train me to go from helper to driver. I did and they paid me for training while I practiced on their equipment and the DOT guy on staff gives you the CDL test in their own parking lot.

It can be hard and if you are lazy or an older person like 35+ I would not recommend this to you to start out with because it will probably be too much work for you to handle.

Anyway, after I left Pepsi because I got sick and tired of the merchandising and pricing of the product, I looked into OTR and realized how it is not for me. I worked for Sysco and realized how terrible a company it is. Not because its food service, but because of their horrible managment team (Orlando, FL) and warehouse workers. Like earlier in the thread someone was talking about how 4 stops are all mixed together on one pallet and out of order, etc. Besides that the job would have been fine. It was M-F and I did about 10-11 hours a day (my route was downtown Deland area) and I made a little over $1,000 a week.

It didn't take long to realize I couldn't stay there for long seeing because of how horribly the operation was run, but still wanting to stay in FS, I found the company I have been with for 2 years now and really enjoy working for. Its not Sygma, but basically the same kind of deal. We run teams only, and 4 or 3 day routes. I personally do 2 jacksonville's and 2 fort lauderdale's a week and average 53 hours and make about $1200.

 

Yes. And the money was good. There is no question about that.

Was it hard? Yes, not soley because of the unloading and lifting but because of all the work totally----you had to be customer service, you had to help count the product with the customer and if it's one short you have to start all over again etc. And, of course, a lot of the customers want to return stuff from previous delivieries--so there's more paper work and time consumed. Going up and/or down stairs with a handtruck is BS!!

If it was just straightforward unloading then, to me, it would not be such a big deal. But to deal with all the paperwork and customers (some of them ARE a-holes) and all time consuming b.s. is what i don't like about it.

Some stops had docks but this was only about 20% of the time. So, in general, don't count on it.

All the trailers had full liftgates (that you could put a whole pallet on without turning it) so that helped. But the company was reluctant to give us electric pallet jacks. Electric jacks would have made the job probably close to 50% easier.

Alot of the places you might deliver to were not designed to handle tractor and 48ft trailer but somehow you find a way.

If you have a steady route where you're delivering to the same places all the time, then that helps emencely.

If you need a good steady paycheck NOW while in the meantime you are looking for the job you really want, then i might recommend it for someone who isn't truely interested in this line of work (who is?).

The other thing i would recommend would be to work slower (but steady) in the summer and also to put less on the handtruck. Some customers actually have the nerve to ask why you are doing that. Explain to the them exactly why. Regardless of the weather, do not rush or bust your behind for anyone. Do not overload your handtruck; If you're straining, it's too heavy.

Food service to me is a temporary type gig. Like prospecting for gold; You move in, make as much money as quickly as possible, and then get the hell out.

Considering you can make close to, the same, or even more doing easier stuff such as shuttling doubles, foodservice may not be worth it.

 

Hi I work for a company that delivers for Wendy's. We are loaded each day with an average of 33000 pounds of product up to 39000 and this is hard sweaty dirty work that is done by myself and another guy. I both drive and unload as do most of us some just unload. It pays well and I am home every day even if for a short time. If you don 't mind some physical work it is a good job. The soreness goes away for the most part after week two.
Good Luck

 

Where are you locateda and what is the name of the company?

 

i am with reinhart .central pa. check out sysco systems think they are in your area.

 

Hey bearGator what is the athmosphere like being a supervisor for sygma Lancaster? I do the drive below and i'm trying to find something local since i live in palmdale. i just want to know what the day to day work for a supervisor is. Thanks

 

You will need experience as a supervisor for SYGMA to even look at you. Go online to their web site - sygmanetwork They do everything online as far as applications...even if you went up there, they would make you sit and do it online there. They always need drivers, always.

Good luck

 

Hey I'm a 32 yr old who has been driving tractor trailer for 12 years. Spent my first 5 yrs In the pop biz an the last 7 in food service. I work for a pretty big company, Reinhart food service. The job is basically what was described above but I'd say it def is a physical job an isn't for just anyone. I'd recommend ppl try it at least , ya never know what ya might like. I still have fun with it 12 years later. I don't know where the guy from Sysco was from, but most food companies pay pretty #### well. I can honestly say I make a very good living. I'm married with 3 kids an my wife stays home an doesn't work. I clear $70,000 a year, but I def do work for it. I put in long hours, 60+ during the summer months but the pay checks are more than worth it. A lot of food service is getting away from hourly pay an pay by the mile, stop, an box you deliver. So the faster you move the more you make in a sense. I avg right aroud $24 an hour. Not bad for a delivery guy. Hope this helps. An good luck

 

A little bit of perspective, about opportunity, to these guys thinking about doing food service, or thinking of "accepting" a position at one of the big food service companies..

Hear me out here.. I live in Daytona Beach, a bad place for a truck driver. I had to move here and accept a position as a garbage truck driver, for this is about the highest paying local job for a driver around here. Yes, there is a USFoods down the road, which is hard to get into..those who know Daytona know what I'm talking about and trust me I'm trying. But people are holding on to their jobs..

Which is why I'm writing this. I make $500 a week!! That's about the most I'll ever make as a garbageman, $500 a week, and it is a dirty, long hours, very strenuous job that most people can't do (reminds me of food service come to think of it). I do it because it is what is available, and I'm not complaining. But I can only imagine what $1,000 a week (what most food service pays) would mean to my family. I'm just saying, as for me, as soon as I have the opportunity, I will JUMP and do cartwheels at the chance to work food service. Hahaha imagine that..

My two cents is if you can work hard for long hours (you know who you are), especially the newer drivers, try to remember that you can't just make $1,000 week anywhere. Especially with hometime every 1-3 days. Even most OTR company drivers can't make that much, and they are gone 3 or 4 weeks at a time. Do some research and appreciate your opportunities is all I'm saying, correct me if I'm wrong..

Any comments or criticisms or advice is welcome

 

I recently applied for Sysco. How is the DC out in the bay area? Also does anybody know if their a union company