Foodservice Driving

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by glmurph, Aug 1, 2013.

  1. Tonythetruckerdude

    Tonythetruckerdude Crusty Deer Slayer

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    These guys are correct the food service deal Will work you. I did it at GSF for 33 years , never did get injured, but sure did help keep me in shape. As far as the penalizing for mispicks GSF never did penalize drivers for it, at least at the DC I worked at in Greensboro , N. C.
     
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  3. striker

    striker Road Train Member

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    Followup to my earlier comments, from June '97 to Oct. '97 I worked for a McD's distributor, delivering to stores. Generally only 3 stops on a 48' trailer, but it would be 10 to 12 pallets per store, that you hand toss onto rollers. At some point I did muscle/tendon injury in my right shoulder, they could never track it down, nothing ever showed on X-rays or MRI, did PT for 3 months. It's been 16 yrs and the injury still flares from time to time. One of the reasons I'm glad I no longer drive a manual.
     
  4. zero5

    zero5 Bobtail Member

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    Well guys I got an offer with sysco , I start next Monday, just want everything to go smooth and enjoy my time!! Any advice u guys can offer? I do have a little over a year driving and I currently distribute beer so I know all about long days and physical work and multiple stops per day!!!! Thanks in advance.
     
  5. Cbake84

    Cbake84 Light Load Member

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    Nov 27, 2011
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    congrats on the job at sysco zero5, it is a good job, just wears your body down. After your training when they send you on a route by yourself, do yourself a favor, if your hunting one case off a cooler board for a stop and its on a pallet that is still shrink wrapped, short the customer, give them credit for it. That one case will cost you 20 minutes finding it, and then downstacking that pallet so nothing gets damaged on the way to your next stop. I wasted a lot of time when i first started trying to be perfect. You will be running hard all day. work smart, if your touching cases twice your doing free work. Again man good luck with the job, keep us posted how its going!
     
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  6. Drew352

    Drew352 Medium Load Member

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    Dec 28, 2011
    Leesburg,fl
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    I'm a selector guy that pulls the order U would deliver that's y I got charge for mispicks.. And cbake not shocked at ur 27 stop route. I get pulls often 25-30stops. N feel bad for the driver cause pretty much impossible to zone it correctly when u got 15stops on a pallet!!! My worse pull I got before was 347cases 37 stops triple opti pull. Which means each of my pallets were going on different trucks really outta pay attenion or can lose alot of $$.
     
  7. HemiRam

    HemiRam Bobtail Member

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    Work safely and Work at your own pace. Don't try to Impress any one that's how you get hurt. You will get all the Garbage routes, just suck it up. Enjoy the money and time at home with family, it beats the Hell out of OTR! Good Luck! Sysco is a Good strong Company, like the other poster said don't spend to much time digging for product, take it slow and don't overload the two wheeler going down into the basements.
     
  8. Wecj3381

    Wecj3381 Light Load Member

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    Feb 6, 2012
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    Ive been at US Foods for a little over 2 years after doing milk delivery for 7 years. Sysco is the same type of work. The best advice I can give you is hustle, but be selective about it. Pick the stops that are easy for you to hustle through(Usually hospitals and nursing homes are the easiest). They typically take a lot of cases, no stairs, short walks. Hustle your way through those stops, and slow down and take your time when you have stairs and awkward deliveries. It will save your body. You are going to have days where you are 8 hours into your day and it looks like you're never gonna finish. Try not to get frustrated, I think that's how most turnover occurs in this business. Keep plugging along and your day will end eventually. Enjoy having every weekend off, making a boatload of cash, and probably getting a day off during the week as well. It's definitely worth it. You just have to push through that first 6 months. After that, you will be used to the work and everything gets much easier.
     
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  9. HemiRam

    HemiRam Bobtail Member

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    Sep 13, 2008
    Illinois
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    I agree, but with the hustle part work at your own speed thru out the Day dont get into a hurry, work at a consistant speed that works for you.
     
  10. Tonythetruckerdude

    Tonythetruckerdude Crusty Deer Slayer

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    Used to listen to drivers moan & groan about how bad their loads were loaded. Now granted I had a few that were less than easy to unload in 33 years , but for the most part workable. the guy that trained me for the 1st 2 weeks I was there was an older hand and had been there for years , Not too many folks liked to ride with him , mainly because he didn't go like his "pants were on fire" from start to finish. Instead , he used this as his mantra..."let the load come to you" , instead of you going to the load. To start with LOOK at how the pallet/stacks are put together , then unload them like they are loaded...sometimes this method may seem to take way too much time , but the way Joe taught me was..I get paid to handle each piece 1 time , and I try to do just that...sometimes the customer wants a certain product UN-loaded 1st....easier for them to stock it that way...all well and good as long as it's loaded that way.

    A driver can be his own worst enemy when it comes to food-service....you can actually make an otherwise decent load into a nightmare if you don't take a few seconds to look at how the pallets are loaded...also when finishing with 1 stop , it never hurts to "block" everything down in a way that you won't spill everything going around a curve or making a turn on the way to the next delivery...... USE your LOAD LOCKS.... I've heard drivers complain about stuff turning over between stops and the 1st question I ask is did you block the pallet down and secure it with a load lock Some guys will not use the load locks after the 1st stop cause they say it slows them down...wonder how much time they spend picking stuff and complain about the warehouse guys instead of doing the right thing to start with Another thing.....if the pallets are shrink-wrapped , only cut enough of the wrap to get what you need off of that pallet...let the wrap continue to hold what's left on that pallet.......Work SMARTER....NOT HARDER was Joe's way...it served me well for 30 + years too , retired now , with no health/back/shoulder issues at all.....Thanks Joe!
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2013
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  11. cab29

    cab29 Bobtail Member

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    Dec 16, 2008
    atl,ga
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    Anybody know anything about Diaz foods in Atlanta
     
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