Any Pepsi drivers or friends of one?

I delivered Soda for a 7UP/Snapple distributor in the southwest Colorado area. The company was Kalil Bottling, based out of Phoenix, AZ. I was part of a satellite operation, so I didn't have a yard. Rather a fully loaded trailer would be brought to me and I would swap out out in Durango, CO.

I made $15.40 an hour, paid OT over 40. I would get 20 hours OT if I stretched it, 10-15 was more common.

Summer time is definitely the peak season for soda guys, but I couldn't survive on low hours in the winter and jumped for greener pastures (first an OTR gig, and now south Texas oilfields).

Pepsi, based out of Aztec NM paid more per hour, but you had to know somebody to get on with them. Coke paid less than me, but offered a four day work week.

My week was front loaded in terms of hours. I'd come to work Tuesday morning and work 14, Wednesday would be 12, Thursday would be 10. Friday would be 12 and Saturday would be 6 if I busted my ###. 8-10 if I took my time, which I did.

The job is actually quite fun, but sucks in the colder months. I promise you, nothing blows more than delivering soda and energy drinks at 0500 when its -5 degress outside and your lift gate is slower than molasses. On top of that, you get to hump your deliveries on a hand truck across icy parking lots. I've chased more 2-liter soda bottles across a parking lot than I care to talk about!

Soda delivery is a stable job and turnover is high, so if you work hard and keep your head straight you could potentially have a job for the rest of your life. Your back might have something to say about that, but it is what it is.

unloader

 

I did minor concession sales, but not stores. Soda sales do slow down somewhat in the winter.

 

Summer is definitely the peak season for the side loaders but it's still busy all year long. A lot of the business in the soda industry is dictated by how good your sale is that week.

Every area is different in regards to OT. We're a union shop so as per our contract we do get paid OT after 8 hours. It's not your traditional flat hourly rate though. It's a confusing formula based on case count, salary and stops that day