Beverage delivery drivers!! Daily flat rate vs hours?

No prob, I should also mention that at least (in my area) all the bev companies also pay bonuses per case delivered, bonuses from passing surveys (basically keeping your stuff rotated) etc. The Bev guys do ok. Also, don't forget many drivers will say they make $70k/year...but WHEN WERE THEY HOME??? I'm making more now than most of the recruiters coming to my school said I'd make my first year OTR! So why give up my life as I know it and become an absentee husband/father? You'd have to be nuts! If I was single and got a gig making huge money, maybe but that craps for the birds if you have a family. Not knocking anybody that does OTR driving, to each his own. But for me being with my family when they need me is #1.

 

I am good friends with a guy that runs for Coke. I just copied and pasted your thread and send it to him... his opinion is this:

"make what? 1400 or 960 @150/day isn't terrible, but I'd want some comission in there to help make you feel like your time is worth something come summertime when you are slinging 900 cases over the course of 14 hours"

"let him know that you know a guy who is hired on for "1136.66 every two weeks +commission starting at 301 cases. with $.02 per case of bulk (drop & go), and increasing increments starting at $.05/case for regular stops up to the sweet spot of $.15/case when the regular stops total 600+ cases."

 

He works salary. So he averages the same amount each week. It is nice cause some days you get called off, but you still draw a paycheck. Getting paid a set amount takes away the incentive to ride the clock or take longer than you need to for drops. Come summer time, he will deliver way more product, at which point he receives the additional commission per case. The way he makes it sound, you get x amount of cents starting on deliveries over x amount of cases... Then as you go into the higher range number of cases, they pay you more per case. Almost all of his stops are liftgate for anything from grocery stores to gas stations. Some of those do not have paved lots. He does have an electronic pallet jack to make things easier, but some of it requires hand trucks.

I think I see him out and about right around 3 AM, but he may run as late as until 3 or 5 pm. It really depends on where he goes. Those guys have set routes in most cases. keep in mind, you won't work for a trucking company... But a soda distribution company. Hope this helps.

 

Yup! Thats how it works.

I cant speak for this guy obviously but here my place and Coke start at 0530 and Pepsi starts at 0500. Remember although you wont be working for a trucking company you will still be driving a Class A truck and that experience will help you later on if you switch. Also, if you do grocery or bulk routes you will do the same as trucking companies, unloading pallets at docks. Nothing wrong with the handtruck routes, but grocery is nice!

 

Gonna have to ask him about the grocery store thing. I doubt he makes any drops at those. And yes, you will be a Class A soda delivery driver. He starts at 0300. But he delivers to towns half an hour away or more. it is rural Montana here. It is not a bad gig to be honest. Very casual route.

 

It does have some elements of lifting involved. But at least it is not LTL P&D where you have to deal with super large awkward pieces. like large bundles of PVC pipes, or steel plates. no idea how the hell they move those. I would try to get on board with the guys you are looking at. We have another thread opened up in the LTL folder that tells you the typical day of a soda delivery driver. Good luck mate.

 

So I talked to my mate some more. The way it works for him is this: He received 2 cents/case for bulk drops. He DOES do some dock runs where they take bulk at grocery stores. It makes downloading freight so much more easier cause you just drop and go. He usually does 5 dock stops a day, and up to 20 or more liftgate stops.

When he does liftgate stops, he received 5 to 15 cents per case after X amount of cases. most is all pallet jack still. He is curious if you could disclose what carrier you are going with.