How to know if I’m too old/unfit for food service?

I'm going to go against the crowd here and say that a job that gets you out of the cab and moving around is much better for your health. Sitting for hours on end is one of the worst things you can do for your heart, muscles, and joints. If you're already having knee and back problems before you reach 40, your sedentary job probably has something to do with it. I've never done food service, but doing LTL and later, USPS contracting, I was always happy to get off my rear end and pull a pallet jack around for a bit.

 

I always get out to stretch when I can; I don’t see how the other drivers just stay in the seat even when they have an opportunity to get out for a bit. I work out at home and I can definitely tell it has benefits. But I doubt if I can handle stacking boxes and pulling boxes for 12 hours a day. I could do it for a little while no doubt, but there are a lot of people who wrecked their bodies doing food service.

 

If I sit in a truck for over 3 hours without getting out and doing some manual work I start going nuts. That being said, I did food service delivery when I was 16, rode with a driver, and it was definitely a workout. I don’t think I’d do it now at 35 and I’m in fairly good shape.

 

Actually, I agree. Much of my trucking was P&D, and some route jobs, with 8-10 stops, grocery stores, warehouses, and it kept me slim, while my OTR buddies axxes got bigger and bigger. I wasn't so concerned about it helping my health, more it was the cost of doing local/regional work and have a home life too. I unloaded many floor loads, truck tires were the worst, and it was a workout, but to be clear, you won't be stacking boxes 12 hours a day, that's the docks job. Food/beverage delivery is demanding in that, you'll be going down/up stairs, coolers packed, and every food stand, put it this way, your 4 way flashers will be on all day. Most that do that are usually starting out, as the driving isn't the big thing, but you'll getb to back in anywhere after that. I say paving is the best job, because I did it, and it was tough to get into. I don't know what good pay is today, but blacktop was always right at the top. I urge you to reconsider, the roads are terrible, and paving will be around for a while. Freddies hot dog stand, maybe not.

 

I agree. Foodservice is work, BUT it’s not the grueling work like the beverage delivery trucks with the roll up doors. If you sit the in driver’s seat properly, odds are your back won’t bother you. It’s the feet that would concern me more.

As far as the stops go, some of the stops are so big that it will take the whole truck. Hospitals and nuke plants take an entire trailer. The nuke plant security had to check all the boxes. They put me in a sleeper for that…that’s an all day ordeal. So, for me, it was a much easier pace than hitting 30 plus convenience stores, grocery stores and bars like the beverage delivery. And paid better too.

 

I can assure you that in the south (or at least the southeast), the pay is not great in paving for the majority of companies. Our company has been known to hire 18 yr old drivers fresh out of trucking school due to being desperate for help. The tandem drivers start out at $17 hourly and tractor trailer drivers start out at $18. I’ve been there going on 5 years and am at $20 hourly. As I said before, if I were making around $80k yearly I’d plan on retiring from there.

Paving up north pays more, but everyone gets laid off during winter.

 

Averitt express has a big terminal in Tifton, “outside of Tifton and Valdosta” is a big range, that’s 60 plus miles. Valdosta has a lot of opportunities, again though if you’re closer to Tifton who would want to drive to Valdosta?

 

It occurred to me too, if the 55K works well for the area you live and you’re happy with the job, why change? A job you enjoy and pays the bills is getting harder to find these days.

 

YIKES !!!