How to respond to question at interview..

That kind of pay structure isn't that uncommon for a route driver.. I have a local bread company that it is like that.. where the route pays a certain amount per day, a set start time and no set end time..

How it works with the bread company Is the driver are in early in the morning at a set time.. some days they have more stops and some days fewer.. so, some days they may get off earlier than on days with more stops..

They know the route and the accounts on it, and about how long it should take...

Some of the factors that may affect how long or short the day is can be something like on Monday you have a grocery store and two convenient stores... fewer stops and a shorter day.. while Tuesday you have 3 convenient stores and 5 gas stations.. so more stops and a longer day.. also more stops and more chance to get tied up in traffic..

Now with the bread company the routes are set up so that the drivers get back around 1pm for the 2nd shift drivers

With the bread company they do slip seat.. but with them the morning driver has the same truck every day and the same night driver.. which as long as neither a slob works out good...

My guess is that it is an 7 to 8 hour route.. so the average driver, not unloading like a sloth.. would make $16 to $18 an an hour..

Good money is being a route driver if you got hustle and routine... so a good driver with hustle and works efficiently will complete the 7 to 8 house route in 6 to 7 hours, and average driver 7 to 8 hours and a slower driver, slower in unloading, not driving, may take 8 to 9 hours.. so a good route driver will make more per hour than a slower route driver.. because it takes them less time to do the same amount of work..

Which is why some guys love route driving.. you get paid for the work you do.. work fast and efficiently earn more per hour, be a slacker and make less per hour.. one driver may work 30 hours and get paid the same as a driver working 50..

Again, I am not speaking specifically about how it is at Dr Pepper.. I am going off route drivers in general and the bread company I contract with..

 

Lie,lie,lie.
It's what this whole industry is built on.
Shippers lie to brokers,
Brokers lie to carriers,
Carriers lie to drivers,
Drivers lie to get a job or save their ###.

The only difference between a rookie and a expierenced driver
Is we know when to lie, and when their lying to us.

 

I did a little searching on line, read some employee reviews..

Couple, thing, definitely ask them about over time... saw on a couple that they do pay over time...

Pay is always a tough one to call when reading reviews because you don't really know what the reviewer considers decease pay... for some, $12 to $14 is good pay while to others not so much...

So, I would really try to nail them down on how long the route will be.. also, will you be on the same route, or does it change.. if it is the same, then you can get more efficient as you know the route.. but if it is always different, then there is no way to judge the consistency..

There were a few reviews commenting about the high turnover.. so, I would ask them about that too..

I would differently talk open and frank with them.. let them know you are interested in the position.. but, concerned about making sure you aren't working long hours day after day making $11 or $12 an hour.. that you understand the physical nature of the work and having hustle.. but question more on how they determine the pay for a route and the time it takes to do the route... also how often the pay on the route is evaluated.. because they do have sales people out there trying to get new orders and accounts.. so, if a stops order increases, or another stop gets added to the route.. the pay for the route should go up.. but, they should be able to explain in a clear and concise manner how the pay for a route is determined and what the general average hourly pay would be..

Also, you don't have to make a decision right on the spot.. if they offer you the job, you should be able to ask for a day or two to think it over with all the information they provided...

 

The Bible was written before cdl's,DOT,Mega carriers,
Physicals,sleep apnea,back ground checks, drug test,
Red light cameras,road rage, and grocery warehouses.

If you want to survive in this industry as a truck driver
Your gonna have to bend the truth to your advantage.
Whatever it takes to get the job or get the job done.
That's just the way it is.

DOT ask you if you got 8 hours sleep last night.
Are you gonna tell them the truth, that you spent
All day watching football and got a 3 hour nap
Before hitting the road.
No, your gonna lie and say you slept every bit of it. Lol.

That's just one example, I could run off a hundred more
Scenarios that your gonna have to lie just to get the job done or stay out of the safety guys office.

You'll figure it out,your dealing with professional liars
At every turn. They do it so much that it's normal,
Doesn't bother them one bit.
You got to outsmart them.

 

I would refuse to offer more. If they didn't like it and demanded more, I'd tell them that I always thought it was discourteous to talk about former employers behind their backs.

Remember: You are holding all the cards. They need you way more than you need them. Keep that in mind and don't let them make you sweat it. There are a million trucking firms out there to get a job with. Mathematical probability is on your side.

 

I've never in my life gone through a recruiter that doesn't directly represent a company. Third party recruiters are a waste of my time for a number of reasons. Why talk to them when you can go straight to the company that is going to hire you and get the full facts of a position right from the horses mouth?

In fact, I never fill out an application until I can get the details of a position. Why would you hand out your personal information to a third-party or even a prospective employer if they had job specs that you'd never consider? The demanding of an application before you get all the details is another waste of time.

Remember: It's a sellers market out there. Don't let them push you around.

 

Yes, always.