is sysco a good company

nights, regional, mostly delivering to Wendy’s.

 

Sysco is going to start you on the extraboard and there extraboard means everything, you would be covering routes that go anywhere and everywhere and then you may also be doing shuttle work at night and then they may have you doing truck load work as well doing the big bulk stops. Right now things are goofy in the food business, this COVID and shut downs have and hurt that business a lot, I do some bulk stops and some regular routes too, and we just went back on 5 days and our route tonnage is down. We've had some ups and downs here and there, but it's not what it used to be right now and I don't know if it ever will be back to "normal" anytime soon.

Think about it this way, Sysco used to take a 48' trailer full of food to Quicken Loans Arena in Down Town Cleveland where the Cave's Play. Well there no fans at sporting events so that's 5 truck loads probably 100,000 pounds of food a week or 5000 cases that they would be down.

I don't work for Sysco I work for a competitor of there's and our tonnage is up a little bit from where it was when it dipped in March, but it's not where it was, stops that used to run an average ticket of 150-178 cases a delivery are now running 50 - 70 cases a delivery.

What happened was the business took a dive even hospital business slowed way down. I was doing our major bulk hospital route today, we send a 50ft trailer 5 days a week to one of the hospitals in town and that route used to be 900-1000+ cases a load this past week I've never seen it so light. Because there is still a lot of people holding off on "elective surgeries".

Don't get me wrong these places are still going, but if a route is heavy it's because it's probably a combination of 3 or so routes. There's work out there and stuff going on but business took a dive and now has now kind of bounced back, but I'm not seeing a return like it was when we used to go out and our 28' trailers were bursting at the seems with the back doors latched by a ratchets strap because they were so full. I used to have 28' trailer on Thursday loaded with 900-1000 cases 20,000 pounds and I would have 500 cases off by the 4th stop anyhow I'm rambling I'm sorry I'll go.

 

Like any job in this industry, it's what you make it. Like you've already stated, it is work. It is physically unloading freight by hand. Some stops can be delivered by pallet, but more often than not you will be using a hand cart. You will also be driving in areas that will test anyone's skill level. You will asked to back into tight alley's, drive in heavy downtown traffic, and go places where a tractor trailer shouldn't go. With all that said, I have been doing this for close to 12 years, and I'm 42 years old. If your in reasonably good physical shape, you will be fine.

You need to be mentally strong as well. Food Network and The Cooking Channel has just about every chef these days thinking that they're rock stars. Believe me, they act like it, so dealing with them can be challenging at times. Management could also be better. Most have never driven a truck or run a route, but will tell you how to do your job.

The only reason I'm still there is for the paycheck. As stated earlier, making 75k a year at Sysco is easy to do. If you are a real hustler you can pull over 100k. You will work for every penny as another post said, and it's absolutely true. The best advice I can give you is to be patient with it. There is alot to learn between where the stops are located, where the service entrances are, where the delivery goes, what the product's are, and working in the back of the trailer.

If you have any other questions I'll be happy to answer them for you. By the way, I work for Sysco Virginia.

 

I work for a competitor. This is a little low for me. I don’t know how long I can do the work. Will try for 7 more years.

 

We all earn comparable wages. Guys move from one company to another.

 

Just expect to work 14hr days when you start. You’ll be lost and all the easy routes are gobbled up. They know you’ll be lost too. 75k is easy you’ll be doing a lot of OT. Alot night deliveries I know my buddy here when he worked there did a lot of regional commercial restaurants. Key drops. Do your time and it’ll get better once you know what your doing. Guys that been there make 100k+ Low men make easily 75k. You’ll work 70 hrs.

 

Man I can only imagine US Foods with the covid shut down stuff. My area when I was there did a lot of daycares, hostipals,
mom and pops. Heard out here they laid a lot of guys off during the start of the shut down.

Pizza Foodservice is probably the only unaffected Foodservice gig during the shut down.

 

Dominos, Little Caesars, Pizza Hut and Papa Johns right now are the busiest food trucks on the road.

 

Restaurants with drive throughs a got busier. Established take outs did well. A lot of independent restaurants are surviving because they are flexible. Chain restaurants that have a set menu that did not Traditionally offer carry out or have drive throughs are struggling.