Is working for food delivery really that physically demanding

Old Dominion, FedEx Freight, UPS Freight, Saia.

They all have their internal politics and quirks, but your body won’t ever experience prolonged wear and tear like it will with food service, and depending on the outfit/location, you can make food service drivers’ checks look like chump change.

 

Perhaps, but I wore out plenty of hand cart tires. You never left the barn without one. Sometimes, these places had one dock, and the milkman takes forever, so I wheeled plenty of product half a block to the cooler. I could have been a schmoe, and sat in my truck, but I had 10 more of these stops, and wanted to get home, and I always got an "attaboy" from the boss for doing so.

 

My first driving job was with US Foods and it was a great experience overall. I was not in good shape, didn’t exercise, didn’t eat healthy, but I was still able to adjust to running 20k lbs of food down a ramp 4 days a week. It’s doable as long as you have the right mindset going into it. Don’t go into an interview acting like it’s not a big deal and isn’t that hard, because they won’t even offer you the job.

The worst part of the job by far is stairs. I ####ing hate stairs. You could be going up or down them, balancing hundreds of cases over dozens of trips, trying to keep your balance and not drop your dolly with each step.

As far as money, you’d better make more than $1000 take home unless you’re only working 4 days a week. When I was at US Foods, starting pay was $26.26/hr, OT after 10 hours and on your 5th/6th day if you worked extra days. But that stuff varies a lot by location.

 

Caution, grasshopper, ever see a Sysco load? I used to pick up loaded wagons at Sysco on containers. It was floor to ceiling with boxes, brooms, cleaners, you name it. And there was always something hazardous. I dropped it at the rail, but I always pityed the fool that had to unload it.

 

it's as physically demanding as "some" beverage deliveries...down (or up) a flight of stairs, (no elevators) heavy 2 wheeled loads, or kegs, slippery ramps when rainy or snowy or icy, and they are not laid back. you have a schedule to keep.


i see many DD (dunkin donuts) drivers, or Martin Bower drivers, and Cumberland Farms (convenience store company up here) and other food company drivers, that need a helper. if it was "laid back", then there would be no need for a driver's helper

 

Not necessarily. The old Pepsi barn I used to be out of hired so many drivers to combat churn that they put all the excess in the passenger seat to keep them working. They figure even if the business volume isn’t there, they reduce O/T, provide better customer service and in the long run will reduce workplace injuries. Pretty much all the sideloaders and box trucks finish in 8-9 hours now, and when the sales teams #### up, they have ample amount of available driver support to help fix things.

 

many beverage haulers, like pepsi (where i did a stint), are union. so from what i recall, having a helper cuts down on the injuries as you say, but the unions demanded the extra workers. it's not like coke/Pepsi, Budweiser, "just wanted" extra help.

 

We have union and non union buildings within our company. The non union buildings have more helpers. The pay is the same between both.

 

that's strange, unless they based that on the non-union shops has more workman comp claims?