McLane?

all those food service companies are about the same, work wise (sysco, MBM, us foods, mclane, etc..). all the work is you, loading, unloading. most have you home daily, some you are out a night or two. I don't know about them in NY, I have also looked into them but not much info on here, the post I did find was long and started a while ago but people were still posting recently on it. as far as injuring your back, thats all on you, and can happen doing anything, so if you're jumping into a company that you are actually 'working' just make sure you're doing it right

 

McLane is a great company however I'd be surprised if that's your first job out of school with no prior driving experience. They go to job fairs looking for fit men (sorry ladies') who can move 150 lbs up and down a gangplank (no lift gate on McLane trucks) in rain and snow. And you'll be backing across tiny retail/ c-store /restaurant parking lots without blocking exits and fuel lanes (fire marshall tickets). And you'll have blowouts that make you 3 hours late to stores that closed 3 hours ago. And you'll have to deal with a constantly shifting load (load locks do not work well) as you drop consecutive customers. And deal with store owners and managers. And wait while they deal with their customer situations. It's hard work.

 

We have a McLane's terminal in my town here, and they too, came to our 'career fair'. But they were looking for the experienced drivers who were coming as well. I talked to them and they require at least a year and prefer 2 of hard experience before they'll look at you unless you have say, military experience, in which case at least around here, they'll take a chance on you. Sysco said pretty much the same.

They do pay very well, but at least not here, student grads. And it IS hard freakin work. A pallet jack and a ramp or jacked off the trailer in some c-store dock if they have one and most dont. If you're looking for easy, McLane's isn't it.

 

Umm yeah.. no. You have to pull supplies off the truck for the account you are at. Some on pallets, some not. Most really pretty heavy and awkward.

 

I Don't Like working or doing business with food companies in the trucking aspects of it.There are too many if's &Buts's and a Lot of phoney bologney practice's such as team work..? professionalism.. and a bunch of brain wash rules and Reg's that only applies one way... THEIRS .... So if you are considering a food/Grocery related jobs. Make darn sure it is a union Company this way you can at least Leave the Bull Crap management demands to the union to handle all that Noise.You don't wana go to work & find out that their Idea of a pre trip inspection is doing yoga before you open the hood.. and some schmuck manager tells you that that was a part of WALFART Brain Dead policy...

 

Yes, using a handtruck.

 

Your first load of boxed meat will be your last in that case. I'm speaking for Sysco in this aspect...maybe it was CWD don't remember for sure. I was told as a driver/dock worker when I was thinking about getting my CLD the first time it was nothing to see 250 slabs of beef weighing 100lb a pop and its driver unload. That will kill your back. But any local work where you are required to unload is physically demanding. It happens your local and you will have to unload. Even over in ltl as a city driver you may end up pallet jacking a 2400lb skid through a mall, or delivering a 3000lb skid of nail supplies to a Vietnamese nail salon its part of the job its not easy but is it worth being home every night as opposed to a couple days a month? Take that into account.

Personally for me its not. I've already killed my back and knees from when I was younger I cannot handle the heavy lifting and pallet jacking of ltl or food service drivers body just doesn't hold up to it anymore and I can't afford to get a cortozone shot every month so I can keep working. Take a lot of things into account and think about what's the most important to you.

 

What part of NY. I know in albany where I work out of those mclane boys bust their balls to make a dollar. From what I've heard your out a few nights a week mostly in hotels wherever you end up. This may not be totally accurate as they change stuff like that a lot. But a guy I work with tried them out and lasted 3 weeks. Said he couldn't do it. Back was hurting to much. Very physical job for sure. Not worth the money in my eyes. Depending on where in ny your located in I can tell you a few other companies to get in with to get your feet wet that won't kill your body like mclane will