Mondelez?

Driving for a Grocery Fleet is one of the EASIEST...best PAID...best BENEFITS...best JOB out there OVERALL.

For example...let's use SuperValu and ACME as an example....




Both of these companies use to be one. SuperValu use to own ACME before Albertsons bought them out. You'll still see ACME with SuperValu on their trailers...and both of these companies get paid by trip rate. Hourly pay is around $24 an hour at top rate. Trip rates are based on how many miles it takes TOTALED for the run...not by how long it takes to drive. Usually this is calculated at anywhere from 45-55 mph. You also factor in OT after 8, 30 or 45 minute pre and post trip, two 30 minute breaks + another 15 for after 8 hours, fuel, unload time (let's say 1.5 hours), etc., etc. Let's say the TOTALED combined averages around 12 hours for the trip rate. $24 × 8 = $192. $36 × 4 = $144 for OT. $192 + $144 = $336 totaled for 12 hours. $336 × 5 = $1,680 for the week. If you come in for an extra day, that's time and a half at $36 × 12 = $432. Second extra is doubletime. But let's just stick with a 5 day work week at $1,680 per week. That equals around $87k + per year. And A LOT of these runs are done in 9-10 hours. That's around $87k a year at 45-50 hours per week...and this doesn't include any extra days for OT. And it's all NO TOUCH freight. Delivering to ACME or SuperValu Supermarkets...backing into their loading docks and having THEM unload your palletized groceries. Couldn't get any easier than this. A CAKE job...that also offers free healthcare, pension, 401k (SuperValu), and a $4 an hour severance pay (ACME). Trips that go over 12 hours obviously pays more...but a lot of these guys make well over $100k...especially if they come in for extra days. 24/7 operation...all year long. Holidays are paid triple time. Runs are based on seniority...so junior guys will most likely work at night. SuperValu bids on runs...while ACME bids on start times.

 

They are great jobs, but getting into one is stupidly difficult. Publix only hires drivers from within their warehouse and the waiting list to get a driving job is 7-10 years.

Some of us just dont have that kind of time to invest. In 10 years I want to be planning my retirement, not starting a new career.

 

If you're willing to move a little north, you could be starting in about a week. Starts at $19 though and very likely nights at least 3 out of 5 days.

 

One thing to keep in mind with private fleets is that they can be outsourced anytime at the drop of a hat. You could build up years of seniority only to have the rug pulled out from under you by a 3rd party logistics company and then you gotta start all over again at the bottom of a seniority list. Seen it happen many times to many guys over the years. Penske, Hogan, Ryder, JB Hunt DCS, Ruan, Greatwide, Swift, Cardinal Logistics, etc, etc, etc are constantly bidding to do your job cheaper with less benefits.

 

^^^^ Good point.

 

I'm always curious about that. Sometimes companies treat their own drivers like kings and give them priority though. Outside carriers will sit 5 hours and in-house drivers drop, hook, and split.

I'm not sure about Kroger, they got rid of their fleet fleet several years ago in my area (Delaware, OH DC) in favor of owner-operators and US Express daycabs. That was a great job before they outsourced it.

 

Kroger does have their own fleet in certain places...known as Kroger Dedicated Logistics...but they do use a lot of outside services, as do most grocery chains....

Costco is famous for doing this. You'll see many different Mega Carriers picking up and losing contracts with them. But they do have their own fleet as well for local deliveries.....