P&D driver

P&D work can be a "pain" at times. I did it for 10 years and despised every day of it. After 24 years of running the road I just could never adapt to it, since you have been"hustling" with the food end, you might fit in.
It seems like the big customers that I went to everyday were not any problem but the small ones that might ship or receive a few times a year, they could be trouble. I could cite situation after situation to back up what I mean, especially on residential deliveries. You really have to "bite your tongue" at times.
Being home everyday to me was not worth the hassle. You put in 10 to 12 hrs a day for 5 days and you are so tired on week-ends you don't feel like doing anything. I got more rest on the road then I did doing local work..
But each to his own. Everyone has his "own cup of tea".

 

Your challenge will likely come from dealing with all kinds of customers that aren't business owners. But your body will be thanking you for the reduced workload.

 

The LTL world can be quite brutal somedays depending on workload, how your trailer is loaded, customers, etc. Worst case scenario you could have a 10+ delivery and pickup day. Which could involve liftgate deliveries in residential area's or very tight place's thinking there's no way I should be here.. Some smaller customers might not have a forklift or dock and there are times where you get screwed without a liftgate trailer. Which can get physical if you have to break down the pallet or pallets which I'm sure you're used to. Certain customers may require you to unload your own trailer with a manual pallet jack if there's no electric jack or forklift. When the pallets weigh 2500+ lbs and you have to unload a bunch of them you start to question yourself as to why you chose city p&d.. On the bright side of things, you may have a day where you have 3 deliveries and it's all no-touch freight, customer's unloading it all. Then do a few pick up's and be done with your shift. At the end of the day, it can be labor intensive depending on the run, but not as physical as the foodservice industry. P&D will still give you a challenge if that's what you are looking for. I'm sure others can or will elaborate on this as well. Any other questions just ask.

 

It's simple compared to food service. Once in a while you get the broken pallet of vinyl flooring that you can't budge, but there always seems to be a way to get it out. Only thing I don't like is Hazmat paperwork. A good chance the shipper missed something if they don't ship a lot of HM.

 

You'll dig it since you like to hustle. I definitely did for that same reason. Your body will dig it because you won't be beating it up so much. It can still be physical, but not even 10% of what a foodservice driver deals with.

 

Having also done foodservice and now doing P&D, I echo Bob and Cohiba--you won't regret your decision.