The Food Service Rant thread

Nobody does doubles better then us at GFS! We invented the 28' foot trailer and the Interstate doubles system! The whole company is based around pulling doubles to lots! We cover more ground out of one DC then anyone else!

I kid I kid, but no seriously we do pull a lot of doubles.

 

I tell you what for as much trouble as this job can, be it really does have it's legitimate rewards too and that's no joke.
This month we have gotten our behinds kicked. A customer said to me today "Are you guys busy?"
I said "899 cases and 21,000 lbs today." He went "Whheeeww." I said "They've been running our wheels off." He goes "I'll bet."
Anyhow though it has been a hard month for us we've been plagued with goofy troubles and there working on solutions, but you know how it goes things get worse before they get better however they are trying to fix some of the troubles.

I will say this load quality has been okay this month in the beginning of the month the load quality was bad and Friday's are like one of our heaviest days of the week and our whole branch has been getting creamed on Friday, however last week and this week my Friday load quality improved dramatically night and day difference. Today I actually got out on time and by the grace of god got through all my stops smoothly and even made it through down town traffic and back to the yard fairly smoothly as well. It was great!

Now here is where I am going with this, this week two good things happened one of them really really good the first one is a primary major client of ours I go to told me she was going to call the office and tell my bosses what an excellent job I was doing, which is huge because this client is a major hospital system and those are at the top of GFS's priorities list. Hospitals and Schools are at the top of our list and then Chain Restaurants and Nursing Homes and Regular Restaurants. There all important, but the Hospitals and Schools take priority.

Also a much smaller account of ours that I go to is this real nice pizza shop and the couple that runs it are really great and over the past couple of months they have gotten used to seeing me and talking with me it takes a little while for people to open up to you, but when they do it's good and today they offered me a pizza and I said "Thank you, but I already called in an order." They looked at me with this pleasant surprise look like "Really? You Called in an order?" I said "Yes I usually phone an order in then when I'm done delivering I walk through the front door and pay for it and pick it up like anyone else."

They said "Well don't worry about today's order it's on us." I said "Thank you very much I appreciate it. Have a very nice weekend."

So I think they like me a little bit, now and it's good because really that's kind of what were all about at GFS. Anyhow usually all I hear is the bad or negative so finally it's nice to hear some good too and it's really all about attitude and just putting one foot in front of the other.

 

Hey I have a question do you guys get a choice kind of what trucks you get to drive?
Usually I drive the oldest most disliked trucks? (International-Harvesters) I drive the older hated stuff for a variety of reasons any how do they give you guys a choice or not really, I know where I work trucks are assigned, but some guys get newer stuff they always assign me the old stuff which is good and I am half tempted to ask them if I can stay in the older stuff, GFS does a pretty decent job of maintaining stuff really I mean there's always something, but generally even our worst trucks run pretty good and we don't have to many break downs really. One time in 6 months we had a truck break down. We've had multiple trailer blow outs on double sets, but usually even our worst most dislike trucks work.

 

We don't get a choice on what we drive. Its usually assigned when we get there. However when I bring a truck back full of fuel and get in one with half a tank I usually ask for a different truck. I have my favorites because I spend a lot of time cleaning them. Btw I have been with MBM aurora for a little over 4 years. I work with lonecowboy im not sure who he is per say but I have my suspicions. Everything he says about MBM is correct.

 

Oh hey BTW lonecowboy Mclane at least the foodservice down the street does not pay more than MBM. I know that's where I came from. Dominoes comes close but doesn't pay as well either. For foodservice like we do MBM does pay the most. Its by far the easiest for the pay.

 

MBM Columbus, Ohio is the closest MBM terminal to me, so there kind of out I guess, but they would certainly be one of my choices of companies to go and work for.

 

See this is where we differ I love our trucks. I know they aren't fixed right but that has a lot to do with the drivers not giving a #### about other drivers. I think the columbias we have are fantastic. Just not well taken care of. I didn't mind the Mclane trucks except for the fact they were daycabs.

 

That's the thing with MBM the job is fantastic. I love the job I love the trucks I love the liftgates. Its easy money 1 night out and 2 nights out at most besides the North Dakota route. Which I did run for 1 winter. Didn't like it much. I am currently running whatever because we are 25 drivers short right now so im working 70 hours to cover and came off my routes to do it. But I was running 2 different 2 day routes and I was home every day and only worked Mon thru THurs with Fri Sat Sun off. Was averaging around 2000 take home pay after taxes.
So the pay is good I have a little bit more options when it comes to routes than lone cowboy because of where I am on the seniority board. I just wish they would fix the little things with the company. And BTW Mike you could always move to Colorado it seems like everyone else is.