yard jockey questions

Great job , btw. 45 k a year for third shift good bennies

 

I do believe that is what I said. Company A may have a different pay package than company B.

 

I started working as a Switcher/Yard Jockey (2) days ago. I graduated CDL school (2) weeks ago... NO experience.

You aint a lyin' about the tight turning radius of these little trucks! Nothing at all like full the full size tractors w/sleepers in school ! Whole new learning curve for backing here.

The place I'm working doesn't really train to back these things either. Just thrown to the wolves to figure it out.

I'd appreciate ANY helpful tips on what 'MARKS' to look for and any advice.

 

So far from what I've read, it seems like this particular job has a high turnover rate. Any guys in here can shed some light on why that is? TIA

 

It’s very fast paced job. In 12 hour shift I probably make at least 150 moves. I constantly get in and out of truck to hook/unhook service lines (In rain and snow too). The heater does very little when I'm always opening the back door. Gotta put chalk on dock or trailer after every move so it's alot of walking.

 

Did you read my post (2 above here) ?

So, how exactly do you do your setups ? Do you do 90s or 45s ?

What are your marks for your setups and turns ?

 

It extremely high turnover rate where I'm at. Right now there are 123 positions and 25 open. Mostly on 3rd shift of course.

I've only been there 2 days so I can't tell you why the turnover rate is so high.

 

Turnover rate is high because it's not a job for steering wheel holders. There's "A LOT" of walking involved. You gotta constantly jump in and out of the truck...chock the wheels...open and close the swing doors...do a yard check...in rain, sleet, snow, ice...yada yada yada. There's no sense of Independence like you would feel while out on the road. You're constantly in communication with dispatch or supervisors. Telling you to do this...do that...we need this now...need this here...there...everywhere. Not to mention, who do you think gets blamed if there's any #### ups? It's not gonna be management...it's ALWAYS gonna be the yard jockey.

It's a lot to deal with for something that doesn't pay all that great. Hell...even Amazon yard jockeys only make around $14-18 an hour.

If you want to pursue a job in being a yard mule...something that pays good...only has roll up doors...don't have to chock the wheels unless they don't have trailer hooks...don't have to talk to dispatch other than looking at a computer screen that tells you what moves to make...first, get a couple years of driving experience and then look into grocery distribution centers...like ACME, SuperValu, Wakefern, Albertsons, Safeway, etc. They get paid around around $24-30 an hour with OT after 8. Extra day is paid time and half, second extra is doubletime. Holidays are paid triple time. Dean Foods yard jockeys make around $24 an hour with OT after 8. Work around 12 hours a day with union benefits and pension. Or any distribution center. They all need yard jockeys. Costco, Walmart, Shaw Flooring, UPS, USPS, LTL, railyards, ports, etc. Some will pay more than others. Some will be a combination of jockeying and driving. Some will only be available by seniority as a bid position. And some will be slow or fast paced.

 

Yes, JPenn is on point - I'm a current yard driver in CALIFORNIA, and ####### hate it!!! Especially in 100 degree weather with no air conditioning. Don't you dare think that opening windows, having a fan, or any of that is going to help. Oh, and sure there's shade, but you can never use it because you're constantly driving trailers around. Then having to walk IN THE SUN to go and open the doors, close the doors, or put/remove seals? Also adds to your overheating. All other weather, I can't even begin to describe.

Also, you are constantly nagged by the warehouse staff to do immediate moves even if you're in the middle of moving one. Don't answer them? Then they get pissed and think you're trying to flake off. All because you didn't reply because you're backing a trailer. Numerous times I have to just stop what I'm doing, shut off the truck so I can hear, then repeat. Sure they have a tablet that gives you the moves, that's just secondary to their actual moves.

They'll also give you the most useless moves you can think of. Let's move trailers in, but let's also move them down 3 times because we don't know where we actually want it - that's how they think 24/7/365. Doesn't matter what you say or do, you have to do it.

Let's move an empty out but never use that door again, that's also very common. Or move a loaded trailer out, seal it... Ah wait, we actually need that trailer. So go back, cut the seal, and move it back in. Multiple times a day even. It'll drive you insane thinking, what am I even doing?!

They'll also make you run around finding trailers that they conveniently lost, mainly because they have you to go find them. They'll send you to go check doors before they send their own inside staff to do so, as well...

They'll have you do yard checks, which are totally useless because they won't update their system with it. If you make a mistake, they hound on you because you said the trailer was there and it wasn't...

LAST, but not least... You usually have no capability of calling off. If someone else calls off, you get the joy of altering your schedule to 12+ hours to cover until they come back.

Only reason I even stay is because it's the only job without an education where I can go home every night and make $19 an hour. There's local routes but they require either more then 1 year OTR, ports, or are only manuals a(F that in California traffic!)