Thanks for the PM ColtsFan, please look in your message box, as I have sent you two messages!!!!

 

My first job was with Dawn Foods. I was hired before I finished driving school. Good pay I thought. Right now where I am about 18.00/hr. 250 mile days with 10-14 stops at bakeries. Think about where bakeries are! Read threads about where dollar store runs. Same thing only 4x the number of stops. You go places that semi's have no business.

When I started there, out of our shop we had 5 drivers. The senior driver was 9 months out of driver school.

Bakery producks are either #50 bags of flour or doughnut/cake mix, #30 pails of eggs or frosting or fruit filling. Funny thing is those 30lb pails are heavier than those @#$ing bags. (or #50 boxes of shortening and margerine!) Oh yeah, 80lb bags of salt? Who thought that was a good idea?

Anyway, no ramps, no lift-gates. You move the pallet to the back of the trailer, lift a #80 bag of salt off the pallet and put it on the floor. You build a wall of stuff and climb over it down to the ground. No foot stepps or handholds. You lower your hand truck and proceed to lift those gd bags onto the cart. Wheel them in then lift them again onto the costumers shelf.

Yeah, I was home every night. I sure didn't get laid everynight! I wanted too but was too tired, had to get up at 3am (bakeries start making doughnuts early!)

50-60 hours a week. Good overtime for the rate. I was and am in very good shape. Ten hours of that kind of work five days a week was insane.

One of my costumers asked me to drive for him. He said "you guys never last very long." His trucks had lift-gates. Hell yeah! I'll haull and deliver dog @#$ for a lift-gate at this point.

Anyway local drivers work too!

 

You had me worried for a minute when you said "Thats why I got into hauling reefer...I really like..." :lol:

 

I disagree. Walk in and talk to them. Some foodservice places will hire you right out of school. The one that I work requires two years experience BUT they will hire new drivers right out of school. Just like any local job, knock on doors and see what happens, you may be surprised :wink: .
And I have been doing foodservice for five years and I am into my 10th year of driving with NO OTR experience.(it pays to knock on doors )

 

No joke there. Been there, done that, got the shirt. Bakery delivers SUCK!

 

I figured the pie is what he eats to take care of the munchies, when he's haulin reefer. :P :lol:



That's a good point, Double R. Our guys hire just about anyone who can walk, with a Class A. :P No matter how much experience you have, they train new drivers.

 

sysco Food Services in Central Florida would have hired me right out of school, however I did have an inside connection as I was previously an Executive Chef and soley used only Sysco, so my District Sales manager put in a word for me, however i quickly remember how hard these guys work rain or extreme heat.. no thanks
when I went to school I had one goal and that was to only do local work until my youngest graduates from school and then I would reevaluate the situation. Now four years later I am still doing only local and making great money with UPS Freight. so dont listen to the guys who say you have to go over the road beofre you can do local, it can be done, you just have to weigh out what you are willing to do, My first three years I began with 28,000 the first yr, 32,000 the 2nd, 34,000 the 3rd and this year I will make at least $52,000 plus my added benefits, so it can be done just keep your nose clean and work hard and be in the right place at the right time...

Timberwolf..

 

8)
I've been saying that for almost ten years now. The MYTH that you have to go OTR to get a good local job is just that, a MYTH.

As for not going with SYSCO, I'm sure you body thanks you. I've been doing foodservice five years and had four years of HHG and commercial moving before that so I am use to the work but my goal(which will be reached and is the works 8) ) is to be out of the truck by the time that I am 35(two more years) or move to a different account that is dock to dock.

 

I know it can be done, does having a CLEAN record help? Could it make a difference for real? Or should I just pound the doors of every company in Indianapolis? I am willing to do the time, but no crime. It is called hard work and I know a little about that!

 

YES.
YES.