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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam9315
I would consider you lucky to have a job like that. It seems hard to become a package driver, with the whole seniority thing. What are feeders?
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Feeder drivers are the tractor trailer drivers. My center is about 45 miles north of Denver and we have 3 feeder drivers who drive between Loveland and Denver all night moving our package from the hub to our center and back again. That's where I want to go. 2 of our feeders have 31 years in and are waiting til the contract is up in 2 years to retire. Most package drivers don't want to go to feeders, because you have to work nights. That doesn't bother me. Feeders is a lot less physical and they don't get hurt like package drivers do. Most package drivers in their 40's will have some serious injury. Backs, knees, and shoulders are the top three I've seen. If they make it to retirement they are usually pretty banged up.
We just started OTR team drivers too. We used railroads to move our trailers around the country, but they were getting unreliable and we've been moving toward OTR teams. Only current Denver feeder drivers could bid those teams routes. Union rules. That's alright I don't want to be a OTR team driver. I like to work by myself.
I started with UPS in 1990, working part-time while I went to school. I went driving in 1993. It took me 3 1/2 years to go full-time. Waiting time to full-time varies a lot around the country. Right now in Colorado it takes 1-3 years to go full-time. The economy is good here and there is a lot of growth. More growth = more routes. I know in other areas around the country part-timers can wait as much as 10 years to go driving.
Very few drivers quit once they go full-time. If they leave it's because they go to management, get hurt, fired (hard to do), or retire.