Sysco Or Performance Food Group?

Is there a lot of ways to run into incidents?

there are a ton of ways to be involved in an incident. At PFG I used a 28' PUP trailer due to being 150 miles from our terminal. We had drivers that run a set of doubles to bring the product to us and take the empties back. Sysco has warehouse in town here so I'd say 90%of the trailers they used in my market were anywhere from 36' - 53'. Martin Brothers distribution ran 48' to 53'. Sysco being the giant in food service has many big stops (casinos, event venues, etc.) that may just use a pallet jack to take it off but starting out you will be hand unloading that entire truck using a 2 wheel dolly whether theres rain, snow, sleet or even hail. The senior guys scoop up the easy routes because their bodies have been beat to hell from the years of unloading MILLIONS of pounds of product. We were told if lightning is striking nearby to wait it out but realistically you dont have the time to do that. I spent quite a bit of time in downtown Des Moines and that was difficult even with my 28' trailer. I was able to maneuver it alot easier than a 53' but when you're trying to back into narrow alleyways something is bound to happen. Even in our "little big city" (as our tourism market calls us due to population of only 600,000 in the metro) I had several close calls with backing. If I hadn't gotten out to look I would have hit stuff, and if I allowed cars crowding me and honking at me to lose my focus I'd have likely had even more. I had a few stops that required me to back off the main drags into downtown at 730am as rush hour was starting to peak. Nothing seems to annoy those commuting Downtown more than you making them wait a minute. They WILL do very stupid crap. Next time you're driving around town with every restaurant you see imagine trying to get even a 48' in there. Then go downtown and visualize trying to get a semi into the alleyways. Reinhart Foods in my area delivers to every Burger King and Taco Johns. Those look even more of a PITA when you factor in not being able to block the driveway or drive thru and remember EVERY task you're doing is being timed (especially at Sysco). If you have to walk farther due to where customers are parked you're going to need to move faster. I'm not going to either confirm or deny what I did, but most guys doing that line of work will log out for their lunch break but they're in the back of the truck working during it just so they can stay on schedule. I consider myself pretty easy going but if you read that diary you'll be able to sense my frustration and how I was on my way to turning j to a terminal rat.

Most accidents we hear about with rookies involve backing up. On average you'd probably back up 3 to 4 times in a day OTR (twice at truck stops for 30 min and 10 hr breaks, and twice at shipper and receivers). As a foodservice driver you're likely backing ATLEAST 15 times in much tighter areas than these large distribution centers that an OTR driver is more likely to see. Even OTR you will have some real difficult docks but overall you're much better starting that way. When I started at PFG we had 4 drivers that delivered. 1 had been doing it over 40 years and had back surgery. His knee got even worse and work comp wouldn't clear him to come back. Another lifted a case of meat and screwed up his back, out for 4 months I believe. 1 guy had just gotten back from tearing his ACL after he fell out the back end and missed 6-9 months. The other guy tore his rotator cuff and other muscles and will be drawing a work comp check the rest of his life due to the extensive damage done. It's a decision you need to make, just please think what best long term in this industry but most importantly the toll that kind of work takes on a body. I'd been told when I started "it's not a question of IF you'll get hurt, but a matter of WHEN and HOW SEVERE". Other than waking up sore I was fortunate to not have any significant injuries. When I left, the guy with the repaired ACL followed me to my current job because he was fed up with it after 5 years.

Thank you very much for chiming in. I actually ended up reading the entirety of your diary during the course of a few days. I'm now 100% against driving food delivery....Or "touch freight" for that matter. I'm going OTR. Many thanks for writing and 'saving' another one of us. Sometimes you wish Craigslist had a comments section on ads just to post something like this.

Is there a lot of ways to run into incidents?

there are a ton of ways to be involved in an incident. At PFG I used a 28' PUP trailer due to being 150 miles from our terminal. We had drivers that run a set of doubles to bring the product to us and take the empties back. Sysco has warehouse in town here so I'd say 90%of the trailers they used in my market were anywhere from 36' - 53'. Martin Brothers distribution ran 48' to 53'. Sysco being the giant in food service has many big stops (casinos, event venues, etc.) that may just use a pallet jack to take it off but starting out you will be hand unloading that entire truck using a 2 wheel dolly whether theres rain, snow, sleet or even hail. The senior guys scoop up the easy routes because their bodies have been beat to hell from the years of unloading MILLIONS of pounds of product. We were told if lightning is striking nearby to wait it out but realistically you dont have the time to do that. I spent quite a bit of time in downtown Des Moines and that was difficult even with my 28' trailer. I was able to maneuver it alot easier than a 53' but when you're trying to back into narrow alleyways something is bound to happen. Even in our "little big city" (as our tourism market calls us due to population of only 600,000 in the metro) I had several close calls with backing. If I hadn't gotten out to look I would have hit stuff, and if I allowed cars crowding me and honking at me to lose my focus I'd have likely had even more. I had a few stops that required me to back off the main drags into downtown at 730am as rush hour was starting to peak. Nothing seems to annoy those commuting Downtown more than you making them wait a minute. They WILL do very stupid crap. Next time you're driving around town with every restaurant you see imagine trying to get even a 48' in there. Then go downtown and visualize trying to get a semi into the alleyways. Reinhart Foods in my area delivers to every Burger King and Taco Johns. Those look even more of a PITA when you factor in not being able to block the driveway or drive thru and remember EVERY task you're doing is being timed (especially at Sysco). If you have to walk farther due to where customers are parked you're going to need to move faster. I'm not going to either confirm or deny what I did, but most guys doing that line of work will log out for their lunch break but they're in the back of the truck working during it just so they can stay on schedule. I consider myself pretty easy going but if you read that diary you'll be able to sense my frustration and how I was on my way to turning j to a terminal rat.

Most accidents we hear about with rookies involve backing up. On average you'd probably back up 3 to 4 times in a day OTR (twice at truck stops for 30 min and 10 hr breaks, and twice at shipper and receivers). As a foodservice driver you're likely backing ATLEAST 15 times in much tighter areas than these large distribution centers that an OTR driver is more likely to see. Even OTR you will have some real difficult docks but overall you're much better starting that way. When I started at PFG we had 4 drivers that delivered. 1 had been doing it over 40 years and had back surgery. His knee got even worse and work comp wouldn't clear him to come back. Another lifted a case of meat and screwed up his back, out for 4 months I believe. 1 guy had just gotten back from tearing his ACL after he fell out the back end and missed 6-9 months. The other guy tore his rotator cuff and other muscles and will be drawing a work comp check the rest of his life due to the extensive damage done. It's a decision you need to make, just please think what best long term in this industry but most importantly the toll that kind of work takes on a body. I'd been told when I started "it's not a question of IF you'll get hurt, but a matter of WHEN and HOW SEVERE". Other than waking up sore I was fortunate to not have any significant injuries. When I left, the guy with the repaired ACL followed me to my current job because he was fed up with it after 5 years.

Not a problem! There are a ton of people that love that kind of work. I just don't feel it's a good idea for someone to get their start that way. I talked to a guy from McLane yesterday when I stopped at a gas station. I tried talking him into coming over to where I'm currently at but he said he loves the physical side of it and couldnt see himself doing anything else despite making slightly less money than I do. That's the joy of a CDL. There are so many different ways you can use it, it's just a matter of finding your niche.