Local Food Service As A Rookie

you've stated more than once how you don't see this as a long term job but do you think you'll go OTR when your kids are older? Or do you see yourself working into management? Or something totally different?

The plan im hoping is that once the kids are off on their own (18-20 years from now) the wife and i can go out and live the OTR life for a bit. I dont intend to do food service long term just because the risk of injury is so high. Yesterday my truck was loaded so full that at my 2nd stop i had a stop that had a loading dock. I bumped the dock but before i could put dock plate up and start wheeling i had to move some cases so they didnt get crushed by dock plate. In such a hurry i forgot the plate wasnt in trailer and stepped off trailer. My leg went between trailer and dock plate (it folds down) and my butt was on the dock plate. Somehow i didnt get hurt other than a bruise on my leg but Ive heard of guy's breaking their legs that way. Ive seen numerous drivers that have been doing this over 20 years and all of them have back and knee issues. Many of those guys have needed surgery for their issues. When i start looking for something else itll likely be LTL or delivering to grocery stores (Hyvee in my area) due to less heavy lifting than im doing now. Im not afraid work i just hate the idea of ending up like many of these drivers i see. Everyone preaches to lift safely with your knees not your back etc. But honestly if we lifted every case that way our workload would be unattainable. I make sure i lift properly with the heavy stuff (meat, chicken etc) due to 80ish pounds per case. Im sure it'll bite me in the ass in the future but the pressure to stay on schedule is pretty high. Upset customers and salesman tend to make our days worse.

Management isnt my type of work, unfortunately i wouldn't last too long. I sometimes dont say things in the most professional way and at times it gets me in trouble. Many times its due to the way i phrased it although i didnt intend to hurt their feelings. Especially now with it seeming like so many people are overly sensitive id just rather not deal with it.

you've stated more than once how you don't see this as a long term job but do you think you'll go OTR when your kids are older? Or do you see yourself working into management? Or something totally different?

The plan im hoping is that once the kids are off on their own (18-20 years from now) the wife and i can go out and live the OTR life for a bit. I dont intend to do food service long term just because the risk of injury is so high. Yesterday my truck was loaded so full that at my 2nd stop i had a stop that had a loading dock. I bumped the dock but before i could put dock plate up and start wheeling i had to move some cases so they didnt get crushed by dock plate. In such a hurry i forgot the plate wasnt in trailer and stepped off trailer. My leg went between trailer and dock plate (it folds down) and my butt was on the dock plate. Somehow i didnt get hurt other than a bruise on my leg but Ive heard of guy's breaking their legs that way. Ive seen numerous drivers that have been doing this over 20 years and all of them have back and knee issues. Many of those guys have needed surgery for their issues. When i start looking for something else itll likely be LTL or delivering to grocery stores (Hyvee in my area) due to less heavy lifting than im doing now. Im not afraid work i just hate the idea of ending up like many of these drivers i see. Everyone preaches to lift safely with your knees not your back etc. But honestly if we lifted every case that way our workload would be unattainable. I make sure i lift properly with the heavy stuff (meat, chicken etc) due to 80ish pounds per case. Im sure it'll bite me in the ass in the future but the pressure to stay on schedule is pretty high. Upset customers and salesman tend to make our days worse.

Management isnt my type of work, unfortunately i wouldn't last too long. I sometimes dont say things in the most professional way and at times it gets me in trouble. Many times its due to the way i phrased it although i didnt intend to hurt their feelings. Especially now with it seeming like so many people are overly sensitive id just rather not deal with it.

dang buddy, nice article. I also work for PFG as a new CDL holder. Except, the pay is way better and the area is more accommodating. I am envious of your case count. I work for pfgc in Tennessee. I work 4 days a week, my route starts at 1 am and I am back at transportation by 9am. I have 4 stops and today for example, 1st stop 178 pieces, 2nd drop 172, 3rd stop 869, 4th stop 239. I had pallets stacked to the ceiling in the freezer all the way to the back of the 48'. yes, I used a 2 wheel dolly on all of it. one good thing is, it's key turn and not a live delivery. I keep all doors propped open... and luckily no stairs. there is no city driving and no chances for incidents like you experienced.

My whole body aches!!! I wear a back brace and my legs/arms feel like jello. right now I am averaging 32 hours a week. The company recently changed policies, I was hired on with full benefits day 1, 8k sign on bonus and a minimum of 75k a year.

it is back breaking work, but for the pay and hours, I am making close to $40 an hour and that's not including bonuses. they don't pay drivers hourly here... we are salaried employees with a base pay over 60k

holidays are close and it's getting brutal lol.... time to soak in the tub and do it again.

Are you guys union there? I'm no longer with PFG but with my current job I periodically deliver LTL freight to them. My former manager told me the union contract currently has them in the $28/hr range. It's better than when I left but still not as good as you got it down there.

Personally I think I would've preferred the way you have it. It's alot more cases but I always enjoyed the big stops. Driving 10 minutes to get to a stop to dig out 15 cases always irked me. Somehow they always managed to be on the very bottom. I loved the big BBQ joint that took over 200 daily. Add in that you don't really deal with customers much (I'm guessing) sounds like paradise. Well....except for the 2 wheeling lol. It's a great way to get a workout but ultimately I felt the risk/reward wasn't worth it in the end for me.