food service business

Don't worry about slow/busy seasons in food service. Almost everyone has such a high turnover rate that there's no shortage of work for someone who wants it.
 
Yeah I was going to say even our slow really isn't very slow. Were pretty much busy or busier. Heck tomorrow I'm pretty much cubed out. We had another truck that went out today he was cubed out I think he took 4-5 stops before he even was able to use the ramp.
 
Don't worry about slow/busy seasons in food service. Almost everyone has such a high turnover rate that there's no shortage of work for someone who wants it.
Not true for every where. In my area summer is crazy busy in winter not enough work to keep ppl working
 
We go from crazy to just busy. Slow usually means no overflow routes.

There was one route after the holidays when my customers took a step back and ordered light. That just meant I had all of my stops. The route before that I had six of ten.

My route will fall off a bit in the spring when most of the college kids go home, but then it will pick up a few weeks later when the tourist season gets rolling.
 
Has I wrote before I had an interview with Sysco last year (which is 20 minutes from the house) but decided to go with Fedex Freight (which is 50 minutes from the house) because being 41 I didn't no if I could do such a physical job. My bid is going from Hobby which is south Houston to the hub Northwest Houston (15 minutes from my house) 78 bid miles round trip. Than work on the dock for 3 hours. Once in awhile I go on a out of town run. So the money isn't what I thought it would be. Plus I commute 100 miles a night. I was told I could transfer to the Northwest Hub once an opening came up. It's been slow no positions are open. LTl is so unsteady. I am sacrificein a lot to stay at Fxf.
 
The food service industry just seems more steady. We all eat right. Last year at the interview I would of started at $22.75 plus overtime. I was told by the manager guys was bringing home $1300 a week but earned every penny. I'm a go getter and I like challenges, but can I do the physical part that's the question? I'm not fat and in decent shape.
 
Want is the goal of a driver in food service? Is getting a daytime route or shuttle. I have been working nights for 5 years. It would be great to work days making good money. Thanks in advance.
 
LaBat has been discussed on here before and I actually have heard they are pretty good I can't say personally because there not here up north. Glaziers down near you is owned by GFS which is who I work for and actually I think they want to eventually integrate Glaziers into the Gordon Food Service system and make them part of the company instead of just some company Gordon's owns.

If you work for Gordon's chances are you'll probably be on a route at first, however Gordon's now and then and I mean now and then hires transit drivers off the street, but it does not happen very often usually you have to work at Gordon's as a chain route driver or broad line route driver for sometime before you can move over to transit. If you work for any food service company I would expect to be on a route making deliveries. It's been my experience there is no slow down, were busy or busier, late August were busy, holidays were busy, after the new years the loads get a tad light on certain days, but nobody gets laid off or anything like that.However usually around February things start to pick up again and there is always something to do.

Sysco you'll be on an extra board working as an extra for a minute until you can bid on something or they have some place to put you, probably a combination of routes and maybe shuttle. GFS has a much bigger much more expansive shuttle network then Sysco. GFS runs way more transit shuttles then Sysco does.

However I would expect routes first. Food service shuttle is all night work. Now Gordon's does have an early shuttle, but that all depends on the warehouse your yard is loaded out of and how busy that warehouse is. When our yard was loaded in Detroit area, we had an early set that went and got the skip routes those guys set out at 2-3pm and got back about 10-11pm. When our yard was switched over to the new warehouse in Pittsburgh, PA area the early set abolished and transit set out later and it's all night work. Now over time the warehouse in Pittsburgh will become bigger in sales volume, but that may take years to happen. The reason for the Detroit warehouse having an early set is because A. The company is from Michigan and outsells every other company in Michigan and also B. The warehouse in Detroit is older, has been around in the company since they got going big in the 1980s is responsible for Michigan loads, Ohio loads, Chain loads and Marketplace store loads it was to much for just 1 shift to manage.

Pennsylvania though was another story it was built because of emerging markets and also because Detroit could no longer handle the work load it was to much for them and Springfield was already to swamped and they needed a place to put North East, Ohio because Springfield outgrew us and Brighton didn't have room for us.
 
The food service industry just seems more steady. We all eat right. Last year at the interview I would of started at $22.75 plus overtime. I was told by the manager guys was bringing home $1300 a week but earned every penny. I'm a go getter and I like challenges, but can I do the physical part that's the question? I'm not fat and in decent shape.
41 in good shape you'll be ok. I'm in my 40's and have no problem. we have several others in their 40's and 50's, a couple in their early 60's even. Shuttles run nights but if you're working out of a warehouse don't expect a shuttle bid to ever open unless you move. To my knowledge ALL shuttle runs start from the drop yards not the warehouses so you'd have to either work or transfer offsite to get something like that. I don't know how Houston's routes run. I would guess you'll be working days BUT there are a couple houses (Lincoln, NE is one I know of) that run almost all of their routes overnight. Here we're all days with the exception of 4 night drivers.
 
I didnt like shuttling for a foodservice company. Christmas night you're on the road, thanksgiving night you're on the road and I hated that. Couldn't have a holiday seemed
 
41 in good shape you'll be ok. I'm in my 40's and have no problem. we have several others in their 40's and 50's, a couple in their early 60's even. Shuttles run nights but if you're working out of a warehouse don't expect a shuttle bid to ever open unless you move. To my knowledge ALL shuttle runs start from the drop yards not the warehouses so you'd have to either work or transfer offsite to get something like that. I don't know how Houston's routes run. I would guess you'll be working days BUT there are a couple houses (Lincoln, NE is one I know of) that run almost all of their routes overnight. Here we're all days with the exception of 4 night drivers.
Who do you work for.
 
Sysco in Olathe, KS (KC metro area)
Awesome is it a Union barn? If it is Union do you get overtime after 8 hours? May I ask how much you bring home a week? From the reviews I read it seems like Sysco is a nightmare to work for. How would you describe Sysco. Thanks
 
Awesome is it a Union barn? Yes If it is Union do you get overtime after 8 hours? After 40hrs. The hourly rate they quoted is likely the floor, most locations have an incentive plan as well though though they change that a lot.May I ask how much you bring home a week? Usually gross $1500-$1600/wk, but I stay close. We have guys who go further out who make more, some 4 day drivers who make less.From the reviews I read it seems like Sysco is a nightmare to work for. How would you describe Sysco. 1st 6 months will be a nightmare, turnover among new drivers is absolutely unreal. Unfamiliar routes, unfamiliar with product, TONS of digging through pallets looking for one case due to the way the warehouse batch picks. After a while gets a little better.Thanks
 
Do assigned routes ever come up?
Is there days off?
There are different start times right.
Are there raises?
How much is Union fees?
How much is health insurance?
Thanks in advance
 
Do assigned routes ever come up?
Is there days off?
There are different start times right.
Are there raises?
How much is Union fees?
How much is health insurance?
Thanks in advance
Assigned routes: Every house does it differently, most Union houses will bid at certain times per year
Start times: Different start times here. All of our new drivers come in at the same time here but I've heard of locations where they have to call in each night though. No idea how it's done in Houston
Raises: Union house will depend on the contract down there
Dues are about 2.5x hourly rate per month so depends on what the contracted hourly rate down there is
Insurance cost: All over the board with this company depending on union/non-Union, whether or not they're in a Company or union health plan, and what the local's agreed to pay. When I say "all over the board" I'm talking 100% company paid insurance at some of the Union houses to as much as $150/wk out of your paycheck for HMO coverage in the non Union locations. Most are somewhere in between.
Best bet for info specific to Houston would be to call the local Teamster's hall and try to ask a business agent or try to run down a driver you see out delivering.
 
Th
Assigned routes: Every house does it differently, most Union houses will bid at certain times per year
Start times: Different start times here. All of our new drivers come in at the same time here but I've heard of locations where they have to call in each night though. No idea how it's done in Houston
Raises: Union house will depend on the contract down there
Dues are about 2.5x hourly rate per month so depends on what the contracted hourly rate down there is
Insurance cost: All over the board with this company depending on union/non-Union, whether or not they're in a Company or union health plan, and what the local's agreed to pay. When I say "all over the board" I'm talking 100% company paid insurance at some of the Union houses to as much as $150/wk out of your paycheck for HMO coverage in the non Union locations. Most are somewhere in between.
Best bet for info specific to Houston would be to call the local Teamster's hall and try to ask a business agent or try to run down a driver you see out delivering.
Thanks for the info.
 
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