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MikeJ

MikeJ

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Hi everyone,

My name is Mike, some of you might know me, some of you may not, I'm over on the food carriers side of the forum. It's where I hang out because I work as a beer truck driver. There's a picture of a beer truck I used to drive on a route I used to cover. I have a new beer truck that I get to drive now, my new route has me totting a 14 bay no more convertible sideloader, which is good because grocery stores were starting to get on my nerves.


Any how today I was at convenient store making a delivery and a man asked me if I liked being a beer truck driver? I answered well, it's okay, the company I work for is a tad shaky, but the actual work isn't to bad, until I have to wrestle a keg or two of beer down some old ricket stairs then it becomes pretty scary sometimes.

Any how the man said to me that he works for the United States Postal Service and they are having a lot of retirements coming there way. He said Post Office management here in Cleveland is atrocious, but if you can manage to be invisible and do your job it's not a bad gig working for the post office driving one of there tractor trailers from the main sorting facility to one of the stations. This gentleman said he works at night and goes from down town Cleveland to Lakewood, Ohio 3 times a night. Said you have to roll the carts on and off the truck which is no big deal to me, I push a two wheeler all day long up and down steps, so what ever.

Any how what do you guys thing about working for the United States Postal Service, said there starting pay is $20.00 an hour which is more then I make right now anyhow. I know they drive tractor trailers and some B trucks too, I don't know what do you guys think, should I look into the post office?
 
MikeJ said:
Any how what do you guys thing about working for the United States Postal Service, said there starting pay is $20.00 an hour which is more then I make right now anyhow. I know they drive tractor trailers and some B trucks too, I don't know what do you guys think, should I look into the post office?
Click to expand...

It would take me about, um, 2 seconds to make that decision.

But I don't need to because this coming Friday I will be Racer the Winger, doing my part to build wings for Boeing 777 airplanes. I mentioned it in another thread here: Racer Finally Gives It Up

Even though I really liked the work, and the carrier I ran for is great, the lure of more money and regular hours was too great.

Good luck working at the Post Office. The pay should be good, the benefits good, and the pension too.
 
Airbrakes had a thread someplace, detailing his every day/night someplace around here. Maybe you could find it on the search thingy
 
MikeJ said:
Hi everyone,

My name is Mike, some of you might know me, some of you may not, I'm over on the food carriers side of the forum. It's where I hang out because I work as a beer truck driver. There's a picture of a beer truck I used to drive on a route I used to cover. I have a new beer truck that I get to drive now, my new route has me totting a 14 bay no more convertible sideloader, which is good because grocery stores were starting to get on my nerves.


Any how today I was at convenient store making a delivery and a man asked me if I liked being a beer truck driver? I answered well, it's okay, the company I work for is a tad shaky, but the actual work isn't to bad, until I have to wrestle a keg or two of beer down some old ricket stairs then it becomes pretty scary sometimes.

Any how the man said to me that he works for the United States Postal Service and they are having a lot of retirements coming there way. He said Post Office management here in Cleveland is atrocious, but if you can manage to be invisible and do your job it's not a bad gig working for the post office driving one of there tractor trailers from the main sorting facility to one of the stations. This gentleman said he works at night and goes from down town Cleveland to Lakewood, Ohio 3 times a night. Said you have to roll the carts on and off the truck which is no big deal to me, I push a two wheeler all day long up and down steps, so what ever.

Any how what do you guys thing about working for the United States Postal Service, said there starting pay is $20.00 an hour which is more then I make right now anyhow. I know they drive tractor trailers and some B trucks too, I don't know what do you guys think, should I look into the post office?
Click to expand...

I drive part time for a Private carrier hauling mail in NY, Pa, with 53 foot dry vans. I make about $25.00/hour with Benefits. My brother-in-law started at the postoffice about 20 years ago driving truck. He started with a split shift, 3 am to 8 am then back in at noon to 5 pm. Pain in the butt but got him in the door. Post office is consolidating many operations and closing mail sorting facilities, meaning fewer postal drivers and more private drivers. I don't know how this affects Cleveland but it is having impacts in Buffalo,NY and more cities will follow. We are delivering fine sorted mail to small post offices in Buffalo area with mail processed in Rochester, so this will be the way of the future. Good luck to you!!
 
MikeJ said:
H

Any how what do you guys thing about working for the United States Postal Service, said there starting pay is $20.00 an hour which is more then I make right now anyhow. I know they drive tractor trailers and some B trucks too, I don't know what do you guys think, should I look into the post office?
Click to expand...

i had a sweet be very quickly ending casual job at the post office. when i was hired (along with some letter carriers) we were all told, "this is not going to turn into a regular job with us. you will work "up to" 90 days, then if we "like you", you will be back for "up to" another 90 days, then you are HISTORY....."

i only lasted from about October thru Christmas day, then they cut me loose, as they had 2 guys transfer from NY , that were regular Post Office workers......so much for that job...

xchief said:
I drive part time for a Private carrier hauling mail in NY, Pa, with 53 foot dry vans. I make about $25.00/hour with Benefits. My brother-in-law started at the postoffice about 20 years ago driving truck. He started with a split shift, 3 am to 8 am then back in at noon to 5 pm. Pain in the butt but got him in the door. Post office is consolidating many operations and closing mail sorting facilities, meaning fewer postal drivers and more private drivers. I don't know how this affects Cleveland but it is having impacts in Buffalo,NY and more cities will follow. We are delivering fine sorted mail to small post offices in Buffalo area with mail processed in Rochester, so this will be the way of the future. Good luck to you!!
Click to expand...

you are "lucky" that you get benefits from that private carrier. out here, we have several such contractors, and you'd be surprised that if you are late getting INTO work, you either get fired or told to go home.....no benefits, no time off.....so needless to say, those are working conditions i will not be any part of....and also, 99.9% of the equipment those private carriers have...??

look better in a junkyard, yet they biotch at you when you break down..!!!

a former driver of one of 'em, had told me some horror stories from his time at such a carrier, and i do know of the carrier he spoke of, which validated his claims.....( as he was not the only former driver i had come to know, with the same problems)
 
I looked online didn't seen any post office truck driving jobs in Cleveland. I would apply. I'm getting tired of all this COD crapola and since beer is retail stuffs, there is credits and other troubles. The minute you start having to pick up return items and giving credits and meddling with invoices is the minute problems start. Today I worked very hard to make sure that all my invoices and credits were good and still cashed out with some goofy variance that nobody could figure out. Running 3 loads a night from the main post office to the post office warehouse sounds good to me.

Actually the food haulers all tell me, go over to food, get out of beer and pop that stuff is murder.
 
Big Dave said:
Wait for Airbrakes. He's da postman.:)
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Yep, he's our resident MR. KNOW-IT-ALL (all about OTR [drove for c.r. england or u.s.express] as well U.S.P.S., weather reports, etc.).
- - - -

MikeJ,

Is food better?
Not from my perspective having done some runs.

Not many good gigs are advertised, they are usually offered in house or through friends and relatives, like in your case.

Check the Postal gig and good luck.

CHEERS!!
 
MikeJ said:
Hi everyone,

My name is Mike, some of you might know me, some of you may not, I'm over on the food carriers side of the forum. It's where I hang out because I work as a beer truck driver. There's a picture of a beer truck I used to drive on a route I used to cover. I have a new beer truck that I get to drive now, my new route has me totting a 14 bay no more convertible sideloader, which is good because grocery stores were starting to get on my nerves.


Any how today I was at convenient store making a delivery and a man asked me if I liked being a beer truck driver? I answered well, it's okay, the company I work for is a tad shaky, but the actual work isn't to bad, until I have to wrestle a keg or two of beer down some old ricket stairs then it becomes pretty scary sometimes.

Any how the man said to me that he works for the United States Postal Service and they are having a lot of retirements coming there way. He said Post Office management here in Cleveland is atrocious, but if you can manage to be invisible and do your job it's not a bad gig working for the post office driving one of there tractor trailers from the main sorting facility to one of the stations. This gentleman said he works at night and goes from down town Cleveland to Lakewood, Ohio 3 times a night. Said you have to roll the carts on and off the truck which is no big deal to me, I push a two wheeler all day long up and down steps, so what ever.

Any how what do you guys thing about working for the United States Postal Service, said there starting pay is $20.00 an hour which is more then I make right now anyhow. I know they drive tractor trailers and some B trucks too, I don't know what do you guys think, should I look into the post office?
Click to expand...
I know this was three ago but what did you do?
I'm starting next month with the USPS and I'm curious as hell as to what's going to happen
 
George David said:
I know this was three ago but what did you do?
I'm starting next month with the USPS and I'm curious as hell as to what's going to happen
Click to expand...
I didn't work directly for the Post Office, but for a contractor that did the same hauling that the postal drivers did, but it would depend on what shift you're working and chances are it would be either be an afternoon or midnight shift, afternoons you would make a couple of trips to postal stations and pickup the mail and packages they've collected during the day(collection mail), and then any other runs they have, midnights you'd be running mail out to the stations for them to deliver (dispatch mail) the next day, and sometimes depending on needs you might run a split shift. Thats pretty general but it depends on how big the service center is your working out of is and if it runs mail to a local airport.
 
kboomarang said:
I didn't work directly for the Post Office, but for a contractor that did the same hauling that the postal drivers did, but it would depend on what shift you're working and chances are it would be either be an afternoon or midnight shift, afternoons you would make a couple of trips to postal stations and pickup the mail and packages they've collected during the day(collection mail), and then any other runs they have, midnights you'd be running mail out to the stations for them to deliver (dispatch mail) the next day, and sometimes depending on needs you might run a split shift. Thats pretty general but it depends on how big the service center is your working out of is and if it runs mail to a local airport.
Click to expand...
From what I hear their (USPS) is doing away with the subcontractors. I'm in Las Vegas so the service center is huge. Not sure if Henderson or Boulder City or the outer city use that hub as well but I'll find out. 40 drivers are being hired I believe I'll be in the middle of that. I'm taking an hourly cut in pay but the reward is at the retirement end of the game.
 
I'm on the ltl side of things running linehaul and I love it. I never touch freight even tho I volunteer to help unload with a forklift if a terminal needs a hand but, well I suck at it so they respectfully decline my services. I worked for PFG slinging groceries and it was hands down the worst job I ever had and I work out, but delivering in NYC is an animal all its own. I have 2 friends that work for the post office and the starting pay isn't great but if u can survive to top scale it's very good and the benefits are real good. IMHO look into ltl
 
I would think you would make good money delivering beer. If your not happy delivering beer your sure not going to like foodservice over the long term.
 
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