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Strategies to get faster at USFOODS two weeks from 90 days.

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donvineland

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Four of us left red soda for USFoods ,i am the only one struggling two weeks from ninety days. I need any advice or input that would make me faster. I have done soda for ten years, thought this would be easier but it is not. Please i need strategical information on the things i might try to complete routes faster. So far i have tried these strategies with limited results. (1) Two hand trucks (2)running (3) stacking products at back door ,at 2nd door on right,(4) stacking as much on the hand truck as possible and finally breaking pallets down for the next stop . Please note most times i will not have a hand jack nor a power jack. Most times at my first stop Xata says i am behind. I want this job any suggestion will be appreciated . I am out of a south Jersey yard.
 
While I haven't work for US, I did do 10 years throwing on a 2 wheeler, first 90 days is just not enough time to get dialed in at any job, 6 months to a year is being real, and being a new guy I'm sure your getting bounced around route wise, not easy, secondly the cube/piece count, stops or what ever may be the same on 2 different routes but I'll guarantee you one route will be easier and faster, Xata at least where I was used, yes to keep logs, but more as a tool for the dispatcher to set routes and times, often times the windows are just not right for the driver but worked for dispatch. But real the key to be good is being safe,accurate, giving the customer good service, speed will follow. And I'm sure somebody else will also tell you, you'll never be the fastest or should you want to be. As long as your trying your best and doing a good safe job and taking care of your customers you shouldn't worry. Sorry if I piped up where I don't belong.
 
Mr. arang..lol speaks the truth! 90 days isn't enough time! by now you should be recognizing the product, learning the system, but thats just the start of things, I know at PFG it was a full 6 months and then some before I started knocking it out of the park, same with Sysco, product recognition is a big deal, that helps you know exactly what to dig for when you see it on your scanner.

Nothing one man does will work for everyone, I have worked with alot of guys, and I try to take something from all of them, what will happen is you will fall into your style, what works for you! Mgmt knows this, they are just trying to push! Just be safe, damage free, if you get frustrated, stop, take a breath and continue on, for me personally, I always told the new guys, whatever you do, keep moving, keep doing something, always move, that was the key to my success, that and falling into my style of delivery, it will come to you Brother, just be patient!

Kboomarang, you have alot of experience and alot to give, I wish you would be on this forum more! Your always welcome here!

GT
 
Donvineland

BTW, USF ain't gonna let you go if they see you are trying, its to hard to get good men doing this work, just keep a great attitude, and try hard, I'm sure your better now than you were your first day right? Probably alot better, if they make threats just ask to sit down with one of them so they can coach you on how to do better, thats an old trick, it strokes their ego, you get your time in, get into the union and your set! South Jersey, I'm hoping your union! I mean I know you want to get better, we all do, and it will come, as long as you pay attention to what your doing, also, ask to go on a route with one of the fast guys at your yard, take some lessons and apply them to your work habits.
 
Thanks GT, I still lurk in this forum and hope to pipe in from time to time, and try to help out with general questions.
 
Let's see, been doing this for 12 years, it took many years for me to get where I am today in speed but yet, some days I can not unload some stops in the time my Cadec says it should take me. Why? Because the computer lies! It bases the time off the cubes of the stop. It DOES NOT take into account 1) distance from trailer to door, 2) steps, 3) digging for the product because a blind monkey built the pallet, 4)waiting to get checked in, 5) waisting for cash or check, 6) many other things that delay us on a daily basis. The company pays me to do a job and that job is to deliver the right product to the customer, give the customer great service, and keep the damm fenders on the truck(a quote from my boss, lol). I am not paid to race around town putting myself, the public and my body in danger. If US Foods is that anal that you must meet a certain speed in 90 days, they are dreaming. Hell, we give guys 6 months and after 6 months some are still slower then molasses but yet still have jobs.
 
Im not young. I turn 27 next week. When I was 19 when I first started throwing groceries I could really move. Now I'm not very fast except when I need to be
 
Moneyman01 said:
Im not young. I turn 27 next week. When I was 19 when I first started throwing groceries I could really move. Now I'm not very fast except when I need to be
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27, man your a baby...you will think the same when your are 46, at least now I ain't got sumyoungguy in me...damn I gotta spell it out bro! You didn't get it at all!
 
Doveline, it the same way with everyone not just you, like grocerythrower said product knowledge is the key..when your are getting put on different routes
its hard to realize what a customer is getting..meaning that when you get a steady route you just about know what your regular customer order and it will be
second nature to grab those cases. Me seeing that its frustrating you are gonna b a good driver don't give up.. just like the previous drivers said about 6 months
you will be just fine. I started foodservice with performance food group 7 years ago but I am with merchants foodservice now, but I used to go out with 800 case and would literally take me all day, late at every stop, now 800 case start at 530 done at home by 2 no problem.
 
grocerythrower said:
I really do believe that 6 months is the magic number. At least from what I have seen and experienced.
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6 months is the magic number where most USF drivers realize how full of $hit this company really is and start doing what they can, at whatever speed they can. moving 7-10 tons of food EVERY day off a ramp is no cakewalk, and none of these companies get it. Sysco has a worse reputation around western NY than US does, if that tells you anything. I guess Sysco guys are coming back and quitting halfway into their first week when they keep getting slammed with 1000 case days. 1000 cases a day? all off the ramp?

I think these companies are in collusion on a way to squeeze every bit of life out of a battery, er, I mean driver.....
 
buffalobill said:
6 months is the magic number where most USF drivers realize how full of $hit this company really is and start doing what they can, at whatever speed they can. moving 7-10 tons of food EVERY day off a ramp is no cakewalk, and none of these companies get it. Sysco has a worse reputation around western NY than US does, if that tells you anything. I guess Sysco guys are coming back and quitting halfway into their first week when they keep getting slammed with 1000 case days. 1000 cases a day? all off the ramp?

I think these companies are in collusion on a way to squeeze every bit of life out of a battery, er, I mean driver.....
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I know Bill, our guys are moving 800-1000 and more down the ramp every day, I felt great, I mean great before I came to Sysco, 3 yrs later I'm on shuttle for good, if I ever get bid out of it I doubt I will last 6 months, IDK why Sysco can't get folks, we have hired a few, but not nearly enough, I just hope they work out, all of our new hires in the last 2 years have stayed, all except 1 and he brought 12 stops and several hundred cases back to the yard and said he was done..LOL.
 
lol, Sysco and us foods both cant get guys, because no one wants to be run to death! it would take 10 or more guys, AND EQUIPMENT, to get routes to a reasonable level. and since drivers, warehousemen, and equipment aren't free, there is no way they would do that.

my advice for the OP, get your union contract, make friends with the stewards, and figure out who the guys you can trust are. around my dumbass barn, there are a bunch of kiss asses who are willing to throw you under the bus just to make themselves look good. don't talk to those guys, don't give them any ammo to use against you....I've seen your contract(i'm assuming Swedesboro?), its a good one, use it to your advantage. as long as you show up every day and want to work, they cant fire you for petty stuff.
 
When I worked at Apperts we went out with a average of 500-600 cases a day. I went out with as little as 200 cases. Some routes do have 1000 cases or more but not many. My WI route I had I left with a average of 800-1000 cases. It was a layover route but I would only have about 100 cases to do the next day. Man I loved that route tho. I couldn't imagine 1000 cases every single day. Thats alot but if you're paid by the case I guess it would be nice. I do miss doing food sometimes tho.
 
Update

Thanks to all of you that replied. Here is an update. Yesterday i was really pushing it on both sides especially the driving. I had a few near missies . I was trying to keep up with the Xata or planned times. I will have to calm down and put things in perspective. A accident or life is not worth this bull****. On the hand truck side i was also running. I may have lucked on to something. I cant prove if its faster but it sure felt easier. The scanner had a very weak battery so between chargings in the truck,i had to use it as few times as possible. Due to this fact, i made several upright stacks on the truck floor and was able to scan as many cases at once. Afterwhich, i would shut the scanner power off and then scoop these individuals stacks on my handtruck and run. This process felt faster but i am not sure it was. When i checked the Xata it said i was falling behind even more. However, later in the day when the scanner was sufficiently charged; i went back to the process of throwing stacks on the handtruck, scanning and running. it did not feel faster but the Xata said i wasnt losing anymore time. So now iam pondering which process to stick with. I was very surprised to see ,that the Xata said i was on time as i was only behind by fifteen minutes behind rather than the hour and half it had me by all day. Due to the dispatcher being very busy i was unable to get a break down of the stop times and drive times.
 
donvineland said:
Thanks to all of you that replied. Here is an update. Yesterday i was really pushing it on both sides especially the driving. I had a few near missies . I was trying to keep up with the Xata or planned times. I will have to calm down and put things in perspective. A accident or life is not worth this bull****. On the hand truck side i was also running. I may have lucked on to something. I cant prove if its faster but it sure felt easier. The scanner had a very weak battery so between chargings in the truck,i had to use it as few times as possible. Due to this fact, i made several upright stacks on the truck floor and was able to scan as many cases at once. Afterwhich, i would shut the scanner power off and then scoop these individuals stacks on my handtruck and run. This process felt faster but i am not sure it was. When i checked the Xata it said i was falling behind even more. However, later in the day when the scanner was sufficiently charged; i went back to the process of throwing stacks on the handtruck, scanning and running. it did not feel faster but the Xata said i wasnt losing anymore time. So now iam pondering which process to stick with. I was very surprised to see ,that the Xata said i was on time as i was only behind by fifteen minutes behind rather than the hour and half it had me by all day. Due to the dispatcher being very busy i was unable to get a break down of the stop times and drive times.
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Good deal, but don't go by XATA, those routers will give you a stop with 200 cases and route it for 30 min to get the route off their screen and under the required DOT hrs limit, I have been routed out for 10 hrs and it took 15, I wasn't a chump when I was delivering, I knew what I was doing, BTW, PFG did the same thing.

Your doing great, and you will only get better! Don't rush, have a sense of urgency but don't get stupid, thats when you make mistakes and it will wind up costing you more time! Don't have an accident, I found that when I relax and take an attitude that I will keep a pace, my pace, and just keep moving, talk to my customers and enjoy the day, I got done faster!

Your customers aren't stupid, they have seen every type of driver, if you are patient with the ones that are busy, next time they might just drop what they are doing to deal with you. My first rule was to have a sense of urgency but not to rush my customer, just chill and it will get done, you might just make great friends, some of them may become life long friends.
 
GT hit it on the head, routing first off does not allow enough time for drive-times or delivery time, my route that I ran on friday I would spend an hour and half minimum just getting from stop to stop, getting in and out of stops, and that was about 15 miles of distance. You will spend far more time with your customers than the office crowd, take care of them and they will take care of you, the office types can take care of themselves. And just relax, stay aware give your self time to get into the groove and getting down what works for you, and it won't be long that a watch or clock will be letting you know how the day is going not XATA.Lastly be careful, you may think being in hurry and going fast is doing a good job for company, but it's your CDL and your body, if you crack-up or get hurt, they will let you own that, because I never seen anybody but the driver be faulted for either. Relax, Be Smart, Work and Drive Safe, and Enjoy.
 
donvineland said:
Four of us left red soda for USFoods ,i am the only one struggling two weeks from ninety days. I need any advice or input that would make me faster. I have done soda for ten years, thought this would be easier but it is not. Please i need strategical information on the things i might try to complete routes faster. So far i have tried these strategies with limited results. (1) Two hand trucks (2)running (3) stacking products at back door ,at 2nd door on right,(4) stacking as much on the hand truck as possible and finally breaking pallets down for the next stop . Please note most times i will not have a hand jack nor a power jack. Most times at my first stop Xata says i am behind. I want this job any suggestion will be appreciated . I am out of a south Jersey yard.
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I am on the other end of this type of work, I have two knees that are gone, a crippled left foot and shoulders that ache all the time. What you have to do to survive it is to adjust your method as you go. If you are wearing ear buds and listening to music while you work (and I know you may not be doing that) take 'em out and pay attention to anything that is slowing you down or causing you to add steps to your job. You have to pay attention to anything that may be adding to your delivery time, you have to think two steps ahead you can't afford to have to do someone elses job. The boneheads in the warehouse aren't going to help you either. If you are older than most of the guys then you are going to have to be smarter than them to keep up. What they lack in wisdom they make up for in energy. If you are younger than those you work with, learn from them. Get the inside track on how they do it without killing themselves.

It is just a tuff way to make a living.
 
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