Life at my new job

[Gig-O-Ram]

What's up all? I know it's been a while since I've posted here, but that's due in part to my new job. I can't remember if I've mentioned my job or not, but I managed to get on with Pepsi Bottling as a driver, and I've worked over 120 hours in the last two weeks alone. I'm going into my fourth week with Pepsi, and I think I chose the wrong time to start working there, because not only is summer their busiest part of the year, the facility I work at lost almost half a dozen drivers in one week, (guys quit or got fired) and me and my training partner have been getting slammed pretty hard with work. So much so, that there's been no time for any real job training. It's just been a matter of getting the work done. One of the guys who doesn't work there anymore got arrested because D.O.T. checked his licence and found warrants on him. That one was brilliant...

So, well if anyone has ever considered driving for Pepsi, it's harder than it looks. The delivery of the soda and stuff in itself isn't so bad once you get a handle on all the products, but the paperwork procedures and use of a handheld computer all day for one thing or another makes the job more complex than it needs to be, but I figure I'll get it sooner or later. Not to mention the "out of town" routes that basically take me into some of the most rural areas I've ever seen - like places where there's a market that is the only structure on the highway in the middle of nowhere, or these places that have never heard of a paved parking lot.

At this point, I'm on the fence on whether to keep the job. The intensity of the work, the long hours (I'm told it will slow down soon) the lack of training so far (which will make going it alone really fun), the base+commission pay... I'll have to see how it goes. People tell me that Pepsi is a great company to work for, but whether it works out for me or not remains to be seen.

[halutzparilla]

thats a major bummer, at least you got a job... my wife just quit her job coz of a screaming freak boss of her, now she is looking for another one, well i'll be pulling my leg again for graveyards plus reviewing for my upcoming licensure exam, major bummer. if i dont pass this exam for the fourth time, it will be harder for my to live in NY, rent is ridiculously high, plus groceries and taxes, not to mention the Taxes getting deducted from my gross income. darn sometimes i just want to bang my head to the wall... i barely fit my money to our bills... oh well just my $0.02...

[Gig-O-Ram]

Ridiculously high rent is one of the reasons I left California. It is true, though that I have a job now...I've been trying to tell myself that I should give it a chance and not just give up, you know? I'm sorry to hear about your wife's job problems. The good part at this point is that I'm still "in training", and as such I get an hourly rate and can actually make more $$ than the guy who's training me. After I go out on my own, I go to a base rate + commission per case. It's like $475 base, and $0.09 per case. But when you look at the number of cases to be delivered, it works out to about $80 or $90 a day. They also do this weird "variable rate overtime" thing. How I long for the days of getting hourly plus overtime.

[halutzparilla]

just another two cent on my previous Old Job,
well to cut story short, problem arised from Workers Union and LPN[license pratical nurse] of our agency, allegedly the facility ain't supposed to hire agency LPN, rather negotiate with Workers Union to hire from outside as per their contract.

so me and bunch full of LPN from the agency got stuck in this petty quarrel between the Facility and Workers Union, to aviod further conflict, all agency LPN decided to quit, this happened almost 2 years ago. then i was with no job all my savings are drying up, for 4 months, no facility want to hire me, no agency can find placement for me, until i finally found this decent Agency gave me a decent pay well i can say enough to live for me and my wife, but not enough if a sudden emergency arise, so i stayed with the agency and my worked too... so now the delima was posted on my previous post...

work work work nver ending work...

Two Cent of Hal

[Quakindude]

Yeah, but is the pay worth the effort?

In any new job, there's going to be growing pains as you well know. Sounds like you've got your head on pretty good about the whole thing, but the hours and shortage of manpower is whipping your ass. Stay in there if the money is good enough. You're daily job, once it slows down a bit, will be fantastic. New scenery every day, interacting with various people, not glued in a chair in an office. Sounds like something I'd enjoy!

[halutzparilla]

your work pay sound good but it also sound like you have to put a lot of muscle to get extra pay on those loads of cases... just be extra careful while driving
money aint worth if you dead you know

[Gig-O-Ram]

From what I've been told, things will really calm down after Sept 10th, when the New Mexico State Fair comes to town. It doesn't make much sense why things would slow down with all the people who would go to the fair, but I guess it's like that every year. And, it looks like they want to cut me loose on my own next week, with 300-400 cases (instead of 800-1000 cases) and only a few stops, so I can get a feel for it. I still barely know what I'm doing at this point, but hopefully they'll keep to what they say so I can take some time to think about what I'm doing. I really do want the job to work out, because looking for a job is a p.i.t.a.

[Yellowhello]

Well, at least your getting money somehow. Good luck in whatever road you take.

[Gig-O-Ram]

Thanks. I did get paid today, and though the work and hours last week were a killer, the paycheck sure did look good.

[halutzparilla]

i dont work long hours like you , but my job is hazardous with it comes to catching those illness my residents have, and plus the fact i also do wound care where their bed sores are rotting like hell with the smell i feel the only missing is the maggots...

every job have its drawback...