Pros
The work was generally interesting. Going to new places performing new and often very challenging maneuvers to hit docks throughout the city kept work interesting. Fast pace work environment to get deliveries off in appointment windows and freight pickups before closing times. Management treated me very well, although other drivers and warehouse workers didn't feel the same. I personally had great opportunities to move up. Started as a forklift driver then dock lead position, then went on to dock to driver Trainee and then PUD driver. I wouldn't be sure where to go from the driver position though. And I couldn't imagine myself doing that alone for the rest of my life. You really have to be prepared to do anything to make deliveries. Hand unloading freight when liftgates are always in short supply got you up and working hard! Raises are very consistent and generous.
Cons
Limited opportunity to use vacation, long hours, inconsistent routes and frequent driving in extremely tight areas make work stressful. Addition of interior facing cameras in trucks and micromanagement of even the safest drivers was the real downfall to me. Constantly being pulled aside and critiqued for small driving errors was really bothersome. Saw a lot of people lose jobs over videos. For me I just knew I would rather leave on my own terms. Warehouse was typical for the industry, freight was often loaded poorly, not secured, damaged, or in an order that wasn't as efficent to run. Last delivery is often on the tail, first is often in the nose. Managing appointment windows can be difficult with poor loading practices. Some of the warehouse equipment was really junky. A lot of it was honestly unsafe and I often wondered how in this day and age a company can get away with a fleet of forklifts that have malfunctioning brakes, no lights, no working horns, often broken seatbelts and no functioning parking brakes can continually stay out of OSHAs view.
