My Experience with Delivering Phone Books

[Canine]

A booklet of addresses is issued which directs you where to go and how many to deliver. A vehicle is required. It is an independent contractor position.

The company checked only my driver's license and SS card.

While I didn't try to hammer these routes out, I was putting in some effort.

I did two routes. The first one had a lot of businesses in the route with the residential parts being near the edge of town and was a large route. It included the mall. While that was very congested, my list wasn't in alphabetical order and many businesses had come and gone which was a pain in the keester. The rest of the route was spread out. Took me 22 hours to complete for $137.00. That is less than $6.00/hour not including fuel costs and taxes. Lol.

The second route (an area near downtown) took about 12 hours and paid $110.00. It had a few businesses with mostly residential. That's about $9.00/hour. It was physically easier, too.

The pay is poor, but it is better than nothing and that may help someone needing a few dollars.

If I were to do it again, I would choose a residential area closer to downtown because those houses are crammed together. Getting a name for every delivery kills your speed. Delivering in the residential suburbs means longer distances between houses. The company I worked for didn't deliver to apartments, so be aware of that.

This is one of those jobs that probably will be obsolete in a few years, but it's here for now.

 

[BradKW]

heh...who knew there were still phone books around? I haven't seen one in years...

 

[GotSmart]

I tried doing that in the Ozarks.  I got dog bit and shot at.  

I had much better luck with the Census. I was only threatened. 

Hillfolk like their privacy.   :dodgy:

 

[Canine]

I tried doing that in the Ozarks.  I got dog bit and shot at.  

I had much better luck with the Census. I was only threatened. 

Hillfolk like their privacy.   :dodgy:

Lol. I think the problem wasn't privacy so much as they recognized that you hadn't married your sibling and that's why they shot at you.

I've spoken to a couple different guys doing the census. While they didn't go into detail, they made it clear they had many stories to tell from their adventures.

 

[GotSmart]

Lol. I think the problem wasn't privacy so much as they recognized that you hadn't married your sibling and that's why they shot at you.

I've spoken to a couple different guys doing the census. While they didn't go into detail, they made it clear they had many stories to tell from their adventures.

WHOOOO~~~  I can tell you stories that would curdle yer blood!   :s

I was not far enough out for the shiners, but the meth cooks ~~~  

The first and last thing said at every meeting.  "If you smell chemicals, get out of there!"  :dodgy:

 

[Reducto]

I did that a couple of times 20+ years ago when I was a broke student. It was a small town so the operation was small - they set up a temporary office in a motel room and we got to pick the routes we wanted, first come first serve. Each were labeled with a price along with how many books and how many miles long or something like that. It was tiring for sure lugging those things around.

I learned to avoid trailer parks. Too many dogs and too many people freaking out when I knocked on their door, which we were required to.

 

[bigsallysmom]

Where I lived in Texas they didn't go to the front door. They threw them out the window. Same thing here in NM. It shows up in the drive way. Considering half the people here are only warm weather residents the book just stays there until some irritated neighbor or trash picker upper picks it up.
A pox on anyone who gets paid to trash my hamlet.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

This is one of those jobs that probably will be obsolete in a few years, but it's here for now.

I don't know.  Phone companies are regulated in most - if not all - states by a Public Service Commission or suchlike.  Might could be that the phone companies are REQUIRED to publish phone books by the bureaucrats.  If that's the case, I'm sure they will still be publishing them a hundred years from now . . .

Regards
John

 

[Canine]

A pox on anyone who gets paid to trash my hamlet.

Throwing them on the ground is laziness. I won't throw a book on the ground at someone else's expense. Yes, it would mean the difference between $7/hour and $10/hour, but not if it basically means littering.

We didn't have to knock on the door of residents. Different companies have different rules and they change over the years. If I had to knock on the door of everyone, there would be no way I would do it. Too much time to do that!!

And not as safe, either- ask the census guy/gals.

 

[Almost There]

Haha!

The telephone books get delivered in our area round about the 2nd week of January.

Several have been found after they got sucked up in someones' snow blower. Hint - they do major damage to anything but the heaviest of snowblowers!

The rest are usually found about the second week of May after the snow bank finally melts...

I lived in a century old building that had been converted to 4 apartments. The delivery guy never left more than 1 telephone book. Good thing I was in the telecommunications business and could get spare copies of the local directories - I always let one of the other tenants (usually the newest one) get the new book.

When I moved out I left the telephone books for the next tenant, hopefully they appreciate them! If they don't in the beginning, they might come January...

 

[darude]

they still publish phone books?? lol. I haven't gotten one in years!! I just go online to find a phone number. though I do tend to agree that job will be outdated in a few years. if you think about it the way American's are going a lot more jobs will be disappearing and be replaced with computers and robotics and or some kind of smart tech device since they want to moan about higher wages. when I was in france most resturants had kiosks in them and about half of the hired help!! and then one they get there minimum wage increase what makes think for a minute that everything will be roses when there forgetting about inflation!! not to be rude but most americans have become lazy they need push button this and push button that!!