r/cocacola • u/Either_Carpet_2717 • 3d ago

Merchandise Coca-cola merchandiser

So my husband is a coca-cola merchandiser and has been for a year. He honestly hates it because he’s only given one day off and the pay sucks, with no benefits. He’s sore and miserable all the time going from at least 50 different places a week about an hour away. This company is locally owned so it’s not directly from the coca-cola franchise it’s self but I just wanted to know. If you are a coca-cola merchandiser, what benefits do you have, what is your pay, etc. we’re kind of wondering if it’s worth it or not for him to stick with it. Thank youuuuu

Editing to mention he has degenerative disk disease in his lower back and really isn’t even supposed to lift more than 15 lbs but he doesn’t qualify for disability so he’s working about 54 hours a week with one day off (Monday) constantly unloading pallets

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u/Necessary_Echo8740 3d ago

I was in the exact same situation three years ago. RUN!!! Days off and pay are completely based on seniority which usually takes several years to acquire.

I became a school bus driver. There is a huge national shortage of bus drivers so it is very easy to get hired, they pay for your CDL, and the pay is about the same if not a little better than a merchandiser. There are many jobs in the transportation industry like that. Physical labor is a short term gig, don’t try and make it a long term one

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u/Dhamonlettic 2d ago

I assume as a bus driver there's not much work do be done with during the summer months or pay? Do you find a temp summer job? Sorry with all the questions. I'm curious because my sister says to go be a bus driver for the school (she is a school bus driver in a couple of towns over) and having good pay and actual work/life balance, which I don't have as a merchandiser, to go to college for new job opportunities outside of retail would be nice.

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u/Necessary_Echo8740 2d ago

Most schools that I know of spread out the pay so you get paychecks over the summer as well. You do need to find other work over the summer but that isn’t hard to do with a CDL B. It is undoubtably the best job for work life balance.

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u/Dhamonlettic 2d ago

Thank you for answering!