driver

route driver

plant operator

event specialist

order picker

Smith Brothers Farms

I’ve never written a review but today I have to.
Honestly my first red flag should have been at my interview when I was “greeted” by the employee at the front desk, worst people skills I’ve ever seen with a cringing attitude towards greeting people.

On to the job:
If you have a busy family life this probably won’t be a good fit. If you’re young and have no responsibilities outside of yourself and willing to put up with disorganization and willing to organize your route as you learn it this might be a great fit for you.
I’ve managed logistics companies and have grown them to maximize not only profit but customer experience.
I witnessed one of the drivers go above and beyond for a handicapped customer and Managment admitted to not going that extra mile for this same customer when they covered the drivers route. This is the same person that interviewed me and I quote said “we are customer first, we should go the extra mile” at my interview and again during training. I was shocked to see their reaction to the drivers incredible work.
What was mind blowing on the logistics side of the company was their inconsistent route planning and lack of route efficiency.
Most drivers have created an efficient way to not only save time but also the company money on fuel by not following the route in the order the company has on their tablets which has drivers crisscrossing accross town wasting time. To put this into perspective they want you to do 15-20 stops per hour, if the stops on the tablet were managed correctly that would be doable no problem with the average drive time per stop being 3 min. Instead due to route inefficiency it’s more like 5-6 min average drive time which adds to your average stop time for picking an order.
Again those who hit that mark managed to go out of their way and figure out how to make their routes more effective, which is not in their job description to work out logistics and really all it would take for Managment is to collaborate with their team (drivers) to create the most efficient routes possible.
I did this for a living, proper routes not only saves money on fuel but it will also save these drivers on commission time and money as well, not to mention customers will get their orders in a more timely matter reducing the time product is in a truck.
It was clear to me that Managment does not care about making your work day efficient, they only care about making their own work day easier. I took this job because I wanted to challenge myself and work from ground up again. I could have easily gotten a job managing a different logistics company with my proven record of helping companies grow and did so by turning down other offers, but I decided to take this job based on the family values and the connection to the public the company presented itself to having , only to find out it was all a front to hire people due to their inability to retain employees. Times have changed from the nostalgic Alpenrose brand that most people have raved about, it’s sad to say that those values they used to carry are no longer there.
Turn over rate is astronomical, all drivers, and I mean ALL are upset and unhappy with Managment which is honestly not a good look for a company who’s customers want to see the same friendly face at their doorstep.
Communication about how this job really works is not expressed in your interview or during your training. I would ask as many questions as possible that pertains to your life style and make sure you get answers.
The pay is good for those with a full route, again the hours for someone that doesn’t have a busy home life (they won’t tell you that) and ready to work hard this might be a good fit. Other drivers and people at the dairy for the most part are great so you will enjoy them.
It’s honest work and you’re dealing with some amazing customers that could make it worthwhile

I started with Smith Brothers in September of 2010 at 70% pay. By March 2011 I made it to 100% pay, which could have taken 18 months at the minimum advancement of 10% every 6 months. 100% pay was $23.37 an hour with .25 cents for work performed between 6pm and 6am.
Just about everybody starts work on the front dock, except if they have a pasteurizer's card, which may land them a job on days, if no other qualified person has seniority. The plant is union, but the delivery drivers and office staff are not. Do not expect any help from the union when you have problems with management, which will come up, because the union rep is inept.
Management is a joke, all around, especially on nights. Most of the upper management has direct ties to the original Smith brothers, either by direct descent or marriage, so don't expect to advance much higher than foreman, but only if you are very good at brown-nosing.
The night dock management is a direct result of fighting and backbiting. None of the management staff has a clue, and the manager has never delivered milk or done any of the tasks he expects his crew to do flawlessly. Flawless is a relative term, because one can perform mediocre if they inform on the rest of the crew, brown-nose, or intimidate the manager.
A typical night usually involved waiting on other people to finish their work without being able to help much due to space; having to perform at breakneck speeds to get the job done in the time allotted and finally being able to have some good conversation with the independent drivers while I loaded their milk trucks, only to be chewed out by some cranky back dock worker for something out of my control.
In short, don't work for Smith Brothers Farms because they will probably sell to Darigold in a couple of years and your job will be absorbed by someone already employed by Darigold. The pay is good, but management is terrible, and there is not much room for advancement anyway. Even if you do make it up the ladder a rung or two, you will be brought down by the next person to sell out for a day job and a few more cents an hour.

Working at Smith Brothers Farms was a great experience and has developed in me a stronger sense of consumer needs in the retail business. Grass roots selling at all of the local farmers markets, D2D canvassing and over 200 events yearly kept us running at all times.

Smith Brothers Farms is still family owned and driven to bring households, the top products from Milk to Bake goods available in the market today. 

I truly appreciated my time with Smith Brothers Farms and if your looking for a company that wants to grow, move and looking for non-stop production then I would encourage you to apply with SBF.

The sales department truly is grass roots and hitting the streets, communities and events. Selling right at the table and at the door. Friendly staff and a Management team that pushes excellence at all times.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working alone and 4 days a week. Customers are great and will love you for your service and dedication. Pay could be better but if you’re young and wanna stay young this is a good career. I enjoyed being a milkman but don’t bring personal life to work or it will effect everything. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Driving distance and being mentally prepared on a daily basis. You have to be a self motivated individual for a job like this. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work is work. I did my best to stay low key through my time. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Wake up early, drive to work. Check load before you take off to your route. Deliver to customer milk boxes. Return to depot, off load creates and done deal. I left some things out but it’s not rocket science lol.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Not much! If your on the operations side of the business weather in the plant, on the warehouse floor, or delivering, your treated like your expendable 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The lack of following FDA, FSMA and OSHA policies and regulations. Worried about making customers sick due to bad milk.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Back stabbing, careless, and a lack of accountability 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Maintain product flow from production to cooler if space is available to load out of trucks

So glad I applied a few months ago for a part time job w/ SBF  doing summer events and farmers markets. Not only is it a fun job, but the complete office staff overall are very welcoming and helpful. The products sell themselves, and its great to hear current customers talk about how much they love the products, and Milkman!  Oh, and I get to drive a Cow Car! How cool is THAT? People honk and wave at you with a big smile on their face and give you a thumbs up. Best part time job ever!

Positive thing I can say is all the milkman are friendly as they know it’s hard back breaking work. A lot of injury risk. The cons are a lot to list but if you have a family then this is not the workplace for you. Newer Customers will nearly complain about every single thing to get free delivery leaving you with a bad performance review. A lot of favoritism in this company for brown nosers. Pay is not enough regardless of what they tell you. 

I appreciate the family business values, support from management, strong brand awareness in my sales efforts, and that the community gives us extremely high customer satisfaction ratings. The culture on the sales team is competitive but we're supportive of each other. The company culture is friendly, supportive, and we all strive to do well. We have a diverse workforce where people feel valued as individuals, teams work well together, and we celebrate accomplishments together.

Serving the Puget Sound area since 1920.  This family owned business has succeeded where many have failed.  Still delivering high quality products to your door.  
Also a well run production facility producing dairy products for manufacturing and distributors in Washington and Oregon.

Company culture is positive and being a part of the sales team is fulfilling work. We're helping families receive fresh, wholesome dairy products and hand-picked, locally sourced food every week! I enjoy meeting new people and helping them sign up for our service at community events. It's also great to talk with customers and hear how they love their milkman.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Driver 1 salary reported	$30.00 per hour
Route driver 5 salaries reported	$60,000 per year
Plant operator 2 salaries reported	$29.00 per hour
Event specialist 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Order picker 2 salaries reported	$30.00 per hour

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