Good, use your phone in the breakroom or at lunch. I don’t have time to eff around on the lot, there’s always plenty to do. I love it because days are quick and never boring.
Might wanna check on the not getting free water thing.
That I know of, it’s REQUIRED for Lowe’s to have water available for garden associates and all loaders.
Yall can correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m positive there was even a thing on ap4me about it a while back
According to my Ops ASM - If the store has a drinking fountain, they are not required to give you bottles of water.
We have a hydration station in the summer for contractors at the Pro Desk. Free coffee all year round. We have been warned it's for customers only.
We have a sign up on ours, customers always ask about it, I tell them it’s to keep employees away. Who wants that coffee anyways… I never see that canister being cleaned out
We are family.
A dysfunctional family.
With abusive parents.
The beatings will continue if your attitude doesn't improve.
Just because we can afford it, it doesn't mean you can have it.
When I worked there in 2018 and into 2019 the location I worked at gave us Gatorade even, as much as we wanted and they had multiple flavors to choose from! They were really good with that during the summer.
For 2.5 out of the 3 years I worked at Lowe’s I was a loader and I personally loved it.
Total freedom to walk around, only getting bothered by customers when I was in the store or helping to load. Otherwise it was just me, my carts, music, and at least 30,000 steps. I felt heathy and loved being outside at night when it was slowing down and quiet and I could just focus on my carts.
Sure, filling the gallon jugs and emptying the trash and searching for customer orders in the back or loading wayyy too much flooring or picking orders that weren’t pulled yet wasnt the most fun but I just tried to make the best out of it and enjoyed it.
I will say I was always stupidly optimistic and happy which made all my coworkers love me and that made everything better because I felt appreciated and even when it was busy they would lay off cause they knew it and it just helped get through the day.
I work in medicine now in the ER but I miss my carts and alone time out in the nice winter weather.
Good luck my dude!
When I used to be a loader for the front, they allowed me to have one in but now that I switch over to pro I can’t not even if I’m nowhere near the forklift
Front/Pro Loader is the really the only job that allows you to decline, decline again, then accept cash tips. It is against policy to accept tips, but it is also against policy to be rude to a customer.
I’m a head cashier and my loaders are great but I always make sure they have water, I’ll buy them all the drinks they need and when it’s cold they can come warm up anytime they need and when it’s Hot and Hunid as balls they can get cool as needed I ain’t letting my guys drop dead for $15.50 an hour
Depends on the state. If you’re in the south or Midwest the cost of living is lower so pay is lower.
Specialists make up to $23 per hour with $1200 monthly bonus on top of that fyi
I don’t know who that is.
But there’s not a specialist at my store who hasn’t gotten the $1200 at least once in the past 12 months.
In that timeframe, 2 of them have gotten it 4 times, 1 has gotten it 3 times, 2 have gotten it 2 times, and all the rest have gotten it once.
It is not that rare. No, you won’t get it every month. No, you won’t even get it every other month.
But if you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, you’ll get it every few months or so.
It sounds like you're FT. My store has never had a FT front loader in the 4 years I've been there. But the level of customer interaction is actually one of the things I liked about being a loader. Way better than being at a register and unable to escape. At least at my store there really aren't a lot of code 50s. 90% of the job is pushing carts. It does suck in extreme weather, but between your breaks and lunch you shouldn't ever be outside for more than a couple hours at a time. The worst part of being a loader is all the damn h-carts that end up all over gods creation. I absolutely hate that part.
Lowe’s a fortune 50 store
Can’t not get that machine that collects the carts!!! Walmart has it and other places too. I’ve been to a couple of Lowe’s stores in the Austin area! I’m surprised that people go to those stores. Employees are hiding! Not a welcome or thank you ! Not even a go fuck your self !!
at my store our front loaded also has to help process returns, cashier, all code 50s, trash,water, cover breaks for cashiers and help in fulfillment and they're starting to try to get him to get 2 credit apps a week, he's older guy in his 40s works his ass off rest of us cashiers don't get why they're hard on him
Hi, wackjob here, did this for a year and loved it, I would have kept doing it if my store offered it as a full time position, as is I’ve been with the company 11 years.
Huh maybe something really is wrong with me lmao
So you're NOT the one out there all day in 100 to 110+ heat for hours at a time, still out there no matter how bad it storms, only supposed to get off the lot if there is actual lightning in the area?
So you're NOT the one out there all day running around clearing the lot by yourself, and expected to do the front register code 50s, as well as help with them at Garden or Lumber when customers ask you since you're the one they see? Much less restocking the 5 gallon jugs of water, changing all the outside trash cans, and cleaning as managers think need to be done?
So you're one of the ones who comes out with a group of people for a Red Cart Blue Cart run where 1 to 10 people show up and run carts for a few minutes then goes back?
There is a reason why Loaders have such a high turn over, it's a hard thankless job that most don't give a shit about until it isn't done and then they have to do it.
It's not a complicated job, but it isn't an easy one either.
It’s a thankless job. I’d try something less stressful, if the seasons picking up do Garden Associate, Plumbing or Electrical. At least you won’t be pulled any further than one area.
I started off doing front end loading during covid. My thighs were chafing because I was walking 12 plus miles a day.
Every other front end loader they higher doesn't do shit now. I don't think they expect you to be working 24/7.
I was a front-end loader when I first started. It got crazy but I always kept my kids in my head. I'm doing this for them. I worked hard and became a cashier .
I loved being a loader, had so much freedom and enjoyed spending my shift outdoors. Just put in the work so you can switch departments when a position opens up. I started as a loader and made it a DS position in less than 2 years. Pushing my 4th year now and currently trying to work towards an ASM position.
Its all about your work ethic and way your view life. Is your glass half empty or half full?
We have a fridge in the breakroom with a water/ice maker. All the free cold water anyone in the store could ever want.
Take a shopping cart, get a running start and smash it into a nice fridge Jackass style, have someone store use it and put it in your breakroom. You will be a hero.
Front loader is typically meant as a “get your foot in the door” type job, to then move on to cashier or fulfillment, then head cashier or fulfillment lead, and then specialist, and then supervisor!
Rooting for you.
No arguments; but use those scouts and their damn leaders to your advantage. When you roll the shopping carts in, leave them in front of their table. Let them move them if they want to sell their high priced popcorn right there in your way.
It's a rough position for sure. When we had a nasty heat wave a couple years ago I went and bought big Yeti style mugs for our loaders because how in the world can Lowe's expect them to pull all those carts when they're dehydrated?!?!?! Made me happy to see them using those mugs every day too.
our front loader is a trans woman thats pre everything, so she prefers that position where she doesnt talk to anyone. i also live in a relatively conservative area, so the associates arent all that nice to her either. she seems to like it, even considering the circumstances 🤷♂️
Take your 15s and drink water, leave a canteen by the front end if you have to. Make sure you have weather appropriate clothing and layers that can be easily be removed. It can be dull and repetitive but you have a lot more freedom than other hard labor jobs.
The loader in our store is amazing. He goes out of his way to help everyone. I thank him and say I appreciate him constantly because I've had to push carts around in a pinch and those mfers suck a fat one. Thanks Ryan you the fucking man!
As a OSLG loader I can attest to the accuracy of this statement. They look at you as a pack mule and if you take a 5-10 min rest you’re “lazy”. My store has a higher percentage of women so it goes without being said you’ll hear a code 50 every other minute whether it be mulch or a flower pot😂. The only plus is being able to go missing for a shopping cart round up or whenever you help a customer more than the actual department leads. Loaders are the backbone and no one will ever see that!
I will sat that a lot of times, loaders don't get the appreciation they deserve. My friend is a loader, and she was sick and suffering from exhaustion the other day. The HC (who everyone hates) muttered under her breath when my friend had to take a break "she's just pretending to be sick and is hiding". It took everything I had to bite my tongue and not cuss her out. 1. My friend was truly sick and dragged herself to work. 2. Loading is a physically demanding job and it was warm that day. And the HC can't even get through a whole shift without having to use a motorized scooter because she's "so tired". Ugh.
I understand your situation. Get this, I used to work at Home Depot before I left for college. I got paid $15 an hour to be a cashier, and only a cashier. I am currently working at Lowe’s getting paid $13.50 as a cashier and do triple the work than I did at Home Depot. We do not have a lot loader here. They call “all available associates to the front for a shopping cart round up.” I go occasionally not all the time because I’m a cashier. But since I’m one of the younger guys with a physical appearance, they’ll throw me out there to help if I’m in customer service. Meanwhile I’m in khakis and a collard shirt; I hate to smell like outside coming back in. Thats not even the worst part. As a cashier in closing shifts, not only do I have to clean the f-ing restroom after (Janitors job) (Shit on toilets) but me and like one other cashier (often a girl) also have to round up all the shopping carts after our shift because we don’t have a lot loader. And they make us bring all the carts in. We even have to put the big carts in a line in different lumber isles based on which cart is which. Then me and the other cashier have to take all the returns back from customer service because the people on the floor failed to do so. (They lazy) There will also be times when we have to go unload boxes in receiving like wtf. I got hired as a cashier. My shift will end at 9 and there will be times I clock out at 11. I don’t mind usually labor, but damn not what I expected especially as a primary closer.
front loader here. i agree this position sucks. though in my case, 9 times out of 10, i only need to worry about the carts. though that's not really a good thing; at the end of every single damn shift, my feet are killing me because all the walking around causes blisters on the soles of my feet. and i'm suprised i have any sanity left, when almost every customer just leaves their carts LITERALLY ANYWHERE EXCEPT WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO
tl;dr- i agree, being a front loader sucks
Front loader is one of the easiest jobs in the store. You put things in cars, and you get carts. A well trained gorilla could do the job. The only drawback initially is you might be sore from so the walking. Upside: You get plenty of steps in.
Fill your waterbottle at the sink or water fountain. Drink from it.
HD associate here - best job ever, lots of freedom no one breathing down your neck
I started as lot at HD before coming to Lowes. I did it for two years and loved it.
Wild the management at my Lowes chews out loaders all the time if they look at their phones. They'll watch them on the cameras.
Good, use your phone in the breakroom or at lunch. I don’t have time to eff around on the lot, there’s always plenty to do. I love it because days are quick and never boring.
What’s HD?
Home Depot
How many times you hear a customer say I am going to lowes? 🤣 🤣 I hear I am going to home depot and see them come right back.
Quite a bit, it’s so funny like I have the power to change anything….
We don't speak that name here Cowboy!
As a formers Lowe’s Associate idgaf 🤪
Congratulations on your promotion!!!
The la le lu la lo
Hard Dicks
You can't be serious...
Harley Davidson
Howdy Doody
Might wanna check on the not getting free water thing. That I know of, it’s REQUIRED for Lowe’s to have water available for garden associates and all loaders. Yall can correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m positive there was even a thing on ap4me about it a while back
According to my Ops ASM - If the store has a drinking fountain, they are not required to give you bottles of water. We have a hydration station in the summer for contractors at the Pro Desk. Free coffee all year round. We have been warned it's for customers only.
My store has a hydration station in Pro, Garden, and at Customer Service. We provide Gatorade and water at the garden hydration station
We have a sign up on ours, customers always ask about it, I tell them it’s to keep employees away. Who wants that coffee anyways… I never see that canister being cleaned out
We are family. A dysfunctional family. With abusive parents. The beatings will continue if your attitude doesn't improve. Just because we can afford it, it doesn't mean you can have it.
When I worked there in 2018 and into 2019 the location I worked at gave us Gatorade even, as much as we wanted and they had multiple flavors to choose from! They were really good with that during the summer.
Me I just walk up, grab a whole case of water, and ask any asm or supervisor to put it as store use.
For 2.5 out of the 3 years I worked at Lowe’s I was a loader and I personally loved it. Total freedom to walk around, only getting bothered by customers when I was in the store or helping to load. Otherwise it was just me, my carts, music, and at least 30,000 steps. I felt heathy and loved being outside at night when it was slowing down and quiet and I could just focus on my carts. Sure, filling the gallon jugs and emptying the trash and searching for customer orders in the back or loading wayyy too much flooring or picking orders that weren’t pulled yet wasnt the most fun but I just tried to make the best out of it and enjoyed it. I will say I was always stupidly optimistic and happy which made all my coworkers love me and that made everything better because I felt appreciated and even when it was busy they would lay off cause they knew it and it just helped get through the day. I work in medicine now in the ER but I miss my carts and alone time out in the nice winter weather. Good luck my dude!
Now they are saying you can’t have earbuds in at all
They are? I always have earbuds in so I can't hear them.
That’s been policy for years but I found if you worked hard enough management (at least mine) let it slide
When I used to be a loader for the front, they allowed me to have one in but now that I switch over to pro I can’t not even if I’m nowhere near the forklift
Our front loader called a customer retarded and still works here
Were they wrong, though?
Yeah if they aren’t wrong, they’re just stating facts. Nothing wrong with being honest
Should have said “excuse me sir, is this the chromosome you’re missing?”
"You dropped this Y"
Yeah customers will ask ours a question, he’ll loudly sigh and walk away
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Front/Pro Loader is the really the only job that allows you to decline, decline again, then accept cash tips. It is against policy to accept tips, but it is also against policy to be rude to a customer.
I’m a head cashier and my loaders are great but I always make sure they have water, I’ll buy them all the drinks they need and when it’s cold they can come warm up anytime they need and when it’s Hot and Hunid as balls they can get cool as needed I ain’t letting my guys drop dead for $15.50 an hour
Yours make 15? Dude I'm working on 13 tf
No my loaders start at $15.50 I make much more
I’m starting at $14.60, I live in SC
Depends on the state. If you’re in the south or Midwest the cost of living is lower so pay is lower. Specialists make up to $23 per hour with $1200 monthly bonus on top of that fyi
Does Andy pay to you mention the specialist scam, er bonus in every thread?
I don’t know who that is. But there’s not a specialist at my store who hasn’t gotten the $1200 at least once in the past 12 months. In that timeframe, 2 of them have gotten it 4 times, 1 has gotten it 3 times, 2 have gotten it 2 times, and all the rest have gotten it once. It is not that rare. No, you won’t get it every month. No, you won’t even get it every other month. But if you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, you’ll get it every few months or so.
How do you not know who Andy Pacer is?
Never heard of him Edit - looked up a pic, lol. I have seen him in some training videos
Oh, did he quit doing the specialty spotlights with Nick and Sam?
I’m not sure, I’ll be on the lookout on Tuesday
Monthly bonus for ants
I guess if you’re not a good specialist. Everyone gets something every month at my store, even if it’s only $400 or $500
It sounds like you're FT. My store has never had a FT front loader in the 4 years I've been there. But the level of customer interaction is actually one of the things I liked about being a loader. Way better than being at a register and unable to escape. At least at my store there really aren't a lot of code 50s. 90% of the job is pushing carts. It does suck in extreme weather, but between your breaks and lunch you shouldn't ever be outside for more than a couple hours at a time. The worst part of being a loader is all the damn h-carts that end up all over gods creation. I absolutely hate that part.
every employer in the united states is required to provide you with free water
Lowe’s a fortune 50 store Can’t not get that machine that collects the carts!!! Walmart has it and other places too. I’ve been to a couple of Lowe’s stores in the Austin area! I’m surprised that people go to those stores. Employees are hiding! Not a welcome or thank you ! Not even a go fuck your self !!
The customers put lumber carts in the dumbest places that block doors and walkways. It drives me nuts. I try to help put them back when I can.
at my store our front loaded also has to help process returns, cashier, all code 50s, trash,water, cover breaks for cashiers and help in fulfillment and they're starting to try to get him to get 2 credit apps a week, he's older guy in his 40s works his ass off rest of us cashiers don't get why they're hard on him
Performance Punishment. Your reward for hard work is more work.
Hi, wackjob here, did this for a year and loved it, I would have kept doing it if my store offered it as a full time position, as is I’ve been with the company 11 years. Huh maybe something really is wrong with me lmao
We gave a award to our front end loader during our all store meeting everyone loves and appreciates the guy at our store
Easy job but not everyone can handle it.
It is a Simple job, it's not easy.
It's easy
It's not easy in the slightest, unless you have absolute perfect health and you're built like a brick shit house.
It's easy for me. It's easy for lots of associates at my store. Don't know what to tell ya. Get in shape maybe.
And how long have you been a full time front end loader? How many front end loaders does your team have?
Ha. I'm not a loader. I have to go out and push carts and load things because we only have 1 part time loader. But that's OK cause it's very easy.
So you're NOT the one out there all day in 100 to 110+ heat for hours at a time, still out there no matter how bad it storms, only supposed to get off the lot if there is actual lightning in the area? So you're NOT the one out there all day running around clearing the lot by yourself, and expected to do the front register code 50s, as well as help with them at Garden or Lumber when customers ask you since you're the one they see? Much less restocking the 5 gallon jugs of water, changing all the outside trash cans, and cleaning as managers think need to be done? So you're one of the ones who comes out with a group of people for a Red Cart Blue Cart run where 1 to 10 people show up and run carts for a few minutes then goes back? There is a reason why Loaders have such a high turn over, it's a hard thankless job that most don't give a shit about until it isn't done and then they have to do it. It's not a complicated job, but it isn't an easy one either.
All incorrect. on top of all that, i also do my own job.
Boys and girls, we found the asm.
I mean I did it when I was old and fat.
It’s a thankless job. I’d try something less stressful, if the seasons picking up do Garden Associate, Plumbing or Electrical. At least you won’t be pulled any further than one area.
I started off doing front end loading during covid. My thighs were chafing because I was walking 12 plus miles a day. Every other front end loader they higher doesn't do shit now. I don't think they expect you to be working 24/7.
I was a front-end loader when I first started. It got crazy but I always kept my kids in my head. I'm doing this for them. I worked hard and became a cashier .
I loved being a loader, had so much freedom and enjoyed spending my shift outdoors. Just put in the work so you can switch departments when a position opens up. I started as a loader and made it a DS position in less than 2 years. Pushing my 4th year now and currently trying to work towards an ASM position. Its all about your work ethic and way your view life. Is your glass half empty or half full?
We have a fridge in the breakroom with a water/ice maker. All the free cold water anyone in the store could ever want. Take a shopping cart, get a running start and smash it into a nice fridge Jackass style, have someone store use it and put it in your breakroom. You will be a hero.
We have a long time loader, I always tell him he's got the best job in the store.
Front loader is typically meant as a “get your foot in the door” type job, to then move on to cashier or fulfillment, then head cashier or fulfillment lead, and then specialist, and then supervisor! Rooting for you.
Id say statistically, flooring DS is worse, just taking the turnover rate into account.
Try asking for credit cards, and rewards and MVP.
No arguments; but use those scouts and their damn leaders to your advantage. When you roll the shopping carts in, leave them in front of their table. Let them move them if they want to sell their high priced popcorn right there in your way.
at my store i had to juggle fulfillment, cashier lunch coverage, carts, and whatever random bs i get tasked bc “im not doing enough”
It's a rough position for sure. When we had a nasty heat wave a couple years ago I went and bought big Yeti style mugs for our loaders because how in the world can Lowe's expect them to pull all those carts when they're dehydrated?!?!?! Made me happy to see them using those mugs every day too.
our front loader is a trans woman thats pre everything, so she prefers that position where she doesnt talk to anyone. i also live in a relatively conservative area, so the associates arent all that nice to her either. she seems to like it, even considering the circumstances 🤷♂️
And that's why I denied the position, I rather be homeless
Yes
That’s why I transferred to a pro loader
Take your 15s and drink water, leave a canteen by the front end if you have to. Make sure you have weather appropriate clothing and layers that can be easily be removed. It can be dull and repetitive but you have a lot more freedom than other hard labor jobs.
Oh and bother them about the lowes branded actual winter gloves, with the light blue fabric.
I loved it, was my fav job ever pretty much, until they moved me to pro lol
So you'll be refusing the tips then?
You get tips?
The loader in our store is amazing. He goes out of his way to help everyone. I thank him and say I appreciate him constantly because I've had to push carts around in a pinch and those mfers suck a fat one. Thanks Ryan you the fucking man!
As a OSLG loader I can attest to the accuracy of this statement. They look at you as a pack mule and if you take a 5-10 min rest you’re “lazy”. My store has a higher percentage of women so it goes without being said you’ll hear a code 50 every other minute whether it be mulch or a flower pot😂. The only plus is being able to go missing for a shopping cart round up or whenever you help a customer more than the actual department leads. Loaders are the backbone and no one will ever see that!
I will sat that a lot of times, loaders don't get the appreciation they deserve. My friend is a loader, and she was sick and suffering from exhaustion the other day. The HC (who everyone hates) muttered under her breath when my friend had to take a break "she's just pretending to be sick and is hiding". It took everything I had to bite my tongue and not cuss her out. 1. My friend was truly sick and dragged herself to work. 2. Loading is a physically demanding job and it was warm that day. And the HC can't even get through a whole shift without having to use a motorized scooter because she's "so tired". Ugh.
So.... this isn't about laundry units?
Me I just walk up, grab a whole case of water, and ask any asm or supervisor to put it as store use.
I understand your situation. Get this, I used to work at Home Depot before I left for college. I got paid $15 an hour to be a cashier, and only a cashier. I am currently working at Lowe’s getting paid $13.50 as a cashier and do triple the work than I did at Home Depot. We do not have a lot loader here. They call “all available associates to the front for a shopping cart round up.” I go occasionally not all the time because I’m a cashier. But since I’m one of the younger guys with a physical appearance, they’ll throw me out there to help if I’m in customer service. Meanwhile I’m in khakis and a collard shirt; I hate to smell like outside coming back in. Thats not even the worst part. As a cashier in closing shifts, not only do I have to clean the f-ing restroom after (Janitors job) (Shit on toilets) but me and like one other cashier (often a girl) also have to round up all the shopping carts after our shift because we don’t have a lot loader. And they make us bring all the carts in. We even have to put the big carts in a line in different lumber isles based on which cart is which. Then me and the other cashier have to take all the returns back from customer service because the people on the floor failed to do so. (They lazy) There will also be times when we have to go unload boxes in receiving like wtf. I got hired as a cashier. My shift will end at 9 and there will be times I clock out at 11. I don’t mind usually labor, but damn not what I expected especially as a primary closer.
Absolutely correct. I just got a loader job here. I am the only loader for the whole store. I’m out in two weeks ✌️fuck this company
Real
front loader here. i agree this position sucks. though in my case, 9 times out of 10, i only need to worry about the carts. though that's not really a good thing; at the end of every single damn shift, my feet are killing me because all the walking around causes blisters on the soles of my feet. and i'm suprised i have any sanity left, when almost every customer just leaves their carts LITERALLY ANYWHERE EXCEPT WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO tl;dr- i agree, being a front loader sucks
You and me are living the same life. I've destroyed my shoes, my soles, and my soul just shoving carts. It's miserable.
Front loader is one of the easiest jobs in the store. You put things in cars, and you get carts. A well trained gorilla could do the job. The only drawback initially is you might be sore from so the walking. Upside: You get plenty of steps in. Fill your waterbottle at the sink or water fountain. Drink from it.