Is Cook Truck Volunteer a "Dirty Job?"

[CoHmempho04]

just put him on a 3 day tour with the corps members! See if he's on his feet after 3 days.

[Shadow_7]

Don't some corps actually have someone paid to work the truck all summer? Not a whole staff but a single person to oversee what goes on and the ordering of the food and everything.

It depends on how you define paid. When I worked it, it was $25 a day for me, the least paid cook truck worker. Which was over double the pay of the various instructional techs. And probably half the daily wage of the drivers. It basically covered laundry days and other tour purchases to help me maintain my sanity.

As far as a dirty job. When I did it, I was washing dishes about 12 hours a day. Fortunately we had four people divided between two shifts, otherwise it would have been a 24 hour a day job. Four meals per day, 150 eaters per meal, 7 days a week, 2 plus months continuous. Most times I didn't even get to eat the meals I helped prepare. We were that busy.

As far as the person who did the shopping. The cooking staff generally didn't have the time. The corps director that went on tour took care of most of that. How he managed that feat and still found time to instruct, I'll never know.

It is a dirty job. Washing dishes by hand 12 hours a day keeps you in a constant state of wet. And when it's time for a laundry day, you have plenty. If you can get away from the job long enough to do your laundry. Many times the supply van had to make special trips so the cooking staff could do their laundry, since we weren't afforded the same opportunities to go with the corps proper. We were always cleaning and/or preparing. Factor in generator breakdowns and other catch 22's, and you're never bored. The hardest part of the job is that it's 7 days a week for several months. You can't take a day off, because from a certain POV, the corps members are your prisoners and at your mercy (or not). And being in a semi in arizona in 109F+ heat with a running grill inside the truck in the middle of an asphalt parking lot is much more brutal than rehearsing on a grass field in the wind. Factor in 50lbs drink canisters that need to be filled and lifted to the serving table(s). Constant tear down and setup procedures. Running trash to the dumpsters. And other duties and it's not a job for the meek. Basically travel days were our only days off. But not really, when we pulled into a truck stop we had to feed the corps. Which meant more dishes for later. Oh look we're at the housing site. The corps gets some horizontal time. The cooking staff gets to start working on breakfast.

[Jimisback]

That would be cool.

[kansasDC]

I already posted at the thread. This was a great idea, Tim. Hopefully, if enough people post, the producers will see the volume and investigate. Any positive attention we can get for this activity will help.

[sdstar]

Thanks, everyone for all the ideas and support! If you tried to vote or post at the discovery channel site and found it shut down, it is now up and running. The announced maintenance is over and there should be no more problems.

[84BDsop]

I already posted at the thread. This was a great idea, Tim. Hopefully, if enough people post, the producers will see the volume and investigate. Any positive attention we can get for this activity will help.

link?

[kac]

pssst- its in the first post here.

[84BDsop]

pssst- its in the first post here.

Doh! Sorry...I just got up....

[contramaniac2009]

I think the cooks on any cook truck deserves our full gratitude for going to bed after us and wake up before us all summer. Now that takes a lot of work. My hat is off to any cook truck volunteers reading this