Forever a swing driver?

eyellaw44

New Member
Just got a bid route after being a swing driver for 9 years. Of course it is a route that nobody wanted mainly because it is eaten every monday. I was still happy to finally have a steady route even if it meant on mondays I am still a swing driver. The problem as of late is that now my route is being eliminated on thursdays and fridays also. I am basically in a worse spot than before. At least when I was a swing driver I could sign up for vacation coverage and know what I was running for the whole week. The most ridiculous part is that they are eating my bid route and putting in spit routes instead. I would think all bid routes would have to be in before a split route would be in, but not in my case. Has anyone had a similar problem or maybe know what I could do? I am completely frustrated with my sorry excuse for a management team.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
It sounds as though you may be out of luck. They are free to cut bid runs and create split runs. You are allowed to follow 50% or more of your work--if they are splitting your run in to 3 or more areas you would then go back to being a cover driver. At least you are working every day.
 

eyellaw44

New Member
I figured that it was pretty hopeless, but what really ticks me off is the split route that was in wouldn't even be in if my route wasn't eliminated. 60 stops of it are created because the driver that does my pickups needs to be lightened up. 40 of the stops on the split route could easily be my residential delivery since there is apparently not enough work in my loop even though the two drivers affected work until 8 every time. I guess what I am trying to say is that when my route is eaten if affects 3 loops and 4 drivers, actually 5 drivers if you count me. If they just kept the split route out and mine in the number of routes would be the same, and its much easier to eat that split route. I feel as though they are too ignorant and make more headaches for themselves and us drivers. I am beginning to feel they are just eating my route because they have area knowledge problems.
 

eyellaw44

New Member
nobody is in danger of being under dispatched. In fact 2 of the drivers usually need help and after they get it they work around 11 hrs. I believe there is nothing I can do for now, but I am keeping track of what is happening and making notes of it.
 
I figured that it was pretty hopeless, but what really ticks me off is the split route that was in wouldn't even be in if my route wasn't eliminated. 60 stops of it are created because the driver that does my pickups needs to be lightened up. 40 of the stops on the split route could easily be my residential delivery since there is apparently not enough work in my loop even though the two drivers affected work until 8 every time. I guess what I am trying to say is that when my route is eaten if affects 3 loops and 4 drivers, actually 5 drivers if you count me. If they just kept the split route out and mine in the number of routes would be the same, and its much easier to eat that split route. I feel as though they are too ignorant and make more headaches for themselves and us drivers. I am beginning to feel they are just eating my route because they have area knowledge problems.
Talk to your steward and see if he can get them to cut that split car and put your in. Maybe he can get you on the split car when your is out. Talk to him every day get his number and broker a deal.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
They play that game here as well. They cut a route and split it up among 3-5 other routes. Now those routes are too heavy so they take work off them and make a split route. Sometimes that split route ends up looking suspiciously like the original bid route that was cut in the first place...
 
That's because if they can cut a route the majority of the time(3 out of 5) next year they can eliminate it as a bid route.. No bid route,no need for a full time job to sit in the driver seat, no need to hire a new full time employee when the next lucky old guy lives long enough to retire.. I seen a lot of that last year and in February the routes just disappeared.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
We used to have one training route for the entire center. We now have one training route per loop (we have 5 loops). They designated the routes that they are most likely to cut as training routes.
 
Top