New driver question(s)

[lovetokayak]

I was hired on to be a seasonal driver and came back from driver training school this week. Although the training takes 5 days, in my case when I showed up on Monday morning I found another driver from another center, and that was all. It turned out it was only the two of us in the class. This said, since we both had experience driving, delivering for our own businesses/previous jobs, the instructors kept us a bit longer each day but we took all the tests and were done by Wednesday evening of this week. I return home to my family, to receive a call late in the evening from my center manager asking me if I was ready to work. Of course I was. He then said to be at work at 3.30am for preload, since they are short. No problem. I worked preload yesterday and today, as well as then going out with a trailer to help unload.
So, my questions are, since nobody ever told me clearly what to expect.

Is this normal for a seasonal driver, to be asked to come in for preload or whatever else other than driving? (They know I'm a good worker I think, I have worked during peaks in the past, and I try and kick butt and give it my all, even if it means to not be able to walk once I get home.)

What pay-rate do I receive as a seasonal driver?

Is it the same if I'm asked to help out with preload?

When does my 30 day probation begin? The day I start driving or the day I started working since back from training?

I was told about the 6-1 rule and that at our center there is 1 more inside hire needs to happen, than the 1 outside comes up, and that it is mine. (These were the HR person's exact words.) Can I believe it or should I worry that someone might "slip" in and gets hired instead of me.

I am considered still "outside" person as a seasonal driver, right? (I don't receive any benefits, etc.)

I apologize for all these questions, but the more I think about things the more questions I have.

Thank you for any help/advice you can give me.

[swing_drv]

If you work preload for more then 30 day's you CANNOT be hired as an outsider!!!!!!

[Leragie]

I don't know much about outside hire stuff for seasonal drivers. All of our drivers other than full timers are people who work part time on the preload or evening sort. My supervisor has never had to hire an outside who just does seasonal driving because all of the part timers want to drive as much as possible. Actually a lot of our new part timers were sent up to school their first week so they could cover for the drivers who take vacations during the summer. When they are called in to drive they usually don't do their part time duties for the day, but that isn't always the case. I had to go in and unload trailers and then go out and do a route my whole first week as a utility driver. Anyways, if they are asking you to come in and do preload then it sounds to me like you are a normal part time hire but that you were also trained to be a utility driver. And if that is the case, it could be a while before you get called to drive because they will first call all of the people that have higher senority than you do. But, don't listen to much of what I say. I'm just going by how my center does things.