22.4 vs TCD Question (hub vet)

[xero817]

Sup everyone.
Just signed up to see what you all think about my situation.
Been working in a hub PT for 12yrs now and I'm kind of tired of doing doubles just to make 8hrs a day so i started signing some bid sheets for driver stuff (a TCD one and PT to FT one)
Well i find out last week that the PT to FT sheet was for 22.4 and i didn't really know what that was till today tbh.
I went up to the HR office and passed my Driving test today, gave em my license info etc, and i just got back from getting my physical paperwork.
While i was waiting at the clinic i started to read up on this combination driver stuff and I'm hearing a lot of bad stuff and how it seems like a downgraded version of RPCD. They also don't do the Mon-Fri schedule and no 9.5 protection.
What I'm curious about is if i should pass on this? I'm gonna talk to some my union tomorrow while i sleep on this.
The one thing i'm wondering the most is what path is the safest to become a regular old full time driver.
Is TCD a safer route or 22.4?
My pay rate wont be bumped that much if i get the 22.4 job anyway and in my hub they dont really do the whole half a day thing. Most of the combo guys are out driving all day and im not even sure if they're working them 6 days a week like i read on some of these other posts.
I'm also curios if a combo driver is able to sign the bid sheets to change their route/time eventually? or are they pretty much stuck doing that same sort of schedule and work load forever.
Am i better off waiting to see if they call me for TCD instead?
I'm a huge novice at all this language and im just gathering diff opinions before i commit to anything.
One last thing if i end up refusing the deal after doing my test & physical will i get a disqualification from being offered/called on other positions i signed up for? like the TCD sheet i signed? I signed that TCD sheet about a month ago and i think my HR is barely gonna start calls on that but the combo sheet was up for like two weeks this month and they barely took it down last week and im already testing for it etc
I feel like they contacted me for it sooner because its a quick way for the company to offer me a lesser deal/contract.
Thx for any advice

 

[charm299]

Where I’m at, you now have to become a 22.4 before you become rpcd. Tcd is part time

 

[BeefiestMass]

22.4 is the safest path, unless mech-lift has anything to say about it. You don't bid rtes as a 22.4.

 

[Sheikyrbouti]

Qualify as a TCD and do 30 days of driving to lock in the cover rate. Then move to 22.4 keeping cover pay. That was how I played it. 12 months as 22.4 and I got called last week asking if I wanted to be moved up to RPCD.Hell yes I want that move! No more Saturday shifts , 9.5 list, and $6/hr higher top pay? Who would say no? Lol

 

[BeefiestMass]

Qualify as a TCD and do 30 days of driving to lock in the cover rate. Then move to 22.4 keeping cover pay. That was how I played it. 12 months as 22.4 and I got called last week asking if I wanted to be moved up to RPCD.Hell yes I want that move! No more Saturday shifts , 9.5 list, and $6/hr higher top pay? Who would say no? Lol

That's the move for sure, but he did ask for the safest path, and w TCD, there's always the chance they'll just drop him after peak.

 

[Sheikyrbouti]

This is true. I forgot that part as I only went back to the hub for a month before Covid hit and was called back. Yup safest and surest route would be take the 22.4 position.

 

[xero817]

Qualify as a TCD and do 30 days of driving to lock in the cover rate. Then move to 22.4 keeping cover pay. That was how I played it. 12 months as 22.4 and I got called last week asking if I wanted to be moved up to RPCD.Hell yes I want that move! No more Saturday shifts , 9.5 list, and $6/hr higher top pay? Who would say no? Lol

can you explain cover rate? and what was your schedule like as a 22.4? mon-sat?

 

[charm299]

can you explain cover rate? and what was your schedule like as a 22.4? mon-sat?

Cover rate in southern supplement is 85% of top rate which is 32.69 now. If u get qualified, you get red circled and keep that rate when u go 22.4. If you go 22.4 first, your starting rate will be 20.50.

 

[JustDeliverIt]

can you explain cover rate? and what was your schedule like as a 22.4? mon-sat?

Technically, you would be on a Tues-Sat schedule as a 22.4. But depending on how well staffed your building is they might ask/force you in on Mondays. Your supplemental language would tell you if the can force you in or just try to impose their will on you.

As stated above, top cover rate is 85% of top rate but ultimately you are going to have to be a 22.4 to move up to RPCD. My opinion is you take the 22.4 spot, get that FT seniority date and move up when you can. If you take the PT cover driver spot and lower guys take the 22.4 spots, they jump ahead of you because they would be FT before you.

 

[Red Devil]

22.4 is basically the way you have to go. That’s where I am at the moment. Outside of peak it has been a normal 5 day workweek with days averaging 9 or 10 hours. As a 22.4 you will have full time seniority and then you can sign bids to go to RPCD. If you go as a TCD the 22.4s will pass you in seniority even if you have more company seniority so you would have a very hard time getting a RPCD bid because all the 22.4s will want it first. 22.4 is basically part of the progression now. Very few places actually use the position as a combination position it seems. Some places abuse the sh1t out of them with 14 hour days but at my building it’s not much different than being any other new cover driver.

 

[Shift 2]

Where I’m at, you now have to become a 22.4 before you become rpcd. Tcd is part time

Where I’m at they actually allow 22.4 to sign for routes but if you do you get automatically flipped into rpcd. It like that in feeders also. If your a qualified feeder driver and you win a route you automatically become a full time feeder driver and can eventually get off that route and stay coverage but be a ft feeder driver.

 

[Shift 2]

can you explain cover rate? and what was your schedule like as a 22.4? mon-sat?

Cover rate in the southern local is 85 percent of top rate. So like a $10+ Higher pay rate than a 22.4. If you can live off of the starting 22.4 money don’t waste time going cover. You’ll lose too much seniority. But if you need the money just do the TCD position first. Seniority is important but paying your bills and eating everyday is more important.

 

[542thruNthru]

22.4 is basically the way you have to go. That’s where I am at the moment. Outside of peak it has been a normal 5 day workweek with days averaging 9 or 10 hours. As a 22.4 you will have full time seniority and then you can sign bids to go to RPCD. If you go as a TCD the 22.4s will pass you in seniority even if you have more company seniority so you would have a very hard time getting a RPCD bid because all the 22.4s will want it first. 22.4 is basically part of the progression now. Very few places actually use the position as a combination position it seems. Some places abuse the sh1t out of them with 14 hour days but at my building it’s not much different than being any other new cover driver.

Question for you. Do you think 22.4s have cut the wait time to go FT where you are?

I ask because it's drastically cut the wait to go FT here. Just wonder if it's the same in other areas.

 

[Red Devil]

Question for you. Do you think 22.4s have cut the wait time to go FT where you are?

I ask because it's drastically cut the wait to go FT here. Just wonder if it's the same in other areas.

It definitely did for the group that came in and filled all the empty slots when they created the position. I don’t know if it will have such a drastic effect going forward now that the initial 22.4 spots are all filled.

 

[542thruNthru]

It definitely did for the group that came in and filled all the empty slots when they created the position. I don’t know if it will have such a drastic effect going forward now that the initial 22.4 spots are all filled.

We went from 11 years to reach FT to 9m-1.5y. I'm sure it will slow down though.

 

[MECH-lift]

God I’m glad I’m a RPCD

 

[MyTripisCut]

We went from 11 years to reach FT to 9m-1.5y. I'm sure it will slow down though.

I think a lot of this was probably pandemic related?

 

[542thruNthru]

I think a lot of this was probably pandemic related?

That could certainly be the case.

 

[charm299]

Question for you. Do you think 22.4s have cut the wait time to go FT where you are?

I ask because it's drastically cut the wait to go FT here. Just wonder if it's the same in other areas.

Our first 22.4s started last July and all of them became rpcd in January

 

[Yeet]

We went from 11 years to reach FT to 9m-1.5y. I'm sure it will slow down though.

Same here. I still think 22.4 was a bad deal but it cut an 8 year wait down to less than a year.