Bid, Bid, Place ??? Help please!

[ManInBrown]

- You say you just went full time a week ago and have a permanent rte, yet there's 6 cover guys ahead of you without rtes? That's impossible.

It's absolutely possible. He obviously works in a region, where cover drivers are FT. This route he has been placed on is not permanently his route. He has been "parked" on it until it goes up for bid. It's probably a horrible route that no other FT cover driver wants to do. Thus it's now his route until it goes up for bid. The one exception would be if he gets bumped by another driver between now and when it goes up for bid, which by the sounds of it, is highly doubtful.

He is on here asking for advice to look for a way to get out of having to do this route until January. It sucks but you are probably stuck on it. Make the best of it and be happy you are now FT would be my advice. A couple years from now you won't be the bottom guy.

 

[ManInBrown]

The one question in the whole scenario would be, why is the route not going up for bid until January? And how does mgmt know, hey Tom this route is all you till "January"
My guess would be, mgmt feels it's an open and shut case against the driver who was fired, and panel is in January.

 

[Sniper08]

I am guessing the OP is in the central region. My building would work the same. A route is put up for bid; someone with a route bids it; that route is put up for bid, someone with a route bids it; now the 3rd move goes to the lowest seniority driver and is not bid.

I am guessing it is a 'local practice' thing and is done to save someone some paperwork.

This sounds like what it is. And I guess my only other question would be is how often can I get bumped off the route. It is considered a crap route but I am more than happy to run it cause it's consistant work. The cover driver above me told me this past Friday that he was planning on running it all this next week. If I was given the route can he take it for a whole week? I just don't know what I can and can't do in this situation. I know seniority takes precedence over everything but I don't know how it applies to a bid, bid, place. If it makes a difference Im on the east coast. Thanks for the help guys! It's much appreciated!!

 

[ManInBrown]

This sounds like what it is. And I guess my only other question would be is how often can I get bumped off the route. It is considered a crap route but I am more than happy to run it cause it's consistant work. The cover driver above me told me this past Friday that he was planning on running it all this next week. If I was given the route can he take it for a whole week? I just don't know what I can and can't do in this situation. I know seniority takes precedence over everything but I don't know how it applies to a bid, bid, place. If it makes a difference Im on the east coast. Thanks for the help guys! It's much appreciated!!

Any cover driver above you in seniority can put in a request to do the route. Where I am it's a weekly request. So and so puts in a request by friday of the week before saying I want to do this route next week. Mgmt does not have to honor the request. There are a variety of reasons why they don't sometimes. It can also be a daily thing. A cover driver above you is on the over one morning and says I want to bump you off the route. GL

 

[DOK]

FT cover drivers here. That's crazy how every part of the country is different. Are the PT cover drivers working FT hours? How could one be a PT cover driver? Don't they cover vacations. That's a full day.

The top 5 or so cover drivers work a full week 52 weeks a year cause someone's always off on vaca, comp, sick etc. but are still considered part time. We don't hire any seasonal drivers to cover summer vaca or during peak either as some places do. I find it interesting also that it's different all across the country.

Those cover drivers can be put on any route from day to day as well, there is no signing up to run someone's route who's on vaca the following week, they work as directed day to day.

 

[PT Car Washer]

The top 5 or so cover drivers work a full week 52 weeks a year cause someone's always off on vaca, comp, sick etc. but are still considered part time. We don't hire any seasonal drivers to cover summer vaca or during peak either as some places do. I find it interesting also that it's different all across the country.

Those cover drivers can be put on any route from day to day as well, there is no signing up to run someone's route who's on vaca the following week, they work as directed day to day.

When you say "considered part time" do you mean PT wages, PT benefits, PT pension also?

 

[box_beeyotch]

Are you sure you can be bumped off a training route? You're supposed to be on the same route 30 consecutive days.

 

[barnyard]

This sounds like what it is. And I guess my only other question would be is how often can I get bumped off the route. It is considered a crap route but I am more than happy to run it cause it's consistant work. The cover driver above me told me this past Friday that he was planning on running it all this next week. If I was given the route can he take it for a whole week? I just don't know what I can and can't do in this situation. I know seniority takes precedence over everything but I don't know how it applies to a bid, bid, place. If it makes a difference Im on the east coast. Thanks for the help guys! It's much appreciated!!

If this were in my building, the only time you would be bumped off the route is if there are no other routes for higher seniority drivers. So if you are bumped off, you would also be laid off. In my building, the route would be the OPs until the OP bid off it.

 

[DOK]

When you say "considered part time" do you mean PT wages, PT benefits, PT pension also?

PT pension and benefits, fulltime wage progression.

Yes, and in the event there is no driving work they're only garuanteed 3.5 hours on local sort.

One benefit though is that they are on the same wage progression as a fulltime driver, and their top rate is a regular driver top rate, and they only go through progression that one time. I've read on here that some places have a lower pay rate for cover drivers, that's insane.

 

[9.5er]

I think it's insane that a cover driver that works full time hours doesn't get credit for full time. I've been a full time driver since '04 and have never had a route of my own. Always been a cover driver and probably will not get a chance at my own route for another 8 to 10 years.
NO Thank You!

 

[PT Car Washer]

PT pension and benefits, fulltime wage progression.

Yes, and in the event there is no driving work they're only garuanteed 3.5 hours on local sort.

One benefit though is that they are on the same wage progression as a fulltime driver, and their top rate is a regular driver top rate, and they only go through progression that one time. I've read on here that some places have a lower pay rate for cover drivers, that's insane.

Top driver wages are a big deal but working all those years basically FT and not having those years count toward a FT pension really hurts. Are vacations and Holidays paid at PT rate also? Sounds like the company picked the best parts for themselves and the worst parts for the PT employee.

 

[DOK]

Top driver wages are a big deal but working all those years basically FT and not having those years count toward a FT pension really hurts. Are vacations and Holidays paid at PT rate also? Sounds like the company picked the best parts for themselves and the worst parts for the PT employee.

Holidays paid at 8 hours vaca pay is 45 hours just like FT as long as you've worked so many hours in that month, not sure what it is exactly. Yes it stinks working FT and being classified PT.