cover driver to fulltime driver

Impex

Member
come march i will have cover drove everyday almost it 6 months. (a few days here and there i didn't) what is the rule for a cover driver to go full time? after working so many days as a cover driver are they supposed to offer me a full time spot? if the center im in needs a full timer can they offer me a full time spot vs. going off the full time sheet and hiring a brand new person and have to train them? I'm still aways from being called to go full time off the list...just curious if being a cover driver and working so much can sneak me in faster to full time?
 

Harley Rider

34 yrs & done!
I feel for you. We have a driver in the same position in our center. The union has files a grievance on his behalf a few weeks ago. Looking at our vacation schedule he should be driving at least 35 weeks this year just to cover vacations. Management loves having him work at a lot less money for doing the same job as everyone else.
 

Jack4343

FT DR Specialist
come march i will have cover drove everyday almost it 6 months. (a few days here and there i didn't) what is the rule for a cover driver to go full time? after working so many days as a cover driver are they supposed to offer me a full time spot? if the center im in needs a full timer can they offer me a full time spot vs. going off the full time sheet and hiring a brand new person and have to train them? I'm still aways from being called to go full time off the list...just curious if being a cover driver and working so much can sneak me in faster to full time?

From what I understand (being a cover myself) is that there is no way to "sneak" into the full-time ranks. I've been covering routes daily for 4 years now. I have not went back to the hub once. I am also still part-time. I have to wait my turn along with the other part-time hub employees to get a full-time spot. I do hate watching new full-timers get routes when they've never driven before when I could just jump in that route and run it with no problems. However, I also understand that full-time positions are awarded due to senority and I respect that. My time will come and yours as well. It varies center to center in regards to how long the wait is to go full-time. We have had drivers in the past work as cover drivers for more than 7 years before becoming full-time drivers.
 

Overpaid Union Thug

Well-Known Member
A good steward, business agent, and hopefully the help of the center manager and division manager can make this happen. Our center recently did this. If you haven't worked in the hub much or at all since you became a TCD then I'd say it's past time for your center to add another full-timer.

The way it works is like this...

The steward makes the case to the center manager that cover drivers are being used to supplement full-time drivers. That is they key. It's important to keep track of how many days each part-timer drives. If the center manager agrees then they ask for approval from the division manager. Basically it goes up the chain of command. Another thing that could happen from adding full-timers is that the need for more TCDs could go up because the amount of drivers aloud to go on vacations during any given week is based on how many full-timers there are in a center. When several of us were hired full-time at once some of the lower seniority TCDs were worried that they'd never get to drive again or not much but after they hired us that upped the amount of drivers that could be on vacation for the next year so now we will need more TCDs.
 

ibleedbrown

Well-Known Member
what is a cover driver? in my center when u go full-time u are what is called a swing driver for several years before u can bid on ur own route. a swing driver does whatever work is available, like doing routes where the driver is on vacation, injured etc etc. these drivers are full time they just dont have their own daily routes.
 

superballs63

Well-Known Troll
Troll
what is a cover driver? in my center when u go full-time u are what is called a swing driver for several years before u can bid on ur own route. a swing driver does whatever work is available, like doing routes where the driver is on vacation, injured etc etc. these drivers are full time they just dont have their own daily routes.

You are a cover driver. I've never heard it called a swing driver but a cover driver "covers" whatever route the center has noone with knowledge of.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
what is a cover driver? in my center when u go full-time u are what is called a swing driver for several years before u can bid on ur own route. a swing driver does whatever work is available, like doing routes where the driver is on vacation, injured etc etc. these drivers are full time they just dont have their own daily routes.

You are a cover driver. I've never heard it called a swing driver but a cover driver "covers" whatever route the center has noone with knowledge of.

There is a difference between cover drivers and casuals. Casuals are drivers who have not gained their seniority, do not have their own area and work only as needed. Cover drivers have their seniority but do not have their own area. They are scheduled to work every day and are guaranteed their 8 hours.
 

ibleedbrown

Well-Known Member
im not sure it works that way in our building.sounds a little confusing, what i heard is that u go in do ur 30 days if u make it they keep u on as a "swing" driver meaning u dont get ur own route til u build enough seniority to bid a route and get it. they still reach scale after 3 years and are full time employees. ok i think i get it a casual driver would be before u reach scale no route and no work guarantee and a cover would be after u reach scale no route but are guaranteed 8 hours? so why did the above poster say he is still part time? or maybe he is a part time driver doing full time work but is not considered full time? sorry a bit confused by all the terminology.
 

superballs63

Well-Known Troll
Troll
Understood, but he didn't say he's a casual driver. His description reads that a "swing driver" (kinky) are full time drivers they just don't have their own routes....sounds EXACTLY like what a cover driver is
 

Cementups

Box Monkey
I was a PT cover driver for about 6 years before signing my first full time bid. I just wasn't guaranteed an 8 hour day. Wait your turn and sign every bid list that comes up, just like everyone else.
 
In my center cover drivers are full time drivers with FT benefits. Ive been working as a PT air/utility driver for a year now. I cover routes when all the cover drivers are unavailable as a utility driver. Even if iam laid off as a FT driver at least I would be working on my progression and have full time benefits. From what Ive read here is that there are a lot of centers in this position that need to hire FT drivers but the requests are turned down. How long will this go on and is there anything I can do about it? And they just hired a guy off the street for FT - I guess I hope he qualifies
 

PACNW

Well-Known Member
what is a cover driver? in my center when u go full-time u are what is called a swing driver for several years before u can bid on ur own route. a swing driver does whatever work is available, like doing routes where the driver is on vacation, injured etc etc. these drivers are full time they just dont have their own daily routes.

Here in the Northwest a cover driver is a full-time driver that does not have a bid route. All cover drivers come to work to see what is available and the lowest seniority people go home with no 8 hr guarantee if they have no work and cant talk someone else into going home. We would call the original poster a utility driver, which is a part-timer who is trained to drive that we can use if we run out of cover drivers.
 

UpsguyDGAF

Well-Known Member
Same here in So Cal. Ive been coverdriving for 8 years, still :censored2: considered part time even though I work 50-60 hrs a week. Its BS and the Union needs to force the company to promote or ill never retire !
 

rocket man

Well-Known Member
come march i will have cover drove everyday almost it 6 months. (a few days here and there i didn't) what is the rule for a cover driver to go full time? after working so many days as a cover driver are they supposed to offer me a full time spot? if the center im in needs a full timer can they offer me a full time spot vs. going off the full time sheet and hiring a brand new person and have to train them? I'm still aways from being called to go full time off the list...just curious if being a cover driver and working so much can sneak me in faster to full time?
 

HULKAMANIA

Well-Known Member
There is a difference between cover drivers and casuals. Casuals are drivers who have not gained their seniority, do not have their own area and work only as needed. Cover drivers have their seniority but do not have their own area. They are scheduled to work every day and are guaranteed their 8 hours.

Not trying to start an arguement but I still dont think you are right about this. I am a cover driver, and I do have my seniority. I am however the low guy. I am not scheduled everyday, I am "ON CALL" so how am I guaranteed 8 hours daily?
 

Backlasher

Stronger, Faster, Browner
Same here in So Cal. Ive been coverdriving for 8 years, still :censored2: considered part time even though I work 50-60 hrs a week. Its BS and the Union needs to force the company to promote or ill never retire !
8 yrs. Man I was pretty upset that after 2 yrs as a "part-time" cover driver I still have same pay rate of$16.10. having no progression in pay.

Do you have no progression in pay as well in the 8 yrs???

The way I see it, I make better pay as a Bid air driver. 5.5 hrs as bid air pays same as 8 hours cover. Throw in side work and I actually make more then playing the "part time" cover game.


Not trying to start an arguement but I still dont think you are right about this. I am a cover driver, and I do have my seniority. I am however the low guy. I am not scheduled everyday, I am "ON CALL" so how am I guaranteed 8 hours daily?

Same here, on call but if scheduled then we get 8 hrs guaranteed were I'm @.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
Swing and cover driver are same.

temporary cover (TCD), casual, or seasonal are not the same as FT covers. I'm sure that some will see it differently, but in this area that is how it works.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
Whatever name you want to attach to it (TCD, swing, casual, cover, jerkface, it's all the same here. TCD's are part-timers who are pulled from preload or metro and used to run a full day's route when needed. Full time casuals are just that. Full-time. It is in the supplements. Here in NY, it's like pg 214, Appendix A. Section C) is where the language is for their 2 day a week guarantee. A) states how seniority pt-ers can work as TCD's for package or feeders.
 
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