Cover Driving VS Bid Route

[Faceplanted]

I though cover driving was better. I did it for many many years. Got to do diff routes, meet all kinds of cool people, change of pace ect

Finally bid on a route, it's not the best but defiantly not even close to bad.

What a difference!!!!! I have great relationships with my customers, get great tips every Christmas, I get free lunches if one of customers see me eating they will usually offer to pay. I know all the good bathrooms, and I got my route dispatched very well after some 9.5 greviences. My days are basically completely stress free.

Tl:dr. I thought cover driving was better, finally bid my own route and it's made my career at ups much easier!

 

[WorknLateHuh]

im just glad i cant be forced out of cover into a random permanent bid route like in some places. man that sucks

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

15? I usually do about 15-20 in my first year after a transfer. Have had about a half dozen routes over the years, but covering is more satisfying.

15 out of 24-28.

 

[Poop Head]

im just glad i cant be forced out of cover into a random permanent bid route like in some places. man that sucks

How is that even possible? Don't you have to bid the route out of your own free will??

 

[WorknLateHuh]

I know, it sounds bizarre, but there are ppl on here that have said there are centers out there where cover drivers are forced to fill routes that haven't been bid on, or for whatever circumstance, haven't been filled.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I know, it sounds bizarre, but there are ppl on here that have said there are centers out there where cover drivers are forced to fill routes that haven't been bid on, or for whatever circumstance, haven't been filled.

Yes—they are called FT bid cover drivers.

 

[Mustacheyouaquestion]

I enjoy knowing my area. Day or night doesn't matter to me. Added bonus is christmas cash and free coffee, pastries during the week.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I enjoy knowing my area. Day or night doesn't matter to me. Added bonus is christmas cash and free coffee, pastries during the week.

Bathrooms!!

 

[MC0493]

I know, it sounds bizarre, but there are ppl on here that have said there are centers out there where cover drivers are forced to fill routes that haven't been bid on, or for whatever circumstance, haven't been filled.

Seems to be an issue in my center. Routes become vacated and they just never get put up for bid.

 

[WorknLateHuh]

Yes—they are called FT bid cover drivers.

"FT bid Cover Drivers" cover where needed for as little or as long as directed. i'm a FT bid cover. What i'm talking about is a FT bid Cover Driver forced to fill a route until the next bidding cycle.

Some inner city centers have FT cover drivers that only stay cover for a year or two, and then are forced onto a route. Don't make me find the threads

 

[CoolStoryBro]

most drivers would hate this, but I would like an arrangement where I only do 3 or 4 routes that i like that rotate.

I can't bare the boredom of doing 1 route. as I get older i'm sure i'll want more consistency, but not now

That's sort of what my life is like. only takes 10-15 years to get to that point. and there might be a month or two every year where I have to do some unpleasant routes.

 

[FrigidFTSup]

"FT bid Cover Drivers" cover where needed for as little or as long as directed. i'm a FT bid cover. What i'm talking about is a FT bid Cover Driver forced to fill a route until the next bidding cycle.

Some inner city centers have FT cover drivers that only stay cover for a year or two, and then are forced onto a route. Don't make me find the threads

It's forced from the bottom up. Those "inner cities" are most likely to be big buildings to where very few would be forced into a route.

 

[PACNW]

I really enjoyed being a cover driver for many years. I loved the variety and got to do a lot of easy rural routes. Everyone else was scared to learn them. Then the route that I live on came up for bid and I took it. It's a much harder route, but being home for lunch and break is awesome. As a bonus my wife's work and kids school is on the route and I occasionally pop in and have lunch with one of them.

 

[1989]

15 out of 24-28.

90 out of 240 *
40 out of 50
25 out of 30 *
20 out of 40

* Does not include being borrowed by other buildings

 

[UPSEric1]

I am a Bid Route Driver in NYC 43rd St. I was the worst cover driver in the whole building. Here are the perks:
all Bathroom Break (Clean)
Knowing all your customers by names
Close my eyes and know all my address where they are located and close time if it a business.
Eating spots
Hook up discount from customer retail stores.
Won't be getting lost ( knowing what you sign for same addresses)
TIPS

Like one vet driver said, a route is a route. Make it your own.

 

[Seymour Packages]

I am a Bid Route Driver in NYC 43rd St. I was the worst cover driver in the whole building. Here are the perks:
all Bathroom Break (Clean)
Knowing all your customers by names
Close my eyes and know all my address where they are located and close time if it a business.
Eating spots
Hook up discount from customer retail stores.
Won't be getting lost ( knowing what you sign for same addresses)
TIPS

Like one vet driver said, a route is a route. Make it your own.

This ^^^ 2 years ago, I bid on and won a route that no one wanted. Heavy commercial followed by 90% walk up apartments. Does it suck sometimes? Absolutely. What doesn't suck, however, is getting a $50 tip for bringing up heavy packages, almost 1K in tips during this past peak, using a bathroom on area that is nicer than the bathroom in my house, free lunch/discount food hookups from my regulars, and knowing where I'm going everyday with little need to talk to management. I'll take a trash route over jumping routes on a daily basis.

 

[barnyard]

I have been a cover guy for 16 years. I covered 1 route for 3 years while the regular guy was out. If I could have bid that route I would have. For now, I am very content to remain a cover guy. I am the highest seniority cover in my building and have 1st choice on what to cover. The routes that I cover, I cover enough that everyone knows my name and if I miss a week, many will ask where I was.

The thing I like the best is the variety of places that I take break. The route that I am on next week has a place that does a very tasty meatloaf sandwich. There is another place that does a nice smoked sausage sandwich.

Last week, the route that I was on has a place that does soup in the Fall through Spring. The cook and I share soup recipes, last week, she made a soup that I suggested and it was very tasty (burrito soup.)

In 2 weeks, I'll be on another route that has a place that also does a tasty meatloaf sandwich.

Next year, a couple routes that I really like might come up for bid. I won't decide for sure if I am signing one of them until they are hanging.

During June (Dairy Month), I try to do one of several routes that have co-op creameries on route, so I can have 25 cent ice cream sandwiches.

When 2 routes that I really like are available on the same week, I pick based on where I want to have lunch. I am all about eating well.

I signed a bid for a mostly residential route after a ridiculous peak 2 years ago. I had a week where I had a different package car every day and every day there was enough lunch trash in the back that section 4 was a biohazard. The straw that broke it was chicken bones and a pee bottle in yet another truck that I had. A week later, I signed a bid on an open route.

Since then, the last 2 peaks I have been working feeders, so I am thinking about going back to cover. The 3 routes that I love to cover are held by guys with 7 weeks of vacation. I have 6 weeks and cover feeder vacations, so I am off my route half the year.

 

[intel wild]

Bid....all the way. No surprises.

 

[quad decade guy]

CPU cover in feeders even sucks. I will quit if I EVER have to go back to cover in pkg or feeder. Being a rookie in pkg was the worst experience of my career if not life. There is NO reason why people should be treated that way.

 

[DumbTruckDriver]

I’ve been a cover driver for seven years. It’s not all bad. I have the seniority to cover the vacation route of my choosing, and I still like the variety.