How bad is cover?

WyoBrown

Well-Known Member
I never was a cover driver but I know at our center you want to be a cover driver before you try to be an actual driver.. IF you get certified as an cover driver you start out at a higher pay rate and reach top pay faster if you were a cover driver before becoming a full time driver.. I hope that makes sense..
Hmmmm...I have never heard that. At my center we have swing drivers who are without a designated route, there are no cover drivers and everyone starts out at the same rate of pay and moves up to top rate as per contract. How is it that some drivers reach top pay before others? Doesnt the contract dictate the pay rate increments?
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
Hmmmm...I have never heard that. At my center we have swing drivers who are without a designated route, there are no cover drivers and everyone starts out at the same rate of pay and moves up to top rate as per contract. How is it that some drivers reach top pay before others? Doesnt the contract dictate the pay rate increments?

We don't have PT cover drivers but our air drivers start out at a higher wage when they go full time package driver.
 
When I was a cover driver some of the areas still had RR and RD numbers (RR=Rural Route and RD=Rural Delivery), which could be a nightmare. Thank goodness for the 911 conversion as all of the areas in my center are now numbered for 911. You would have an address such as RD 2, Box 360, and there would be 3 or 4 mailboxes on the side of the road with driveways branching off from there.
We still have some areas that the 911 addies have not gone into effect fully so we end up withe a mix. Most of the RR areas have card files that help alot(if they are done well). One are I cover is for two different towns, there are three boxes of cards. The driver that just left this area had done a terrific job of adding the 911 to the cards already made up, so you had it covered in two directions. There is one RR14 Box *** that is 12 miles from the front door, but once you've been there you will NEVER forget it.

While the driver wants to enjoy his day off, he does not want to come back to a bunch of lookups and send agains so check with him to see if it is OK to call him during the day.
I will only call the driver IF he/she volunteers the OK. I never ask them if it's OK to call.
 

The Brown Santa

Ping Pong Ball
I'm confused by some of the language. In my building I am a full time "cover driver". Meaning I cover routes when bid guys are out, or on vacation. I am at top rate, but it seems maybe some of you call it swing driving etc?

I am considered "building cover" so I can bounce from one center to the next....I have come to know alot of routes. :wink2:
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
I'm confused by some of the language. In my building I am a full time "cover driver". Meaning I cover routes when bid guys are out, or on vacation. I am at top rate, but it seems maybe some of you call it swing driving etc?

I am considered "building cover" so I can bounce from one center to the next....I have come to know alot of routes. :wink2:
It's confusing. I have never heard the term TCD or temp cover drivers. I think, someone will correct me if I'm wrong LOL, the "swing " driver is old-timer terminology used in place of 'cover'. My steward has used the same term and she has worked for the company for 20 yrs.
 

The Brown Santa

Ping Pong Ball
I gotcha. I thought I had seen it referenced here that a "cover driver" works the preload and delivers air. We just call them air drivers....


Different terms for the same jobs lol.
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
I am going to correct myself. In our area, Western conference, we have
Cover drivers- part timers (preload or local sort) that also drive to fill in for vacations etc and do sat air
Utility drivers-full time drivers that do not have a bidded route.
Swing driver is an old term and I believe that it referenced utility drivers not cover drivers as I said before.
 

brownrodster

Well-Known Member
I am going to correct myself. In our area, Western conference, we have
Cover drivers- part timers (preload or local sort) that also drive to fill in for vacations etc and do sat air
Utility drivers-full time drivers that do not have a bidded route.
Swing driver is an old term and I believe that it referenced utility drivers not cover drivers as I said before.

I am also in the Western conference. My center has Air drivers and Utility drivers. PT air drivers work saturday and cover the full time air shuttle routes. Utility drivers are part timers that are allowed to del ground when needed. Our center rarely utilizes it's utility drivers. We have plenty full time drivers that there are usually a few on off or lay off.
 

Braveheart

Well-Known Member
I've been with UPS for about 2 1/2 years now and have done unload, preload, local sort and helper. I got my AA i was going after and now have decided I will try driving. I want to do air for sure but my full time supe today was telling me I should do cover. I can only imagine how much it must suck to be thrown out into new routes constantly and I am honestly scared about doing cover a little. How bad is it?
Do air first to get used to diad, trucks, traffic and so forth. If you master doing 20 stops on Sat. then try cover driving. Ask to do OCA on Sat. too to get used to Letter boxes and regular pick ups too.

Any accidents in 1st 30 days will get you cut. One stop at a time. Cover driving is not easy.
 
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