Swing Driver

[outtatime]

Does being a full time swing put him at the front of the line for a full time regular route?

No, he will most likely sign an offer letter to be a swing for 18-24 months. After that I believe he still cannot bid on regular in-station routes due to being a different classification. I know a few managers and SM that will do everything possible to keep people from moving away from being swing once you're in. In my opinion, don't do it!!

 

[Billsbacker77]

Was a swing twice. You'd essentially be a human ping pong ball. You might run a rt that's easy one week then do the worst in the station the next. You might figure on doing a particular rt you know well, then be pulled off it to do one you don't know at all. And get dumped on by fellow couriers who know you aren't familiar with that rt's boundaries. If it's the quickest way into full-time and you really need the money then by all means. But if your station is busy enough you can usually find extra work making yourself available. If you're primarily doing deliveries now it's a whole new set of issues staying longer and doing pickups too. And with the new pay plan more money will eventually arrive.

This couldn't have been a better description. You hit the nail on the head with the ping pong ball reference. I came over from ground last July so I've been swing almost a year. Express is my career so while some weeks and days suck others are good and there's just a large amount of ups and downs. I take it for what it's worth I'm not gonna be a swing forever and for now i get to know every route so if one comes available I know what route sucks and what ones I like. It's stressful very very stressful not knowing where your going on a random route can really mess with your mindset. But if it's money your after go for it.

 

[vantexan]

He could essentially go from being a swing to getting a bad full time route that no one wants.

Which are the FT rts that are usually open. I was a 4X10 cover 3 times. You don't get any extra compensation, and you have to learn 4 rts, but they're usually decent rts in extended areas unless you are in a city where everyone works 4X10's. Got enough variety, more miles than stops, knew what I was doing every day. The only thing better than that is being a domicile IMO.

 

[Oldfart]

Depends on what your plans are for the next 5 years or so. If you want to make a better salary to supplement your military, you can double or more your PT hours and make the higher swing pay. Sock away some good money and scale back work later or just retire. Some of our PT people get 35 hours or more when they want and get 20 or so when they want to slow down. Our swings get plenty of hours and get the swing pay and make an good living. We even have PT swings and they get plenty of hours, just not the short term disability insurance that FT people get. Most of our swings are swings by choice and don't even apply for open routes. We usually have to hire for open routes from JCATS. Being a swing isn't for everyone and can get frustrating at times. I was a swing many many years ago. We didn't get swing pay and had to work AM and PM routes. Now there is swing pay and at our station, we have dedicated AM swings. Being PT and having plenty of free time has to be a good thing. Getting a big paycheck on Thur. is a good thing as well. You just have to decide if your current income is where you want to stay or do you make 1 more run at retirement money.

 

[vantexan]

No, he will most likely sign an offer letter to be a swing for 18-24 months. After that I believe he still cannot bid on regular in-station routes due to being a different classification. I know a few managers and SM that will do everything possible to keep people from moving away from being swing once you're in. In my opinion, don't do it!!

It used to be that swings were classified differently, which means if a FT rt came open FT couriers were in priority group 1, got first shot at it. Everyone else was in priority group 2, including swings. But last station I was in allowed swing to bid on my rt(I was retiring)along with everyone else and since he was the most senior he got it. So have rules changed? The way they had it before a swing would just about have to downgrade to part-time to get out of it, or take the worst rt available. First time I became a swing in '99 I got a 30 cent raise. Then everyone in station got a raise except me. Mgr said becoming a swing was considered a promotion and the raise I got for that was it. They've long since changed that but just one of the things that makes FedEx "special."

 

[dezguy]

I have heard they have made it much harder to go from senior courier down to courier in order to stop people from going senior courier as a way to get ft quicker.

At least that's the way it is here. Used to be, after the time period on your offer letter, you could bid on any position you wanted. Now, apparently, you have to get approval from your DM as well as HR, in order to drop down.

 

[Express Courier]

There is a swing position open at my station. I'm currently part time and not sure if I should bid on it. I've been told by other couriers it's better to stay part time because management has less control over me. Thoughts ?

Worst mistake I ever made was going full time and becoming a Swing. I don't really need to work a full time job (not trying to sound like I'm some rich mo-fo but I have a wife with a great job and we have money saved)

Anyway, I decided to go from being an FO driver which I really enjoyed to taking the leap to Swing. I felt like a grown ass man such as myself should be working full time. I got a regular route after a couple years of Swinging which is only slightly better than being a Swing. DO NOT DO IT lol

 

[Oldfart]

I have heard they have made it much harder to go from senior courier down to courier in order to stop people from going senior courier as a way to get ft quicker.

At least that's the way it is here. Used to be, after the time period on your offer letter, you could bid on any position you wanted. Now, apparently, you have to get approval from your DM as well as HR, in order to drop down.

Senior Courier? Never heard of that.

 

[dezguy]

Senior Courier? Never heard of that.

It what we call swings.

 

[vantexan]

It what we call swings.

Is it because it makes you old quick?

 

[dezguy]

Is it because it makes you old quick?

I think they do it it to make it sound like more important a position than it is. Lots of guys take the job and suddenly think they're managers. It's pretty funny when they get taken down a peg and realize they're nothing more than management's bitches.

 

[vantexan]

I think they do it it to make it sound like more important a position than it is. Lots of guys take the job and suddenly think they're managers. It's pretty funny when they get taken down a peg and realize they're nothing more than management's bitches.

A long time ago senior mgrs here were mgrs and mgrs were supervisors.

 

[overflowed]

I was a swing at multiple stations with my time at Fedex. I did so because I get bored easily. Most people wouldn't stay a swing for 10 years. I would not be a swing at 50 at a normal station. In a very large metro maybe. Depending where. Some swinging is much easier than others.

 

[McFeely]

Given how they treat swing drivers at my station, I would never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever in a million years apply to be a swing at my location. Split shifts, 14 hour days, 5 hour days, you name it. No consistent paychecks for the swings here, just more frustration. And the weeks you do make a ton of hours, you'll be miserable and exhausted.

Since you're considering a swing position in your station, ask the swings there how they feel about the training, hours, treatment. Every station is different, so you may very well have one of those shangri-la stations where everybody is happy.

For me, I'll stick with my regular route and consistent hours. If I was part time and looking for more hours, I'd either pick up another job or volunteer for more hours at the station doing the occasional PM route or working the night sort when you want to.

 

[Star B]

I'm a swing in a station with enough swings where they put the swings where they are strongest.

In other words, I'm sent farther out than other swings because other swings can't handle making decisions on the fly and their mapping skills are.... lacking.

That doesn't mean that I'm never given a ty in-town route. It just lessens the chance. I would talk with your stations swings and ask them how it is. Personally..... I took this job to get out of a dead-end job that paid quite a bit less with more stress.

tl;dr.... talk to your other swings. They know your management better than any of us internet aces would.

 

[swinginthewind]

It used to be that swings were classified differently, which means if a FT rt came open FT couriers were in priority group 1, got first shot at it. Everyone else was in priority group 2, including swings. But last station I was in allowed swing to bid on my rt(I was retiring)along with everyone else and since he was the most senior he got it. So have rules changed? The way they had it before a swing would just about have to downgrade to part-time to get out of it, or take the worst rt available. First time I became a swing in '99 I got a 30 cent raise. Then everyone in station got a raise except me. Mgr said becoming a swing was considered a promotion and the raise I got for that was it. They've long since changed that but just one of the things that makes FedEx "special."

How long ago did this change? Pretty sure I had this issue 3 years ago when I went swing. The raise issue I mean

 

[vantexan]

How long ago did this change? Pretty sure I had this issue 3 years ago when I went swing. The raise issue I mean

Couldn't tell you. I remember a number of years back they announced they were giving swings better money. Last time I was a swing was about 2006.

 

[!Retired!]

Keep in mind that he is 50.

I basically said be sure that's what he wants.

Not until he's done his time on his offer letter. And then it's by seniority.

You can't switch stations until your offer letter is up. You can put in for open routes within your station after, I think its 6 months

 

[vantexan]

I basically said be sure that's what he wants.


You can't switch stations until your offer letter is up. You can put in for open routes within your station after, I think its 6 months

We weren't talking about switching stations, but since you brought it up, you can switch stations if a job is posted in JCATS with a waiver in time requirements as long as your mgr approves it. If you have already done a year I'm pretty sure they have to approve it.

 

[BootsOnTarmac]

Yes, but the Manager can hold you for operational needs. I'm not sure of the time limits. Most who accept a job posting with a waiver are gone within a month or so.