Using cover drivers as full time drivers

[foreverparttime]

Hey there! Wondering if there's anything in the contract or if anything experienced something similar. So here's the scenario, over a year ago I was hired as a cover driver, I was trained in one route because the full time driver that was on the route now works inside the building. The full-time driver that bid the route both hated it and couldn't qualify on it. In fact, the route has so many businesses and bulk stops that whenever I'm not on the route the other driver misses businesses AND pickups. So, I'm taught on that one route and told that I'll be trained on new routes eventually because someone will bid it. Over a year later and I'm still on the route as a part time cover driver with no holiday/sick days and cover driver pay. The only days I don't work the rout are days that are very slow, in that case a cover driver with more seniority than me will run the route and miss both businesses and pickups which means my next day is hell. Is there anything in the contract that prevents them from using cover drivers as a full time driver? I can't even imagine the amount of money they've saved by using me instead of a full time driver on this route. I was somehow hoping I could grieve for top rate or something which would make me much happier considering that after I finish my route im always forced to grab 20 stops off a neighboring driver before I can head in.

 

[Brownslave688]

After x number of reports they have to bid a full time position.

Doesn't mean you'll win that bid though.

 

[jumpman23]

That's the way the game is played dude. If you were hired as a cover driver but not as a fulltime driver, you really don't have a leg to stand on. Were you hired off the street or from part time? That's what we need to know. Off the street hires will most likely have to wait to be hired as a fulltime driver while the senior part time employees will most likely go fulltime before you as they have more building and company time than you . Its different in different parts of the country obviously so other guys can probably chime in and drop some more info for ya. They will definitely try n get cheaper labor for a route over a full sale driver if they can get away with it. Talk to your shop steward in the morning and he can give you the facts and fiction if hes knowledgeable of the contract or your local supplement.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Stop running and get the route fixed.

 

[PT Car Washer]

What is a PT cover driver? Ours are all FT drivers without a bid route.

 

[Jackburton]

What is a PT cover driver? Ours are all FT drivers without a bid route.

We have both, PT are used for vacations and predetermined needs 24hrs in advance, they come from the PT pool of qualified drivers. FT swing drivers we call them, don't have bid routes and choose routes that are open due to call outs or vacations by seniority. The PT cover drivers are only "suppose" to be used when all FT swing drivers are working, but many show up and are put to work as it's easier for management to have the flexibility.

 

[Jackburton]

To answer the OP's question, that route should have been put up for bid and a driver should have his name beside it, otherwise the lowest non-bid holding FT driver will be forced on it.

 

[foreverparttime]

Stop running and get the route fixed.

If our on-road sup's had a brain it would be fixed, however they won't fix it because back in the day it used to be an easy route. The route is a city route and the city has had a ton of development in the past year and a half and all the new businesses are what's killing it. The route has 100 business stops minimum a day and has businesses on every shelf from the 1000 all the way to the 8000 shelf.

To answer the OP's question, that route should have been put up for bid and a driver should have his name beside it, otherwise the lowest non-bid holding FT driver will be forced on it.

Thank you for answering my question! I figured that's what's supposed to happen and why it hasn't it beyond me, it's most likely because the only other driver on the route did it at a speed which would require them to split the route and make it into two (which it really should be).

 

[Indecisi0n]

If our on-road sup's had a brain it would be fixed, however they won't fix it because back in the day it used to be an easy route. The route is a city route and the city has had a ton of development in the past year and a half and all the new businesses are what's killing it. The route has 100 business stops minimum a day and has businesses on every shelf from the 1000 all the way to the 8000 shelf.

Thank you for answering my question! I figured that's what's supposed to happen and why it hasn't it beyond me, it's most likely because the only other driver on the route did it at a speed which would require them to split the route and make it into two (which it really should be).

If you get it done then why would they fix it?