Cover drivers...2nd (or 3rd) job

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Just wondering what some of the lower seniority cover guys are doing for extra income. A sort and 0-1 days on the road just dont cut it. A second job requires extreme flexibility, anyone have success with one?

 

[ChrisTheBrown]

I am...Security job on weekends, lately have been picking up extra shifts during the week..If I'm not needed to drive for UPS, I'll take the extra security hours..It's been working pretty nicely for me. I'm in the same boat as you, with the whole cover driver thing. How many years I gotta do this, Idk, but everyone's gotta play the same waiting game.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

Yep...security doesnt sound too bad. They dont mind when you say you cant come in because of UPS? Delivering pizzas would be ideal...ok money, probably flexible, and you would either know the roads or gain knowledge if them. Only problem is I'm usually asked to work the local sort (P.M.)

 

[ChrisTheBrown]

Na, I never have any issues..I work preload, normally between 04:00-09:00..Security shifts I cover are usually 15:00-23:00..Works good for me.

 

[rp3]

I drive air shuttle in a.m.till 9. Then I work at same airport till 5:00. Then I do local sort 5:30-9:00. Makes for a long day, But what do you do.

 

[llamainmypocket]

Pizza places are great at working with a schedule as long as it's the same thing every week. Calling in will generally get your hours slashed until you stop doing it. It's probably the #1 way people lose pizza jobs. You got to give them something they can work with for all weeks.

I don't know if cover drivers do saturday air. But if they don't then you could commit to a saturday-sunday deal. At many(but not all) 10 hours delivery pizza pays like 20 for others around the same pay rate. Only wanting to work 2 days seems a little flakey but I've seen it done successfully many times.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

When I was a cover driver I used to stock shelves in a grocery store from midnight to 4 am and deliver auto parts during the day. The owner of the auto parts store knew UPS came first and he was very accomodating.

 

[mdnj88]

Local 177 a cover driver is a full time perm. I work every single day. I can't even beg for a day off.

 

[box_beeyotch]

Local 177 a cover driver is a full time perm. I work every single day. I can't even beg for a day off.

Same here brother. It's bitter sweet I'll tell ya.

 

[jbg77]

Im pretty low on the list of cover drivers but did it to start out at the higher rate in a few years. i manage a warehouse fulltime, work preload part time, cover drive during peak and vacations if needed.

 

[Jackburton]

Mention you're a cover driver with no route to run here, you'll be swarmed in 30 seconds by three drivers.

 

[JL 0513]

Same here (MA), cover drivers get the most hours. Permanent, never laid off. There's always vacations to cover and seniority drivers take lots of days off. Some guys take almost every Monday off.

 

[542thruNthru]

Just wondering what some of the lower seniority cover guys are doing for extra income. A sort and 0-1 days on the road just dont cut it. A second job requires extreme flexibility, anyone have success with one?

Sorry for the derail but your name just hit me. Is it Tommy Boy? If so great job man. Love Chris Farley.

 

[sandwich]

I think in different locals cover driver means different things. I know that in the west coast you have

Cover driver: part time driver who works when extra drivers are needed. When not needed your back in the hub working your part time job.

Utility driver: full time driver without a permanent route.

Route driver: full time driver with their own route.

Source. I was a cover driver for 8 years, now I'm a full time utility driver.

 

[YellowSox]

Just wondering what some of the lower seniority cover guys are doing for extra income. A sort and 0-1 days on the road just dont cut it. A second job requires extreme flexibility, anyone have success with one?

I'm a full time utility driver and get 55-59 hours a week just from driving. I come from a busy center. If I am on the extra list it's rare.

 

[sandwich]

Why would someone disagree with my post??

 

[JL 0513]

I think in different locals cover driver means different things. I know that in the west coast you have

Cover driver: part time driver who works when extra drivers are needed. When not needed your back in the hub working your part time job.

Utility driver: full time driver without a permanent route.

Route driver: full time driver with their own route.

Source. I was a cover driver for 8 years, now I'm a full time utility driver.

I'm in the Northeast and "utility " or "route driver" are terms not used. We just have permanent friend/T drivers / PT air drivers. And then "casual ( temp) drivers" during peak.

Cover drivers are just those of us at the bottom without a bid route but we are otherwise no different than all other friend/T drivers.

 

[sandwich]

I'm not trying to be a , but I know that. On the west coast once you go full time (utility) you Dont get laid off anymore. That's what the cover drivers are for. Part timers used when needed. Just trying to shed some light for the people that didn't know that. We also Dont hire seasonal drivers, at least in so cal.