How Does an RPCD Sign Up for Extra Work at UPS?

By TeamstersGPT · Published June 8, 2026

Learn how RPCDs can sign up for extra work at UPS, what the contract says about posting extra work, and what rights protect you when you want more hours.

If you're a Regular Package Car Driver (RPCD) looking to pick up extra work — whether that's covering a route on your day off, grabbing Saturday work, or working peak season — your contract and local practices govern how that works. Here's what you need to know about signing up, what UPS is required to post, and how seniority factors in.

What Is an RPCD?

An RPCD (Regular Package Car Driver) is a full-time driver classification under the National Master UPS Agreement. [10] Since the 2023-2028 contract, former Article 22.4(b) combination drivers were reclassified to RPCD status, placed into seniority, and had their pay adjusted to Top Rate or the applicable progression rate effective August 1, 2023 [4]. As RPCDs, these drivers are now covered by Article 37 "9.5" provisions, "8-hour requests," and all other RPCD rights and benefits [4].

Your Regular Scheduled Workweek

Before talking about extra work, it helps to understand your baseline. Under the Southwest Package Rider, your regular scheduled workweek consists of five (5) consecutive eight (8) hour days, Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday [2]. Your start times are posted on the prior Friday of the week for which they are effective, and if you are ordered to report before your scheduled start time, you receive time and one-half for all hours worked prior to that regular start time [2].

Importantly, no RPCD shall be forced to work any day outside of their regular scheduled workweek [1]. This is a core protection — you cannot be involuntarily assigned to a sixth day simply because the Company wants extra coverage.

Signing Up for Extra Work: How It Works in Practice

The contract itself establishes seniority as the governing principle for offering extra work — but the mechanics of how a sign-up sheet is administered often depend on your local union's practices and any applicable Supplement, Rider, or Addendum.

Generally speaking, at most UPS buildings, extra work is offered via a voluntary sign-up list (often called an "extra work sheet" or "availability list"). Drivers put their names down for days they are willing to work beyond their regular schedule, and the Company draws from that list in seniority order when extra coverage is needed. [12] Each month, a sheet is typically made available for drivers to add their name for any given day or shift; if the Company needs people at that time, they call from that list.

What the contract says about Saturday/weekend extra work: When UPS needs additional drivers for Saturday or Sunday work, RPCDs must be offered the work first — and forced last [13]. This is a critical protection: the Company cannot skip over available RPCDs and hand weekend work to less-protected classifications before exhausting the voluntary list.

Feeder Drivers: Annual Bids and Vacancy Postings

If you work in feeder, the process is more formalized. Under the Western Region Supplemental Agreement:

  • All feeder schedules are bid on a seniority basis each calendar year [5].
  • Feeder schedules are posted for five (5) working days, during which drivers can bid [5].
  • Annual feeder bids are awarded and become effective the first full week of May [5].
  • Permanent feeder vacancies and new schedules that become available after the annual bid must be posted within five (5) days for five (5) working days [5].

For peak season feeder work, extra schedules established prior to the second full week of December are first offered, on a seniority basis, to bid feeder drivers and then to back-up feeder drivers before peak season hires are used [6]. Bid feeder drivers who choose not to select an extra peak season schedule during the initial offering are still eligible to select, in seniority order, any regular bid schedule vacated by a driver who took a peak season extra schedule, or any extra peak season runs that develop afterward [6].

Package Car Vacancies: The Posting Requirement

For package car work, the Western Region Supplemental Agreement requires that any permanently vacated or newly established package car area — excluding those established during December — must be posted within five (5) days for five (5) working days, during which drivers can bid [6]. Posted vacancies must include geographical descriptions and area boundaries so drivers know exactly what they are bidding on [6].

Peak Season: Personal Vehicle Deliveries and Part-Time Sign-Ups

During peak season, there is a specific process for extra delivery work involving personal vehicles. Under Article 26, Section 1 of the National Master Agreement:

  • Existing part-time employees may sign an interest list between August 15th and September 15th each year to perform personal vehicle delivery work between November 1st and the end of the seasonal period [3].
  • Part-time employees who signed the interest list have priority over new seasonal hires [3].
  • Existing Temporary Cover Drivers and other similar part-time cover classifications maintain the first right to perform this delivery work before it is offered to part-time employees signing the interest list [3].
  • Part-time employees performing this seasonal delivery work are paid their inside rate or the RPCD start rate, whichever is higher [3].
  • If peak delivery needs are still not met, the Company may hire seasonal support drivers (W-2 employees and Union members under Article 3, Section 2) to use personal vehicles between November 15th and December 26th [3].

UPS Teamsters United also reminds members of important peak season sign-up deadlines each year [14].

Cover Drivers and the Path to Full-Time RPCD Work

If you are a cover driver looking to pick up as much work as possible — and eventually convert to full-time RPCD status — the contract has a built-in trigger. Under the Southwest Package Rider and the Western Region Supplement:

  • For every 156 cover driver reports that an individual works during the calendar year, the Employer must add one (1) RPCD in that center [9].
  • Cover driver reports are defined as any day a cover driver reports to work to deliver packages for any reason and on any day during the entire calendar year, including peak season days [9].
  • Cover drivers will not work if there are any full-time package car drivers on layoff within the Local Union's jurisdiction [9].
  • Cover drivers used outside the parameters of the agreement are guaranteed eight (8) hours' pay at the package driver's top rate [9].

The Employer must provide the Local Union a monthly payroll report showing the names of all cover drivers, the number of days each worked, and the center they reported to — within two weeks of each month's end [7].

What to Do Next

Talk to your steward to find out exactly how your building administers the extra work sign-up sheet — the local practices and your Supplement, Rider, or Addendum fill in details the National Master doesn't spell out. If you're in the Western Region or covered by the Southwest Package Rider, your steward can walk you through the feeder and package car bid posting timelines. You can also ask TeamstersGPT with your specific supplement selected for more targeted answers based on your region.

Sources

  1. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 22.4 · § 2 · p. 45–46
    ider or Addendum. (iii) Previously classified Article 22.4(b) drivers shall remain on a Tuesday-Saturday workweek unless the number of necessary Tues- - 36 - Article 11 day-Saturday workweek schedules can be covered by RPCDs de- scribed in Paragraphs (i) or (ii) above. (iv) If…
  2. Southwest Package Rider & Southwest Sort Rider 2023-2028 — Art. 6 · § 2 · p. 14–15
    eight (8) con- secutive hours, with an established start time, excluding a non-paid meal period of either one-half (1/2) or one (1) hour. The regular - 278 - scheduled workweek, shall consist of five (5) consecutive eight (8) hour days, Monday through Friday or Tuesday through…
  3. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 26 · § 1 · p. 97–98
    wledgment of such agreement. The parties shall also reduce to writing all unre- solved issues, if any. This meeting shall be completed where practical - 88 - Article 26 at least forty-five (45) days prior to the implementation of the seven (7) day operation. The seven (7) day…
  4. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 10 · § 2.c · p. 44–45
    urity in the affected parking lot. In addition, if an employee whose personal ve- hicle was subject to theft or vandalism while parked in a designated - 35 - Article 10 Company parking lot provides immediate notice to the Company and obtains a police report, the Company will…
  5. Western Region of Teamsters UPS Supplemental Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 6 · § 1 · p. 8–9
    e who is hired between October 1st, and December 31st, inclusive, of any year, and shall not accrue seniority or service credit for any purpose during - 217 - this period. Any full-time employee hired prior to October 1st of any year shall continue to accrue seniority during…
  6. Western Region of Teamsters UPS Supplemental Agreement 2023-2028 — § 2 · p. 9–10
    seniority basis, to the seniority feeder drivers and then to the back- up feeder drivers prior to filling such extra schedules with peak season hires. - 218 - Bid feeder drivers who choose not to select an extra peak season feeder schedule during the initial peak season feeder…
  7. Southwest Package Rider & Southwest Sort Rider 2023-2028 — Art. 7 · § will · p. 123–124
    on drivers. Effective January 1, 2019, for each one hundred fifty-six (156) cov - er driver reports that an individual works during the calendar year, - 387 - the Employer will add one (1) Regular Package Car Driver (RPCD) in that center for each occurrence. Cover driver reports…
  8. National Master UPS Agreement 2023-2028 — Art. 3 · § shall · p. 21–22
    ppropriate list to fill the required positions, and such employees will work as as - signed. The employee must be qualified for the available work and - 12 - Article 3 double shift employees shall have seniority among themselves. No employee is allowed to work more than two (2)…
  9. Southwest Package Rider & Southwest Sort Rider 2023-2028 — Art. 7 · § will · p. 46–47
    The number of cover drivers will be determined by each center but may not exceed the number of persons off for reasons as described in this paragraph. - 310 - In addition, cover drivers who are qualified or in the process of being qualified, shall be afforded the opportunity to…
  10. Which sheet do I sign if I wanna become a full time delivery driver?
    RPCD is a full time driver position. You can sign up to drive utility in addition to any part time work, when they have utility work available.
  11. UPS TEAMSTERS RPCDs: SUBMIT COMPLETED 9.5 ADD/CUT ...
    RPCDs who want to protect their overtime and route must submit a completed 9.5 add/cut form to their steward
  12. Can a part time package handler request additional hoirs or pick up ...
    Yes, each month they put out a sheet where you can add your name for any given day & shift; if they need people to work at that time they'll
  13. New UPS Combination Driver Jobs Protect Weekends for Package ...
    If the company needs additional drivers for Saturday or Sunday work, RPCDs will be offered first and forced last and will make the Supplemental
  14. Peak Season Deadlines for UPS Teamsters
    Part-time UPS Teamsters who want to make extra money during peak season can sign up to deliver packages using their personal vehicles.

Frequently asked

Does UPS have to post extra work before assigning it?
For permanent feeder vacancies and new feeder schedules, UPS must post the opening within five (5) days for five (5) working days so drivers can bid in seniority order [#5]. For package car areas, the same five-day posting requirement applies to permanently vacated or newly established areas, excluding those set up during December [#6]. Day-to-day extra work is generally handled through local sign-up list practices.
Can UPS force me to work on my day off to cover extra work?
No. Under the National Master Agreement, no RPCD shall be forced to work any day outside of their regular scheduled workweek [#1]. When Saturday or Sunday work is needed, RPCDs must be offered the work first and are forced last [#13].
How do I sign up for peak season extra work?
Part-time employees can sign an interest list between August 15th and September 15th each year to perform personal vehicle deliveries between November 1st and the end of the seasonal period [#3]. Cover drivers and Temporary Cover Drivers have the first right to peak delivery work before it is offered to part-timers on the interest list [#3]. Watch for peak season deadline announcements from Teamsters [#14].
What happens if I'm passed over for extra work and a supervisor does it instead?
If a supervisor is found to have performed bargaining unit work in violation of the contract, you are entitled to double time for two hours or less of supervisor work, or four hours at straight time or actual hours at double time (whichever is greater) if the supervisor worked more than two hours [#8]. Repeated violations by the same supervisor within a nine-month period trigger a quadruple time remedy [#8].
As a cover driver, how many days do I need to work to trigger a new full-time RPCD job?
For every 156 cover driver reports worked by an individual during the calendar year, the Employer must immediately award one new RPCD position to the senior eligible individual in that center [#9]. All days worked throughout the year, including peak season, count toward this total [#9].

Ask TeamstersGPT with your supplement selected to get the cited article and section for your local.