Agreed. PBS works well for me, and other who know how to bid.
the base thing you had a conversation may refer to the 6 day trip length limit. If based in ORD, DFW, ONT, TEB, or PBI, the system can not force you into 7 or 8 day trips. In any other base, you can be given 7 or 8 day trips even if you didn’t bid them. But again, if you bid smartly it shouldn’t be a problem, especially since you will have junior people under you fairly quickly.