This is one reason I hate van sharing....everyone has a different way of doing things....
Some people I've worked with load up a trolley for me with as much as they can. I hate it as it is slow, inefficient, annoying to have to walk back to the trolley to go forwards again.
Some people hand you a heavy bag which is awkward, bad for your back and joints, and put small packets you can't see at the bottom of the bag, which you may miss or you can't even take out easily as you have ten tonnes of weight on your shoulder and bundles and parcels in the way.
Where is the logic in working this way?
How hard is it to reduce a 60 call loop to a 30 call loop. Generally I think 40 calls should be the maximum you do on any loop, unless it's apartments (which tend to get less mail).
Don't let anyone take charge of your workload. If you come in and find things not tied up to your preference, simply undo their work and do it your way. Yes, it'll waste time and you won't get out until much later, but that's fine as you'll just end up bringing stuff back. Rinse and repeat every day until management see the issue.
Van shares are awful on so many levels and are the least efficient way of working, especially when you're paired with a snail who drags you down to their level.
Sure I’m not on my own but I find it harder to push a trolley than carrying a bag, to keep stopping & cocking the handle to push plays havoc on my lower back, especially when you have 4/5 days of mail 🥹
Aren't LWT primarily designed to be pulled rather than pushed?
And there is the reason why if you get injured, you will win any claim. You are using a tool without sufficient training, simple as that
Did you have to sign anything when they were brought in? If you did then RM might well have their ass covered.
When were they brought in - over 10 years ago? RM will possibly not be covered for the 1000's of posties that have joined since and not had any training on how to use an LWT apart from 'Yes mate, just use that'.
When were they brought in - over 10 years ago? RM will possibly not be covered for the 1000's of posties that have joined since and not had any training on how to use an LWT apart from 'Yes mate, just use that'.
They've almost certainly signed a "safe ways of working" briefing or similar which had a trolley use bit in it.
When were they brought in - over 10 years ago? RM will possibly not be covered for the 1000's of posties that have joined since and not had any training on how to use an LWT apart from 'Yes mate, just use that'.
They've almost certainly signed a "safe ways of working" briefing or similar which had a trolley use bit in it.
No-one reads them though.
Good point, but these generally get pushed out en masse in one lump just before the beginning of the new financial year to get the all important tick in the box. But then they're not revisited for another year, meanwhile loads of posties have joined and not had a briefing about anything. I'd love to see if our manager could track down all the paperwork we've signed in our office for a H&S/Training audit or investigation or if there was an incident.
Sometimes the WTLL sheets (they don't even verbally brief us now - it's 'There's a WTLL sheet over there, read it and sign it') get left out and because Bob, Sue and Evie were on days off/leave, the sheets are left out for weeks on end, then eventually get buried under loads of other crap and then often end up going missing or go in a bin six months later.
1. Trolleys slow you down and unless you have an easy duty, or a decent manager, or like doing overtime, then there's no way using a trolley is going to work as you will inevitably be harassed by management for bringing mail back each day.
2. It's really not that hard to halve each loop you do so your bag is light, or at least significantly lighter....
+ as others have said....if you are doing large loops which cause your bag to be filled with bundles of mail, you are not going to be able to fit all the small/medium parcels in that bag, so you will have to drive round doing them after. Makes much more sense to cut the loop in half to make the bag lighter and fit the parcels in.
I find it too awkward with a bag on my back walking up driveway is difficult with cars in the way and then low level letter box is not good for your back carrying a pouch as well.one of us will drive large parcels separately and we do large loops with trolley as designed, it works and smaller loops aren’t practical because of parking issues with large van. Carrying a bag constantly over a long period will damage your back but if you are happy to do it and it is a light bag of just packets then it’s up to you but I don’t risk it but each walk will be different so whatever works
Trollies don't slow you down as your duty is designed for their use!
What's happened is posties can finish quicker by not using them and go home early so they stopped using them.
In turn this meant they got more added to their duty and couldn't complain because they'd been completing it.
Rinse and repeat...
exactly! People say your round is too easy if you can use a trolley are the same people who come in early don’t take a break and finish early, I use trolley and either cut off or claim and don’t damage my back which is common on our office for people who carry bags, but they never learn so bigger fools them
Apart from a very small number of streets where you only walk down one side, just about any walking loop can be split down in size. Often this doesn't happen within a shared van environment as staff feel they have THEIR loops/customers and are quite defensive about changing them. Some would rather walk with 15-20kg on their back on a 40 minute loop than park in the middle of each loop and split them all.
