Are single jobs / trolley jobs the jobs to for nowadays ?

[Chelseablue]

If you have seniority ?

[scoobydo79]

Personally no. Boring on Your own and I find a HCT bloody hard work to push

[SMS1969]

Wouldn’t want a HCT duty as its hard and you don’t have any shelter, but I personally love working on my own on a van duty.

[CABANA83]

In the Summer it can be nice, but you'll have nearly everyone (posties and managers) saying you've got it easy when really you're doing far more walking than most, while pushing a heavy trolley.

And when the weather isn't great, which is most of the year, there's no hiding place, no sitting in a van to stay dry, warm up. Looking for somewhere to chill for your meal relief.

Had a good run with HCT but siso came in which meant the end of 'job and jack' and that killed that job.

[toonshola]

Every single hct and singleton van duty is filled by the top of the seniority list in our office. I’ve never seen someone with the seniority to avoid van share go and pick a van shared route. They all winge about walking a bit further but i would much prefer that than doing the 50+ large parcels daily on my shitty van share route.

[fadetogrey63]

Every single hct and singleton van duty is filled by the top of the seniority list in our office. I’ve never seen someone with the seniority to avoid van share go and pick a van shared route. They all winge about walking a bit further but i would much prefer that than doing the 50+ large parcels daily on my shitty van share route.

Totally agree, I love the walking side but hate the oversize parcel drops with a passion.. it mostly means we usually bring back a few loops as there is just to many parcels/tracked to deliver

[qw]

No, but to further you question rural rounds aren’t as desirable as they once were. In the old days you’d want a rural because of a van not a bike or trolley and they were for the most part easier than town rounds. Not so much in my office any more. I find getting in and out a van all day grating to be honest.

[kazardaimenu]

Single van job’s the dream.

[Oscar_Grouch]

I would suspect the appeal of HCTs will disappear in correlation with the parcel hubs going live.
I see it every day, HCT duty holders throwing out anything and everything they think they can get away with, signed for, probably won't go through the letter box, just a long driveway they can't be bothered to walk up.
And of course currently they do get away with it because managers are fighting fires left right and centre and really are too busy to be daft enough to go looking for more things they need to put right.
And the DPR drivers starting work after the walk holder has left the building so they get no push back there either.

Once all the larger parcels that are officially deemed too large for an HCT are removed from the office, and these individuals see what their workload really looks like, the idea that HCT duties are lighter and easier will soon evaporate.
Of course the drivers, rural, town, singleton or van share, will also see the loss of these parcels too so those duties may look more appealing on the workload than they do at the moment.

Of course a personal need and then preference will come in to it.
Some people can't be getting in and out of a van dozens or hundreds of time a day, others can't be walking for 5-6 hrs straight.

Don't think really there is any duty type that is cushy enough to be preferable, it's how knackered the individual is and what they stand half a chance of managing for the foreseeable.

The way staff are falling apart, and modern medicine keep people with serious chronic conditions going for much longer, perhaps seniority should be scrapped in favour of some sort of disability assessment score?
Highest decrepitness score get to pick first

[A2B]

Will there even be a HCT duty if RM's trial is successful?

[SkiSunday]

managers are fighting fires left right and centre.....
Don't think really there is any duty type that is cushy enough to be preferable......

DOM support is a "cushy" number though pal

[ted_e_bear]

managers are fighting fires left right and centre.....
Don't think really there is any duty type that is cushy enough to be preferable......

DOM support is a "cushy" number though pal

Certainly is, imho they shouldn't even exist these days, the manager/s could easily absorb the work ours do they don't need any support, ours does the duty rotas,leave records, inputs overtime etc, no idea what the com does when we're out on delivery but if it's the same as when we're in the office then they've got all the time in the world to do those jobs and more.

[clashcityrocker]

I wonder how many offices still have a COM support?
That position disappeared from our office in 2010.

[norris9]

Single van job is the dream like others say.

-Can do the job exactly how you want to do it.
-Can work at your own desired pace.
-Nobody to annoy you.
-Nobody to wait for and nobody to make you go faster.
-Need a toilet break - you can just drive off and do so.
-Hungry? - just drive to the nearest shop.
-You never have to worry about working with new people that don't know where they are going.

HCT - if it's peeing down all day you are going to get drenched. At least with a van you can somewhat dry off, easily change into another coat/jacket, let the brief heavy downpours pass, and can go to and from the office in the dry.

[postslippete]

A lot of posties don't like the hours but from all accounts it is less stressful being an LAT driver. There are no indoor work plans that suggests that you can prep 2 duties in 15 minutes, no managers breathing down your neck, no daily huddles, no pointless arguments about what you can and can't take before you leave the office because the delivery app roughly calculates your time (even though I've been told its not always accurate). And the crucial thing about your daily workload is that you won't be working past your time otherwise the office gates will be closed and the equipment and van keys need to be handed in.

I would also add that there is no walking 15 miles a day in all weathers, no queuing up for Specials and van keys, no collections or post boxes to worry about plus you will always be working on your own. There are downsides, like if you have a van breakdown and working in the dark, there is always a possibility of an accident or getting mugged if you deliver to a rough council estate. However, I wonder if the pro's outweigh the con's? For many people who like a lie-in and don't mind working evenings I suspect it would be a decent job.