Van Checks went Live

[twoloops]

Our temps & new reserves where told thumbs up everything & off you go

[HTPostman]

I’m told the weekly more in depth van check has to be done by all of us on the same day (Tuesday morning) each week.

There’s 80 driving rounds here, when it comes to checking tire pressure using the one available air pump how is this possible? Assuming it takes on average 3 minutes for each person to check their van tyre pressure, that’s 240 minutes. As usual this hasn’t been thought through at all.

It should be a designated 13 vans a day.

It looks like the daily check option for vehicles on the PDA is not an available option to select on Tuesdays. I think you get both options on the remaining working days so RM appear to want us to do the weekly check on Tuesdays. This is despite RM swapping the mail volumes over from Mondays to Tuesdays so really the weekly check only option should probably be set for Mondays unless RM are willing to revert back to how we used to work on Mondays & Tuesdays.

Regarding equipment to check tyre pressures your office could obtain electric or mechanical tyre pressure guages so not everyone has to use the compressor. I bring my own tyre pressure gauge & tread gauge into work on the day we have to do the weekly check. Its notable that on the PDA version it is not required to enter the tyre pressures and tyre tread depths as with the paper sheets. So the old paper sheets were more informative for a number of reasons.

Thank you...I have my own tyre tread gauge, would you mind telling me which tyre pressure gauge you use? Preferably something I can fit in my bag. Would make much more sense than queuing up with everyone else to check the pressure (that’s if someone hasn’t left their van parked in that bay as usually happens).

[2yearpostie]

I’m told the weekly more in depth van check has to be done by all of us on the same day (Tuesday morning) each week.

There’s 80 driving rounds here, when it comes to checking tire pressure using the one available air pump how is this possible? Assuming it takes on average 3 minutes for each person to check their van tyre pressure, that’s 240 minutes. As usual this hasn’t been thought through at all.

It should be a designated 13 vans a day.

It looks like the daily check option for vehicles on the PDA is not an available option to select on Tuesdays. I think you get both options on the remaining working days so RM appear to want us to do the weekly check on Tuesdays. This is despite RM swapping the mail volumes over from Mondays to Tuesdays so really the weekly check only option should probably be set for Mondays unless RM are willing to revert back to how we used to work on Mondays & Tuesdays.

Regarding equipment to check tyre pressures your office could obtain electric or mechanical tyre pressure guages so not everyone has to use the compressor. I bring my own tyre pressure gauge & tread gauge into work on the day we have to do the weekly check. Its notable that on the PDA version it is not required to enter the tyre pressures and tyre tread depths as with the paper sheets. So the old paper sheets were more informative for a number of reasons.

Thank you...I have my own tyre tread gauge, would you mind telling me which tyre pressure gauge you use? Preferably something I can fit in my bag. Would make much more sense than queuing up with everyone else to check the pressure (that’s if someone hasn’t left their van parked in that bay as usually happens).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-51541-T ... 0055&psc=1

[Woody Guthrie]

According to the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence: “To use cause or permit another to use a motor vehicle or trailer on a road which might for whatever reason, involve a danger of injury to any person.”

This allows for dual responsibility from both the business and the driver.

The vehicle check is there to remove that dual responsibility and pass the buck completely onto the driver, the only time a manager's ass would be on the line is if it could be shown that they knew a vehicle was unroadworthy and still allowed someone to drive it or if it could be shown they knew vehicle checks were not being carried out properly/at all.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

The managers were getting mad about these checks this morning. Again they said just check your lights and tyres, erm no thanks we will do them as RM requested. Thumbs down on most vans for things like cleanliness then a queue forming to speak to the manager about it then another queue shortly after to hand back lapsing as so much time had been lost. Comical

[Cucumber]

Now we have electronic van checks, how about an electronic 'fit to drive' question before you set out.

Have you eaten today?
Have you taken your appropriate break?
Are you calm and fit to drive just now?

The amount of staff I see literally RUNNING sweating out of the door each day, looking stressed out of their minds with half a sandwich sticking out their gob before they wheel spin away out of the yard, should be cause for concern.

[POSTMAN]

This thread goes well with a van related thread I posted today in this very part of the forum, I'll bump my signature...
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low life c***s they have always been.

[k979aaa]

E van checks like overtime dockets(p552) and duty schedules (p318) as directed by bull shitters since 2002.

[Seymour Buts]

We've now scrapped log books entirely.

A number of issues with the checks. I take the van home, do my duty, then do my collection then drive home again. Completing the check every single time is annoying when you've already done it that day. I just end up ticking all the boxes four times a day. Then you can't report damage or faults without a needing to put a form in. If we put forms in on every bit of damage to every van we'd probably have three vehicles left out of a fleet of 70. Least with the paper you can note any damage to keep you in the clear.

[Seymour Buts]

Now we have electronic van checks, how about an electronic 'fit to drive' question before you set out.

Have you eaten today?
Have you taken your appropriate break?
Are you calm and fit to drive just now?

The amount of staff I see literally RUNNING sweating out of the door each day, looking stressed out of their minds with half a sandwich sticking out their gob before they wheel spin away out of the yard, should be cause for concern.

If people are stressed in this job I do wonder what other job they could possibly do. This is probably the most stress free job ever.

[Woody Guthrie]

If people are stressed in this job I do wonder what other job they could possibly do. This is probably the most stress free job ever.

That's a pointless generalisation.
It depends on your office.
It depends on your managers.
It depends on your contract.
It depends on your seniority.
It depends on your duty.
It depends on your colleagues.
It depends on your life outside Royal Mail.
It just depends...

[aiden01]

We've now scrapped log books entirely.

A number of issues with the checks. I take the van home, do my duty, then do my collection then drive home again. Completing the check every single time is annoying when you've already done it that day. I just end up ticking all the boxes four times a day. Then you can't report damage or faults without a needing to put a form in. If we put forms in on every bit of damage to every van we'd probably have three vehicles left out of a fleet of 70. Least with the paper you can note any damage to keep you in the clear.

So your going against all the things your supposed to do why bother checking your van an how safe is your van parked at home??

[Celgar]

According to the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence: “To use cause or permit another to use a motor vehicle or trailer on a road which might for whatever reason, involve a danger of injury to any person.”

This allows for dual responsibility from both the business and the driver.

The vehicle check is there to remove that dual responsibility and pass the buck completely onto the driver, the only time a manager's ass would be on the line is if it could be shown that they knew a vehicle was unroadworthy and still allowed someone to drive it or if it could be shown they knew vehicle checks were not being carried out properly/at all.

There was no dual responsibility either before or after the introduction of PDA van checks. It has always been the case that the buck ends with us in terms of any fines, points on driving licence, and additional base costs or price increases to posties personal vehicle insurance costs. The only thing left they could add is for us to purchase, insure, & repair our own vehicles. RM don't even own the current vehicle fleet!!!!!

[Celgar]

Now we have electronic van checks, how about an electronic 'fit to drive' question before you set out.

Have you eaten today?
Have you taken your appropriate break?
Are you calm and fit to drive just now?

The amount of staff I see literally RUNNING sweating out of the door each day, looking stressed out of their minds with half a sandwich sticking out their gob before they wheel spin away out of the yard, should be cause for concern.

If people are stressed in this job I do wonder what other job they could possibly do. This is probably the most stress free job ever.

Some posties are on badly timed walks and always finish way before their duty time. Others routinely finish way over their duty time. There is stress in every workplace and RM is no exception to this rule.

[Celgar]

We've now scrapped log books entirely.

A number of issues with the checks. I take the van home, do my duty, then do my collection then drive home again. Completing the check every single time is annoying when you've already done it that day. I just end up ticking all the boxes four times a day. Then you can't report damage or faults without a needing to put a form in. If we put forms in on every bit of damage to every van we'd probably have three vehicles left out of a fleet of 70. Least with the paper you can note any damage to keep you in the clear.

In our office we are still doing both the log books & the PDA checks but the log books will be taken away in a week or so.
In most cases the paper alternative is better, more secure, & more advantageous than any technological device or system. The advanced technological alternatives generally also give rise to more fraudulent behaviour.
The paper sheets gave us a visible record of the vans condition and its stats to a degree. The new PDA gives us none of this, will turn into a 'push button exercise', and will result in more vehicles with faults on the road. It is just 'big brother' culture and will not end well.