Van Checks went Live

[Celgar]

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

This is type of gauge I was referring to. It requires no batteries and is very accurate. Once you have the technique mastered it is easy to use without expelling air from the tyre.
The newish van I have to use has a small slit gap at the back of the cab between the two seats. A while ago I lost my original gauge in this hole so I had to buy a new one which didn't please me . I now have a grey sack shoved into the gap to prevent losing anything else such as the ignition key down into the van.
We have a couple of the electronic version of the tyre gauge in the callers office for everyone to use as well plus the compressor in one of the garages.

[Dorset Plodder]

We're still using the Log books as a Back Up .... There's No Touch Points Cleaned (TPC) option on the PDA! In this "Covid Culture" some specky IT kid obviously slipped up on that one!

The PDA does give you the option for on tyres .... but you can still be roadworthy. The Log Book enables you to add "Uneven Wear needs daily monitoring" or some such comment.... nothing on PDA!

I took the decision to Do the Job properly. It takes me about 5 mins for a Daily Check & 10 mins for the Weekly Check (provided I don't have to fire up the compressor). Net Result 35 mins a week RM have to pay for THEIR latest Bright Idea. Across the Business that must be costing Big Bucks (How many Vans do we have)?

If the vehicle's roadworthy you can bypass the FMT section by inputing 1111111 (like you used to do when the PDA crashed and you lost your Route Number). Don't forget to dob the DOM in because the Van is in Shite State, Covered in Mud & Full of Crap .. ALTHOUGH ROADWORTHY!

[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).

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

This is type of gauge I was referring to. It requires no batteries and is very accurate. Once you have the technique mastered it is easy to use without expelling air from the tyre.
The newish van I have to use has a small slit gap at the back of the cab between the two seats. A while ago I lost my original gauge in this hole so I had to buy a new one which didn't please me . I now have a grey sack shoved into the gap to prevent losing anything else such as the ignition key down into the van.
We have a couple of the electronic version of the tyre gauge in the callers office for everyone to use as well plus the compressor in one of the garages.

Thank you, I’ll purchase one, will make things a bit easier for me.

[HTPostman]

I’ve noticed when I do the PDA check on a morning it tells you who the last driver was. Every single day last week the van was used on collections on an afternoon, but each morning when I did the check it said ‘previous driver: HTPostman’ so either collections drivers aren’t doing the check or there’s a glitch.

Either way I prefer having a physical copy showing someone has driven say 20 miles without filling in the log book.

[Bobbyh]

Does anyone else find it surprising that we have to complete annual monotonous safe systems of work training on basic things like moving York’s but when it comes to under bonnet checks which are important and technical( to some ) there is no training whatsoever.

[HTPostman]

Does anyone else find it surprising that we have to complete annual monotonous safe systems of work training on basic things like moving York’s but when it comes to under bonnet checks which are important and technical( to some ) there is no training whatsoever.

100%. I’ve asked a few where the steering wheel fluid canister is for a ‘visual check’ but no one knows.

And that’s just 1 van - I make it there’s 7 different fleet vans plus numerous private hire too.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

Does anyone else find it surprising that we have to complete annual monotonous safe systems of work training on basic things like moving York’s but when it comes to under bonnet checks which are important and technical( to some ) there is no training whatsoever.

100%. I’ve asked a few where the steering wheel fluid canister is for a ‘visual check’ but no one knows.

And that’s just 1 van - I make it there’s 7 different fleet vans plus numerous private hire too.

If you can’t find it thumbs it down and get a manager to come out and show you where it is.

[Sprattacus]

[no]

[Seymour Buts]

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...

Fair enough, it probably was a generalisation. If you're being bullied by colleagues or whatever any job is tough and stressful.

This is a job however where there is no measure of productivity or any way to get rid of anybody who are just crap. I've never known any job like that having worked in numerious places. There are people in my office who are just too lazy or incompetent to do the job. The slack just has to be picked up by somebody else. If your duty is too big, just leave stuff.

[Pumpernickel]

100%. I’ve asked a few where the steering wheel fluid canister is for a ‘visual check’ but no one knows.

And that’s just 1 van - I make it there’s 7 different fleet vans plus numerous private hire too.

Noone knows because they don't always exist.

Most of our offices vans have electric power steering, with no hydraulic line at all.

[Dorset Plodder]

100%. I’ve asked a few where the steering wheel fluid canister is for a ‘visual check’ but no one knows.

Noone knows because they don't always exist.

Most of our offices vans have electric power steering, with no hydraulic line at all.

I had to point that out to a couple of guys the other day, who were stood there scratching their heads I'd had a lecture on it a few years ago when I took my car in with a dodgy alternator. TBH I didn't realise they'd moved over to electic steering ... Every Day's a School Day!

[Dorset Plodder]

I’ve noticed when I do the PDA check on a morning it tells you who the last driver was. Every single day last week the van was used on collections on an afternoon, but each morning when I did the check it said ‘previous driver: HTPostman’ so either collections drivers aren’t doing the check or there’s a glitch.

Either way I prefer having a physical copy showing someone has driven say 20 miles without filling in the log book.

I've noticed this as well HTP Thinking about it I believe it's because YOU log into the PDA with YOUR password ..... so perhaps that's what's throwing up YOUR details and no one elses. The PDA doesn't appear to be a True Record of whose driven the vehicle?

[Pumpernickel]

I've noticed this as well HTP Thinking about it I believe it's because YOU log into the PDA with YOUR password ..... so perhaps that's what's throwing up YOUR details and no one elses. The PDA doesn't appear to be a True Record of whose driven the vehicle?

Nah. It shows the last person to do a van check on the van, the PDA they used is irrelevant.

I do the driving on my round, with my partner doing more of the walking. After my day off last week it showed their name for the previous check as I started my next van check. They had a casual covering me the previous day, so had to do the driving, and they won't use my PDA because it's one of those that's a PITA (missing buttons, gets unresponsive, loses the collection scan from time to time, and all that).

[Dorset Plodder]

Nah. It shows the last person to do a van check on the van, the PDA they used is irrelevant.

Well I'll have to have a word with the lazy bastard if he's not doing the checks, because it never shows his name on my PDA. You live and learn. It used to bug me enough that he used to fill in the Drivers Record in RED pen FFS! I wouldn't be so bad but I always leave a few Black Biros stuck on the sun visor!

[Bobbyh]

Do people generally do their checks before loading up the vehicle?

I had an incident today where after loading vehicle and then doing checks, it turned out there was a fault and the van was deemed unroadworthy. I therefore had to offload all the Mail / parcels and load onto a suitable vehicle.

I will therefore be doing checks pre loading vehicle going forward .