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Van retention policy

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
geordieboy123
Posts: 384
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 17:35
Gender: Female

Van retention policy

Post by geordieboy123 »

Can anyone point me in the right direction to get a copy of the van retention policy?
tramssirhc
Posts: 1700
Joined: 04 Sep 2012, 20:19
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by tramssirhc »

There isn't one. If it's still happening then it's the employer responsibility.
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chickenwittle
Posts: 2088
Joined: 15 Nov 2009, 09:43
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by chickenwittle »

That all stopped years ago at my office but obviously still goes on elsewhere as I see vans parked up outside houses in the evening in my area.
claretandblue
Posts: 900
Joined: 01 Aug 2007, 12:14

Re: Van retention policy

Post by claretandblue »

Apparently there's a form to fill in, a couple of lads at ours take the van home.
TooManyLoops
Posts: 135
Joined: 11 Oct 2016, 19:28
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by TooManyLoops »

I had van retention from 2014 to 2020. I gave it up in the end

We had to fill and sign a few forms (won't be used outside work hours etc) and they checked where it would be parked overnight

It still happens at our DO, not enough room in the van yard so they offered it out again and some took the offer up (they can't take EVs or hires home)

It probably depends on the DO.
Mr Rush
Posts: 3144
Joined: 05 Aug 2011, 14:27
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by Mr Rush »

There must still be one. They'd never get our gates shut if every van was left at the unit. To think not that long ago all the LDVs could park in the loading bay at the same time and the parking spaces were for the staff.
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POSTMAN
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Posts: 32699
Joined: 07 Aug 2006, 03:19
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by POSTMAN »

geordieboy123 wrote:
20 Sep 2024, 18:11
Can anyone point me in the right direction to get a copy of the van retention policy?
viewtopic.php?p=294718#p294718
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
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.
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The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
Ozzvaldo
Posts: 470
Joined: 15 Jul 2012, 20:35
Gender: Female

Re: Van retention policy

Post by Ozzvaldo »

In my office, the management are on their hands and knees begging us to take our vans home at night.

When we went to P&L years ago, our yard was far too small to accommodate the influx of new vans, but RM paid for permits at a nearby car park to keep them overnight.

Fast forward 14 years, and those vans are gradually being hauled off to the knackers yard to be replaced by hire vehicles. RM don't purchase permits for the replacement vans because they have to specify a registration number for each permit and they can't because our hired vehicles are regularly swapped with other offices or exchanged for different vehicles from the hire company. We haven't had new RM liveried vans for years and it won't be long before we're exclusively using white vans. We no longer have the means to park the vans we need on the premises overnight, and the surrounding streets are all residents only zones.

Whether or not taking hired vehicles home is something that RM should actually be allowing us to do, I've no idea.
michael147
Posts: 82
Joined: 19 Jul 2007, 22:51
Location: TURIN

Re: Van retention policy

Post by michael147 »

It is true that it does seem to be largely due to the manager.
I remember about 20 years ago my personal car died on about 30th November.
I lived about 3 miles from the office with very limited transport links (and none early morning or after 18:00).
In those days i was an overtime fiend and as usual we were badly short staffed so i was down to do many hours over the Christmas period.
Leaving very little time to search for a replacement.
I informed the manager at the time but not suggesting or asking anything.
30 minutes later he came over with an Xmas hire van and a log book, saying `there you go, that`s yours for Christmas`.
So i used that for nearly a month (only for RM business) and bought a replacement run around between xmas and new year.
That manager has long since retired but i can think of many who would have been completely incredulous at the idea, he just saw it as an obvious solution to an unexpected problem!
barcajr
Posts: 168
Joined: 12 Oct 2009, 01:04
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by barcajr »

Stopped van retention a couple of years ago in my office, the reason given was that too much fuel was being used
geordieboy123
Posts: 384
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 17:35
Gender: Female

Re: Van retention policy

Post by geordieboy123 »

POSTMAN wrote:
21 Sep 2024, 19:01
geordieboy123 wrote:
20 Sep 2024, 18:11
Can anyone point me in the right direction to get a copy of the van retention policy?
viewtopic.php?p=294718#p294718
Thanks very much mate
TopperGas
Posts: 3340
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: Van retention policy

Post by TopperGas »

Ozzvaldo wrote:
21 Sep 2024, 20:00
In my office, the management are on their hands and knees begging us to take our vans home at night.

When we went to P&L years ago, our yard was far too small to accommodate the influx of new vans, but RM paid for permits at a nearby car park to keep them overnight.

Fast forward 14 years, and those vans are gradually being hauled off to the knackers yard to be replaced by hire vehicles. RM don't purchase permits for the replacement vans because they have to specify a registration number for each permit and they can't because our hired vehicles are regularly swapped with other offices or exchanged for different vehicles from the hire company. We haven't had new RM liveried vans for years and it won't be long before we're exclusively using white vans. We no longer have the means to park the vans we need on the premises overnight, and the surrounding streets are all residents only zones.

Whether or not taking hired vehicles home is something that RM should actually be allowing us to do, I've no idea.
I was told hire vans couldn't be used for retention as the hire co's insurance doesn't cover it and as there's no Trimble's fitter no way of keeping any checks on what the van is being used for after work.
Ozzvaldo
Posts: 470
Joined: 15 Jul 2012, 20:35
Gender: Female

Re: Van retention policy

Post by Ozzvaldo »

TopperGas wrote:
22 Sep 2024, 22:28
Ozzvaldo wrote:
21 Sep 2024, 20:00
In my office, the management are on their hands and knees begging us to take our vans home at night.

When we went to P&L years ago, our yard was far too small to accommodate the influx of new vans, but RM paid for permits at a nearby car park to keep them overnight.

Fast forward 14 years, and those vans are gradually being hauled off to the knackers yard to be replaced by hire vehicles. RM don't purchase permits for the replacement vans because they have to specify a registration number for each permit and they can't because our hired vehicles are regularly swapped with other offices or exchanged for different vehicles from the hire company. We haven't had new RM liveried vans for years and it won't be long before we're exclusively using white vans. We no longer have the means to park the vans we need on the premises overnight, and the surrounding streets are all residents only zones.

Whether or not taking hired vehicles home is something that RM should actually be allowing us to do, I've no idea.
I was told hire vans couldn't be used for retention as the hire co's insurance doesn't cover it and as there's no Trimble's fitter no way of keeping any checks on what the van is being used for after work.
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if this was true and our management were conveniently ignoring it and telling us that it's OK.
Smoothbackground
Posts: 1263
Joined: 21 Sep 2023, 20:01
Gender: Female

Re: Van retention policy

Post by Smoothbackground »

Like most if not all commercial hirers, RM will hire the vehicles in on a “bare hire” basis, ie, without insurance. The hire vehicles are covered under RM’s own fleet insurance at all times.
Spedley
Posts: 1209
Joined: 16 Jul 2007, 17:32
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Van retention policy

Post by Spedley »

I take a van home, not enough space at work. Have done for years. Had to supply photos etc of where it would be kept.

I'd happily charge an EV at home too if they reimbursed me for it. Would need some kind of logger in the van but no way is there enough room at work for EV charging and I very much doubt the local power grid could supply enough power anyway.
I usually do less than 200 miles per week but with lots of start/stops and town driving. An EV woupd make a lot of sense.