Using your car without all the facts

Post by **rhino49** » 29 Apr 2008, 15:51

I was approached today by a colleague who told me he would be doing my walk on Saturday while I am on holiday. He asked if the walk was still the same as when I trained him over two years ago. Whilst I was showing him over the frame we got talking about how he would do the delivery and it turns out that he will be using his own car and wanted to know what would be the best place to start each part and where should he park to work from the car.

I explained that the pouch boxes were still in the same areas and that he could park near them and work from the boxes, but then thought to ask how he actually delivered when using his car. It turns out that he takes all his mail in the car and works from it.

I commented that as far as I am aware you may take your first bag with you OR all your mail and deposit the balance at the satchel boxes or safe drops but you are not covered by insurance if you use the vehicle as a storage area to work from, and indeed if the mail was stolen from the vehicle whilst you were away from it you would be open to disciplinary procedures from Royal Mail as well as voiding your insurance.

He said he had never been told this and was not aware of any other own vehicle users that knew of it.

Was my assertion correct and if so, is this a case of the management turning a blind eye for convenience sake and knowing full well that someone else will carry the can when the s**t hits the fan.

Added later:

See note from Spedley about 1st and 2nd class business insurance further down this thread

baggee · Post by **baggee** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:02

rhino 49, you are correct in what you say, but people will just not learn about the car and JOB ISSUES.

Digger1975 · Post by **Digger1975** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:05

I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out

Post by **dvbuk55** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:15

Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out

Well - ours is a mixture of rural and urban deliveries. The summer lapsing is going to be 5 duties spread across 14 staff per delivery - to cut a long story short the muppets here are already talking about using their cars to do the extra before travelling on to their own duty which may be 15 miles away - I know - pass me the rope!!!!!

borderscot · Post by **borderscot** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:19

Summer lapsing is only when it is operationally possible as and when workload allows. some people are beyond help

Digger1975 · Post by **Digger1975** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:21

Absolute jokers!! Our office has 7 rurals and 11 town rounds so only a tiddly place really. Summer lapsing is 1 town round between the remaining 10 townies. Our rurals are not doing anything extra but they still get the flexibility payments!! Dont think there are any car users in our office but i do believe 1 of the part timers has been seen out in his car delivering!!

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:28

Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out

So they can finish early

Digger1975 · Post by **Digger1975** » 29 Apr 2008, 16:35

johnnypick wrote:
Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out
So they can finish early

Am i right in assuming people who finish early dont return to the DO after their duty? We have to return to the office when we finish and 99 times out of 100 the DOM is still working(unbeleivable i know!!) so he sees what time everybody returns. Perhaps that is why people dont use their cars in our office.

not me · Post by **not me** » 29 Apr 2008, 17:04

Digger1975 wrote:
johnnypick wrote:
Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out
So they can finish early
Am i right in assuming people who finish early dont return to the DO after their duty? We have to return to the office when we finish and 99 times out of 100 the DOM is still working(unbeleivable i know!!) so he sees what time everybody returns. Perhaps that is why people dont use their cars in our office.

some offices do and some dont
tbh given the price of petrol i dont gt why anybody would use their car now of all times!!

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 29 Apr 2008, 17:13

custard wrote:
Digger1975 wrote:
johnnypick wrote:
Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out
So they can finish early
Am i right in assuming people who finish early dont return to the DO after their duty? We have to return to the office when we finish and 99 times out of 100 the DOM is still working(unbeleivable i know!!) so he sees what time everybody returns. Perhaps that is why people dont use their cars in our office.
some offices do and some dont
tbh given the price of petrol i dont gt why anybody would use their car now of all times!!

Yep with the price of fuel today the pay rise has been effectively wiped out and if you fill your car every week the Â£400 is not going to last long. All for making an hour or 30 minutes. One of the guys at our place uses his car to get out but sends all but 1 bag out by driver, however, if he did not use his car it would take him 1-2 hours to get home from his walk and 1 hour to get in in the morning. In his case I think its OK, but generally I am against using private cars, and cant see why people use them as mobile bag drops, when royal mail should provide them.

woofwoof · Post by **woofwoof** » 29 Apr 2008, 19:11

borderscot wrote:Summer lapsing is only when it is operationally possible as and when workload allows. some people are beyond help

aint that phase 3 to get the 1.5 % pay rise if so tell them to shove it

woofwoof · Post by **woofwoof** » 29 Apr 2008, 19:16

Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out

1 it maybe personal
2 if u do take 1 bag
3 if you dont have to go back to the office to sign off even better as we signed up for job and finish
4 if they start lapsing duties ask for a bike and work to rule no big deal reallly when u ask for the bike

woofwoof · Post by **woofwoof** » 29 Apr 2008, 19:25

cantypeANDSHOUTS wrote:
woofwoof wrote:
Digger1975 wrote:I still cant understand why anybody would want to use their car in this job!! I cant work it out
1 it maybe personal
2 if u do take 1 bag
3 if you dont have to go back to the office to sign off even better as we signed up for job and finish
4 if they start lapsing duties ask for a bike and work to rule no big deal reallly when u ask for the bike
agree 100 percent

must admit number 4 makes takes the smile off there face

Spedley · Post by **Spedley** » 29 Apr 2008, 20:37

Not quite right. You can only take one bag with you, you can't use it to drop your bags off at a pouch drop.

With 2nd Class business insurance you are only permitted to drive "to and from multiple places of work". This means you can drive to your delivery and take your brief case (puch). You cannot load or unload cargo from the vehicle, for that you need 1st class business insurance but then you could deliver mail from your car.

Post by **rhino49** » 29 Apr 2008, 20:48

Spedley wrote:Not quite right. You can only take one bag with you, you can't use it to drop your bags off at a pouch drop.

With 2nd Class business insurance you are only permitted to drive "to and from multiple places of work". This means you can drive to your delivery and take your brief case (puch). You cannot load or unload cargo from the vehicle, for that you need 1st class business insurance but then you could deliver mail from your car.

Thanks for clarifying that Spedley - I'll remember that if we discuss it at the office tomorrow.