Basildon Bond wrote: ↑16 Nov 2024, 05:09
Depends if your office has electric vans or not. Go down to the DO (delivery office) and look through the gates very early or very late (when the yard is full) and see what is in there or comes and goes.
Electric vans are obviously fully automatic. Otherwise, all the vans are manual diesels. The diesel van will have heavier clutch pedals than a petrol car. And if they are old or battered expect the clutch to bite anywhere in the range of pedal travel. We have Fiat vans than grind gears if you don't mash the pedal in to the floor and bite about a 1/4 inch off the floor.
Peugeot, Vauxhall, Mercs, VW Caddy - could be anything.
You'll need to be assessed by a qualified person before driving for RM - unless you are agency. It's call the "changeover". Ask them "do I need to do a changeover?", "is my changeover booked in?". It's a half day out with an instructor. Treat it like a driving test. Hands 10 to two, signalling correctly, maintain lane discipline at junctions and roundabouts etc., no speeding, no bad habits. Driving forwards and reversing. It may be bigger than you are use to so stay a little wider when turning so you don't clip curbs etc. They'll want you to inspect the van, lights working, horn, tyre thread (take a twenty pence coin with you - google it), washer fluid, doors work, seat belts work, no warning lights on the dash. Good luck find one that passes unless it's a new van!
It wouldn't be good to stall it five times before leaving the yard so some practice would be best. If you do stall it just don't lose control - brake, handbrake on, out of gear, ignition off and back on and restart the engine, into gear, mirror, signal, handbrake off, and proceed when safe.
Initially you may shadow someone else - however, you may get dumped on your own immediately. Expect to be given a York (a metal cage) full of parcels, a set of van keys, and a PDA (handheld computer like a phone) with the ability to scan barcodes. You'll need a login for the PDA - take a photo of it or write it down. Take a few working pens with you (clickable, who wants to be messing with pen caps) and a couple of sheets of paper (though you can take a few cards out of the back of any York in the yard that are "broken down" (their floor is lifted and the sides spread out and slotted together) if you need something to write on. Don't take a card out of a York inside the office or has "stuff" in it. Your may remove a label that is needed. You need a few pens because you'll lose them and you may want to give one to another new start who has not got one.
You'll need to ask someone how to scan parcels in and how to do a "van check" - don't let go of the PDA. Do it yourself with them explaining, not them doing it and handing the PDA back. You'll need the start mileage of the van initially and close off the van check with the end mileage when you finish.
Wear dark trousers or shorts. Cargo-like with thigh pockets. T-shirt or shirt (or two t-shirts) and a hoodie (black/ grey, even red!) if cold and ask for a RM vest. When they say are are none, tell them your saw a sign in the yard saying they must be worn in the yard and watch their face - if they laugh you may have some you can learn from, if they do anything else they could be trouble. Comfortable shoes - trainers or walking boots, whatever you prefer. Take a waterproof if it's raining - we don't stop for rain of any amount.
Once all the parcels are scanned to a particular code/route they will appear on the PDA in the order they should be delivered. The order will not be perfect but better than nothing if you don't know the area. Before pressing the "Depart Depot" button you can press a little toggle button and enable van loading and select the number of zones for the amount of parcels you have. You can they rescan ALL the parcels and write "F88", "D44", "B14", and "A1" on the label of the parcel. If you have eighty-eight parcels "F88" is your last drop/call and "A1" is your first. Throw all the parcels back into a York and wheel it to your van. Put all the F's in one pile, the E's next to them, D, C, B. For the A's order them neatly. Have A1, if not too big, on the passenger seat or available. Do your van check. Make sure you have plenty of cards (red P739 cards) and a pen. Set off without rushing. Take it slow and relax.
It's worth doing the van loading and writing the parcel number clearly and in large print (don't write over the barcode) while you're at the office in the warmth because it saves time when you're out and it's late, and dark, and cold, and raining, and you stopped on a road with cars zooming past your back side while you're throwing parcels around in the back of the van looking for the bl*ody thing - and needing the toilet.
On the PDA you'll have a list of drops. Swipe left two navigate to the location (it may not get you perfectly there when you have flats, an office block, or it's a light industrial unit but it should be close (though for some it's WAY off). Once you arrive, back out of the nav, and swipe right to "attend" the delivery. Take a photo without a face in it (open door, legs, etc.). If you miss a parcel when scanning them in or you want to rescan an parcel you can do than with the PDA - just press the button halfway down the right-hand side.
Good luck!
but honestly mate. I'm really grateful. Thanks. 