Out on my own tomorrow!

[deekin]

So, just had 4 days of training with a guy. The first day i just went with him and sat in the passenger seat and tried to learn the route. Then day 2, 3 and 4 I drove the van and delivered and he helped me out when needed.
Tomorrow I am out there on my own! There is so much to remember and naturally I am quite nervous
Perhaps some of you guys can answer a few silly questions for me...

What is the difference between "specials" and "recorded"?
Is it my duty to full the van with diesel? I don't think there is a garage for miles around my round or the villages office!
The guy who trained me would often sign for parcels if there was no one at the house where they have to be delivered. Is this ok?

This really is deep-end stuff I think. I'll be delivering to loads of farm houses dotted in random fields, then I do a village, then a few more country cottages, then back to the little sorting office. Oh, and I mustnt forget about emptying the mailboxes.
Any tips? Anythings I should remember that a newbie might easily bugger up?
Wish me luck and think of me while I am still sorting my mail on the racks for bloody ages after the other workers have gone out delivering!

[krussel]

What is the difference between "specials" and "recorded"?

Recorded deliverers will come through the normal mail and you will find these turn up in the mech and normal sorting for letters and your packet bag for packets.
Special delivers are insured items and are kept in the locker which you will have to sign for these when you collect your van keys etc.
Either way you need to knock and get a signature and if no one answers you write out a P739 docket card and bring the item back.

Is it my duty to full the van with diesel?

Sometimes the van will be used again in the afternoon for box collections and these drivers have more time to fill the van. Other than that you will find that a fuel card is available and you will have to drive to the garage to fill it up. Ask other drivers where they go.

would often sign for parcels if there was no one at the house

No i would not do this but instead leave a P739 card and bring the item back.






Good luck and take your time, dont rush and make mistakes. I assume the postie driver has left you instructions how to bundle up and delivery order etc.

[SF]

Talking of box collections, if you are put on one of those afternoon duties, what is it like? Is it just emptying boxes, or are there other things you have to do? How mnay boxes do you collect roughly?

[deekin]

Talking of box collections, if you are put on one of those afternoon duties, what is it like? Is it just emptying boxes, or are there other things you have to do? How mnay boxes do you collect roughly?

I empty the boxes whilst doing my delivery round. There are 6 boxes on the delivery round route. 5 of which are rural and never hardly have any letters in (judging only by my 4 days of experience!) and the other 1 is in the village where my sorting office (about the size of a small bedroom) is located.
So yeah, I just empty them, scan the barcode in the box with the fiddly scanner and thats it.

[deekin]

thanks for your reply krussel.

[SF]

Deekin, I wouldn't be nervous mate. It's your first time out on your own, so do your best, but don't worry if you make a mistake. You're expected to make a mistake, especially if you are new to the job and have been put straight on a rural delivery. In my offce they put you on a normal non driving walk first so you get the basics learnt.

My advice would to not rush around. If you rush and panic, you're likely to make a mistake, maybe even a driving mistake if you are feeling pressured.

Relax. You'll prob finish well past your time, but so what? Book your time and just take it easy.

[NewPostieUK]

Any tips? Anythings I should remember that a newbie might easily bugger up?

Go through the route using Google Street View, or as much as you have time to. Make some notes, possibly even a list of farms, villages, in the correct order, and tick them off so you don't miss out a farm or even a whole village.

I had two days to learn a new, complicated walk, and went through the whole walk on street view, and that helped a lot. I printed off a map as well, and kept referring to it when out.

[youwot!!!!!]

don't worry about it,you'll be surprised at how easily it comes to you.by end of delivery monday you will have a warm fuzzy glow when you realise that delivering mail is a piece of p*ss and it is only the useless management that make it hard.

[krussel]

thanks for your reply krussel.

No problems buddy

As others have said take your time as you learn the route and try not to feel stressed out.. You will feel much better once you have been around once by yourself and come Sat morning you will be loving the freedom on rural.

The Google street view is a great suggestion and i only wish that was available when i was a reserve.

Best of luck, pop back and let us know how you got on

[RandyBeanz]

Im in the same boat as you. I was out on my own on friday and everything was going fine until i lost the slip for the recored and specials

saturday it was a piece of piss. i dunno if this is the best thing to do but i deliver the packets, recordeds and specials at the end in the van so i dont lose the slip again.

btw do you get in bother if you get caught signing for recordeds/ specials?

[97gaz]

Y

[fishtank]

Im in the same boat as you. I was out on my own on friday and everything was going fine until i lost the slip for the recored and specials

saturday it was a piece of piss. i dunno if this is the best thing to do but i deliver the packets, recordeds and specials at the end in the van so i dont lose the slip again.

btw do you get in bother if you get caught signing for recordeds/ specials?

Specials are timed delivery,if you don't get them delivered by 1pm you may be asking for a complaint.
If you have a PDA it will definitely flag up.
Don't be tempted to sign for anything yourself no matter what anybody says,remember you are on your trial period they are not.

[RandyBeanz]

Im in the same boat as you. I was out on my own on friday and everything was going fine until i lost the slip for the recored and specials

saturday it was a piece of piss. i dunno if this is the best thing to do but i deliver the packets, recordeds and specials at the end in the van so i dont lose the slip again.

btw do you get in bother if you get caught signing for recordeds/ specials?

Specials are timed delivery,if you don't get them delivered by 1pm you may be asking for a complaint.
If you have a PDA it will definitely flag up.
Don't be tempted to sign for anything yourself no matter what anybody says,remember you are on your trial period they are not.

usually im finished earlier than 1pm but il have to bare that in mind. btw can you put the stickers for the items before you go out or do you have to wait to make sure they're at the door?

[fishtank]

usually im finished earlier than 1pm but il have to bare that in mind. btw can you put the stickers for the items before you go out or do you have to wait to make sure they're at the door?

Technically no,you're supposed to take them off at the door to make sure the customer signs against the correct barcode but most of the walking men put them on in the office.
As long as you check the number matches before you get the customer to sign for it,it's not a problem.

[RandyBeanz]

usually im finished earlier than 1pm but il have to bare that in mind. btw can you put the stickers for the items before you go out or do you have to wait to make sure they're at the door?

Technically no,you're supposed to take them off at the door to make sure the customer signs against the correct barcode but most of the walking men put them on in the office.
As long as you check the number matches before you get the customer to sign for it,it's not a problem.

whats the correct barcode ? is that why there's two barcodes on the sticker? my coach wrote the code on the slip instead of putting the sticker on if there was no one in