Allocated van question...

[scum_opg]

i was speaking with a mate who mentioned that he has heard (from the post office vehicle club) that RM are trying to.. or wanting to introduce a nationwide fleet numbering scheme (ie in place of the local fleet number) to make it easier to move vans about between offices rather than vans being allocated firmly at X, Y or Z office...

i guess it got me thinking about how other blue shirts would feel about sharing a van with another unknown postie in another office...
i mean its not really that big a deal i suppose... but if you or your office (or mail centre) has allocated vans you would probably take better care of them (ie.washing them and keeping them tidy inside) than a reserve van...
i mean iv seen (and heard of) delivery offices use a reserve van for a couple of days and then intentionally neglect to report that there was a rapid water leak on the van as it wasnt going to affect them in a few days when they got their own van back.
you only need to think back to articles in "the courier" about vans getting returned to the worshops when they are being replaced and having bust/non functioning locks, dented doors, and panels etc or being left full of drink cans/bottles or sweet wrappers...

they may just be a company vehicle but if your going to be working in them you dont really want to be sitting in a dusty, dirty van full of someone elses cans and wrappers do you?

[PhilthyPhil]

Doesn't the serial number already give the van a unique identifier nationally? I agree that if offices didn't have their own allocated vans then they would get even more trashed than they already do. Our yard looks more like a scrap yard.

[97gaz]

N

[pyphon]

we've still got two vans from another office about 4,500 miles so far, that were loaned to us to deliver a successful xmas for our office, as there P&L failed, and can't see them going back anytime soon..

[dekcuferew]

Took my van in for a service last week and was told by garage manager that shortly when I bring in my van for service I will be given the next van of the ramp and that will be by van until it goes back and then another one. He tells me a new national manager has taken over and has given his new orders. Also he showed me a pile of tool kits purchased for us to do repairs ourselves but these toolkits will stay there until further notice as when a cwu rep explained that if a member of staff got seriously injured who would be accountable, he threw a wobbly with several accusations flying around.
Give it a couple of years (if not privatised by then) all pride you take in your vans condition will result in a fleet of wrecks.

[Lounge Lizard]

Doesn't the serial number already give the van a unique identifier nationally? I agree that if offices didn't have their own allocated vans then they would get even more trashed than they already do. Our yard looks more like a scrap yard.

Yes, they do have a seven digit nationally allocated number,
1st digit is year of registration, e.g. 8 for 2008,
2nd and 3rd digit are van type, e.g. 02 for Vauxhall Combo, 05 for Fiat Doblo,
4th to 7th digits are probably just consecutive.