Walkers on P/L luck of the draw with drivers

[flaminmoses]

Although I agree with what you are saying, Park and Loop has been a complete mess overall, there are actually times where it works.

On one of the walks I was on, there was a street that we used to split into three parts, two of which were roughly equal in size, and a much smaller last part. Whoever would finish and get back to the van first really depended on the number of packets we had, so whoever got back to the van first would do the third part.

Sometimes I would get back to the van and the driver would already be doing the last part (so I would get the next street bags ready) or I would get back first, so I would grab the last part.

It worked really well, but only on that ONE Street! If every street were like that, it would be great.

I was also lucky to have a driver who was very helpful.

thats what the computer software is suposed to suss out.....or at least all that money they forked out for it youd surely expect it to highlight things like this?

must have been a really good arthur daley type to have gotten away with the money they paid

[DB1100]

After a year of P/L its pot luck with the drivers



Selfish Drivers
Think only about themselves
Dont double up their packets with the walkers is they are going to the same address
Thin their own bags out of packets
Dont do bag drops when called by the walker slowing the walker down so as to cut off even more
turn their phone off until they're ready
Do later loops to get ahead

Not trying to be funny - I am being serious - is this post a study in Irony. Just for instance - if selfish drivers only think for themselves - does a selfish walker expect a driver to drop everything when he is ready for his next bag, slowing down the driver so as to cut off even more.

As with most things I guess it deppends on each persons POV but I much prefer FTs way of looking at it.

The way we do park and loop is this;I am a walker so on a heavy day for packets I will load up my trolley with part of the drivers loop as well as my own and he takes all the packets that are going to slow me down so if he is still doing packets when I have emptied my trolley I give him 2 rings and he knows where I am for another load,a couple of times like this soon empties the van and we are both happy with this way of working,and we never go back before time.

[feduppostie]

I think people need to understand what P&L is supposed to be

Drivers are not drivers per say as in the old understanding of the word - they are not supposed to take the packets while the walker walks ( does that make sense?)

Both loops should be more or less equal with the drivers being maybe 5 mins shorter only due to the fact that they may need to move the van - of course ideally they would both meet back at the van but it is not always possible

The only packets that the driver should be taking ie that are not part of a loop are the really oversized ones that will not fit in a trolley - and trust me most will fit in the trolley apart from on mentally busy days

it should never be an issue of a driver wont take a packet - if it is on your loop then you take it unless it is bloody huge

The driver is only the driver because they drive the van - they should be doing exactly the same as the walker

It seems to me that some people are still stuck in the old ways

[NewPostieUK]

- if it is on your loop then you take it unless it is bloody huge

What about, say, a shoebox? If you've got four bundles and a shoebox in each bag, who delivers the rest of the shoeboxes for that loop? They won't fit in the bags.

Typically, for me, I'll get 4 -6 bundles and a packet or two squashed into each bag. There will be another 4 or 5 packets for that loop. When I get to the start of the loop, I'll take my first bundle out, and squash (or usually the driver will) another packet in.

[eastie]

I think people need to understand what P&L is supposed to be

Drivers are not drivers per say as in the old understanding of the word - they are not supposed to take the packets while the walker walks ( does that make sense?)

Both loops should be more or less equal with the drivers being maybe 5 mins shorter only due to the fact that they may need to move the van - of course ideally they would both meet back at the van but it is not always possible

The only packets that the driver should be taking ie that are not part of a loop are the really oversized ones that will not fit in a trolley - and trust me most will fit in the trolley apart from on mentally busy days

it should never be an issue of a driver wont take a packet - if it is on your loop then you take it unless it is bloody huge

The driver is only the driver because they drive the van - they should be doing exactly the same as the walker

It seems to me that some people are still stuck in the old ways

In an ideal world that would work but my so called loops are not loops as we dont start the same place or finish the same place ( due to fields on one side)
On my trolley I have 2 bags one for bundles of mail and one for packets and parcels but the driver uses a pouch as his loops are easier because he thins them out by delivering his small packets with the large ones
Yes the drivers round is supposed to be only 5 minutes shorter than the walker but if he uses a pouch after thining his bags out and the walker uses a trolley that throws that out the window.
As for the driver doing the same as a walker I take 1160 and the driver 680 plus with him only doing only 20 large items on some days , doesnt seem fair to me.
As I have done the RM driving test I asked to be the driver on alternate weeks but he refused

[feduppostie]

4 - 6 bundles how long are your loops?????

and eastie I would be raising your points with your rep and your manager - I think it is a good idea if both people can drive in the pair that the driving is alternated

it makes sure both parts are equal and also that if one goes sick the other knows both parts - so if you need to put someone on that doesn't know where they are going you can tell them

[feduppostie]

you mean to tell me on ONE loop you can have between 8 and 12 bundles? that is way too much

how many loops so you have for the 2 walks?

[BingBong]

After a year of P/L its pot luck with the drivers

Good Drivers
Help out walkers if they have not many packets or are ahead
They will check before they load the van to see if the walker has packets for where he is delivering
Give bag drops asap

Selfish Drivers
Think only about themselves
Dont double up their packets with the walkers is they are going to the same address
Thin their own bags out of packets
Dont do bag drops when called by the walker slowing the walker down so as to cut off even more
turn their phone off until they're ready
Do later loops to get ahead

Our office doesn't have it yet! Thank god! It won't ever work in our office. No one will finish and will cut off everytime.

[hantsman]

After a year of P/L its pot luck with the drivers

Good Drivers
Help out walkers if they have not many packets or are ahead
They will check before they load the van to see if the walker has packets for where he is delivering
Give bag drops asap

Selfish Drivers
Think only about themselves
Dont double up their packets with the walkers is they are going to the same address
Thin their own bags out of packets
Dont do bag drops when called by the walker slowing the walker down so as to cut off even more
turn their phone off until they're ready
Do later loops to get ahead

Our office doesn't have it yet! Thank god! It won't ever work in our office. No one will finish and will cut off everytime.

Good to see that your going to give it a go though

[fishtank]

you mean to tell me on ONE loop you can have between 8 and 12 bundles? that is way too much

how many loops so you have for the 2 walks?

My loops are around 40mins.
On a bad day that's about 4 bundles maximum.
Plenty of room in the trolley for all but the biggest packets most days.
Bigger packets maybe around 4-10 depending on the day,mostly delivered on route because half the time you're parked within 20 yards of the address or passing it on the way.
Bigger loops are stupid,trolleys are overloaded,difficult to handle and awkward to take stuff out of,turning one half of a park&loop into basically a packet duty with a little delivery and the other into a mini HCT duty is pointless,unfair and bound to cause "issues".
Some members make life hard for themselves,some let others make it hard for them...f****d if i know why.

[feduppostie]

ours are the same Fishtank

it means we have more loops but they are manageable and we can take all our own parcels

and guess what doing it this way it works!!

yes folks you heard me right p&l works in my office

[eastie]

ours are the same Fishtank

it means we have more loops but they are manageable and we can take all our own parcels

and guess what doing it this way it works!!

yes folks you heard me right p&l works in my office

Are your rounds in a densly populated area or semi rural?

[NewPostieUK]

you mean to tell me on ONE loop you can have between 8 and 12 bundles? that is way too much

how many loops so you have for the 2 walks?

5 Loops.

Loops vary in size, one is just one bag, so no trolley is used. Others mostly I get everything but large packets into the two bags on the trolley. One loop in particular though, two bags are packed and rarely room for medium sized packets.

Loops take 35 mins to 1hr30.

[eastie]

How long is your round because the walker round I do is 4 hours 15 minutes by geo route ( usually cut off 1 to 2 loops out of 8 on Wed/thurs/fri )
I hear that some rounds on P/L in other areas are smaller than 4 hours 15mins

[NewPostieUK]

I think it's meant to be 4 1/2 hours.