Question regarding P/L with partner off sick

[eastie]

My P/L partner was off sick last week and me being the walker I had to drive our van but the manager wanted me to deliver the frame I throw off plus deliver all the large parcels for both walks then my partners round went out as docket, rather than me doing the the driver loops he usually does.
Question I am asking is that usually the driver has the easier loops and the driver has one loop less than the walker due to the amount of parcels on our round and the 3 schools that need delivering to.
last week I had to do an extra loop plus do 4 large walker loops .
Some are saying I shouldn't be delivering the large parcels for the other frame but the DOM says I should, is he trying it on.
Next time I will cut off but just would like to know

[chrisj]

Every office is different, of course.,,,

In ours, the manager will ask for the singleton to deliver the tracked and specials, and sometimes the large packets as well; depending on how busy. The singleton can always say NO or 'I will work to my time' or can ask for OT depending on how many packets, tracked and specials and the distribution all over the round.

Also, it depends on the round, all rounds are not the same... If the singleton round is perceived and agreed to be smaller, posties will at least be expected to do the specials and tracked...

Some are saying I shouldn't be delivering the large parcels for the other frame but the DOM says I should, is he trying it on.
Next time I will cut off but just would like to know

Managers can make reasonable request and you can cut off where necessary but some saying this and that is not that relevant, IMO.

[NewPostieUK]

Some are saying I shouldn't be delivering the large parcels for the other frame but the DOM says I should, is he trying it on.
Next time I will cut off but just would like to know

DOM has every right to ask whoever he wants to deliver whatever he wants. It's up to him to get the mail delivered any way he sees fit. If you don't want overtime, cut off.

[Dorset Plodder]

I've delivered quite a few "Halves" of P & L duties. Where they've failed the other half. I think Chris has basically got the gist of it. In most cases I've been asked to take Specials and Tracked (plus any important customers like Doctor's Surgery's).

The main problem was trying to find the addresses for any Specials/Tracked that were on the "Other" half of the Duty, that I wasn't familiar with. I think the main thing to bear in mind is, work to your time. You're basically doing them a favour by helping them out of a hole. If your duty has bigger loops try telling them you'll be leaving your last loop behind because you're taking on extra work. Just keep an eye on the time.

[korky]

happens quite regular here, you can't say no and still finish early even if the golden boys & girls have signed out 2 hours early.
different rules for different posties

[arty_morty]

If a walk is on overtime in our office the reg goes on the support van and the rest with whoever picks the walk up. The person doing the other half of the P/L gets an easy day doing one walk from a van.

[OnAFlyer]

We are usually asked to take the oversized and specials for the partner walk if working alone with the van.

For some reason though it didn't happen last week on a walk that had been collapsed (whoever did the collapsing took the oversized), and the guy doing the other walk on his own make huge amounts of time, 2 hours each on Fri/Sat alone.

[feduppostie]

why didn't you insist on doing your job as normal and let them worry about who did the drivers job?

[wacko74]

In our office there is no such thing as a designated driver and a walker, none of the P&L duties have been designed to accommodate this.. both people do an equal amount of loops and then pkts are dealt with as we're going round.

I know there is only supposed to be one driver but this would be almost impossible on some of our P&L duties as they involve 'leapfrogging' each other and taking it in turns to move the van along and catch each other up.

Are we the only office that is doing it wrong?

[korky]

In our office there is no such thing as a designated driver and a walker,

Are we the only office that is doing it wrong?

so every single postie can drive in your d/o?

[chrisj]

In our office there is no such thing as a designated driver and a walker,

Are we the only office that is doing it wrong?

NO

so every single postie can drive in your d/o?

No but most can drive.

Also no designated driver and walker in my office but for some walkholders partnership they might assume such a role. However, for most it is a case of chopping and changing or who gets to the van first or it might depend on the loops - one might start as a driver then switch and then switch again...

You can even have a driver handing over the van at the end of the last loop so the so-called walker returns the van while the driver goes home in his car (somewhere on the walk - parking is a problem).

Our loops are not done in a way for driver to have easier loops: sometimes the driver (where there is a non-driver) can actually has some bigger loops

Personally, I think it is inefficient on most days because the parcels are not that many to warrant having a driver scooting round to deliver them - most can be done as you go along and the big ones can be done by either posties or together.

[therailway]

Mighty dangerous game sharing the driving duties, apart from the requirement for one driver to sign the vehicle out. There are countless problems ie validity of vehicle check, responsibility for any damage, parking/speeding tickets etc. etc.

[chrisj]

Yes, but that is what we do. It might not be ideal but the ideal that someone can get away with having a speeding fine or ryong to dump another postie in will most likely rebound on the perpetrator.

In my opinion, the fact that the so-called passenger has access to the van keys makes the 2 of them potentially liable. If your passenger leaves the van unlocked and mail gets stolen, can he then turn round and blame you. He might get away with that if you both leave the van at the same time...

Vehicle checks Signing the vehicle out vehicle gets moved here and there in the bays anyway... Folks use van to do collections etc. It is a bit of a mess but it works fine but we have some that will not share...

Like I said, most of us can drive and are allowed to drive.

[clashcityrocker]

Yes, but that is what we do. It might not be ideal but the ideal that someone can get away with having a speeding fine or ryong to dump another postie in will most likely rebound on the perpetrator.

If a RM van gets a speeding ticket your DOM is legally obliged to provide the name of the driver of the vehicle.
If he can't do that then he is in the s**t.
If your DOMs are allowing anyone and everyone to drive vehicles without any form of control then they are idiots. (Maybe no surprise there)

[chrisj]

This is a Royal Mail And for now, it is the manager's problem...

It is a poor system - introducing the use of vans in an office with very limited parking spaces and a small loading bay and very few controls and time to do the job properly.

When we had dedicated Drivers, the system was much easier and the Driver manual was very relevant but it has become more complicated... IMO

I will like to see my manager get into bother for not having a signing sheet and us not signing in for the last 2 or more years. And that is for starters!