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Driver responsibilities.

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
dtyssmshdchrb
Posts: 51
Joined: 27 Oct 2010, 14:55
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by dtyssmshdchrb »

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the official procedure for dealing with van issues at your office.

I've recently changed offices and at my new office the DOM has stated that it is the posties responsibility to take the vans to the RM garage to get any problems fixed! This is about a 20mile round trip and I've yet to hear any clarification on whether you'd be paid for it or not. Even if you were, obviously it's surely still optional.

At the moment there are vans with chips on the windscreens, burnt out clutches, broken sensors and many other fairly pressing issues. When I've asked my colleagues why it hasn't been fixed I've generally been met with a "do YOU want to take the van to the garage after your shift?" answer.

At my old office you would fill in a pmt1, the manager would then arrange for the mechanic to come out or for the van to be collected or dropped off by someone else. It was never the responsibility of a postie with a duty to get on with.

What's the deal? Ta for any information on the matter.
wallin6228
Posts: 12
Joined: 23 Jan 2017, 14:39
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by wallin6228 »

If they ask you to take it then you’ll get paid for it! Also I believe if you’ve filled out the PMT and passed it to the DOM then it’s their problem not yours.
yakima
Posts: 16
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 17:04
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by yakima »

Someone else normally does it on o. T. In my office
TrueBlueTerrier
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR
Posts: 72733
Joined: 30 Dec 2006, 10:29
Gender: Male
Location: On my couch

Driver responsibilities.

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

wallin6228 wrote:If they ask you to take it then you’ll get paid for it! Also I believe if you’ve filled out the PMT and passed it to the DOM then it’s their problem not yours.
and all overtime is voluntary.

The Area Delivery Rep needs informing because this is not a safe procedure for the exact reasons given.
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CAMPINGBLUNDERER
Posts: 182
Joined: 08 Feb 2010, 14:37
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by CAMPINGBLUNDERER »

Our old Dom used to try this one on us , I used to say no problems but I would not be able to complete my duty in the remaining time ( about an hour and a half round trip ) you could hear the penny drop.

Upside is we don’t drive the vans to the garage anymore
streets97
Posts: 92
Joined: 13 Oct 2010, 21:43
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by streets97 »

If you fill out a PMT 1 and fill in the log book with the fault and also add in the PMT 1 form number, then hand it in to your manager, then that van should be automatically logged off as unroadworthy and should not be used under any circumstances until the fault has been rectified and signed off by your mechanic at the garage.
Celgar
Posts: 2795
Joined: 01 Nov 2017, 17:11
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by Celgar »

It is not the Postie's responsibility to take the van to the RM garage.

At our office the repairs required usually still leave the vans in a drivable state. What usually happens is one of the collections drivers in the afternoon/evening will use the van that needs repairing and return to the DO in a replacement/spare/hire van from the RM garage which is at the MC as well. Two birds with one stone. We would never be asked to take a van to the garage in delivery time as there isn't enough time to complete the delivery within paid hours let alone any other activity.
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olilew
Posts: 594
Joined: 19 May 2010, 22:04
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by olilew »

Our manager takes one of us off ips and sends us to the garage first thing when it opens at 6am. Our garage is only a couple of miles away though.
"Just take it out and see how you go......."
CPTNemoUK
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 707
Joined: 03 Oct 2013, 10:13
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by CPTNemoUK »

olilew wrote:Our manager takes one of us off ips and sends us to the garage first thing when it opens at 6am. Our garage is only a couple of miles away though.
Our office uses reserves to take the vans in the morning. I done it a few times myself and it's easy stress free work :thumbup. What makes me laugh is when the replacement van is in a worst state than the one you drop off. :arrrghhh
k979aaa
Posts: 12578
Joined: 03 Sep 2007, 19:14
Gender: Male
Location: THE NORTH

Driver responsibilities.

Post by k979aaa »

dtyssmshdchrb wrote:Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the official procedure for dealing with van issues at your office.

I've recently changed offices and at my new office the DOM has stated that it is the posties responsibility to take the vans to the RM garage to get any problems fixed! This is about a 20mile round trip and I've yet to hear any clarification on whether you'd be paid for it or not. Even if you were, obviously it's surely still optional.

At the moment there are vans with chips on the windscreens, burnt out clutches, broken sensors and many other fairly pressing issues. When I've asked my colleagues why it hasn't been fixed I've generally been met with a "do YOU want to take the van to the garage after your shift?" answer.

At my old office you would fill in a pmt1, the manager would then arrange for the mechanic to come out or for the van to be collected or dropped off by someone else. It was never the responsibility of a postie with a duty to get on with.

What's the deal? Ta for any information on the matter.
Log it off say I am not driving it anywhere as it is logged off ( off course depends on the fault anything safety related it is your job to make sure it is safe to deliver in) if not let the managers take it or put it on a low loader as for the timing you could do a van check before anything else and put the ball in their court. If they try send you out in a van which is not road roadworthy it is your licence your job tell them to sick it up their ass that includes taking it to a workshop as it must be still legal to take it there!
Speedylegs59
Posts: 8
Joined: 25 Aug 2017, 23:58
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by Speedylegs59 »

So you book a van off the road to be unroadworthy, then will take it on the road to the garage if paid overtime????? Good luck using that for an excuse if you hit somebody!!
If pmt'd, you don't use it until signed back onto the road by a qualified mechanic from workshop! Any management bs is simply to make his job even easier at your risk!!
toomuchcoke
Posts: 309
Joined: 05 Jun 2011, 18:15
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by toomuchcoke »

streets97 wrote:If you fill out a PMT 1 and fill in the log book with the fault and also add in the PMT 1 form number, then hand it in to your manager, then that van should be automatically logged off as unroadworthy and should not be used under any circumstances until the fault has been rectified and signed off by your mechanic at the garage.
Whether a van is unroadworthy when a PMT1 has been completed surely depends upon the nature of the fault surely? Failed reversing sensors isn't the sort of thing that results in a non-roadworthy vehicle, whereas failed ABS probably is (you could argue it either way, as the brakes would still work but you'd have no ABS) and failed brakes definitely is.
k979aaa
Posts: 12578
Joined: 03 Sep 2007, 19:14
Gender: Male
Location: THE NORTH

Driver responsibilities.

Post by k979aaa »

toomuchcoke wrote:
streets97 wrote:If you fill out a PMT 1 and fill in the log book with the fault and also add in the PMT 1 form number, then hand it in to your manager, then that van should be automatically logged off as unroadworthy and should not be used under any circumstances until the fault has been rectified and signed off by your mechanic at the garage.
Whether a van is unroadworthy when a PMT1 has been completed surely depends upon the nature of the fault surely? Failed reversing sensors isn't the sort of thing that results in a non-roadworthy vehicle, whereas failed ABS probably is (you could argue it either way, as the brakes would still work but you'd have no ABS) and failed brakes definitely is.
Which if ABS was all you knew as most cars/vans are now who's fault would it be as we can not all Candace brake these day's even if we wanted too!
Glenno
Posts: 1491
Joined: 05 Jun 2007, 13:12

Driver responsibilities.

Post by Glenno »

dtyssmshdchrb wrote:Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the official procedure for dealing with van issues at your office.

I've recently changed offices and at my new office the DOM has stated that it is the posties responsibility to take the vans to the RM garage to get any problems fixed! This is about a 20mile round trip and I've yet to hear any clarification on whether you'd be paid for it or not. Even if you were, obviously it's surely still optional.

At the moment there are vans with chips on the windscreens, burnt out clutches, broken sensors and many other fairly pressing issues. When I've asked my colleagues why it hasn't been fixed I've generally been met with a "do YOU want to take the van to the garage after your shift?" answer.

At my old office you would fill in a pmt1, the manager would then arrange for the mechanic to come out or for the van to be collected or dropped off by someone else. It was never the responsibility of a postie with a duty to get on with.

What's the deal? Ta for any information on the matter.
This needs raising with the ASR (area safety rep) asap
Creditshampoo
Posts: 1189
Joined: 06 Oct 2014, 19:48
Gender: Male

Driver responsibilities.

Post by Creditshampoo »

If your van isn’t roadworthy don’t drive it. AT ALL.