Van delivery questions

[MrBrinks89]

So after 4 months I'm finally being trained up on a new round. It's a much larger van delivery, however I've only ever been on a hct round so I have some, admittedly stupid, questions that I'd prefer to ask here rather than when I'm being trained up on the round!

Packets... I've seen posties bagging up differently. Some pack their loop bags before going out whereas others put their bundles in boxes and just take the one bag with them. What's your preference and does it make a difference?

Also when out on delivery do you try and fit as many packets in the bag as you can, along with bundles, or do you just go around and deliver the packets for that loop after you've done the mail?

Sorry one last one on packets! How do you go about prepping them? On my frame I stuff them in with the bundles before putting them in the trolley. I see others bag up straight from the shelves on top of their frames but it'll take me ages trying to work out what shelf is for what loop, especially on a frame I don't know, so I'd rather just do what I currently do. What do you guys do?

Sorry for the newbie questions. I just want to prepare myself as best as I can. It really is a monster round they've put me on. It's one of the biggest in the office - they all moan about it!

Any other tips would be appreciated :)

[Kobi72]

I've just pm'd you

[arnold cheshire]

I've just pm'd you

Nice

[Jiperjuper]

I just pmd you
Can’t be giving anyone else this important info

[BAILEY21]

Put your packets on the shelves above the frame,on mine I have them numbered 1-6,then if it helps place a piece of card in with the letters for that corresponding address or turn the letters round so you know you have an item in your pouch

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I am on a rural route with 5 housing estates in a village, doesn't sound very rural but the rest is. At the moment I have a piece of paper, write estate street & then add house numbers with parcels underneath, then I know if I've got 6 for a street & so on. Tried turning letters round, messed up. Takes 5 mins longer to get out but it works for me. Any other ideas appreciated

I use 2 methods as I fancy on the day.

1. P the 1st letter for the address, or for the one immediately preceding it if they don't have one.
2. Place a blank red card in the frame where a packet is due. This way you know there is a packet, and you have the form left out and ready, just don't deliver the blank one instead.

[ArthurPewty]

In terms of bagging everything up or boxing it all with just one bag, it's horses for courses. I've used both methods and each has it's merits. Boxes are neater and you have the benefit of putting the parcels in the bag just before you do the loop so you can remember the first 2 or 3 addresses (forget the rest for now), then after they're delivered have a quick look and memorise the next couple. Hopefully you wont have more than 6 or 7 in any bag. If you bag everything up in the DO then try and put the parcels in order of delivery in your bag so you can glance at the next one as you go along. I never bother with aids like 'P', cards etc. I very occasionally miss a packet and have to go back but have a massive net gain in time saved by not 'marking' mail for parcels. As for larger parcels make sure they are loaded in reverse order in the van so the first parcel to be delivered is at the front and the last one at the back. your van share partner will know the order hopefully and you'll pick it up over time. Good luck

[greengiant]

I much prefer using labelled bags myself, that way you just grab your next bag and go!
I tend to turn letters or put a blank p739 in the frame for the packets.

For the oversized & specials I write a list out, and keep that on the dashboard of the van. Easier than trying to remember 30 odd oversized packets and specials!

[CPTNemoUK]

I am on a rural route with 5 housing estates in a village, doesn't sound very rural but the rest is. At the moment I have a piece of paper, write estate street & then add house numbers with parcels underneath, then I know if I've got 6 for a street & so on. Tried turning letters round, messed up. Takes 5 mins longer to get out but it works for me. Any other ideas appreciated

I use 2 methods as I fancy on the day.

1. P the 1st letter for the address, or for the one immediately preceding it if they don't have one.
2. Place a blank red card in the frame where a packet is due. This way you know there is a packet, and you have the form left out and ready, just don't deliver the blank one instead.

Done that a couple of times

[Celgar]

So after 4 months I'm finally being trained up on a new round. It's a much larger van delivery, however I've only ever been on a hct round so I have some, admittedly stupid, questions that I'd prefer to ask here rather than when I'm being trained up on the round!

Packets... I've seen posties bagging up differently. Some pack their loop bags before going out whereas others put their bundles in boxes and just take the one bag with them. What's your preference and does it make a difference?

Also when out on delivery do you try and fit as many packets in the bag as you can, along with bundles, or do you just go around and deliver the packets for that loop after you've done the mail?

Sorry one last one on packets! How do you go about prepping them? On my frame I stuff them in with the bundles before putting them in the trolley. I see others bag up straight from the shelves on top of their frames but it'll take me ages trying to work out what shelf is for what loop, especially on a frame I don't know, so I'd rather just do what I currently do. What do you guys do?

Sorry for the newbie questions. I just want to prepare myself as best as I can. It really is a monster round they've put me on. It's one of the biggest in the office - they all moan about it!

Any other tips would be appreciated :)

If you on a P&L shared van delivery you use mail pouches and load a LWT into the van as well for your use.
If you are on a single postie delivery in a van you will likely deliver from the van so you will either use large plastic trays formerly used for carrying bread/pies or if not available then use the RM trays that our letters & flats arrive in. Use mail pouches for any larger walking sections or loops if you have those on your rural.
As it sounds like you did already just use your common sense and fit small packets in the bundles with the letters & flats where possible. Pile parcels on the applicable trays in the back of the van. I usually look occasionally and remember the next few parcels.
Don't do separate parcel runs except if SDs or obviously 9am SDs or if you have large walking sections then you may deliver large parcels separately. If you are on a P&L shared van then there will be a lot more separate delivering of large parcels as you can only carry so much even with two pouches on an LWT. A lot of Postie's don't use the LWTs but I have been using one for a while since having a hole cut in my back at hospital and have found them to be very useful. For those that run you can push them in front of you no problem and it doesn't put your back out.
It

[Joe B]

If you're on a park & loop round and by the sounds of it you are, here are my tips.
1) Card your packets
2) After everything has been thrown off and redirections are done, check through your large parcels and group your mail/smaller packets with them using elastic bands. If you carded your packets earlier you can easily see if you have any. Doing this means one trip to said address, which also reduces what goes into your bag.
3) When you've bundled up your mail for a loop, an easy way to order your packets is to put them back into the frame and then place them into the bag.
4) When out on delivery walk your mail first, then drive your big parcels afterwards for each loop. Doing this especially if you haven't done the round/loop before gives you a rough idea as to where you're going.
Hope this helps mate.

[MrBrinks89]

Thanks for the replies, guys, it all helps!

Yes it's a park and loop round predominantly. A bit of rural added on but all in the same village.

I used to use 739s in the frame for packets but it took too long and since it was a hct round you're always opening the trolley up so it was easy to remember what packets i had coming up next. I missed the odd one here and there but saved loads of time overall. So is that what you most of you do then - use 739s?

My new round won't be shared. I'm not sure how I'll go about organising larger packets when I won't even know whereabouts on the round they are but I guess I'll just have to constantly be checking them whenever I go back to the van! What do you guys do when you're put on a new round you don't know?

[clashcityrocker]

What do you guys do when you're put on a new round you don't know?

Cut off or claim overtime.

[greengiant]

Thanks for the replies, guys, it all helps!

Yes it's a park and loop round predominantly. A bit of rural added on but all in the same village.

I used to use 739s in the frame for packets but it took too long and since it was a hct round you're always opening the trolley up so it was easy to remember what packets i had coming up next. I missed the odd one here and there but saved loads of time overall. So is that what you most of you do then - use 739s?

My new round won't be shared. I'm not sure how I'll go about organising larger packets when I won't even know whereabouts on the round they are but I guess I'll just have to constantly be checking them whenever I go back to the van! What do you guys do when you're put on a new round you don't know?

With regards to the larger packets, grab a bit of card from the back of a york, then list the oversized in walk order? You can then keep the list on the dashboard so you know what parcels you have to do.