Delivering in the Dark

kingdazzler · Post by **kingdazzler** » 27 Sep 2020, 17:24

i did this last year. it was my 1st Christmas got sent on rural cut offs that i'd never done before with no torch. went to a house following the garden path to the front door only to fall down a 2 foot drop. luckily no injury. i rang my manager and told him i was coming back with mail left to deliver.
delivering in the dark is only okay on town duties in well lit areas that you have knowledge of the route. the other thing i found is that people are very reluctant to answer their doors when it is dark.

Cucumber · Post by **Cucumber** » 27 Sep 2020, 19:13

Woody Guthrie wrote:
Cucumber wrote:Why is at seen as 'acceptable' for part time staff (on the whole) as being the ones to do the later shifts? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there will be some full time staff doing it, but it seems to be only part time staff in our area.
The indoor work has to be completed before any delivery work can be completed.

The only thing that NEEDS done first thing is the IPS. There would be nothing to stop around 1/3 of full time staff in each office coming in at say 10:30am and prepping both their own duty plus that of another 2 members of (part time) staff who are starting at 12:30. It would help immensely with social distancing with far less staff in at once. As it stands in our place, over 90% of the staff are in first thing - that number could be drastically cut with staggered starts - Full time early, full time mid morning, part time regular time (9:30am ish), part time afternoon.

Woody Guthrie · Post by **Woody Guthrie** » 27 Sep 2020, 19:41

If we held back 1/3rd of the full-time staff until 10.30 there would be no one in the office from 8 until 10.30 and that 1/3rd would be in the office and loading up at the same time as the 12.30 starts which is counter intuitive.

There would be no business reason for it and it would be just for show.

Cucumber · Post by **Cucumber** » 27 Sep 2020, 21:25

Woody Guthrie wrote:If we held back 1/3rd of the full-time staff until 10.30 there would be no one in the office from 8 until 10.30 and that 1/3rd would be in the office and loading up at the same time as the 12.30 starts which is counter intuitive.

There would be no business reason for it and it would be just for show.

Like anything, it would work better in some offices over others. Our times for leaving for delivery are between 9:30-10am, very last person out the door at 10:15. That's what my 10:30am for 'second wave' of FT staff was based on. Most offices round our way are 9:30-10am dispatch.

In short, in our office/area it would be totally possible to have staggered start/dispatch times for both part time and full time staff.

PostmanBitesDog · Post by **PostmanBitesDog** » 29 Sep 2020, 21:15

kingdazzler wrote:the other thing i found is that people are very reluctant to answer their doors when it is dark.

I know how those people feel. I don't even answer my phone after dark.

xPandabear1992x · Post by **xPandabear1992x** » 29 Sep 2020, 21:45

mail won't be that hard it'll be parcels that'll be the problem. when I did pre-shift parcel runs last christmas any delivery attempted before 7AM was usually pointless.

Sir Henry · Post by **Sir Henry** » 29 Sep 2020, 21:51

...and then our Dom at that time had the great idea that if you got no reply when on an early oarcel run, not to card the customer but return the parcel to the office and chuck it back at the appropriate walk holder to re-attempt later.
Glad that particular bonus grabbing helmet has been moved elsewhere.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 29 Sep 2020, 22:59

Our previous DOM had a policy of not delivering in the dark therefore at Xmas time we would stop delivering at 1600 and return to the office even if we hadn't finished. As far as I know we will continue with the same policy this year. Its up to RM to hire more vans if there are big problems regarding van shortages due to no van sharing.

xPandabear1992x · Post by **xPandabear1992x** » 29 Sep 2020, 23:03

Sir Henry wrote:...and then our Dom at that time had the great idea that if you got no reply when on an early oarcel run, not to card the customer but return the parcel to the office and chuck it back at the appropriate walk holder to re-attempt later.
Glad that particular bonus grabbing helmet has been moved elsewhere.

Hahaha I heard that one.

Just carded it and brought it back.

Chances are if they're not in the first time, they wont be in the second time.

Was correct. If someone asks where it is, it's back at the office.

Post by **CHUCKYPIG** » 30 Sep 2020, 05:05

Celgar wrote:Our previous DOM had a policy of not delivering in the dark therefore at Xmas time we would stop delivering at 1600 and return to the office even if we hadn't finished. As far as I know we will continue with the same policy this year. Its up to RM to hire more vans if there are big problems regarding van shortages due to no van sharing.

I wish our DOM had the same view. His view was basically tough s**t you as a leave reserve are at the bottom of the rung so you will start at 12.30 you will be out delivering to 6pm at the earliest and you can use a torch. Seems each office has a different policy. Also we have very limited parking as town centre so can't really get any more vans.

terry2972 · Post by **terry2972** » 30 Sep 2020, 05:27

The only thing I would add is if I am out to 6pm my work rate would drop dramatically and a lot would be coming back, as health and safety starts with us. I don’t fancy getting injured

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 30 Sep 2020, 06:55

CHUCKYPIG wrote:
Celgar wrote:Our previous DOM had a policy of not delivering in the dark therefore at Xmas time we would stop delivering at 1600 and return to the office even if we hadn't finished. As far as I know we will continue with the same policy this year. Its up to RM to hire more vans if there are big problems regarding van shortages due to no van sharing.
I wish our DOM had the same view. His view was basically tough s**t you as a leave reserve are at the bottom of the rung so you will start at 12.30 you will be out delivering to 6pm at the earliest and you can use a torch. Seems each office has a different policy. Also we have very limited parking as town centre so can't really get any more vans.

Also some DOs might not have enough people who can drive to make getting extra vans viable

wallan · Post by **wallan** » 30 Sep 2020, 09:48

SpacePhoenix wrote:
CHUCKYPIG wrote:
Celgar wrote:Our previous DOM had a policy of not delivering in the dark therefore at Xmas time we would stop delivering at 1600 and return to the office even if we hadn't finished. As far as I know we will continue with the same policy this year. Its up to RM to hire more vans if there are big problems regarding van shortages due to no van sharing.
I wish our DOM had the same view. His view was basically tough s**t you as a leave reserve are at the bottom of the rung so you will start at 12.30 you will be out delivering to 6pm at the earliest and you can use a torch. Seems each office has a different policy. Also we have very limited parking as town centre so can't really get any more vans.
Also some DOs might not have enough people who can drive to make getting extra vans viable

If you introduce Early Starts , to ensure Vans are back for afternoon deliveries , duties going out at 7am or there about,s will also be delivering in the Dark for the 1st hour or so

swintontillidie · Post by **swintontillidie** » 30 Sep 2020, 11:12

We've been told that van sharing will be back in the next few weeks,certainly before christmas.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 30 Sep 2020, 13:29

swintontillidie wrote:We've been told that van sharing will be back in the next few weeks,certainly before christmas.

An official briefing, or a comment made in passing. The difference is important when speaking to a manager or rep, one is just their opinion, the other is authorised information.