Delivering parcels v Delivering Post

[norris9]

This may be a stupid question....

Is going around with a van of parcels less or more physical than going around delivering a Postie's round?

I would have thought it would be a lot less physical driving around delivering parcels, but have never continuously done parcel deliveries over weeks or months....

Can anyone with experience of both doing a postie round as well as just delivering parcels chime in with their experiences....

After a month of doing parcel deliveries do you feel less exhausted than you would have felt doing a Postie round each day?

I would guess parcel delivery is less physical, but maybe jumping in and out the van takes its toll?

[yellowbelly]

This may be a stupid question....

Is going around with a van of parcels less or more physical than going around delivering a Postie's round?

I would have thought it would be a lot less physical driving around delivering parcels, but have never continuously done parcel deliveries over weeks or months....

Can anyone with experience of both doing a postie round as well as just delivering parcels chime in with their experiences....

After a month of doing parcel deliveries do you feel less exhausted than you would have felt doing a Postie round each day?

I would guess parcel delivery is less physical, but maybe jumping in and out the van takes its toll?

Have done both at Xmas. Parcel delivery is certainly easier as long as you plan your route beforehand and don't drive round
inefficiently. Easier than pushing a HCT around for 5 hours crammed full of mail, parcels and in the rain and dark this time of year.

The stress/conflict can come from colleagues who try to give as much as they possibly can (with good cause!- I've done it myself, nobody wants
to be carrying loads in a HCT), just try and be fair if you're doing the parcels. Depending on your delivery area often if I've finished within
or close to my hours and/or I feel I can do some actual letter delivery on OT I've checked with Lino and said 'Can I go and help Fred out with a couple of loops' and
go and find Fred trogging round with his HCT. Taking back any docketed parcels to the office for the HCT troops instead of them having to push
them round always helps.

[norris9]

This may be a stupid question....

Is going around with a van of parcels less or more physical than going around delivering a Postie's round?

I would have thought it would be a lot less physical driving around delivering parcels, but have never continuously done parcel deliveries over weeks or months....

Can anyone with experience of both doing a postie round as well as just delivering parcels chime in with their experiences....

After a month of doing parcel deliveries do you feel less exhausted than you would have felt doing a Postie round each day?

I would guess parcel delivery is less physical, but maybe jumping in and out the van takes its toll?

Have done both at Xmas. Parcel delivery is certainly easier as long as you plan your route beforehand and don't drive round
inefficiently. Easier than pushing a HCT around for 5 hours crammed full of mail, parcels and in the rain and dark this time of year.

The stress/conflict can come from colleagues who try to give as much as they possibly can (with good cause!- I've done it myself, nobody wants
to be carrying loads in a HCT), just try and be fair if you're doing the parcels. Depending on your delivery area often if I've finished within
or close to my hours and/or I feel I can do some actual letter delivery on OT I've checked with Lino and said 'Can I go and help Fred out with a couple of loops' and
go and find Fred trogging round with his HCT. Taking back any docketed parcels to the office for the HCT troops instead of them having to push
them round always helps.

If I choose to do parcel delivery I would be sacrificing any tips from my Postie round.... someone who goes on my round for the month would sweep all my tips up. So would I be mental to give up my tips for a less physical month of doing parcel deliveries?

I don't care much for tips if they are less than £150, but if I am missing out on £150+ then that would be quite irritating, not because I care that much about £150, but the idea of someone who does my job for just 1 month sweeping up that much of what should be mine is a punch in the teeth. If it ended up being £300+ then it would be a punch in the balls.

I'd rather give my legs a bit of a rest for a month by doing parcel delivery than have £150 in tips and coming home exhausted from doing my postal round.

[EdRush]

Wrenching yourself out of a van which is too low to the ground, getting your arm hooked on the seatbeat, shutting the door and catching your shin on the sharp metal corners. Side doors on the opposite side, meaning you have to work with your arse sticking out into on coming traffic. You have to strain to reach over for packets in the far corners, putting pressure on your lower legs wrenching out your knees. Cant stand up inside the load space as they roof is too low, the lighting is too dark, constant reminders to ENSURE THE F'ING HANDBRAKE IS ON... the list is endless

Simply put, the Royal Mail vans in our yard are not fit for purpose for bulk parcel delivery. Is there a SSOW in place for parcel delivery in vans?

UPS seems to be the only company to have given any thought to supplying a van fit for the job.

[hawkeye622]

I could think of nothing worse than a job delivering parcels all day. The reason I joined RM was for the walking aspect and the fact I use my LWT makes it all the better. I hate when I have to do parcels for two duties instead of taking my own out - in and out of the van all day completely fries my head.

[norris9]

ahh seems people hate doing parcel deliveries..... ok

What I'd also worry about is I am more likely to have a crash if I am driving around all day for a month and some places are awkward to deliver to.

[wallan]

ahh seems people hate doing parcel deliveries..... ok

What I'd also worry about is I am more likely to have a crash if I am driving around all day for a month and some places are awkward to deliver to.

Back in the 60/70,s RM used to hire in Furniture Type Delivery Vans for Parcel Deliveries, Van came with a Driver , staffed by a Postman & 4 or 5 Casuals

[2yearpostie]

This time of year parcels all day long, you will find for crimbo pressure your unit is likely to hire a transit style van and you will stay out of the worst the weather. Just plan your route and stack your parcels correctly in the van, first drops near the rear door working up to the cab for your last and write a packet list in order of drops and you will have an easier day.

[Jack1960]

You very very rarely see a driver sign for a walk on a resign, none of the drivers in my office are physically capable of pushing a HCT for half an hour never mind 4 or 5 hours .

[postieblueshirt]

This may be a stupid question....

Is going around with a van of parcels less or more physical than going around delivering a Postie's round?

I would have thought it would be a lot less physical driving around delivering parcels, but have never continuously done parcel deliveries over weeks or months....

Can anyone with experience of both doing a postie round as well as just delivering parcels chime in with their experiences....

After a month of doing parcel deliveries do you feel less exhausted than you would have felt doing a Postie round each day?

I would guess parcel delivery is less physical, but maybe jumping in and out the van takes its toll?

Have done both at Xmas. Parcel delivery is certainly easier as long as you plan your route beforehand and don't drive round
inefficiently. Easier than pushing a HCT around for 5 hours crammed full of mail, parcels and in the rain and dark this time of year.

The stress/conflict can come from colleagues who try to give as much as they possibly can (with good cause!- I've done it myself, nobody wants
to be carrying loads in a HCT), just try and be fair if you're doing the parcels. Depending on your delivery area often if I've finished within
or close to my hours and/or I feel I can do some actual letter delivery on OT I've checked with Lino and said 'Can I go and help Fred out with a couple of loops' and
go and find Fred trogging round with his HCT. Taking back any docketed parcels to the office for the HCT troops instead of them having to push
them round always helps.

If I choose to do parcel delivery I would be sacrificing any tips from my Postie round.... someone who goes on my round for the month would sweep all my tips up. So would I be mental to give up my tips for a less physical month of doing parcel deliveries?

I don't care much for tips if they are less than £150, but if I am missing out on £150+ then that would be quite irritating, not because I care that much about £150, but the idea of someone who does my job for just 1 month sweeping up that much of what should be mine is a punch in the teeth. If it ended up being £300+ then it would be a punch in the balls.

I'd rather give my legs a bit of a rest for a month by doing parcel delivery than have £150 in tips and coming home exhausted from doing my postal round.

Same here no one gives up there rounds some of our guys get over 2000 in tips that's not a misprint either our office is in a very well to do area some guys make a killing even though there customers are mostly snobby *****

[abuch1980]

Delivering parcels is slightly easier but you get no tips despite actually delivering something the customer actually ordered, instead the HTC user will get the tips for delivering all their bills!!
Thing with HTC is there is no pressure to finish on time usually with drivers there is something else to do after parcels like the collection which must be started on time or the collection risks failure. Which you will be responsible for.

[citypostie]

This time of year can be easier on a walk, you chuck out loads of parcels that make the delivery easier and the van less packed. With the amount of parcels expected this year the parcel drivers are going to be under pressure from Dom's to do more parcels in less time. The ones who do the parcels in my office are the ones who want docket and lots of it, usually working from 4am until about 7 on the night 6 days a week with a Sunday thrown in as well if needed

[poisonpostie]

Delivering parcels is slightly easier but you get no tips despite actually delivering something the customer actually ordered, instead the HTC user will get the tips for delivering all their bills!!
Thing with HTC is there is no pressure to finish on time usually with drivers there is something else to do after parcels like the collection which must be started on time or the collection risks failure. Which you will be responsible for.

Wow you really don't get what tips are about ,my customers tip me and wont give tips to my cover (which i give a far share to)as i see them week in week out rain or shine .they really don't care about someone who turns up now and then and throws a parcel on their doorstep, I have done both jobs at xmas and much prefer my own hct round

[abuch1980]

Walks do that all year round.. band 5 or 6 parcels together to make a big parcel for the driver, then they have to unband it and scan it all at the doorstep!!

[citypostie]

Walks do that all year round.. band 5 or 6 parcels together to make a big parcel for the driver, then they have to unband it and scan it all at the doorstep!!

Parcel driver duties went years ago in my office when van shares came in, the only time we have them is at Christmas so the only time we can throw parcels out is at Christmas. I used to be a packet man and it was easiest job I ever had at royal mail, don't think it would be anymore if the duties where still the same, you'd have hundreds of parcels a day and we used to do all the special deliveries as well