Parcel size for van duties.

[TheoF95]

How long till we get Transit sized vans to do these dedicated parcel runs, no way we are going to fit it all in a Bipper..

You can get your normal round to fit in a bipper?

[SpacePhoenix]

We discussed the irony whilst waiting for the customer .... who wasn't in. Then I learnt something else, Parcel Force aren't allowed to leave parcels (they docket everything) and they'd recently started to use computer generated inventories (so they had to be there for a time slot) ... and he'd have to return to deliver the neighbours parcel because their time slot was 2 hours later!

The program they use is called REX, it generates their route for them as well as the time slots. There's a thread about it:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=96079

[postslippete]

Parcelforce will still handle the bulk of the big stuff.

Thank f**k for that

With all these larger parcels we have been delivering we often wonder if ParcelForce were actually working.

On my round I speak to the Hermes lady who has a load of parcels stashed in her car everyday, I spot a DPD Sprinter van everyday, I often see a white van man delivering parcels and I regularly see a big brown UPS van.

Parcelforce or DHL? Once in a blue moon

[2yearpostie]

How long till we get Transit sized vans to do these dedicated parcel runs, no way we are going to fit it all in a Bipper..

You can get your normal round to fit in a bipper?

its stacked to the roof so everything has to be in the correct order, but yes.

[Sugar]

It's been on the cards for sometime now that the company are wanting to go down the route of less people doing more work by trying to take greater control, via technology, of how each duty looks on a day to day basis. Unfortunately most OPG's bury their heads in the sand and think it'll not happen to them or just carry on regardless running around like headless chickens in a vain effort to finish early.

OPG's really are their own worst enemies and the company exploits this time and time again.

Too True Sugar How many times have they been asked to "Work Properly"? But they still run around carving their duties up.

It's a constant struggle to try and get staff to start on time, take their meal breaks and stand up to the DOM and tell him they've No Time to lapse.

Ironically spoke with an ex colleague today and they said they were banging their heads against a brick wall trying to get it through to a lot people that if they don't start doing the job properly the coming revision is going to leave the office in a far worse state than it's ever been. If people are crying now about the size of their duties they'll be blubbering wrecks within weeks with what's potentially around the corner.

I just told them to save their breathe and when the $hit hits the fan have a good laugh at them.

[TheoF95]

How long till we get Transit sized vans to do these dedicated parcel runs, no way we are going to fit it all in a Bipper..

You can get your normal round to fit in a bipper?

its stacked to the roof so everything has to be in the correct order, but yes.

Fair enough.

[pex]

One idea being floated is on a double duty, the walker will take the letters/flats for both frames which will then be merged into one frame and all above letterbox size packets/parcels will be done by a parcel duty person with extra large parcels going to Parcelforce.
Parcel duty will grow as we push the service and letters are expected to fall off gradually over time.
I sort of see it could work as delivering only letters is quick, but the walks would be pretty long.

[Acca Dacca]

One idea being floated is on a double duty, the walker will take the letters/flats for both frames which will then be merged into one frame and all above letterbox size packets/parcels will be done by a parcel duty person with extra large parcels going to Parcelforce.
Parcel duty will grow as we push the service and letters are expected to fall off gradually over time.
I sort of see it could work as delivering only letters is quick, but the walks would be pretty long.

Not a chance - unmanageable

Thats an extra 6-8 loops and parcels or no parcels thats too much

[PJ101]

Not really unimaginable. Its just the parcel driver could take the parcel for 3 to 4 duties. Their duty then split between 3 or 4. You should be able to calculate how many they could do by looking at the figures from the parcel only Saturdays. I'm sure RM know.

[SpacePhoenix]

with extra large parcels going to Parcelforce.

No chance, they've not got the capacity. If they did then the Nike stuff would have gone back to them by now

[Grumpyoldmailman]

with extra large parcels going to Parcelforce.

No chance, they've not got the capacity. If they did then the Nike stuff would have gone back to them by now

They could always offer afew more franchise's

[Acca Dacca]

Not really unimaginable. Its just the parcel driver could take the parcel for 3 to 4 duties. Their duty then split between 3 or 4. You should be able to calculate how many they could do by looking at the figures from the parcel only Saturdays. I'm sure RM know.

I never said unimaginable, I said unmanageable.

Theres no chance someone could deliver two frames of mail safely in their time.

[Woody Guthrie]

One idea being floated is on a double duty, the walker will take the letters/flats for both frames which will then be merged into one frame and all above letterbox size packets/parcels will be done by a parcel duty person with extra large parcels going to Parcelforce.
Parcel duty will grow as we push the service and letters are expected to fall off gradually over time.
I sort of see it could work as delivering only letters is quick, but the walks would be pretty long.

Well today I took just the letters and packets that went through the letter box for one duty (don't ask, long story) and it took the best part of 4 hours, this was on a duty I knew relatively well and by the end of it I was pretty much done in. Constant walking no little breaks in the van.

So I'm thinking double duty... maybe not so much.

[postslippete]

One idea being floated is on a double duty, the walker will take the letters/flats for both frames which will then be merged into one frame and all above letterbox size packets/parcels will be done by a parcel duty person with extra large parcels going to Parcelforce.
Parcel duty will grow as we push the service and letters are expected to fall off gradually over time.
I sort of see it could work as delivering only letters is quick, but the walks would be pretty long.

It sounds efficient but it still means sitting around waiting for each other to finish. I wouldn't want a longer walk without some sort of proper rest break and unfortunately most posties have a tendency to just blindly work through it. That's the biggest danger and potential killer of this job. Think of it as walking a mini marathon everyday where the runners are not stopping and its patently obvious that fatigue and burnout will occur.

[abuch1980]

The packet template rises from the ashes...
The packet template thread

I am a parcel duty driver and usually tubes fit through that template but won't fit in the postie HCT. So they give it to van with plus the letter or anything else for that address,