Advice and reassurance

[PO123]

Hi, I've been a postie for nearly 4 weeks now and I just don't feel like I'm getting the hang of it. My contract is 5 hours a day, finishing at 2.30.

The walk that I'm doing is taking about 2hrs longer than the full-timers and I just don't know how I'm supposed to get it all done by half 2, when full timers are paid until 2.50pm anyway.

Someone preps my frame and packets. I tie it down and sort the bigger parcels in the van. (Usually after I'm finished tying down, someone comes along with a pile of missorts, so I need to untie, flip through and retie my bundles). I write down the big parcels by street name and I don't think I could be more organised in the back of the van.

What is slowing me down is the packets, if I can't get them through the letterbox, then why am I taking them out on the walk? It's a lot of stopping and starting.

Any advice for getting more efficient? Should I drive round with the big stuff first? Should I drive door to door with everything? Should I just do tracked first? I really don't know, but I hate being slow.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hi, I've been a postie for nearly 4 weeks now and I just don't feel like I'm getting the hang of it. My contract is 5 hours a day, finishing at 2.30.

The walk that I'm doing is taking about 2hrs longer than the full-timers and I just don't know how I'm supposed to get it all done by half 2, when full timers are paid until 2.50pm anyway.

Someone preps my frame and packets. I tie it down and sort the bigger parcels in the van. (Usually after I'm finished tying down, someone comes along with a pile of missorts, so I need to untie, flip through and retie my bundles). I write down the big parcels by street name and I don't think I could be more organised in the back of the van.

What is slowing me down is the packets, if I can't get them through the letterbox, then why am I taking them out on the walk? It's a lot of stopping and starting.

Any advice for getting more efficient? Should I drive round with the big stuff first? Should I drive door to door with everything? Should I just do tracked first? I really don't know, but I hate being slow.

The best advice is keep going. You have hit the wall that all of us have at some point.

I predict in the next 2 weeks or so, you'll be flying round the duty and finishing at a better time. For some reason it takes about 6 weeks to kick in but no can explain why, its just as though everything clicks all of a sudden.

However, even though you are a new starter you do not have to stay out till its done, if you need to be somewhere (or even if you don't) overtime is not compulsory. If you do want to work over, make sure they are paying you.

Check out our downloads section for The Overrunning Delivery Procedure to keep yourself informed, and use it if you want to "cut off" - but a word to the wise don't use that term with the manager, just advise them that you need to finish on time, or at a certain time, and ask them what you should do. In essence let them make the decision as to what gets delivered and how.

[sjh182]

Hi, I've been a postie for nearly 4 weeks now and I just don't feel like I'm getting the hang of it. My contract is 5 hours a day, finishing at 2.30.

The walk that I'm doing is taking about 2hrs longer than the full-timers and I just don't know how I'm supposed to get it all done by half 2, when full timers are paid until 2.50pm anyway.

Someone preps my frame and packets. I tie it down and sort the bigger parcels in the van. (Usually after I'm finished tying down, someone comes along with a pile of missorts, so I need to untie, flip through and retie my bundles). I write down the big parcels by street name and I don't think I could be more organised in the back of the van.

What is slowing me down is the packets, if I can't get them through the letterbox, then why am I taking them out on the walk? It's a lot of stopping and starting.

Any advice for getting more efficient? Should I drive round with the big stuff first? Should I drive door to door with everything? Should I just do tracked first? I really don't know, but I hate being slow.

Hang in there, 4 weeks is nothing so don't stress about your pace, also we are heading towards our busiest period so you won't be able to get everything done in your hours. Remember those full timers have probably been doing those jobs for years, so will know them inside out and backwards.

As for tips for efficiency, it really depends on the type of delivery and how easily you can park, one thing I would suggest is if a house gets big parcels regularly try to start your loop there (doesn't really work on a shared van).

[gunho]

Keep the mis-sorts separate, this is taking up to much time putting them in your bundles. Load your large parcels in order of delivery, keep calm and carry on

[Haditup]

All walks are not equal ,meaning you might be on a monster walk and you maybe comparing yourself against an experienced postie on a much easier route.

Remember it’s not a race.

Some suggestions:
Do not tie up until you made sure a letters are collected from IPs sorting frames.
Any letters that may turn up before you depart, leave loose and place them in a tray in delivery order.

For efficiency, I have always found doing large parcels at the same time as loops.
ie do loop 1 parcels after loop 1 letters then move onto loop 2 etc

Keep an eye on on the time for special delivery’s
Sometimes it’s best to do them 1st and get them out of the way ( you don’t want a failed Special)

[world class male]

taking packets that fit in your bag is standard, you maybe taking too much time knocking and waiting, i knock and if there's no sign of anyone home start putting the date/time on p739, knock again and fill it out fully and move on,
also double check your larger parcel list to your pkts in the bag, you may have to drive there anyway, also if pkts next door or very close by, deliver to neighbour an option killing 2 birds with 1 stone
there's numerous more tips to try help be quicker, most come in time and do without really thinking,
but offhand the problems you highlighted re missorts, as said before, pop them in a tub in order and try to remember what number as you get to the loop, few years back it was dismissal for not delivering them, but if you do forget and running late, write m/s and date it, it's bad advice really but you wouldn't get pulled for it in the current climate, especially with others prepping your duty

it's a real struggle for new starters now, and would wonder if i would have lasted if starting from scratch now,
don't rush and don't panic, mistakes will be made if you do

[Pumpernickel]

You're new, so you don't know the walk, the handy houses, and all the stuff that come from experience.

For now, don't try and put these misssorts into your bagged bundles, either have them before you bundle (check the sorting stations for your walk before you do your redirects, if you don't know where these are: ask), or put them in the relevant bag to feed in while you deliver. If you accidentally miss any (check after each bag that it's empty), then gather all such letters together to leave on the frame when you get back.

If you notice misssorts in your bundles (ie deliver 2 to 10, then come across a letter for 2 again), put them in your bag and either deliver as you pass that house again, or return them to the frame. Don't go yoyoing back and forth as you don't have the time. While on this subject, you can avoid this happening by checking a few letters past the current address you're delivering to.

Don't measure yourself against anyone else. It takes time to get used to the job, and usually longer to get in shape to do it day in and out without throbbing feet by the end of the day (it will happen though).

At some point sooner than you think you'll have no problem organising yourself, handling missorts without any issue, be getting to know houses you can leave parcels for neighbours (and where not to bother trying), and handling everything while looking after someone else even newer who doesn't know where they are. It just takes a bit of time.

[Db2012]

I wouldn’t worry I’m new too and don’t get back until 6pm so I’m basically doing 8am to 18.30 every day so far. I feel bad that I’m so slow and don’t see where I could speed up

[Kenfandango]

Okay I'm in week 6, and was all for packing it in this weekend

However, it suddenly clicked.

What helped was telling someone I was struggling. I asked a manager if I could have someone else take my tracked and specials on a quiet day, so I could get a feel for the route. He said yes, and on Tuesday that happened I was faster on it, and I think having no time constraints or trying to remember parcels made the walk really stick in my mind.
On Wednesday I took a York and a half out, loads of tracked and 14 specials, and I got back about the same time I had when I'd gone with less work and no parcels (about 10 minutes over, no lunch break... But our books dept is very good at checking of you've had lunch, and paying you it as overtime). Today I was about a halfhour over, but I'd had to get diesel, and for some reason didn't get out of the depot til 20mins after I was meant to).

Stick at it, ask for help, and if possible ask if you can do the same walk for a week or two (maybe that's just an us thing, but I've done 14 routes in my 6 weeks)

[POSTMAN]

I've done 14 routes in my 6 weeks

That is where the failure is in this s**t arse company, in 6 weeks you *should have done 1 route only, with the workplace coach on hand for help.

*There is a lot of 'should's' in this firm.

[Foxel]

It's not your fault but your shouldn't be tying up before collecting missorts from the relevant rack. Find out where they are located in your office and save yourself the hassle.

A round will contain many items that do not fit through a letterbox that's just part of the job they need delivering. And items that are too big to fit in your bag. These will take planning to work out the best way to deal with. Knowing the round is key and as someone who has worked 50+ rounds and has yet a new round tomorrow, I feel your pain.

[WASD]

I doubt there's a single round in the country that can be done the way it's supposed to on time. i guarantee people in your office are cutting corners, but it sounds like you're doing it the correct way, and you'll get more efficient at it as time goes on.

Remember it's only mail and parcels, your health is number 1. Bringing mail back is the company's problem, and the managers get paid to fix it