More packages than any Christmas day last year

[Rural-life-0323]

NOPE. Saturday for 6 routes we had 140 packages FOR WHOLE OFFICE. Sub I am borrowing had about 25 packages TOTAL FOR WHOLE ROUTE (ALL PACKAGES)..

Monday We had over 1000 packages which is MORE THAN ANY SINGLE DAY DURING CHRISTMAS. Do you not see the problem? When people are ordering everything in Christmas, a random day in middle of April beats every single day during Christmas???? I understand that volume goes up during tax season, but when you constantly are getting 30-60 packages a day, and then jump up to 210 in 1 day. THERE IS AN ISSUE. Also maybe people should come work a day in my office where you go from finishing at 630 at night because they dumped everything to today when they brought 40ish total packages & ZERO FLATS and I was done at 115.

Yes I understand tax season and packages go up, but yet explain how you go from 20-30 to 210 in 1 day?

My route has been KILLED BY COVERAGE FACTOR and this. Do you not see how it can kill a route like mine? You have house with .9 mile round trip lane and they got 10 packages on 1 day, when several should have been there days before that. So instead of making 2 or 3 trips to the house, you only made 1 trip up the driveway. That is a massive time killer and could hurt coverage if they didn't get stuff that day.

I'd have to be there. My unknowing questions would be:

Is this Amazon dumping on you like the do use all the time? Can't tell you how many times I'm packed in a Promaster with their stuff and never see one of their trucks or drivers all day.

Another question would be, are they building an SD&C near your and back logged??

I know they're cracking down on fake postage so maybe you're in an experimental area???

I'm also seeing a ton of people online complaining that they haven't had any status updates in days and even weeks with their USPS tracking. It just happened to me this month. I'm reading about staffing shortages at some plants. Could be a system wide backlog. Our new PMG seems to be screwing things up having no experience with USPS.

To your point on multiple trips. Wouldn't clearing each parcel to the door separately fix the issues? Instead of scanning 3 parcels and clearing once. Clear 3 parcels 3 times and you get credit for 3 trips. Takes longer but you're protecting your pay.

I also thought coverage factor was based on DPS only but I'm probably wrong on that.

 

[Rogtar]

.

To your point on multiple trips. Wouldn't clearing each parcel to the door separately fix the issues? Instead of scanning 3 parcels and clearing once. Clear 3 parcels 3 times and you get credit for 3 trips. Takes longer but you're protecting your pay.

I also thought coverage factor was based on DPS only but I'm probably wrong on that.

Pretty sure the scans collate at the end of the day, so seperate scans at the same address still give the same credit as unified scans. But i also think if the scans are unified but fir different addresses it collates them to the first address, losing for apt-style scans unless seperated.

I also think coverage and volume are based only on dps but have no proof. Supposed to track breadcrumbs as well for coverage but i highly doubt they do.

 

[Goggles Pizano]

Pretty sure the scans collate at the end of the day, so seperate scans at the same address still give the same credit as unified scans. But i also think if the scans are unified but fir different addresses it collates them to the first address, losing for apt-style scans unless seperated.

I also think coverage and volume are based only on dps but have no proof. Supposed to track breadcrumbs as well for coverage but i highly doubt they do.

I had PM with me for a GPS audit last week, stopped at every box long enough for her to make her entries. Radar report showed 73% coverage for the day.

 

[Rural-life-0323]

Pretty sure the scans collate at the end of the day, so seperate scans at the same address still give the same credit as unified scans. But i also think if the scans are unified but fir different addresses it collates them to the first address, losing for apt-style scans unless seperated.

I also think coverage and volume are based only on dps but have no proof. Supposed to track breadcrumbs as well for coverage but i highly doubt they do.

Bread crumbs is 100% confirmed and not part of our pay since RRCES became official a few years ago.

That is why DPM (Delivery Point Mapping) is the most important thing rural carriers can do. You MUST map your front door, CBU and park points. That's how you get paid for distance. Check them every month if need be. Scan at the front doors or front door point WILL move. I advise all carriers that if it's illegal to park in certain places (i.e. fire hyrdants, red zones) do not park there and make sure your mapping points are correct. Especially when it's further away.

This is why I think clearing 3 packages 3 times should pay you for 3 trips from my computer programming mind. Now on the ethical side, that's a gray area.

FOR ANY FUTURE READERS - DO NOT let them tell you all you need to do is LTM every month. You have the right to check DPM every month and it MUST be done on Return2DU time!!! Do not go to PMCasing!!!

 

[ATCBigE]

I'd have to be there. My unknowing questions would be:

Is this Amazon dumping on you like the do use all the time? Can't tell you how many times I'm packed in a Promaster with their stuff and never see one of their trucks or drivers all day.

Another question would be, are they building an SD&C near your and back logged??

I know they're cracking down on fake postage so maybe you're in an experimental area???

I'm also seeing a ton of people online complaining that they haven't had any status updates in days and even weeks with their USPS tracking. It just happened to me this month. I'm reading about staffing shortages at some plants. Could be a system wide backlog. Our new PMG seems to be screwing things up having no experience with USPS.

To your point on multiple trips. Wouldn't clearing each parcel to the door separately fix the issues? Instead of scanning 3 parcels and clearing once. Clear 3 parcels 3 times and you get credit for 3 trips. Takes longer but you're protecting your pay.

I also thought coverage factor was based on DPS only but I'm probably wrong on that.

No amazon in my office. The plant is just that bad. Couple weeks ago they dumped the flats on us. I had stuff like Jan, Feb, and Mar. I would say almost 1/2 of it was 3+ weeks old. The plant seems to work every few days.

As far I know, it don't matter if 1 or 2 scans, it counts it as one. For example, I will scan everything I take in 1 trip. If I make 2 trips, then I will scan separate in case the overlord decide to say I didn't make 2 trips, well scanner begs to differ. But again to point, 2 trip2door isn't worth the nearly as much as 1 trip each day for 3 days because then you get driving credit, walking credit, and so on EACH DAY whereas the one day with let's say 7 packages, you take 3 trips, you just get 1 driving, walking credit, and then additional trip2door credit (time for hitting trips2door credit in plus 2 more walking credit).

 

[mail1000]

I had PM with me for a GPS audit last week, stopped at every box long enough for her to make her entries. Radar report showed 73% coverage for the day.

we are suppose to get paid for ALL stops...this is just wrong...what did your PM say?

 

[Goggles Pizano]

we are suppose to get paid for ALL stops...this is just wrong...what did your PM say?

She sees the issues with the system, hard to argue when the proof is in front of you.. I did look it up on union's site, in the comprehensive guide updated 2025 it states GPS breadcrumbs are being worked on. In the Q&A dated 2023 it states we should be receiving credit for breadcrumbs.

I'm grieving it for what it worth. just get the GPS audit logs of every stop from management's mdd and compare it to mine, 27% difference or 25 minutes in my specific routes case just for that day (if my math is correct).

 

[ATCBigE]

I had PM with me for a GPS audit last week, stopped at every box long enough for her to make her entries. Radar report showed 73% coverage for the day.

RIGHT THERE shows how flaws this is.

I want back pay minimum 2 hours every week because of this.

Our union will fight and gets us 5 cents a pay period as a result of GPS being wrong.

 

[neciat]

I had PM with me for a GPS audit last week, stopped at every box long enough for her to make her entries. Radar report showed 73% coverage for the day.

I'm wondering if this also affected the DSM for the day. What occurred with you in this instance is just MORE proof that this system is clearly not at all accurate. You stopped at every box. For all the system is SUPPOSED to know , you either delivered and / or collected mail from each box. That would be 100% service. Having said that, the time value for your miles for the day of the audit should also be very good. Meaning, the more stops per mile, the more the mile is worth. The examples from The Guide state this :

A. A mile in which the rural carrier is in a neighborhood and stops every 100 feet or so
to service a box: In this example the mile is divided in approximate 53 intervals of
100 feet. Looking at the DSM above we multiply each 100‐foot interval by 0.00128
minutes/foot and get 0.128 minutes per interval times 53 intervals equals 6.78
minutes per day or 40.7 minutes per week driving time for this mile of the route.

B . A mile in which the carrier stops for boxes that are more spread out and 1/10 of a
mile apart: In this example the mile is only divided into 10 intervals of 528 feet.
From DSM, we multiply each 528‐foot interval by 0.00067 minutes/ft and get 0.354
minutes per interval times 10 intervals equals 3.54 minutes per day or 21.23 minutes
per week driving time.

C. A mile of “dead‐head” in which the carrier makes no stops for boxes or traffic
control points: In this example the mile is one interval of 5280 feet. From DSM we
multiply 5280 feet times 0.00029 minutes/ft and get 1.53 minutes per day or 9.19
minutes per week driving time.

And I do get it. Some days you whiz by boxes so for THAT day your drive time goes down. However, there are days just like the one you experienced where you stop at every box which would increase the drive time for THAT day which would help you on the overall average for the weekly drive time you see on the 4241A. Now, this was referred to as a GPS audit. The PO was thinking they were auditing you / the route but that was a big backfire. That's good !!!. Now, you can let the engineers , Postal Headquarters, our union, Eagan, etc. , know just how this system cannot be relied upon.

 

[Worve]

Pretty sure the scans collate at the end of the day, so seperate scans at the same address still give the same credit as unified scans. But i also think if the scans are unified but fir different addresses it collates them to the first address, losing for apt-style scans unless seperated.

I also think coverage and volume are based only on dps but have no proof. Supposed to track breadcrumbs as well for coverage but i highly doubt they do.

Coverage factor in the tests I did before freeze only were tallied by dps or if wss boxholder were entered. Scanning everything separately by address is absolutely required. I have never and never will separate scans at one address unless it’s multiple trips. That separate scan timer can be your proof when entering trips to door.

 

[FrozenToes]

Coverage factor in the tests I did before freeze only were tallied by dps or if wss boxholder were entered. Scanning everything separately by address is absolutely required. I have never and never will separate scans at one address unless it’s multiple trips. That separate scan timer can be your proof when entering trips to door.

We had a multiple inch snowstorm. Carriers were given the option to not go out or deliver parcels only. All routes had DPS.
Results:
Routes that didn't go out received 0% coverage factor.
Routes that only delivered parcels were in the 20% coverage factor range. I drove the entire route while delivering parcels.
Routes that entered a full coverage and delivered parcels, received 100% full coverage.

 

[Rogtar]

We had a multiple inch snowstorm. Carriers were given the option to not go out or deliver parcels only. All routes had DPS.
Results:
Routes that didn't go out received 0% coverage factor.
Routes that only delivered parcels were in the 20% coverage factor range. I drove the entire route while delivering parcels.
Routes that entered a full coverage and delivered parcels, received 100% full coverage.

At a conference they had said there should be no 0% coverage as the plants and Informed Delivery provide some % unless they didn't process either.

That said a 0% is better as the rrecs is supposed to throw it out during calculations...

 

[neciat]

That said a 0% is better as the rrecs is supposed to throw it out during calculations.

Yeah well..........................take a look at @jbpowers1965 . Carrier was out and had 56 days of ZERO load time. The system is also SUPPOSED to use an average for that when there is a zero. From a couple of Q & As ;

88. What happens if loading time is not recorded on a particular day?

The Engineering Panel mandated that all missing data be replaced with the daily
average recorded for the route. In this case, the zero loading time would be
replaced with the average daily loading time calculated during the year.

And........................here's another from ANOTHER revised Q & A ;

208. What happens if loading time is not recorded on a particular day?

A. The Engineering Panel mandated that all missing data be replaced with the daily average recorded for
the route. In this case, the zero-loading time would be replaced with the average daily loading time
calculated during the year

I would have no faith whatsoever on the system working like it is supposed to work or how we were told it would work.

That thread is here ; Excessive load time?

 

[FrozenToes]

At a conference they had said there should be no 0% coverage as the plants and Informed Delivery provide some % unless they didn't process either.

That said a 0% is better as the rrecs is supposed to throw it out during calculations...

I've been told coverage factor, as seen on the RADAR report, can take up to a month to update. Similar to CR flats. Well, I checked after 6 weeks. Only two route's coverage % changed.

 

[Worve]

We had a multiple inch snowstorm. Carriers were given the option to not go out or deliver parcels only. All routes had DPS.
Results:
Routes that didn't go out received 0% coverage factor.
Routes that only delivered parcels were in the 20% coverage factor range. I drove the entire route while delivering parcels.
Routes that entered a full coverage and delivered parcels, received 100% full coverage.

Interesting, I always run entire route so I couldn’t possibly account for an outlier like that. Appreciate the information, it just reinforces for me to always run entire route if possible safely.

 

[really]

What is the manipulation part? Eventually you get paid for both of those if you're on your route long enough. Both of those will factor in 50% after the next survey and you'll be paid the full value 2 survey's from now. I'm confused by the OP ...

What was manipulated 100% is the amount of inverted letters and missorted mail. I've never seen DPS as clean as it was for those two week and that's what mattered during the survey so I'm confused by the post. The survey is what the union needs to fight (but is to weak).

That being said, UPS shipments not resuming until about a month before the survey means we are all delivering those unpaid right now since those numbers are not in any of our pay at the moment. On that same note, we were all being paid extra for volume we weren't getting while UPS stopped using us. Unless you are retiring soon, again I don't understand the manipulation part here.

No one wanted to boot Don because we were "in the middle of negotiations". Well guess what is starting again. Negotiations! Well played Don! Well playe

the manipulation part is we only get one scan (last one) per day per house. I have a lot of doubles and triples but can still make it to the door in one trip.
This never made sense everything else is piece count. Parcels should be too. I know we get a fraction of seconds for the qty per day. So you lose credit (CREDIT FOR ONE SCAN) when you have more than one.
I'm talking 30 seconds in the box and 1 minute at door, you still get 2 seconds or so scans.

 

[LouSainus]

Its plant workers wanting more pay. They get higher pay for working Sundays so they clear out everything while working extra overtime and shift/weekend/night differential pay. Everyone else suffers as a results. I get about 3.5 days worth of parcels and mail on mondays now. A few years ago the leveling was decent. One route last monday has 291 parcels and tuesday it had 41.

 

[Sunofa]

She sees the issues with the system, hard to argue when the proof is in front of you.. I did look it up on union's site, in the comprehensive guide updated 2025 it states GPS breadcrumbs are being worked on. In the Q&A dated 2023 it states we should be receiving credit for breadcrumbs.

I'm grieving it for what it worth. just get the GPS audit logs of every stop from management's mdd and compare it to mine, 27% difference or 25 minutes in my specific routes case just for that day (if my math is correct)

I'm wondering if this also affected the DSM for the day. What occurred with you in this instance is just MORE proof that this system is clearly not at all accurate. You stopped at every box. For all the system is SUPPOSED to know , you either delivered and / or collected mail from each box. That would be 100% service. Having said that, the time value for your miles for the day of the audit should also be very good. Meaning, the more stops per mile, the more the mile is worth. The examples from The Guide state this :

A. A mile in which the rural carrier is in a neighborhood and stops every 100 feet or so
to service a box: In this example the mile is divided in approximate 53 intervals of
100 feet. Looking at the DSM above we multiply each 100‐foot interval by 0.00128
minutes/foot and get 0.128 minutes per interval times 53 intervals equals 6.78
minutes per day or 40.7 minutes per week driving time for this mile of the route.

B . A mile in which the carrier stops for boxes that are more spread out and 1/10 of a
mile apart: In this example the mile is only divided into 10 intervals of 528 feet.
From DSM, we multiply each 528‐foot interval by 0.00067 minutes/ft and get 0.354
minutes per interval times 10 intervals equals 3.54 minutes per day or 21.23 minutes
per week driving time.

C. A mile of “dead‐head” in which the carrier makes no stops for boxes or traffic
control points: In this example the mile is one interval of 5280 feet. From DSM we
multiply 5280 feet times 0.00029 minutes/ft and get 1.53 minutes per day or 9.19
minutes per week driving time.

And I do get it. Some days you whiz by boxes so for THAT day your drive time goes down. However, there are days just like the one you experienced where you stop at every box which would increase the drive time for THAT day which would help you on the overall average for the weekly drive time you see on the 4241A. Now, this was referred to as a GPS audit. The PO was thinking they were auditing you / the route but that was a big backfire. That's good !!!. Now, you can let the engineers , Postal Headquarters, our union, Eagan, etc. , know just how this system cannot be relied upon.

This was designed by highly intelligent engineers. It's likely USPS didn't understand it. I am just a mail carrier with above average intelligence, I cannot understand and even decipher this. Frankly, I don't believe we weren't supposed to.

 

[Sunofa]

Yeah well..........................take a look at @jbpowers1965 . Carrier was out and had 56 days of ZERO load time. The system is also SUPPOSED to use an average for that when there is a zero. From a couple of Q & As ;

88. What happens if loading time is not recorded on a particular day?

The Engineering Panel mandated that all missing data be replaced with the daily
average recorded for the route. In this case, the zero loading time would be
replaced with the average daily loading time calculated during the year.

And........................here's another from ANOTHER revised Q & A ;

208. What happens if loading time is not recorded on a particular day?

A. The Engineering Panel mandated that all missing data be replaced with the daily average recorded for
the route. In this case, the zero-loading time would be replaced with the average daily loading time
calculated during the year

I would have no faith whatsoever on the system working like it is supposed to work or how we were told it would work.

That thread is here ; Excessive load time?

Its plant workers wanting more pay. They get higher pay for working Sundays so they clear out everything while working extra overtime and shift/weekend/night differential pay. Everyone else suffers as a results. I get about 3.5 days worth of parcels and mail on mondays now. A few years ago the leveling was decent. One route last monday has 291 parcels and tuesday it had 41.

Crazy but that is my route also. Maybe the regulars should have Monday off and the subs could get paid hourly.

 

[Surf]

Check them every month if need be

Right. Do so!!! EVERY......SINGLE......MONTH...........some of my plots have been changed. EVERY......SINGLE......MONTH........one of my dismounts distance is blank (I have 23). How much am I actually losing when this happens? I have no idea! (and fwiw, I absolutely do NOT believe my PM is going in and changing these figures).