New RCA here
- Thread starter cards502
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Most academy instructors simply cover the program basics and show you different methods to case/pulldown mail and marking parcel addresses. They teach in generics. The office will train in office specific things. It's up to you to choose the method that works well for you. Welcome to the Blue!!
cards502 -- "Guess I’ll find out what they want me to do. Case dps or not Case dps..... "
-- As "Oi veh" noted, casing is your option, not managements...provided you can get out the door within 20 minutes of your leave time."
-- Section 226 of the PO-603 - in part: At YOUR option, you may choose to case DPS mail in accordance with Section 15 - Schedules.
-- Now you will be introduced to just a fraction of the contradictions of working in the post office.
-- Section 152.2 Leaving Schedule -- Maintain the schedule for leaving established on PS Form 4240. A maximum of 20 minutes delay in leaving time is permitted if approved by your postmaster or supervisor. An exception is made only when preferential mail cannot be cased and tied out within the 20 minute's leeway or as provided in [ Section ] 153.2. ( start timing yourself when pulling down mail; it will give you an idea of when to start pulling down. )
-- As "PastOThirty" noted, leaving times can be flexible, depending on the office and manglement personnel. And about the only time "normal" mail volume occurs is around "count" time.
-- Section 153.2 Delayed Departures -- Management may delay your departure when the principal receipt of mail is delayed [ aka the late truck ], provided the later departure permits you to meet the normal dispatch schedule. ( if a carrier is barely making dispatch on a "normal" day, the chances of making dispatch when the truck is late ( sometimes for hours ) is remote. )
-- You'll discover manglement has a difficult time understanding that concept. Just do your best, but don't rush. Missing dispatch while not getting into an accident is preferable to getting into an accident and not making dispatch ) ( You'll probably run into the same "logic" when start times are pushed back an hour ( or more ) yet the dispatch time remains the same! )
-- And later on and later in the year, around Christmas Crunch time, manglement may require you to take DPS to the street - perfectly legal, but don't worry about it just yet.
-- When you get comfortable with the job, try taking a half tray of DPS to the street. Then a full tray, etc. Taking DPS to the street is an art form. It takes time ( as in many months ) to develop a system. If someone in the office does take DPS to the street, watch first, then ask questions.
-- Some of the office "debates" you may discover in your postal career:
-- You are about to get a vast amount of information tossed at you. Be like a sponge and absorb what you can. Don't be like a blotter and absorb the information, but get it backwards.
-- As "Oi veh" noted, casing is your option, not managements...provided you can get out the door within 20 minutes of your leave time."
-- Section 226 of the PO-603 - in part: At YOUR option, you may choose to case DPS mail in accordance with Section 15 - Schedules.
-- Now you will be introduced to just a fraction of the contradictions of working in the post office.
-- Section 152.2 Leaving Schedule -- Maintain the schedule for leaving established on PS Form 4240. A maximum of 20 minutes delay in leaving time is permitted if approved by your postmaster or supervisor. An exception is made only when preferential mail cannot be cased and tied out within the 20 minute's leeway or as provided in [ Section ] 153.2. ( start timing yourself when pulling down mail; it will give you an idea of when to start pulling down. )
-- As "PastOThirty" noted, leaving times can be flexible, depending on the office and manglement personnel. And about the only time "normal" mail volume occurs is around "count" time.
-- Section 153.2 Delayed Departures -- Management may delay your departure when the principal receipt of mail is delayed [ aka the late truck ], provided the later departure permits you to meet the normal dispatch schedule. ( if a carrier is barely making dispatch on a "normal" day, the chances of making dispatch when the truck is late ( sometimes for hours ) is remote. )
-- You'll discover manglement has a difficult time understanding that concept. Just do your best, but don't rush. Missing dispatch while not getting into an accident is preferable to getting into an accident and not making dispatch ) ( You'll probably run into the same "logic" when start times are pushed back an hour ( or more ) yet the dispatch time remains the same! )
-- And later on and later in the year, around Christmas Crunch time, manglement may require you to take DPS to the street - perfectly legal, but don't worry about it just yet.
-- When you get comfortable with the job, try taking a half tray of DPS to the street. Then a full tray, etc. Taking DPS to the street is an art form. It takes time ( as in many months ) to develop a system. If someone in the office does take DPS to the street, watch first, then ask questions.
-- Some of the office "debates" you may discover in your postal career:
- POV or LLV.
- Case DPS or take DPS to the street.
- Marking parcels or don't mark parcels.
- Case weekly ads such as RedPlum / Advo / Valassis / RetailMeNot Everyday or take them to the street.
- Coke or Diet Coke
-- You are about to get a vast amount of information tossed at you. Be like a sponge and absorb what you can. Don't be like a blotter and absorb the information, but get it backwards.
cards502 -- "what is the rules as far as going from RCA to CCA .."
-- Basically resigning your RCA position and taking the test for CCA.
-- Of course by now there is probably a "mega-test" that covers most of the crafts -- anyone??
"should I make the switch if I can? "
-- As usual, a lot depends on the post office you end up in as well as the number of RCA's in place. If you are on the bottom of the seniority list and there a lot of regulars who won't be retiring any time soon, that will make the CCA position look a lot better.
-- Web sites with city carriers postings describe CCA's bailing even more than RCA's in some office. Both can be treated rather poorly. Again, depends on the post office and manglement.
-- Some RCA's have made the switch and got lucky in making regular rather quickly while their counter parts are still RCA's.
-- In post offices with both rural and city routes, some have even reported that the PM helped in the transition from RCA to CCA. But I'd take that with the proverbial shaker of salt.
-- Sorry, you are on your own as what may be the best option for you. You'll have to do your due diligence in searching for details.
-- Basically resigning your RCA position and taking the test for CCA.
-- Of course by now there is probably a "mega-test" that covers most of the crafts -- anyone??
"should I make the switch if I can? "
-- As usual, a lot depends on the post office you end up in as well as the number of RCA's in place. If you are on the bottom of the seniority list and there a lot of regulars who won't be retiring any time soon, that will make the CCA position look a lot better.
-- Web sites with city carriers postings describe CCA's bailing even more than RCA's in some office. Both can be treated rather poorly. Again, depends on the post office and manglement.
-- Some RCA's have made the switch and got lucky in making regular rather quickly while their counter parts are still RCA's.
-- In post offices with both rural and city routes, some have even reported that the PM helped in the transition from RCA to CCA. But I'd take that with the proverbial shaker of salt.
-- Sorry, you are on your own as what may be the best option for you. You'll have to do your due diligence in searching for details.
Charlie Brown
Well-known member
cards502 I don't know if you've read many of the threads here about new RCA's so here are a few tips (non mail or delivery) you might find useful.
You need to keep track of all your hours and where you were for those hours, shadow day, orientation, driver training, academy whatever. A couple of reasons for this. First getting paid correctly, each location has to submit a time card for your hours sometimes those cards are forwarded with you to the academy (but not always) and they send or call the hours in but they may not have all your times. Second, RCA probation is 90 days worked or 1 calendar year. Mgmt. does not keep track of this so you should. Simply put, mistakes happen and you need to track your time and days worked to be sure you get paid properly. Even once you're trained and working it's best if you keep track of your hours and days worked, mistakes do happen.
I've read here that there are some good phone apps for this but you can also just use a calendar and write in your info.
You also should be keeping track of any miles driven to any training outside of your own office, you are entitled to paid mileage for that. The way that's done is if it's 10 miles to get to your assigned office (you don't get paid for that) and 30 miles to the academy or training site you get paid the difference, 20 miles. That is paid both ways and it should be for orientation, driver training and academy. If you're more than 50 miles to the academy they will pay for housing (motel) When I was an instructor we used to prepare an 1164 (request for mileage reimbursement) for each trainee but I'm not sure how it's done now.
Good luck!
You need to keep track of all your hours and where you were for those hours, shadow day, orientation, driver training, academy whatever. A couple of reasons for this. First getting paid correctly, each location has to submit a time card for your hours sometimes those cards are forwarded with you to the academy (but not always) and they send or call the hours in but they may not have all your times. Second, RCA probation is 90 days worked or 1 calendar year. Mgmt. does not keep track of this so you should. Simply put, mistakes happen and you need to track your time and days worked to be sure you get paid properly. Even once you're trained and working it's best if you keep track of your hours and days worked, mistakes do happen.
I've read here that there are some good phone apps for this but you can also just use a calendar and write in your info.
You also should be keeping track of any miles driven to any training outside of your own office, you are entitled to paid mileage for that. The way that's done is if it's 10 miles to get to your assigned office (you don't get paid for that) and 30 miles to the academy or training site you get paid the difference, 20 miles. That is paid both ways and it should be for orientation, driver training and academy. If you're more than 50 miles to the academy they will pay for housing (motel) When I was an instructor we used to prepare an 1164 (request for mileage reimbursement) for each trainee but I'm not sure how it's done now.
Good luck!
Windindaface
Well-known member
The past few from schooling...have shown up at my APO or RMPO were all eager beavers of taking all DPS to street and seeking the deeper letter trays to deliver DPS from and sort their SPRS in.
On that CCA issue:
Firstly, I don't know much so don't invest much in what I say. This is only for my office, but I've noticed the city side gets a ton more scrutiny that the rural, as they are hourly, and make more money. There is a constant grind from the far off bosses to speed up.
The end.
At your academy, pay attention to any tricks for casing and "pulling down". As a DPS To Street person there a little criss-cross method I use to pull down flats that helps some, but is not earth-shattering. Basically turn the flats, etc 90 degrees to separate each address. Probably of no use if you case the DPS.
Firstly, I don't know much so don't invest much in what I say. This is only for my office, but I've noticed the city side gets a ton more scrutiny that the rural, as they are hourly, and make more money. There is a constant grind from the far off bosses to speed up.
The end.
At your academy, pay attention to any tricks for casing and "pulling down". As a DPS To Street person there a little criss-cross method I use to pull down flats that helps some, but is not earth-shattering. Basically turn the flats, etc 90 degrees to separate each address. Probably of no use if you case the DPS.
The carrier I shadowed did the cross cross method. She didn’t Case the DPS but she cased the flats and pulled down the flats into the dps tray and criss crosses them at each different address.
Windindaface
Well-known member
LLV.
Done with day two of Academy today. Learn about different types of mail and pulling down the case. We cased for a bit and tomorrow we will be casing all day and then delivering to dummy mailboxes outside in the LLV.
formerlyknownas
Well-known member
When I first started the regular I worked for cased everything so that is what I did. 10 years later I still case it all. I would rather throw and go then dig threw that stuff. I get out of the office at a very decent time and get back mostly before the people that take dps to the street. Good luck! I love my job!
Windindaface
Well-known member
Delivering to dummy boxes in training is news to me. Are you also being trained to deliver out of a POV for these dummy boxes?
We delivered to dummy boxes today with the LLV. And also delivered to dummy boxes inside carrying the bag. We cased today too. Did some speed tests to in the case. Showed us how to pull down the regular way, the cross crossed way and the four corners way. Short day tomorrow should be done before noon. First day of on the job training is Tuesday.
CommonSense
Well-known member
May God have mercy on your soul.
blamethesub
Well-known member
I did this during my training 15 years ago. We were all POV trainees so it was our first time "delivering" with our own vehicles. It was just a handful of boxes and a CBU set up in the back corner of the parking lot. It was one of the few useful things we actually got to do.
callofthewild
Well-known member
I am with you PastOThirty.......what is the 4 corner method???
