Suddenly mandated to pull mail down differently, filed, options?

Most carriers in Aledo pull down like that too

For those of you that don't know flat tubs are also sometimes called "buckets".

My PM is this way. Good thing you filed. IF you want to explore different methods, you should feel free to try without added pressure.

csparks et al -- "I read something once about casing, how your supposed to hold you mail, how to case, what to think....I believe it mentioned you should case only with your right hand."

-- Section 222 of the PO-603. Coordinating Eye and Hand Movements at the Case.

- basically pick up mail with the left hand and and put the mail in the case with the right hand.

-- Being on the outside now, I can confess to keeping letters in the tray instead of turning the tray upside down of the case table/ledge.

During my Rural Academy (about 1 year ago) there was a standard brought up, of how many pieces of mail you are supposed to be able to grab once and pull down - something like 40ish pieces, few inches - mutiple cells, down into a bundle or tray to be belted. The Trainer/Teacher made it seem as if it was how they determined pull down evaluation.

I imagine with the bucket method you have to "criss-cross" each address, and even out the stack as it grows - I'm guessing this means mail comes down from the case in smaller batches to make this possible. This is might be what the PM is referencing?

Green -- [ disparate treatment ]

-- from the "all-knowing widipedia": one kind of unlawful discrimination is US labor law ( Title VII ). A violation is made out when in individual [ you ] of a protected group [ rural carriers ] is show to have been singled out [ because of your work methods ] and treated less favorably than others...

-- Dispartate treatment is INTENTIONAL.

-- Might mention to the PM that she is treading on federal laws.

-- Will admit your method of pulling down is new to me. My regular taught me to rubber band handfuls of cased mail and put them as a single layer along the length of a tray. Later on tried cross-ways in the tray. Back in the day, some carriers even stood the mail upright ( cut down on the numbe rof trays, but the trays were HEAVY ). As long as the job gets done, perferably at or under weekly eval, manglement should not get involved. ( IMHO as an outsider )

csparks said:

I read something once about casing, how your supposed to hold you mail, how to case, what to think....I believe it mentioned you should case only with your right hand.

As a lefty, this sounded so ridiculous I wondered if it were enforced. I actually case with either hand at times, depends on what/where it goes.

Click to expand...

An old timer city carrier at my office told me about the right hand thing, he even said his supervisor told him to case with his right when he was first hired 40 something years ago. I am a left handed person too, but I have never been told to use my right. Seems odd to require that.

The Machine is a right handed sort world.

One thing I did notice in post is you place the "bucket" on the floor of LLV and I am guessing this is placed closest to the steering wheel. I place my flat tubs with my mail there too with a tub of organized smalls behind it. But I use 2 empty flat buckets (for stability) turned sideways to elevate the mail I am working out of the tub. Easier to read and grab. I also use 2 linked tie out straps which pass through each hole of flat tub to keep mail in tub and an easier grab on heavy days from the back.

I pull down this way, into the USPS tubs (that's what we call "buckets"), just as @Green described above, and load my vehicle similarly with the tubs on the floor and under the tray table and then through the door into the back of the LLV. I work out of a tub that sits between the seat and the tray table and then pull new tubs into that position as each one empties. Large parcels are on the tray table and in the back of the LLV.

My office is divided about 50/50 on this--about half of us use the USPS tubs, the other use the hard plastic trays. I don't know if one way is more efficient than the other. I do know that I find the USPS tubs easier to load, lift and maneuver, so that's why I use this method.

EthelAnne said:

I pull down this way, into the USPS tubs (that's what we call "buckets"), just as @Green described above, and load my vehicle similarly with the tubs on the floor and under the tray table and then through the door into the back of the LLV. I work out of a tub that sits between the seat and the tray table and then pull new tubs into that position as each one empties. Large parcels are on the tray table and in the back of the LLV.

My office is divided about 50/50 on this--about half of us use the USPS tubs, the other use the hard plastic trays. I don't know if one way is more efficient than the other. I do know that I find the USPS tubs easier to load, lift and maneuver, so that's why I use this method.

Click to expand...

I know it's a big ask. But a picture would help.
So the address is facing up? Not towards a side of the tub?
The mail doesn't shift around?
On average, how many shelves can you get in a tub?
I just put it all in a hard plastic tray, loose. I use a block to hold the mail towards me as I empty the tray.

I had a painful experience with some hard plastic trays pinching a feminine body part decades ago.
I will never use them again.?

FrozenToes said:

I know it's a big ask. But a picture would help.
So the address is facing up? Not towards a side of the tub?
The mail doesn't shift around?
On average, how many shelves can you get in a tub?
I just put it all in a hard plastic tray, loose. I use a block to hold the mail towards me as I empty the tray.

Click to expand...

I'll take a pic tomorrow. I don't advocate for this method--like taking DPS to the street or casing it, I don't think there's a difference in efficiency between "tubbing" or "traying"--I smashed my fingers a few times on the hard plastic trays and that was enough for me to switch to tubs.

No, the mail doesn't shift around; it's held in place by the weight of the other mail on top of it. Yes, address facing up, and then each residence on top of the next, "helicoptering" around the tub.

"How many shelves can you get in a tub"--that depends on the volume of mail each day, so it will vary, but probably 1 1/2 tubs of mail= 1 hard plastic tray of mail (totally unscientific, and just guesstimating off the top of my head). The carrier next to me trays and our routes are very similar--I'll check tomorrow how many trays he has versus how many tubs I have. The trays are 3 feet long, I think, and the tubs 12"+, so I think my estimate is probably about right. Because you're helicoptering in the tubs, you can fit quite a few addresses per inch.

don't worry to much about it, tomorrow, something different will need to change, or not....

For those of you who dont tub, do it. Do it now! It's the best system to use hands down. Criss cross the mail and you dont even have to look down at what your grabbing. Any flat spr can go right down in it as well.

So a

EthelAnne said:

I pull down this way, into the USPS tubs (that's what we call "buckets"), just as @Green described above, and load my vehicle similarly with the tubs on the floor and under the tray table and then through the door into the back of the LLV. I work out of a tub that sits between the seat and the tray table and then pull new tubs into that position as each one empties. Large parcels are on the tray table and in the back of the LLV.

My office is divided about 50/50 on this--about half of us use the USPS tubs, the other use the hard plastic trays. I don't know if one way is more efficient than the other. I do know that I find the USPS tubs easier to load, lift and maneuver, so that's why I use this method.

Click to expand...

So a "bucket" is a half tray?

there is no perfect for everyone system. do what works for you, and don't worry about doing it the same way as everyone else. a hard tray or tub that fits perfectly in one car, will not fit the same in the next. i had a supervisor recently say he had never seen anyone tie out with straps. i invited him out to my jeep to show him how i loaded them, and was able to retrieve them from under my tray, without leaving the drivers seat. he just said wow, you've got it figured out. i said it works for me....

I use this method on really heavy days (handful of times a year) if were talking about the same tubs... Fill those suckers up, only problem is can't really put sprs in there. Flat items only for me. I also take DPS to street every day

PostalServiceEmployeeNewman said:

For those of you who dont tub, do it. Do it now! It's the best system to use hands down. Criss cross the mail and you dont even have to look down at what your grabbing. Any flat spr can go right down in it as well.

Click to expand...

The same can be done with trays, either hard or the white trays. Tubs may work in LLVs, but I couldn't use them in my jeep. the table is high enough to fit over the seat bottom (can't remove because of the seatbelt sensor) that even the hard trays can be a long reach for a short person.

When I started in a Chevy Blazer, sitting in the middle, I strapped out bundles. each bundle filled a half tray. I had 2 bundles on the driver's seat. a half tray of working mail between me and the passenger door. that's all that fit, because, again, the short thing. the seat was pulled so far forward that nothing else could safely fit under the steering wheel. the other bundles were lined up in trays or buckets behind the front seat. sprs in a tub directly behind driver's seat. larger parcels beyond all that.

when I got a RHD, not only did it save what is left of my back, shoulders, knees, etc. it's such a time saver not to strap out up to 25 bundles while pulling down. and more sprs fit in with the mail, now that I don't have to try to keep the strapped bundles stable.

I use hard trays. criss-crossed mail. 500 stops, average from 2-5 hard trays per day. I can fit a tray of sprs and 2 trays of mail on my table.

This works for me.

I use hardtrays for curb delivery. Buckets are too low sitting on the floor & too high if I stack it. Not every mailbox gets mail everyday so I’d still have to look at the front one to know where to stop next.
I flip-flop my mail in the tray & I use my tray sideways instead cause I hate reaching down a 2’ tray. Parcels are in order for the length of 1 tray while mail is in 2 rows on another. I feel like I can get more mail in 1 tray by working in 2 rows sideways.

When using the long trays which ever they may be, you still have 1 problem. The mail will slide down. You would have to put something in the back of the tray to stop this. Big tubs, no worries there. I have also tipped over tubs probably 10 times and each time they fell perfectly. Long trays, goodluck with that happening lol
When in your POV, yall are right. Most can not use the tub system.