Can a long time RCA train new RCA?

faceindawind · Jul 23, 2017

Situation is REG on route out due to injury. Their RCA quit. My RCA has been covering this REG'S route and management has been finding coverage for me under the APO/RMPO guidelines.

I'm aware of AUX carriers training their new coverage but this is not an AUX. Since I'm the only REG who knows this REG'S route from my days as RCA. Our routes are the same EVAL. Can Management ask/force me to train Newbie or will they let my RCA do the training?

dhoward541 · Jul 23, 2017

They can't force you to do another route if you're regular; RCA working the route will train any other RCA's happened many times in our office.

D.B.Cooper · Jul 23, 2017

Yeah, I've seen RCAs training new RCAs... actually I'd rather see RCAs doing it, rather than me having to do it... and the RCAs can give them the scoop from the RCA perspective...

I actually trained a couple of RCAs when I was an RCA on an Auxy Rt... they gave me the training sheet checklist from the Rural Academy, and I covered everything on the sheet and checked it all off... since being a Regular, I've only had to do ride alongs for RCAs that are gonna be doing my route, and haven't had to train any newbies... I like it this way... <img title="Smile" alt="Smile" src="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif" />

littlesew&sew · Jul 23, 2017

As an RCA, I have done shadow days with new hires, trained other RCAs on routes I know, done route inspections with the PM and supervisor, trained new RCAs on their primary route, even done the edit book on a route. I think there should be a combination of training for new hires using both a regular carrier and an RCA. The regular carrier knows the ins and outs of their route to get the most information to a new hire, and the other RCAs in an office know a little bit more of what's expected of the RCA from management.

oi veh. · Jul 24, 2017

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">
littlesew&sew said 

the other RCAs in an office know a little bit more of what's expected of the RCA from management.

</blockquote>
Can you expand on this? Because the expectations should be the same for regulars and RCAs.

As a regular, I do not want my shortcut taking, misdelivering RCA to train anyone on my route. If I ever get a conscientious sub, I will be more than happy to let that person do the training.

Face, I agree with dhoward.

Rt2mailman · Jul 24, 2017

The only way I know of a regular training a new Rca on another route is if the regular is the "on the job trainer" for that office. In any other situation there would be no way to legally pay that regular. For the pm to be able to pay any regular as an "on the job" trainer the regular would have had training to be that type of trainer.

littlesew&sew · Jul 24, 2017

Can you expand on this? Because the expectations should be the same for regulars and RCAs.

As a regular, I do not want my shortcut taking, misdelivering RCA to train anyone on my route. If I ever get a conscientious sub, I will be more than happy to let that person do the training

Oi veh - I only meant that management expectations differ a little bit between regulars and RCAs. As a regular carrier, you are responsible for one route and only one route. As an RCA, I can be required to complete my assigned route and carry a portion of another route. I can be required to come in and case one route, carry my route, and then help finish a third route. I am expected to check with management when my route is complete to make sure that other subs will make the dispatch truck - which I don't mind when a sub is new but after a few times on the route I start to mind. During the Christmas no-overtime period, I can be required to carry portions of any 1 or all 8 routes in our office. I think RCAs need to know that we can't always just do our assigned route for the day and go home like a regular carrier. Newer RCAs need to learn as soon as possible that our job (regulars and RCAs) isn't easy, low-stress, or able to be done at a slow pace.

I don't take shortcuts, and anyone that I train or assist is told that the same is expected of them. I take pride in doing my job and doing my job correctly. The only way a customer should be able to tell that I ran the route instead of the regular carrier is because a different car stops at their mailbox. I learn where the regular carrier puts large parcels for their customers and whether or not the customer wants me to knock on the door - in the cases of elderly customers, small children, or third shift workers. If I train an RCA on a route and I'm not sure where the regular puts large parcels, I let that RCA know that he should ask the regular carrier for clarification.

Cliff Clavin · Jul 24, 2017

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">
littlesew&sew said 
Can you expand on this? Because the expectations should be the same for regulars and RCAs.

As a regular, I do not want my shortcut taking, misdelivering RCA to train anyone on my route. If I ever get a conscientious sub, I will be more than happy to let that person do the training

Oi veh - I only meant that management expectations differ a little bit between regulars and RCAs. As a regular carrier, you are responsible for one route and only one route. As an RCA, I can be required to complete my assigned route and carry a portion of another route. I can be required to come in and case one route, carry my route, and then help finish a third route. I am expected to check with management when my route is complete to make sure that other subs will make the dispatch truck - which I don't mind when a sub is new but after a few times on the route I start to mind. During the Christmas no-overtime period, I can be required to carry portions of any 1 or all 8 routes in our office. I think RCAs need to know that we can't always just do our assigned route for the day and go home like a regular carrier. Newer RCAs need to learn as soon as possible that our job (regulars and RCAs) isn't easy, low-stress, or able to be done at a slow pace.

I don't take shortcuts, and anyone that I train or assist is told that the same is expected of them. I take pride in doing my job and doing my job correctly. The only way a customer should be able to tell that I ran the route instead of the regular carrier is because a different car stops at their mailbox. I learn where the regular carrier puts large parcels for their customers and whether or not the customer wants me to knock on the door - in the cases of elderly customers, small children, or third shift workers. If I train an RCA on a route and I'm not sure where the regular puts large parcels, I let that RCA know that he should ask the regular carrier for clarification.

</blockquote>
You hit the nail on the head. Some RCA's like you and myself take a tremendous amount of pride in doing our jobs correctly and that is why manglement asks the "Best Subs" to help train the new subs.

To all you regulars, "Yes there are subs that aren't worth two dead flys", but don't lump all subs together and say that we are all bad. 

I have been the "Primary" on the same route since since 2008 and myself and the regular work great. Many other Regulars ask when I will be available because they want me to run their route on their days off because they know there will not be any cleanup needed when they return and there will not be any complaints from the customers.

Before I get anty hate mail, I will be the first to say that some subs are not worth a good S#!t and there are the ones like myself that are really, really good!

littlesew&sew · Jul 24, 2017

You hit the nail on the head. Some RCA’s like you and myself take a tremendous amount of pride in doing our jobs correctly and that is why manglement asks the “Best Subs” to help train the new subs.

To all you regulars, “Yes there are subs that aren’t worth two dead flys”, but don’t lump all subs together and say that we are all bad.

Cliff Clavin - I couldn't agree more with you. Not all subs care about the job, and the ones that don't care make it tough on those of us who take pride in a job well done. The new crop of subs being hired are being hand-held from day one in our office creating slow, dependent, uncaring RCAs that think misdeliveries and customer service are nothing to worry about and they'll be bailed out whenever they have a minor problem

D.B.Cooper · Jul 24, 2017

I think it's great to see RCAs putting a little pressure on newer RCAs to do the best job they can... imo, that's likely a LOT more effective than just hearing Regulars gripe about stuff... they probably are used to that by now...

I do try to keep in mind that it's hard for somebody who is not on the route everyday to do the job as well as somebody who is there everyday... that said, I do know that 'some' subs do not take the time and care that they KNOW they should and could, and are just not as careful as they should be...

When I see mistakes my sub has made, I can tell which ones are understandable, and which ones are likely due to carelessness... when I pick up 4 or 5 boxes worth of DPS from one box... not hard to tell who was just being in a big @$$ hurry and not checking the mail... when I see that they missed a forward, then that's much more understandable...

I would hope that everybody, Regular or RCA, would do the best job that they can... for our customers... not too much to ask, imo...

oi veh. · Jul 24, 2017

@littlesew&sew and @cliffclavin, if y'all don't know by now that I never include most of the subs on this forum in the "don't care" crowd, then you will never, ever know me...

Most of the subs who are on this forum are here because they are stellar RCAs. They care about the job and the customers.

@littlesew&sew, you and I must of been trained by the same fella, because that's what he told me from the git - "the customers should never be able to tell when the regular is off".

I was just wondering what manglement's expectations were - i.e., telling them to rush or cut corners, etc.

p.s. you 2 and wolfound are more than welcome to come be my sub anytime!!!!

wolfound · Jul 24, 2017

I made a written proposal to a pm (its been a couple pms ago) that each office should have a RCA trainer...preferably the best RCA in the office. The senior RCA And i got together on our own time and came up with a three page point by point training prospectus for new RCAs...it spelled out uniformity in all cases...so any one of us could walk in to a case and know what was what without trying to decipher everyones different system. (Some carriers have immaculately maintained cases that are easy to follow and understand..others are a chaotic nightmare that are mislabeled, COAs and holds a jumbled mess) well, that would have required the slobs to clean up their act...so it never left the propsal stage.

I do my best for any reg i carry for...but if ur a pig and have a sty case...dont expect ur Sub to be any different....or me if i gotta run it. If you don't care enough to keep it organized and comprehensive enough for any of us idiot subs to make sense of it, then dont expect us to care either.

Diana_of_Themyscira · Jul 24, 2017

<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">Cliff Clavin said 
<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote">
littlesew&sew said 
Can you expand on this? Because the expectations should be the same for regulars and RCAs.

As a regular, I do not want my shortcut taking, misdelivering RCA to train anyone on my route. If I ever get a conscientious sub, I will be more than happy to let that person do the training

Oi veh - I only meant that management expectations differ a little bit between regulars and RCAs. As a regular carrier, you are responsible for one route and only one route. As an RCA, I can be required to complete my assigned route and carry a portion of another route. I can be required to come in and case one route, carry my route, and then help finish a third route. I am expected to check with management when my route is complete to make sure that other subs will make the dispatch truck - which I don't mind when a sub is new but after a few times on the route I start to mind. During the Christmas no-overtime period, I can be required to carry portions of any 1 or all 8 routes in our office. I think RCAs need to know that we can't always just do our assigned route for the day and go home like a regular carrier. Newer RCAs need to learn as soon as possible that our job (regulars and RCAs) isn't easy, low-stress, or able to be done at a slow pace.

I don't take shortcuts, and anyone that I train or assist is told that the same is expected of them. I take pride in doing my job and doing my job correctly. The only way a customer should be able to tell that I ran the route instead of the regular carrier is because a different car stops at their mailbox. I learn where the regular carrier puts large parcels for their customers and whether or not the customer wants me to knock on the door - in the cases of elderly customers, small children, or third shift workers. If I train an RCA on a route and I'm not sure where the regular puts large parcels, I let that RCA know that he should ask the regular carrier for clarification.
</blockquote>

You hit the nail on the head. Some RCA's like you and myself take a tremendous amount of pride in doing our jobs correctly and that is why manglement asks the "Best Subs" to help train the new subs.

To all you regulars, "Yes there are subs that aren't worth two dead flys", but don't lump all subs together and say that we are all bad. 

I have been the "Primary" on the same route since since 2008 and myself and the regular work great. Many other Regulars ask when I will be available because they want me to run their route on their days off because they know there will not be any cleanup needed when they return and there will not be any complaints from the customers.

Before I get anty hate mail, I will be the first to say that some subs are not worth a good S#!t and there are the ones like myself that are really, really good! </blockquote>
Welcome me to your Club, where the FEW, the RARE, the most SOUGHT-AFTER SUBS belong ! One RC calls me " a dream come true" ! I always go out of my way to get the job accurately. I may not be the fastest, but hey, most RCs PREFER having me run their route than their assigned subs. Ouch, my back hurts, for my incessant patting

I think one of the most important things the new RCAs could learn from the more senior ones is : we get trained for accuracy and we develop speed over [a span of] time.