You should really think about investing in pedals. Leave the straddling to the pups. It costs about $500, but it's SO much easier.
New RCA in small town need more hours to get faster to get more hours...
- Thread starter WarrenSensei
- Start date
See I can reach wheel and pedals from right side but choose to ride the hump. Did the right side for a few months and noticed extreme pain in left shoulder. Swapped back to the hump and no issues since then. Everyone is different I personally would need a full conversion but not willing to do that with current POV. 240k miles and timing chain going not worth the cost just putting away for another POV.
Oof. I get it. Full conversions are pricey.
Sandygirl
Well-known member
I only paid $1300 for full conersion and if my POV dies, it can be taken off and put onto same style POV
Defiant
Well-known member
There are no rules. You could be on the phone with other post masters tonight, if you wanted to.
TuckersDad
Well-known member
Having mine done in two weeks for nearly same price.
TuckersDad
Well-known member
I put a pedal kit in mine, but I do worry about one of those cables breaking if I use it long enough. I'm having a full conversion done in a couple of weeks.
Have an rca with conversion every 6 months like clock work. they have to get cables replaced. could be just them but it’s an added expense that I don’t personally feel like paying atm.
The days of "casuals " are long gone, a lot more corruption and lies have occurred since then.
By Christmas you're likely going to reflect on these days with wonder.....wonder about why you didn't go to work for Chick Fil A, etc.
You do want to replace them every now and then. You can buy cable for 30 to 40 cents a foot at home depot. Have them cut it to a 6 foot length, then you can grab the loop and connector bits for a couple bucks each.
I've had my pedals for 4 years and I've only replaced them once.
Is your conversion going to use metal rods
TuckersDad
Well-known member
Yes it should have the rods when done.
Beanut
Well-known member
The only rule for newly hired RCAs (in the new contract) is new RCAs are to be given 2 full pay periods of working in their hired office, after that…..you can be sent anywhere 50 miles from your office
Larger office I usually just assist, take all dismount packages for a route, or partial route.
And of course Amazon Sunday…the Amazon office I go to has 3 RCAs on Sunday and 11 routes…..so that’s a 12 hr day. They can find you hours if they look. They think they are “saving you” (and they probably are), but not if you aren’t making enough money to survive.
Only you know what you want….just know once you’re in the rounds There is no turning back. They will all be calling, you may end up with more work that you bargained for. Reach out to an office … i only suggest you proceed slowly.
you are correct, in most offices RCAs will be worked more than 40 hrs, and likely 7 days a week. ( I don’t want the extra hours, but I am being forced to go). The hours are out there…make it clear you want them
In Smaller offices i usually run full routes and it takes time to learn and get faster, but… they must send you to learn. Tell your pm you want to go. Or call that office and tell them, explain you are new and slow but want hours and experience. Most will be willing to help….
Larger office I usually just assist, take all dismount packages for a route, or partial route.
And of course Amazon Sunday…the Amazon office I go to has 3 RCAs on Sunday and 11 routes…..so that’s a 12 hr day. They can find you hours if they look. They think they are “saving you” (and they probably are), but not if you aren’t making enough money to survive.
Only you know what you want….just know once you’re in the rounds There is no turning back. They will all be calling, you may end up with more work that you bargained for. Reach out to an office … i only suggest you proceed slowly.
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WarrenSensei
Active member
Well, update:
PM ******ing fired/asked me to resign last week. Said I'm too slow, after only actually DOING my primary route about 12 times, most of which were only half the route (casing the whole route and carrying half).
And I was getting faster, shaving time off each time.
The last saturday I was supposed to try to carry the whole route alone, I f***ed up because I was anxious and rushing and I left some DPS behind. And missed a tray of handsort that the clerk just plopped on top of the DPS trays I'd pulled off the cage, without telling me, and I didn't notice until after I'd pulled down. I sorted it and pulled the parts that were simple to locate in my trays like the CBUs. It wasn't good, but certainly mistakes that I would NEVER make again. Definitely would have been better if I had cased my DPS - would have noticed the blank areas of the missed trays and found the handsort tray. Driving time would have been about the same, and I did swing back and pick up the mail I'd forgotten (PM delivered the tray for the addresses I'd already been to). Was only 9.75hrs for a 9 hr route.
I did Sunday Amazon delivery just fine, no complaints from them.
Other RCAs in my academy cohort (I see a few of them on Sundays) were also not under eval times and making occasional mistakes, including a couple embarrassing ones, and their PMs were being all encouraging and supportive, and saying "don't worry, you're supposed to suck for a good few months at least"... and giving them 3-5 days a week on their primary routes. One was even filling in for her regular for 2 weeks of vacation, with no expectation of coming in under eval on her 8hr route.
Came in on monday, PM from a different town came in, and they railroaded me. Regular said nothing at all, just stood there.
PM mentioned earlier that my regular had vacation requested for the end of the month. I don't want to ever put a bad light on my regular, he was mostly a great guy, but I can't help but think that the PM's done this so that he can get a more experienced RCA for that vacation time instead of having to give it to me as the only RCA in the office.
That vacation time was also just the concentrated, continuous practice I know I needed to push through and get smoother and faster and so on.
And I think he's been shortchanging my paychecks. I REALLY wish I had taken pics of everything so I could prove it. I think he's been deducting lunch breaks but I don't take lunch breaks, I bring bite size food I can safely eat along the way.
Anyhow, rant over.
I resigned rather than let them fire me, so I can apply to other offices.
Anybody in central MA looking for a mostly trained RCA who's already made most of his mistakes?
PM ******ing fired/asked me to resign last week. Said I'm too slow, after only actually DOING my primary route about 12 times, most of which were only half the route (casing the whole route and carrying half).
And I was getting faster, shaving time off each time.
The last saturday I was supposed to try to carry the whole route alone, I f***ed up because I was anxious and rushing and I left some DPS behind. And missed a tray of handsort that the clerk just plopped on top of the DPS trays I'd pulled off the cage, without telling me, and I didn't notice until after I'd pulled down. I sorted it and pulled the parts that were simple to locate in my trays like the CBUs. It wasn't good, but certainly mistakes that I would NEVER make again. Definitely would have been better if I had cased my DPS - would have noticed the blank areas of the missed trays and found the handsort tray. Driving time would have been about the same, and I did swing back and pick up the mail I'd forgotten (PM delivered the tray for the addresses I'd already been to). Was only 9.75hrs for a 9 hr route.
I did Sunday Amazon delivery just fine, no complaints from them.
Other RCAs in my academy cohort (I see a few of them on Sundays) were also not under eval times and making occasional mistakes, including a couple embarrassing ones, and their PMs were being all encouraging and supportive, and saying "don't worry, you're supposed to suck for a good few months at least"... and giving them 3-5 days a week on their primary routes. One was even filling in for her regular for 2 weeks of vacation, with no expectation of coming in under eval on her 8hr route.
Came in on monday, PM from a different town came in, and they railroaded me. Regular said nothing at all, just stood there.
PM mentioned earlier that my regular had vacation requested for the end of the month. I don't want to ever put a bad light on my regular, he was mostly a great guy, but I can't help but think that the PM's done this so that he can get a more experienced RCA for that vacation time instead of having to give it to me as the only RCA in the office.
That vacation time was also just the concentrated, continuous practice I know I needed to push through and get smoother and faster and so on.
And I think he's been shortchanging my paychecks. I REALLY wish I had taken pics of everything so I could prove it. I think he's been deducting lunch breaks but I don't take lunch breaks, I bring bite size food I can safely eat along the way.
Anyhow, rant over.
I resigned rather than let them fire me, so I can apply to other offices.
Anybody in central MA looking for a mostly trained RCA who's already made most of his mistakes?
WarrenSensi -- Certainly understand your frustrations, but best do some quick editing on your post for "colorful language / terminology" -- before "Oi veh" logs on.
-- Find out who the Assistant District Representative is for your area and give a heads up to possible short changing your pay as well as the PM logging non-taken lunch breaks ( that could be construed as falsifying an official document ). A check of past 4240s may reveal some "smudge" marks.
-- Not all PM's are like the one you experienced.
-- You can visit area post offices to present your case but be up front with what happened. Try to be professional. As "Sgt Friday" used to say: "Just the facts." PM's usually have a "grapevine" for sharing information, so your PM could already be spreading "his version".
-- The regular's upcoming leave would have been an excellent time for you to really get to know the route.
-- As you have discovered, the faster you go, the farther behind you get.
-- If you find a post office willing to take you, make copies of 4240 or other documents. Taking photos inside the post office is generally frowned upon. ( or take the 4240 outside for a picture )
-- Good luck.
-- Find out who the Assistant District Representative is for your area and give a heads up to possible short changing your pay as well as the PM logging non-taken lunch breaks ( that could be construed as falsifying an official document ). A check of past 4240s may reveal some "smudge" marks.
-- Not all PM's are like the one you experienced.
-- You can visit area post offices to present your case but be up front with what happened. Try to be professional. As "Sgt Friday" used to say: "Just the facts." PM's usually have a "grapevine" for sharing information, so your PM could already be spreading "his version".
-- The regular's upcoming leave would have been an excellent time for you to really get to know the route.
-- As you have discovered, the faster you go, the farther behind you get.
-- If you find a post office willing to take you, make copies of 4240 or other documents. Taking photos inside the post office is generally frowned upon. ( or take the 4240 outside for a picture )
-- Good luck.
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WarrenSensei
Active member
Thank you for the encouragement, kind words, and advice.
I wouldn't even bother with the rca position. I would would do CCA if interested in delivery. But, frankly, the pse or clerk position is much nicer.
Or win the lotto!
Skierstmoritz
Well-known member
Central Mass? Care to elaborate which town ? Or maybe near your town? I know an area that has several towns looking for rcas.
WarrenSensei
Active member
I'm in the Lancaster/Clinton area, north of Worcester.
