kelker11 -- Without knowing the classification ( H, J or K ) of your route, I'd say you are doing pretty good for someone with 2 months on the job.
1 Having a right hand drive vehicle helps. Guessing you have some type of cover for the back of the pickup as the mail has to be protected.
2 Other parcel drops could be Amazon or DHL.
3 Case your mail before dealing with parcels or at least load parcels at one time.
Marking parcels is the safest way to remember which address has a parcel when first starting out.
4 Try putting two trays of mail on the seat. It will save a few minutes ( and that is what you should be looking for -- how to save time on the street ).
Don't add pressure to your day by comparing your leaving times to others - who have been doing this longer than you.
5 592 stops -- sounds like 3 full cases, maybe two with a wing -- depending on address spacing.
Probably stopping to deliver parcels is a major contributor to your time on the street.
6 Don't speed -- the scanner will tell on you.
7 When manglement hints ( threatens ) you should work faster - ask for pointers.
Even though you are still on your probationary period ( 90 work days or one calendar year ), contact your Assistant District Representative if you feel manglement is threatening you about keeping your job. Numerous USPS policies in place regarding bullying, threats, etc. Those should be posted on an office bulleting board.
8 Back in 2015, the Postmaster General put out the word that RCA's are to "keep RCA's at all costs". Meaning manglement has to notify someone higher up the food chain when firing an RCA.
9 Give manglement a text or call, letting them know they should send someone out to get the mail you have collected. With the tracking program, they will know about where you are or will be.
If you miss the Dispatch Truck, manglement could order you to take the mail to the plant -- be sure to note the distance and time as they have to pay you for the trip.
10 In the past, carriers have posted of making a two-tier rack out of PVC pipe or other material - one for DPS and one for pull-down mail.
11 If you are getting serveral days of work a week, then it is not all on your assigned route. Adjusting to different routes will slow you down.
- Someone is ALWAYS going to be the last one back. Just keep doing the best you can and some day that won't be you.
- Ask your fellow carriers for pointers. As you have discovered, manglement usually has nothing to add. If manglement mentions they were a carrier at one time, probably could not hack it as a city carrier.
- Hang in there.
I don't know the route classification. But thanks for the kind words.
1) Yes, its a single cab small pickup with a camper on the back.
2) Amazon.
3) I'm not sure what you mean by "load one at a time"? And yes, I'm still marking.
4) Two trays, good idea. Stopping to move trays and tubs from the back of the pickup to the seat is very time consuming. I usually have 3-4 trays of mail and 6 tubs. So its many stops over the course of the day.
5) On the bottom row, the last side (right) is only half full. The rest of the case is full. And parcels are a pain in my a..... It is extremely time consuming to do this. Especially since 80% of my deliveries are on three roads which have acreage. So its drive down a LONG driveway, get out, escape the dogs, deliver the package, turn the truck around, and drive back down the LONG driveway. Go two houses down and do it all again. Its like a death knell to my time.
6) Seriously? WHY HAS NO ONE TOLD ME THIS?!?!?! I've been trying to save some time between stops (especially when there is mileage between stops. You'd think someone would have mentioned this! Thanks!
7) I did. Supervisor said I needed to go faster. Post master said he didn't know what to tell me. Its so frustrating.
8) I wonder if that's still in effect?
9) I was calling, but they told me they'd call me if they needed to speak with me. But then they complain when the truck has already left without my first class. I did make one run to the trucks next stop, which is in the next county (maybe a 20 minute drive one way). Supervisor told me to take it, but when I got there, the truck had already left because the supervisor didn't tell them I was coming. I later spoke to the driver (he's our regular driver and he's great!). He gave me his number so I could call him myself if this happens again. But, I drove on my own time, and I was NOT paid for mileage. Its like you all on this forum have one set of rules, and my post office has another.
10) I'm not handy with stuff like that (though it sounds great!). You know that old saying, Measure twice, cut once? For me, its like measure thirty times and you'll be lucky to get two numbers that match. But having something like that would be awesome!
11) I've been trained on four routes (2 are auxiliary). I thought it was crazy for them to train me on more routes while I hadn't mastered the first one yet. I'm also fortunate that the carrier I sub for is on vacation a lot!
Thanks for all your thoughts and kind words!
