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News and Views on Training · United We Scan

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Welcome to the United We Scan Podcast, the podcast by rural
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carriers. For rural carriers, the views
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expressed in this podcast do not reflect the views or opinions of
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Thank you. Now here are the hosts of the
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United We Scan podcast. Welcome back, everybody.
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Episode 47. We've got some news
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announcements, and then we're going to touch on some views on
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training, because training is always the hot topic no matter
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what. I think it's something that we
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could can cover every single episode to 1 degree or another.
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Your week, Josh. My week was.
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Pretty good. Had one RCA that was struggling
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that I was working with that they let go Monday.
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Had a second RCA that's just about as new that was doing
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pretty good. Told her, you know, her car
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broke down and they went to send her door to a different station
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on Tuesday and she's like, I don't have.
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Transportation to get there. Was told if you pretty much if
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she goes home not to come back, her service is no longer needed
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for the person above my manager's head told her to
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report back to work Thursday, so it was a pretty good week.
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And she's the sub that they told was assigned to my route, so at
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least I know I have one dedicated person.
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Carrying my route when I'm off it seems very promising.
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I've got a short week this week coming up so.
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Nobody cares. Somebody cares.
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I don't care. I.
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Don't care if you care. Kristen doesn't care.
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Obviously she cut me off before I say it.
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She's still going to be working on Friday.
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Oh. And Saturday.
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Jeez, Bill just just cut her legs out from underneath her
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there. Well.
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You know. They played this way off on
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Monday, too. They they they played it this
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way so she'd have to work the the holiday.
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Yeah, I know they did. Yeah, yeah, alright, get into
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that. How was your?
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Week. Well, we'll just for free flow.
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This whole thing, Well, my week was, my week was pretty normal
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overall. Did get the announcement that
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they're going to be doing the Google Street views on our line
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of travel manager. But our supervisor 2O4B, who is
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a royal carrier said that if there are any discrepancies that
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he will be sitting with the carriers to make sure they're
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right. They're going to go through all
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the traffic control points with the carrier to make sure they're
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right. But other than that, I didn't
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did not appreciate having a box holder come in for Friday.
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I would have been happier if it came in on Thursday instead of
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Friday. I'd like to get out early on my
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Friday because I don't have to work Saturday like some people
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and. Bill Then this weekend I went
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and helped out at my friend's model railroad museum.
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That's opening up again this year.
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Largest O scale, two rail layout and they're getting it all
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buttoned up and ready to go after the summer work session on
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it. And I usually help out on my
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Sunday off day there. So that way they have enough
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people to chase trains and stuff because they have a lot of them.
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But other than that, that's pretty much my week.
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And how about you Bill? How was your week?
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Oh, my week was pretty good. Hold on, kiss from my wife
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Flats. Flats are piling up now.
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Friday 12 tubs. Saturday 12 tubs.
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Political mail is still heavy. Parcels are running about 220 a
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day. Unless he got called in, you
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know, forced in Saturday because our our superior supervisor
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forgot. She handed out two leave slips
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and already had an open route scheduled.
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So I would have walked into a mess on Monday.
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And I said, well, I guess I'll volunteer then.
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I'd like to know if any of our listeners go through the same
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problem with scheduling. This seems just to be a pandemic
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in Westchester. But besides that we got our
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local meeting on Tuesday, food and beverages provided and we
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will be discussing your Christmas.
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Overtime we'll be discussing the.
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Future of our delegates and how we're picking them and how we're
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reimbursing people who go to our state convention.
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That sounds like a pretty good meeting there.
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You you have your choice of a Turkey, Italian or roast beef,
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hoagies, macaroni and cheese bowls and then whatever fluids I
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decide that are deemed appropriate for our group which
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are non alcoholic. Sounds about right.
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Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
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We we had a couple couple alcoholic meetings that got out
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of control so we we put the kibosh on that.
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Yeah, no alcohol at ours either, unless unless they purchase it
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themselves, but. We don't even have meetings
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where they serve alcohol. So that solves that problem,
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right? So how was your week, Kristen?
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Mine was OK. Monday was normal.
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Tuesday, Amazon didn't show up until after all the carriers
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left. Tuesday was an awesome day.
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I was back and clocked out by like 9 minutes after 1:00 PM.
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Wow. Doesn't happen too often, but
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I'll take it. When I I haven't had that happen
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in years. Yeah, yeah.
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That was a in at 8:00 and out at 1 my 45 K, of course.
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To Wednesday I got double Amazon but it still wasn't.
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It was big boxes but it was still only 138 so I won't even
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count that as a heavy day really.
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And yesterday was extremely light too.
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I had and Friday, Friday or Thursday I think it was
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Thursday. Thursday I only had two large
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boxes on the floor. The LLV everything else is on
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the shelves and yesterday I everything was on the shelves.
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I don't have a single package on the floor of the LLVI was done.
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Oh, what time I was done yesterday.
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It was probably around just shy of three.
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I think you're the. Carrier.
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Yeah, you're the carrier our president was talking about
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getting done way under their evaluation.
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Yeah, not really. Normally I'm pretty close, but
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this week's been kind of light for us for a weird change.
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I I called it the calm before the storm because I know how
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this route gets in the in pink time so I'll I'll take the
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lighter days first announcement I did get told I think it was
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Thursday or Friday. I will officially be your
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regular carrier November 18th on the 45 case I'll send you.
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I'll send you a case of Crown Royal Salted Caramel.
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Oh, perfect. Yeah, November 18th is my
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effective date. So I have one more pay period as
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an RCA. Yeah, they wanted to keep you in
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RCA during the the holiday. Yeah, yeah.
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The only one in the office to come in and case.
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All up, all six routes. Yeah, yeah, that'll be fun.
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Whatever they may. We do have a new RCA starting
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this week, training rehire from a former office.
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So it was wasn't it was a close enough timeline so he didn't
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have to redo anything. So basically it was just getting
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him into the payroll and get him in the office.
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He didn't have to orientation Academy, LLB training, none of
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that was all. All that was still good.
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So I'll be doing his OJI on Tuesday and Wednesday and I
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think they may try and pull him in Saturday with me to at least
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just case up the his primary route way.
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I hit up the other five routes. Oh yeah, that was my week.
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Fairly simple. And what's it about lighter
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week? I'm not complaining one bit.
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James, you have some announcements from what I
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understand. Yes, I do.
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And the very first important one that we have actually came from
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the Decertify NRLCA Facebook group.
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Firstly, they've gotten 16,500 signatures on the
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decertification group and more are still coming in.
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But the person who started the decertification, who is a
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standing good member in good standing with the union dues
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paying and everything, has stated that none of the unions
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that they can get a hold of are interested in taking over for
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the NRLCA and they're switching to their Plan B.
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So that means the decertification movement is on
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its last legs. But as we always have said
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though, we do not support the decertification movement.
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We believe in one unified craft. So we will welcome them to be
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involved in this podcast as well as on our Facebook groups with
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open arms because no Craft member should be left behind and
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no Craft members should be fighting with each other.
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We're one Craft doing one job and we're all here for each
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other. The next announcement I have is
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we've gotten quite a few people who have responded to us about
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our comments on on using the Load Truck feature when you're
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on the start load vehicle time. And we say I said it was a time
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wasting effort. But the meaning behind that was
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that once you start doing that, you have to continue doing that
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in order to keep it. In your evaluation we did not
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mean that you had to do it or you shouldn't be doing it.
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There have been many different fights all the way up to step
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fours over the load truck feature and it is carrier
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discretion whether to use the load Truck feature.
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Don't let us dictate what you do.
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If you want to use the load truck rather than marking your
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parcels, that's fine, but that is case time not load time.
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If they give you the directive you have to use load truck.
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I said that way. You should be doing it under the
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your load vehicle time starting in load vehicle.
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Otherwise, it's while you're in the case sorting your parcels
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out. Or you could just be like where
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I'm at with this route already, no matter how heavy of a day it
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is, and I just wheel the cart out and put them in, organize
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them in the truck and order, and don't mark anything anymore.
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Well, that's what you get for being a regular.
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I'm not a regular yet, though. You're becoming one already.
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You're already turning into one. You're doing the route as a
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regular would already. I have OK this question was sent
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to me recently. This popped up in listener chat
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but I kind of want to touch on this because I did get AADM
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about this this week as well. Any idea when the 4003 will be
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opened back up so we can take the low option?
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Why do we have to choose before we know the result of the
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routes? I had Adm this week come through
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about something similar, but this was.
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Let me pull it up real quick so I can.
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Quoted verbatim. Exactly, yes.
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So I'm not misspeaking. So why would they not be
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offering the high low option? After the last count, I lost
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$10,000. I can't afford that much of A
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cut. I need to go to AJ route and
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then I, you know, of course I explained that you choose at the
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end of the each mini mail survey.
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This is a response on another social Media Group about.
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High, low option and when you can choose it and I had
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responded that you know what the end of the mini mail surveys.
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So you can only choose high option at those times.
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But you can go from high to low at any time.
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If you were to change your mind, you have to be you know the 1010
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years from retirement computation date in order to
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qualify. Their response was I was told
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that they have not yet opened it up for us to elect that yet.
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I had elected after the last count to go to AJ route and then
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after this count my route went up.
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An hour and he said I had to stay at AK route until they open
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that option back up. Can you explain the 10 year
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option again for our listeners? 10 year from retirement
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computation date. Not ten years of service.
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No. This is a very.
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Confusing thing for some people because in our office we have a
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guy who's up for retirement this year.
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He has his 10 year computation in there.
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And he said, well, I don't have 10 years in Bill.
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I'm like, let me explain this to you in English.
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And after I showed it to him in in in writing and you know were
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printed, he goes, well, I want the high option.
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I'm like, there you go. But since we don't have any
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stewards in our office anymore, that's a very confusing aspect
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for some people to grasp. Yes it is.
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Because you know, you hear well, it's you know, it's said in in
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many different ways and that's why it confuses people.
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Well, you have to be a regular for 10 years.
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No, it's 10 years from your computation date.
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If you're APTF your your career, that goes towards your
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computation date. If you have military time that
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you could buy back, that goes towards your computation date.
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If you bought it back. If you bought it back, yes.
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And actually have it paid off. Yes.
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Or. And if you were part of that
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time where you could buy back some of your RCA time because
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there was a time when you could? Back before what, 88?
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Yes, 1888, yes, 1988, yes. Yeah, when they changed the law
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on that. And there is a bill.
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That was presented recently for to allow us to do that.
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So reach out to you, I forget what the bill number is at the
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moment. We'll find it and post it on all
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of our socials. Reach out to your local, your
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state representatives and legislative.
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Let them know you want them to support that bill.
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And actually I think on the nationals website they have a
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form letter that you can post, you can print out and fill, fill
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in and send to them. It's either on ours or on the
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NALCS. I think they NALC have one,
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yeah. But honestly, your your
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representatives like to hear personal stories more than form
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letters. So if you can.
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You know, get put some personal touch to that.
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I would definitely recommend it, especially people that have been
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RCA for 8/10/12 fifteen years. I will have eight years, 11
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months and four days. That's why I said that.
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Yes, Eight years, 11 months and four days when I go regular on
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the 18th of November. Yes.
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Yeah, I have another. I'm gonna say in regards to the
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portable threes, they were supposed to open up on October
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7th. However there was an issue with
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it and other software, so they had to close it out and make a
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patch so it they could work it and was supposed to reopen at
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like about the 20th but for whatever reason.
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They have not. Headquarters has not reopened it
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yet. I haven't heard anything since a
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week and a half, two weeks ago in that regard.
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You know since that about that, but it was software issue on
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them bringing it. Opening it back up for District
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2 put the higher low options in. When isn't a software issue at
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headquarters? Well, if they would just turn
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around and invest a little bit of money in technology, it
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wouldn't be so bad. I know many different government
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agencies that have updated their technology in the last 10 years
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and it made so much of a difference to how things were
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done and it made things so much more efficient and it cost a lot
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less after over time doing it that way.
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But they are so short sighted that if it if it's a short term
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cost because you have to remember our postmaster is a
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involved in the stock market and what do anybody involved in the
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stock market do they look at short term gains over long term
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security. So that's what they're doing at
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the post office too, is short. Short term costs are too much
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for them, even though there's long term gains over that.
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I thought it was buy low, sell high.
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That was what it was originally. But then you got all these.
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Well, I'm not going to really get into this discussion, but
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your hedge, your hedge fund, hedge fund managers is all I
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have to say. All right.
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I do have a comment that somebody made about the load
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truck feature and you actually posted this, Kristen.
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Did you know a majority of postmasters do not know the
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difference between Load Truck on the main menu and the Start Load
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Vehicle in the rural activity scans and have been telling arcs
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and RCAS to just use the Load truck feature.
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Why am I not surprised? Of course they don't.
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Management got less training than we did.
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And they're the ones responsible for training us.
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I mean, Kristen was there when I called out the district manager
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on the fact he wasn't training his postmasters.
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And he left the regional manager.
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Slightly speechless, too, 'cause he couldn't answer that Yeah,
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'cause he couldn't answer why he couldn't make it mandatory that
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management got this training. Yeah, because he didn't get the
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training either. But one thing you want to make
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sure is you make sure that your RC as didn't.
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Get it? Or he didn't pay attention to it
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like he claimed the postmasters did.
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He probably didn't pay attention to it either, but at least he
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didn't talk in as many circles as the joy did at National
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Convention. Oh, let's not even go down that
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rabbit hole, please. Well, well, well, I don't.
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I I, I, I, I don't have the front end loader out ready to
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go. OK, well, some well, we.
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Don't need to be digging that hole right now.
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Well, some people started getting their print copies of
21:54
the National Convention proceedings, so I had to make
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that comment. Yeah, all right.
21:59
We need to, we need to keep moving on this.
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So the biggest thing is we talked about how people learn
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last episode, how people understand in different ways.
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So we put out to everybody that we wanted how tips and tricks on
22:24
how they train people and got quite a few responses on that.
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And I'm just going to read a few of them and let you guys comment
22:34
on them. How does that sound?
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Go for it. All right.
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The very first one. It doesn't matter what we tell
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them, because management turns around and tells them something
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totally different. Management won't let us train
22:48
properly. They're having the newbies take
22:50
DPS straight to the street, no marking packages.
22:54
Those go straight out and use load feature.
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They have Subs working, too many routes too quickly.
23:03
Yep, I I yes, I think when they're first learning that
23:09
case, casing the DPS is is can be very helpful.
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My office is one that likes to push DPS to the street right
23:18
away. Yeah, it's I I think casing the
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DPS can be very helpful when an RCA staring out, starting out
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and learning the case. Because it's in order.
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It's, you know, you can weed out the junks.
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When they get out on the street, they're not all discombobulated
23:38
with something that doesn't belong there.
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Hence, like my route, for example, when I get Spectrum,
23:46
don't get me started on how many times a week Spectrum has to
23:48
send something out to every address underneath the sun,
23:52
whether there's actually a housing unit there or not.
23:57
Yeah. That type of stuff I think it
24:00
really helped. That's part helpful.
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I as far as load truck, I I do know our borrowed RC as use it.
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They don't mark anything number one and they use load truck to
24:18
me, you know load truck was was after I started.
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Package look ahead and load truck.
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I was already pretty much an established RCA carrier and
24:30
several routes before that even came about, and so I personally
24:33
can't speak on experience with using it.
24:37
I see where it can be a decent tool with organizing your
24:40
packages, but to me, having to look at package look ahead all
24:44
freaking day long to see what you got coming up next is a
24:46
waste of time. Yeah, I when I was when I was in
24:52
RCAI know that makes me sound so old, even though I'm the
24:55
youngest one on this podcast. When I was in the post office
25:00
longer than you have, yeah. And and they actually had the
25:07
load truck feature on the scanners.
25:10
And when I would go and do a new route, it was a great thing to
25:14
use for me because I could scan the parcel and it would tell me
25:19
not only the section number but the sequence number on the route
25:24
too. And I'd write the sequence
25:25
number down and then I'd organize them by the sequence
25:28
number and then I could go out. I wouldn't have to mark them in
25:32
the case because I just put them in sequence order and that's how
25:36
I learned to deliver in sequence order.
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And then after I transitioned over to learning the primary
25:45
route that I'm on now, I no longer have to do the load truck
25:49
feature to get them in sequence. I know the sequence in my head
25:53
and like you said, just go out, load them in order and deliver
25:56
them in order without even marking anything.
25:59
But for somebody who's just starting out, that doesn't know
26:03
the sequence of the route and how the roads go together and
26:05
things like that, I think it's a great feature to use personally.
26:09
And I've I've told stubs to do that because just writing the
26:14
sequence number and putting them in sequence order is a lot
26:17
faster than trying to find the address on the on the case and
26:22
then trying to make sure you put it in order in that case order.
26:27
So I don't know about Josh or Bill on this.
26:33
Well, I've marked my parcels because like I've said many
26:35
times, I'll miss them with a marker.
26:40
Oh yeah, me too. So if.
26:45
I miss them with a marker. What makes you think I'm going
26:48
to get any of them right when I'm out there and not have to
26:51
loop around to deliver just because I'll forget to look at
26:55
what the next one is or forget what the next one is?
26:58
After I've looked and I just put in the stage chat, what comes up
27:04
every time I go to either load truck or look at package look
27:09
ahead Hasn't worked for me in probably a year.
27:13
At this point I don't use it except for very rare occasions
27:21
like if I have a really large heavy box and the label is too
27:25
far away to see from the truck. From the seat in the LLBI would
27:30
go to load truck and then scan it just to see what the address
27:33
was. So so I don't forget it when I
27:38
get there and I'm looking at the parcels in other areas and miss
27:42
it. And be like Oh well I'll find it
27:46
later. Or if the address is so screwed
27:52
up you can use the load truck to see what the address is.
27:57
But like I said, I don't have that function in my scanner.
27:59
So and that's that's a big one if if you can't see the address
28:05
but it has a barcode on it, and like Josh said, if it's not
28:09
popping up in that load truck feature, take it to your
28:12
supervisor. They can punch it in the
28:14
computer and get the address that way.
28:16
Of course, if the address and the barcode are screwed up, then
28:20
you're screwed on figuring out where it goes.
28:24
Unless it's in the QR code, yeah?
28:27
If it's got the QR code that that can be scanned too in the
28:30
load in the load truck feature to try and find it if it's not
28:34
popping up with the regular barcode.
28:39
Yes, that QR code on Amazon has been a lifesaver for half of the
28:43
packages that you can't get them to scan anyways, because
28:46
Amazon's printers suck. Yeah, and they're starting to
28:52
put them on the postal ones, too.
28:54
Yes, they are. And I have seen them on some of
28:57
the God forbid T moo crap. All right, the next one.
29:05
This one actually came with a few comments on it, so it's a
29:10
simple comment. I've told the sub to drive the
29:13
route a few times on their own time just to get familiar with
29:17
it and responses to that was I did this when I was a sub.
29:22
Great tip. It's helped me a bunch on new
29:24
unfamiliar routes. 1 Less thing I have to remember once they're
29:29
on the route, they're still unsteady the first few times,
29:33
but I think it takes a little of the scare out of tackling a new
29:36
route. I had a paper route years ago
29:41
and I would drive it during the day taking notes so I'd be able
29:44
to deliver better when it's dark.
29:46
So it could help out if you're coming up on winter months and
29:50
you're getting close to the end and it's starting to get Dusk
29:53
out. So that would help a lot of Subs
29:56
too. What do you guys think?
29:59
I know when I yeah I when I got my, when I got awarded the route
30:04
I'm on. I went to that station and got
30:08
the four double O3 and with the turn by turn and went out and
30:14
tried to drive it and tried to ask the my predecessor like hey
30:21
I couldn't figure this out you know how do I get to this?
30:25
So as they would ask and find out where you know, where things
30:30
were, where the, you know, things were hidden that I didn't
30:33
see when I drove it myself, where I started.
30:36
Some of our routes, a couple of them have some pretty confusing
30:39
little areas in there that you know, I yeah, I definitely
30:44
suggest them if you got the time and can do it to go out and you
30:48
know take that line and travel with you and go out and drive
30:51
there out a good couple times just to kind of get the feel of
30:54
the flow of it. And I think that also helps,
30:57
especially when you're learning a case and you know the flow of
31:00
the route. You can connect the two a little
31:02
bit better that way too. But who's paying me to drive it
31:07
on my own time? Not saying you have to do it.
31:11
Yeah, exactly. It's a benefit for yourself,
31:15
just like training yourself on Rex.
31:20
See, You had to go there, didn't you?
31:23
I had to. I had to.
31:26
You know, it reminds me. It reminds me earlier the
31:29
comment about the supervisors not paying attention because I
31:33
was at the Rex training with both of mine and neither one of
31:37
them retained anything well. Sometimes they don't learn that
31:43
way though. Remember we talked about the
31:46
different ways of learning, and if they weren't sitting there
31:49
taking notes at the same time it was being talked, they probably
31:53
didn't retain it, 'cause they're probably a read and write
31:57
learner. Well, maybe they didn't retain
32:00
it because they had their cell phones in their hand while the
32:02
training was going on. Oh, so they were the ones that
32:06
the the regional manager said don't pay attention during
32:10
trainings? And they listened.
32:17
Yeah, the the the supervisor. I.
32:19
Wasn't. Maybe isn't.
32:20
Even in our office anymore so. Or maybe it doesn't affect their
32:26
paychecks so they don't give a shit.
32:30
Hey, damn, do you have to be so honest?
32:36
I'm going to resay that whoever's editing just cut out
32:39
the first part. Maybe it doesn't affect their
32:42
paychecks, so they weren't as concerned.
32:48
I like the first one better. I like the first one better.
32:51
Yeah, we'll. Leave it either way.
32:52
I didn't want them to help. Leave them both in.
32:56
Leave them both. Leave them both in.
32:58
Yeah, that way they know we do some editing, but some things we
33:04
are honest about. All right, next, next comment.
33:09
RCA. Here I found it's helpful to
33:12
make my own cards for the routes.
33:14
Basically no cards that I case to tell me what I need.
33:18
Turn left here box on tree, dogs don't get out.
33:21
Turn right here, turn around here.
33:23
Box and Bush. See photo on phone of trailer
33:25
park map. Turn around after house number
33:29
hardships to know for each route I use colored cardstock,
33:33
different color per route, right on the cards, where they go on
33:36
the case, 1A2C5B etcetera so they can be cased up easily if a
33:41
new sub were to run it blind. In my experience the 4000 threes
33:45
were so old and the print is so tiny it just didn't help me
33:49
much. Also it helps to run the same
33:51
route at least three days in a row.
33:53
First half, second-half, whole route, then whole route from
33:56
that point on with maybe a little help a few times to get
33:58
it done. This should be done before
34:00
moving a sub to a new route in my opinion.
34:03
Staffing plays a role in this, though.
34:05
All offices are not staffed appropriately and it's
34:07
negatively impacting everyone. I I have to agree with that.
34:14
One of the things I kept from the regular that retired on the
34:18
route I'm I take have taken over is she does have well for our
34:24
holds we have the red carrier alert cards and we put a slip.
34:29
We'll put a little with the little clear window plastic
34:33
label holder that you get on the sides of the helicopter, flat
34:35
tubs, you know, type things. And we'll write the address in
34:39
and stick them in the case that way.
34:40
If it's not being held out of DPS, we'll know you know to
34:44
bring that mail back with us that they're on hold.
34:47
But she also has blue ones that have the hardships.
34:51
So we can I I don't keep them in there, but if I have somebody
34:54
that hasn't ran my route before running it, then I will case
34:57
those up for them. That way they know and it says
35:00
right on there where the hardship, where the boxes for
35:02
the hardship. Also my business closed for
35:05
Saturdays that don't get mail. I've got some for them too
35:09
because my whole industrial park doesn't get mail on Saturdays
35:12
and my chamber and Township offices don't get mail on
35:16
Saturday. So that's really helpful as
35:18
well. I use those when I start first
35:20
started running that route course, I don't need those
35:22
anymore. I leave the hold ones in there
35:24
because sometimes I don't think about it, but it helps just in
35:28
case. And so, yeah, definitely those
35:32
type of things, those little things that you can put in a
35:34
case for those little. Extras.
35:36
I had made a CHEAT SHEET for an RCA in the past on our one route
35:40
that we dubbed as turn around because that's literally all you
35:42
do in that POA is turn around and my supervisor and postmaster
35:49
actually printed out my Cheat Sheets and put it right in at
35:52
the case that way. If a newer RCA or a borrowed RCA
35:56
is running that route, it's just got you know to remember you're
36:00
turning around at this address or.
36:03
There's that one spot when you're heading up 23, you're
36:05
hitting all the side roads, but there's one where you got to go
36:08
up 23 for four boxes and then retrace back down to that road
36:15
and hang a left rather than turning right.
36:17
And I remember the first time I ran that route, I totally missed
36:20
that. So that was one of those things
36:21
that I tried to notate for the future for other RC as to run
36:25
that. So yeah, I definitely agree that
36:28
having some sort of CHEAT SHEET or cheat cards.
36:32
Of some sort. For those special little
36:35
circumstances, definitely helps. I've got a laminated one in my
36:40
truck so that you know when somebody's on there they know
36:45
where the vacants are OK and and and the holds this this this
36:50
this is one I came up with. I got tongue depressor sticks,
36:55
painted them red and wrote hold on them with a black magic
36:59
marker so that. When the when the Subs there,
37:03
they can look for them right off the bat and I put them right in
37:06
the slot. They fit perfectly in the slot
37:09
and I I unless it's my speedy PTF that you know does my route
37:14
once every blue moon. These guys catch it every time
37:17
and they look down they see the holds.
37:20
You know my holds are on on standard you know hold forms or
37:23
pieces. You know white pieces of paper
37:26
with a black magic marker and you can see it from 20 feet.
37:29
But they often won't visually remember to look down all the
37:33
time, so those red the the tongue depressor sticks really
37:37
catches their attention. Yeah, it's like, yeah, you've
37:41
got the tongue depressor sticks and I got the plastic red
37:44
carrier alert cards put in. There's so similar, similar
37:47
circumstance. Yep, all right.
37:49
I keep an alphabetical CHEAT SHEET under the plastic on my
37:53
route gives every street, each block, row and shelf location
37:58
6A, etcetera. One of the things I do with with
38:02
new RC as is I have them go wrap around the go through the case
38:10
and write down all the street names, then put them in
38:13
alphabetical order and then write what shelf and case number
38:17
they're on. So when they're casing raw mail
38:22
as they are, more mounting rock. All right, I know it's.
38:30
On this shelf, this case, this shelf this case, this shelf,
38:33
this case to help them learn it. I I have a plastic well, not
38:42
plastic. I have a cream colored business
38:45
cards taped onto the each shelf and to each wing showing the the
38:51
streets you know and the and the numbers on that street for that
38:54
particular shelf. And like with Rosewood Dr. it's
38:59
on my first shelf, you know, on my left, and there's a line
39:03
underneath it because after you do Rosewood, you never see it
39:07
again. So you don't have to look for it
39:09
down the up and down 5 rows. It's there, it's done.
39:12
It's gone. And I have done that all the way
39:15
around my case with three, three whole pieces and A and a wing.
39:23
Anything like anything you can do to make it easier for the sub
39:27
you know helps you out because you won't come back to a mess
39:30
every holiday or drop day. Or even even as a, even as
39:35
something as a, a a regular going to a new route.
39:39
Yeah, you know, if it's not something that they ran as an
39:42
RCA, so they're not familiar with it and it just happens to
39:46
be the route that they got. You know that anything like that
39:49
is definitely helpful. Yeah, but shouldn't they get?
39:53
8 Depending on the size that are out, 8 to 24 hours of
39:56
Familiarization Assistant. Well, if the other characters
40:01
come on, no, that doesn't always happen.
40:03
No. Per hundred, there's like an
40:05
hour allowance. Yeah, something like that.
40:09
I I can see that. I can see the chart when there's
40:11
a change or anything like that, but, you know, I can't, can't
40:14
pull it up off the top of my head.
40:16
Oh, that's because I'm bald. Back to what you were saying on
40:22
what you have at your case, Bill, that is I I knew someone
40:28
that had, you know, that did that also and when I was in RCI
40:33
was on that case. But you're still having to look
40:37
through the whole case, you know or at the whole case to find the
40:41
street where this is all on a piece.
40:45
You just look right down a piece of paper in alphabetical order.
40:48
You just find. Like you say, what lock, lock,
40:52
Rose Walk or something like that.
40:53
Rosewood, Rosewood, Rosewood. You just go down to the Rs, find
40:57
Rosewood and say all right, it's on first case, third shelf, and
41:02
that's the the only place you'll see it.
41:05
Also, for visual learners, when you're learning a case, each end
41:10
of each St. has its own colored different symbol on the case.
41:15
And that was that really helped me quite a bit as a visual
41:19
person to get to know, you know, at least the color right off
41:26
hand or the symbol of what that street was if I was looking for
41:30
something are. You talking on the labels?
41:33
Yes, yeah. All right.
41:36
Which is now I'm, I'm an old man and I did that with the the end
41:40
of a street, OK? And then I use a pink marker to
41:44
segregate the different CB Us on my route.
41:48
And let me tell you, it it's not just for the Subs.
41:51
It it, it quickens my eye hand coordination, knowing exactly
41:54
where it is before I even think about it.
41:58
Well, that's like when I get new.
42:00
When I get new labels, I put with a black sharpie a line at
42:05
the the end of a street or CBU and then red.
42:12
I use red for. If it's like a soft break off
42:18
point, like for example on a really light day you can go
42:23
choose three blocks where on a heavier day you only go one you
42:27
know to one corner. And I use magenta for
42:31
cul-de-sac. No, I don't much prefer
42:36
periwinkle. You would.
42:41
Either way, it's a pink yes, but you know these these are all
42:46
just it is all ideas that that help you know people you know,
42:50
learn the case, learn the route you know, become proficient and
42:56
make them better carriers. Absolutely.
42:59
Yeah, That's all I I've got 3 new ones coming in to train
43:03
here, coming up as we're coming into, as we're coming into peak
43:08
season. So that's always the worst time
43:10
to start, but it happens. And.
43:13
My thing is, is if a new RCA gets through Christmas the first
43:19
time around, though, they're golden, especially if they're
43:21
starting as that season's picking up you.
43:25
Know. I started my Shadow day was the
43:29
day after Christmas was my shadow day.
43:35
So I came in at the very tail end of it.
43:38
That's the middle of winter in the Snow Belt, yeah.
43:44
We made. I started mid to late October
43:55
and my regular already had vacation planned for the end of
43:58
November, so I had that good week.
44:04
The one that I'm training this week is going on the route that
44:08
the carrier does. Like to take those three to five
44:13
day weekends so. I I started in.
44:18
I started in April. Yeah, I started in spring.
44:25
Yeah, as things had died down and.
44:29
I had plenty of time to learn new routes, plenty of time to
44:33
learn where everything was before I hit Christmas peak
44:36
season. And it took that long for me to
44:41
learn the routes and have everything click for me.
44:45
And I was doing 11-12 hour days as an RCA learning these routes.
44:50
And then I get into peak season doing 11 to 12 hour days and
44:53
peak. Then when I came off a peak
44:56
everything was just flowing smoothly.
44:58
I was doing 8 hour days at most. It was great must.
45:03
Be nice. Yeah, that's what I said.
45:05
That's what I was like saying. This past week is like the calm
45:08
before the storm for me because I know how the sprout gets.
45:11
So I started before they had parcels.
45:18
Yeah, yeah. So did quite a few other people.
45:22
We know, yeah. Before we actually, yeah.
45:25
We never had scanners when I first started.
45:28
Yeah, yeah. Don't forget he was He was
45:30
riding horse before Bucky to deliver the mail.
45:37
I use my bicycle with a basket on it.
45:42
Some people. Still do the whole route in the
45:46
basket. In the big ass basket, OK, big
45:50
they. Just.
45:52
They just bought new bicycles for people.
45:54
Didn't you see the posts all over the place they finally
45:59
replaced. They finally replaced the one
46:01
big wheel ones. Yeah, no, not for rural, though.
46:07
I I could imagine trying to take a bike down some of them rural
46:11
roads. No, thank you.
46:14
I'll take a bike over a metris. Yeah.
46:18
That's been the other big one is the.
46:23
Yeah, yeah. I.
46:26
I broke. I broke a metris the first time
46:28
I drove it on my regular route. I popped three pieces of plastic
46:34
off of that thing on my rural route.
46:39
So next comment we got was we make what we call route books,
46:44
has all addresses in route order and notes besides such as dog
46:48
hazard etcetera and a CHEAT SHEET with Rd. numbers and then
46:52
beside it where it's located on the case I also put arrows
46:56
inside mailboxes pointing to the houses.
47:01
Dang. That.
47:03
Definitely could be helpful. The arrows when you're you know
47:08
when you have those roads that have all the mailboxes on one
47:11
side so and people and especially if you know we, I
47:17
mean I have some of those routes that I've ran to where you know
47:20
it's evens going one way odds on the other side.
47:24
But you're going up, you know, you're going the one way and
47:26
it's odds and all of a sudden you have an even house number
47:29
right in the middle of them, just in the middle of, you know,
47:33
nowhere. Yeah, those ones tend to throw
47:35
you off. So I could definitely see,
47:39
especially on the roads when it's evens on one side and odds
47:42
on the other and all the bell boxes are on one side and
47:45
somebody may not grasp or if you have to hit a county line, we've
47:48
got one route like that too, that.
47:50
It's the four thousands until you hit the county line, and as
47:53
soon as you cross that county line it switches the seven
47:56
thousands. Instead of going up and the four
47:58
thousands, it's now going down and your odds and evens switch
48:01
sides. Yeah, when you told me that way
48:06
back when, I'm like, what? Yeah.
48:09
So you go like from 4928 to 7900 or 7999 and now?
48:19
7990 nines on the same side of the street the 4928 was and then
48:26
yeah, it's Yep. One of the routes I was covering
48:30
when I was in RCA, after they did a route adjustment, they
48:36
pulled one street off of the one route and gave it to another
48:42
well in the original route that had it be at that street.
48:49
He has, he goes down alleyways and all the mailboxes are on the
48:54
same side and some of some of the houses the alley is running
49:01
behind that main road they took off of him.
49:05
So now you have two carriers going down the same alley and
49:11
there been there were a couple times where both of them were
49:14
back to you know two LO VS back-to-back.
49:17
I have one Rd. on my route. That Chester Rd.
49:24
But you also have addresses for Pine St. which is the next Rd.
49:28
up, but all the mailboxes are on the backside of the houses.
49:32
So you have 425 Pine St. and then the next box is 425 Chester
49:39
and that house is actually on that street you know is on the
49:44
left hand side, the front face in that road.
49:47
Where is the one for Pine? The front door faces the other
49:50
street, so you have the back of the house where the mailbox is.
49:54
Yeah, that's on my route. And that's where learning names
50:02
comes in handy as well. Yep, I got a cute story for you
50:07
about mailboxes. Yes Sir.
50:09
In in in several sections of my old route they had several
50:14
crossbars up there with multiple mailboxes where the, you know,
50:18
the odds were on the right and the evens were on the left.
50:20
But the mailboxes obviously were on the right hand side.
50:24
And I advised the people that they should put up number signs
50:29
for their driveways at their driveways so we can know where
50:32
to deliver parcels. And everybody But one person
50:37
complied and after the third request I said the hell with it.
50:43
And then I noticed one day he Sprint painted his number on a
50:46
trick. I said, well, you know, that's
50:50
the cheap way of doing it. He was later taken to court for
50:54
defacing A historic tree. The tree was over 200 years old
51:00
and was actually on the county historic landmark listing.
51:07
Oops, Ouch. He he he had to have an arborist
51:13
come out, clean the tree and then put a sign up.
51:17
But it it was like a $1500 mistake for him.
51:22
But yeah, normally if you ask people, they're they're
51:24
considered enough to do that for you.
51:27
Oh yeah, and I know in our area they have to anyways for 911
51:33
purposes. But yeah, and I have a lot.
51:39
I have some several addresses that are that but up to.
51:45
The city route, right the edge of the city line there that for
51:49
some reason years and years ago they changed the numbering so
51:53
instead of being 4000 or 400 or 300, it's now 800.
51:57
So they actually have both numbers on the mailbox still.
52:01
So 834 and 334 because the mail still comes to both, yeah, but
52:07
if it's on your if. If it's on your route, I have
52:09
the same similar situation. You know the name, so you know
52:12
you're you're turning for that name, not so much the address.
52:16
Yes, Yep. Back back to the back to the
52:20
basics though I I'd like everybody's opinion in regards
52:24
to I'm I'm an old head so I I case my DPS normally because I
52:28
have half a tray of you know mist sorts and Klingons and
52:32
everything else. But in regards to doing, you
52:36
know, the DPS to the street or doing up downs or you know the
52:40
Taco or anything, what do you guys find easier for yourselves?
52:45
I take my DPS to the streets. When I pull down, I I am very
52:52
meticulous. I'm not one of those like
52:54
everybody else in my office who just everybody pulls down, up,
52:57
down. We did have one Taco carrier.
53:00
She has since retired but. I and I case different than
53:07
everybody else. I'm a spine down caser, not a
53:09
spine up. So all my addresses are facing
53:13
me and not the back of the case. Now that comes from probably
53:17
years of what I would pull down and crisscross into tubs.
53:22
That's just how I case that's. So when I pull down I pull what
53:27
works for me doing the up down. I use actually half trays to
53:30
pull down into. I pulled down but the only time
53:33
that I would crisscross or you know put turn something side was
53:37
if I have DPS that my raw mail that I've cased up and they
53:42
don't have a flat and it's just that DPS then I put that it's
53:47
not all standing up it's then I have it like it would be in the
53:52
DPS case. So that's kind of a little bit
53:57
how I do that. All my flats will stand up and
53:59
then my. Letters that are individual
54:01
without flats are in, so they're not on their side.
54:07
I guess that's the best way to explain it.
54:10
But I I have kind of and I kind of stagger my my flats.
54:14
So I mean, I do have those houses that get a ton of flats
54:19
still. Every catalog underneath the
54:21
freaking sun and in multiples. So I kind of stagger so my
54:26
address I got one. That link goes more left, next
54:28
house more to the right, to the left, to the right, to the left,
54:31
to the right. That way there is some sort of
54:33
division there, and it's not just all pulled down into one
54:36
stack and thrown in the tray. I personally Taco my flats and
54:44
if it gets too many of them, or if it's too thick of a one, I
54:48
put it in a out in a. Tub on the side and flat it out
54:52
and like. So if they have like 10 catalogs
54:55
that day, I'll rubber band them together.
54:58
I'll have the top pieces facing opposite.
55:00
So regardless of which way it's in the you know, in my tray at
55:03
the end I have the address facing front.
55:08
And my 2 dismount CBU sections. It's five CB us, but it's only
55:13
two different area dismounts. So I got two CB US at one condo
55:17
and three at the other, and those are the only two I have to
55:19
dismount for. And those all tend to rubber
55:21
band together. That way I can just grab that
55:24
stack that's rubber banded and grab the DPS and then hop out.
55:28
That way I'm not fishing through it at the same time.
55:31
I started out when I when I started as an RCAI was casing
55:35
everything and that's because I wanted to be accurate.
55:39
I wanted to make sure I had the right address for the houses,
55:43
especially with all the DPS errors that we get.
55:47
Except for during count or mini mail survey or any of that
55:50
stuff, the DPS errors are horrendous.
55:53
How? About this year this was This
55:55
week was the first time I've actually seen my water bills
55:58
actually ran through the DPS instead of having to hand sort
56:01
them suckers out. Yeah.
56:04
Then after a little while, I switched to taking DPS to the
56:08
street. And now I either just take it to
56:12
the street or I crisscross and pull down into it.
56:16
I found that if I have less than half the case has mail in it,
56:23
half the active addresses have mail in it, then I'll crisscross
56:27
pull down into it because it's fast.
56:29
But other than that, I'll take it to the street and do it on
56:31
the street and throw the the DPS errors into the outgoing mail.
56:37
Let it go back to the plant that way.
56:40
But other than that, I mean it. It takes me the same amount of
56:43
time whether I pull down into it or I take the DPS to the street.
56:49
If I case it all, it takes me too long in the office and I
56:52
maybe save 15 minutes on the route overall.
56:56
Yeah my my aux route, because it normally a heavy day at DPS was
57:01
only a full half tray. I normally with the.
57:06
With the aux route I pulled down to the DPSI, don't on this 45K
57:11
just because it is a it is a fairly heavy route so I don't
57:16
normally pull down into my DPSI mean there'll be days where I
57:19
have two 3-4 traits of DPS with only maybe a full half tray of
57:25
pull down. So wait for my DPS, the CB US.
57:33
I will do a hard riffle through the DPS tray and rubber band
57:40
each set of doors so each door is separate or if it's a lighter
57:47
day, each location. For the one set of townhouses
57:53
for my curbside and riding, I usually will case that DPS up
58:01
that way. It's a single bundle.
58:03
Throw and go when I'm out there. I'd rather be I in the past when
58:09
I've taken DPS to the street. I think it takes me 1 1/2 times
58:14
longer on the street to work the DPS than in the office.
58:19
I've got to the point with DPS to the street that I think I'm
58:23
actually quicker with taking it to the street than I am with
58:25
trying to case it up. I know a lot of people that are
58:29
like that. But the way I pull down it, just
58:31
casing the DPS up for me is just a pain.
58:33
I mean, if I was a, if I was pulling into my DPS, that would
58:37
be one thing, but. If I have like for example those
58:43
rare days where flats and raw mail are really really light,
58:48
and I have two trays of DPS for the almost thousand addresses I
58:55
have, what? I'll.
58:57
I said on those rare days that I get only two trays of DPSI will
59:05
pull down the flat and spurs into the DPS and put my parcel
59:14
markers in front of the mail on the DPS and just take it that
59:19
way. But oh, usually I have 5 pack
59:24
trays. Yeah, when I was using my parcel
59:28
markers I have rainbow colors. I had four different colors,
59:32
Reds for the big stuff I was using, yellow and purple for
59:36
medium sized stuff, green for small boxes that normally would
59:40
probably fit in one mailbox, and I had bright pink for for the
59:47
soft stuff for the like the, the spurs, whatever you want to call
59:50
them. And that didn't get tubbed up or
59:55
too big to put in the tub with everything else.
59:58
And if I when I was pulling down, if they didn't have any
1:00:02
mail to pull down, they just had a parcel marker and I turn that
1:00:06
parcel marker on its side, so. You.
1:00:10
Know and then I would crisscross them.
1:00:12
So if it was like a really exceptionally light day for for
1:00:16
flats and raw mail. I would have a rainbow of parcel
1:00:19
markers pulled down and you would have one would go one way,
1:00:23
one would go another way, the next one goes straight up and
1:00:25
down, then start it over again if there wasn't any other mail
1:00:28
in between that was signifying. I don't have mail form here, but
1:00:34
they do have a package. Like if I'm pulling in into my
1:00:38
GPS, if it's that light of a day and I'm pulling I'll and there's
1:00:42
no mail. But I have a parcel marker.
1:00:45
I'll put a rubber band around the parcel marker so I know it's
1:00:48
for an address between the one before and one after.
1:00:53
I didn't go that far. All right, James, where we going
1:00:56
now? All right.
1:00:58
I'll give you the last comment that I've got to for today.
1:01:02
There were there were more comments on the post in the
1:01:07
Royal Mail Carriers United Group, but this one is probably
1:01:12
one of the best ones I've read out of these so far.
1:01:18
So first I start with quote. I've been doing this route one
1:01:22
way or another since year. You're not going to match me in
1:01:26
a day, a week, or a month. End Quote then I start with no
1:01:31
one does it identically and almost everyone modifies how
1:01:34
they do it sooner or later. There is no one way.
1:01:38
Mail is the most important part, the DPS and raw accountables.
1:01:43
Then comes paid magazines, then USPS parcels, then album grade
1:01:48
flats, and then any packages given to USPS by other carriers
1:01:53
and you can cut in reverse order.
1:01:55
Remember Rinder, you're supposed to ask management to cut.
1:01:59
And from my manager I'm adding this ad Lib was they have to
1:02:03
actually tell district that they're cutting it as well.
1:02:06
Our station has new Subs, case DPS for their assigned route.
1:02:10
This would be happening before you ever got to meet yourself on
1:02:13
the workroom floor. I do tell Subs I prefer accuracy
1:02:17
over speed because they can always leave unknown for carrier
1:02:21
review. Management prefers speed with
1:02:24
accuracy which is unrealistic for a newbie.
1:02:28
But I mostly I try to reassure them, ask any questions God one
1:02:34
asked. If they got to leave at 8 hours
1:02:36
on the clock, feel free to ask in.
1:02:40
Feel free to ask anyone a question, not just me, and to
1:02:43
relax. We've all had the I want to
1:02:46
scream, cry, throw mail feeling one time or another.
1:02:50
There's now cell phones and GPS and look ahead on the scanner.
1:02:54
Then I ask, where do they want to start?
1:02:56
And do you want a cookie? I want a cookie.
1:03:03
Oatmeal. Cookie.
1:03:05
I have one of my bed and breakfasts on Lake Huron that
1:03:09
orders a lot of Amazon. If the one lady is working
1:03:13
laundry that day and sees me pull in, she always gives me
1:03:15
three of the chocolate chunk cookies out of the cookie jar on
1:03:18
the desk. I don't see her all the time.
1:03:21
I mean, I could help myself, but I don't do that.
1:03:23
But Speaking of cookies anyways. But yeah, no, definitely.
1:03:28
You're gonna change the way you do things as you go.
1:03:30
I know I have changed several ways several times.
1:03:34
You know I started in a POVI pulling down in the tubs.
1:03:38
I've pulled down in 1/2 trays in a POVI continue to carry the I
1:03:43
did. I used to drove my postmaster
1:03:46
crazy when I transferred into this office and I was pulling
1:03:50
down LL VS in the tubs absolutely drove her crazy.
1:03:55
She just did not like that. And then when I had to switch,
1:03:59
PO VS had to get different car and I couldn't pull down into a
1:04:02
tub because I couldn't set it on my lap.
1:04:05
With the way my dash came out, I then start pulling down in 1/2
1:04:08
trays and I've just, I've kept that throughout.
1:04:10
Even with the LL VS you do you change stuff up.
1:04:13
You know I used to mark everything as a POV driver.
1:04:16
I marked everything, every package I had it.
1:04:20
It was marked and because when you when you're packing a POV.
1:04:25
You know, you get to a point to where you're just stuffing it
1:04:28
where it fits. And sometimes in an LLV 2 you
1:04:31
have those days and now I'm like I said, I changed it up.
1:04:37
I'm not marking anything anymore.
1:04:39
You know, I first started by tubing up the smalls in order
1:04:45
and put them in that way, which I still do.
1:04:48
I load my truck in order. I the last two weeks straight I
1:04:52
have not marked a single package.
1:04:54
And I can probably say I've only had to backtrack and turn around
1:04:58
for a package that I've forgotten three times, which is
1:05:02
probably less than I would do if they were marked.
1:05:08
But you know, you change and you know.
1:05:10
And if you see something don't, especially as a new, as a new
1:05:13
RCA and you see, you know ask other carriers what works for
1:05:18
them. Don't be afraid to steal an idea
1:05:21
or a way of doing things. If it's going to help you do it,
1:05:24
don't be afraid to ask you know if one way is not working for
1:05:28
you, don't be afraid to try something else.
1:05:30
And don't be afraid to ask for for trying it a different way as
1:05:35
well. You you just made the point I
1:05:38
was going to make that, you know, I worked at a box store
1:05:43
part time as an RTA when they first opened in the area and the
1:05:48
HR person they had come up to help get everyone up up to speed
1:05:53
in orientation, said deal with pride.
1:05:56
Yes. If you see someone doing
1:05:57
something that you think will make your life easier, take the
1:06:02
idea and run with it. Absolutely, absolutely.
1:06:07
I would say, especially if you're newer, if you see someone
1:06:12
doing something, ask them what, what and how they're doing it.
1:06:16
Try it one time, even if it's for just a small section of the
1:06:21
route, see if it works for you. If it works for you, great, keep
1:06:25
doing it. If not, no harm, no fail.
1:06:29
And Oji, Yeah, and as an Oji I actually we had an RCA Shadow
1:06:35
Day this past week and I went up to talk to him.
1:06:39
Cuz why they had him come in an hour after start time I have no
1:06:43
clue. He said what's the point of
1:06:45
shadowing if you're not shadowing from the very
1:06:47
beginning throughout just coming in and riding the route.
1:06:50
To me that's not a shadow day. I'm going to take that up with
1:06:53
management. Trust me the carrier he was
1:06:55
shadowing did bring him over where I was casing flats and was
1:06:58
you know showing it because I was casing my pre sorted bundles
1:07:01
at that time. So you know, he was, you know,
1:07:04
just kind of explain it to him. And I had a quick little moment
1:07:08
break as I was waiting on clerks to finish sorting parcels and.
1:07:12
I walked over and I just happened to ask him, I said,
1:07:15
what how how do you learn the best?
1:07:17
Do you work? You know, do you how you know?
1:07:20
And I, I explained the different ways and you know, he told me,
1:07:22
you know, he he's hands on. I said, all right, that's, you
1:07:25
know, you know, going back to, you know, the last episode when
1:07:29
we did the different ways of learning that right there was,
1:07:33
you know, a key to, all right. Let me find out how he what,
1:07:35
what's the best way he's going to learn right off the bat
1:07:38
before we even get him, in this case, touch and mail.
1:07:45
Yeah, like I said, I changed my way multiple times since I was
1:07:49
an RCA to now, and even as a regular carrier, I changed my
1:07:53
way into the crisscross method that I learned actually from an
1:07:58
RCA that had transferred to our office from another office.
1:08:03
So there's no matter what, somebody's going to do something
1:08:06
differently. And that different way may be a
1:08:09
faster way for you. It may be a slower way for you.
1:08:12
You never know until you actually try it.
1:08:15
And don't just do it once, Try it a few times just to see if it
1:08:18
changes. Because you do it once you're
1:08:21
not. You're not going to get up to
1:08:22
speed on it because you're trying to remember how it's
1:08:24
done, But once you get the feel for it, it may actually flow
1:08:27
faster for you and run smoother for you than previous methods
1:08:31
you've done. So don't always just fall into
1:08:35
just a single rut. Try new things sometimes.
1:08:39
Well, that's what I said. Try it one time to see if it's
1:08:45
something that you think will actually work for you.
1:08:50
If you don't, you know, after one time you're like, there's no
1:08:54
way I can do you know this is going to work for me?
1:08:56
I I just can't grasp it. No.
1:08:59
Then obviously you just pack it up.
1:09:01
But if you're like, you know what, this isn't too bad.
1:09:05
You try it again and after like a week you're like, yeah, this
1:09:11
isn't saving me any time you go back to what you were doing.
1:09:18
Well, even an old head like myself, I mean my flat volume
1:09:22
and DPS volume is so high that for me the one bundle system
1:09:27
works best. OK And and I'll I'm an old Taco
1:09:30
head, I I'll put the first one in there and then stand
1:09:32
everything up on the spine. You know, throw my DPS, like I
1:09:35
said, I get half, half a tray of, you know, miss sorts and
1:09:38
everything in my DPS. But every once in a while,
1:09:43
rarely I I get the opportunity not to, you know, case the DPS
1:09:48
up and I'll turn around and have minimal flats and raw mail in
1:09:52
there and and I'll work it right into the DPS.
1:09:56
But you know, more times than not I I have more than enough
1:09:59
publications where for me it's more proficient to do it the
1:10:03
case the DPS. And then I hit the street and
1:10:05
and it's bam, bam, bam. It's 1 bundle, no sort and no.
1:10:09
When I stop at a mailbox, I'm lucky I get my 5 seconds because
1:10:13
yeah, I'm driving through, you know, 98 miles an hour.
1:10:17
No, OK, 96. But well, I, you know, I believe
1:10:22
in the speed more than accuracy. Really.
1:10:25
Yeah. Yeah, OK.
1:10:27
Yeah. You have.
1:10:28
You have to to keep up with the speed matrix.
1:10:31
Yeah, well, surprisingly my speed matrix is only 16 miles an
1:10:36
hour. My yours is lower than mine.
1:10:41
Well, I don't. I don't.
1:10:43
And there's. Those that have their trucks
1:10:45
that are in the shop every four to six weeks because brake pads.
1:10:52
Yeah, yeah. I actually just had to write my
1:10:55
truck up for brakes. And my seat belt is, my light
1:11:00
belt is starting to fray and that's a safety issue.
1:11:03
Oh my hazard. My my flashers intermittently
1:11:07
don't want to work. So when I first start out, if
1:11:10
they're they may not come on until I've used that turn signal
1:11:13
half dozen times. Or you know, I shut the truck
1:11:16
off and they come on and then I start it back up and they're
1:11:19
back off till I use that turn signal a half dozen times.
1:11:23
You know, I I I'm on US 23. I want my flashers working.
1:11:29
Only the best equipment for you. Oh, I'm telling you, I'm telling
1:11:33
you and don't If I get my truck back, I'd be a happy camper.
1:11:40
And don't forget you can also get that seat replaced if it's
1:11:43
broken down. Yeah, that'll probably be
1:11:46
eventually. That seat so far is still all
1:11:48
right, but the seat belt is. I noticed on the casing there
1:11:53
where you pull it out of, there's a crack and that's where
1:11:55
it's catching and it's causing it to fray.
1:12:00
Well, you can always be like the RCA.
1:12:02
We got and drove the whole route with the emergency brake on and
1:12:06
came back and said to the supervisor, something wrong with
1:12:09
the truck. It smells like it's burning
1:12:11
something and they're like what? What do you, what's it smell
1:12:16
like? They says, well, it's really
1:12:17
pungent and this and that. So they went out and they they
1:12:20
looked truck and here the back brakes were on fire.
1:12:27
I I pulled up in my truck going. That's not good.
1:12:32
Nope, it's not. Was that another LLV for the
1:12:36
records of of burned down equipment?
1:12:39
No, that was an FFV. It wasn't an LLV.
1:12:42
But did it get burned down? No, no, they they put it out I.
1:12:47
Don't know. Not because they knew how to
1:12:51
operate a fire extinguisher, but there was a hose right there
1:12:54
close to the carrier's parking spot.
1:12:56
So. Oh, OK.
1:12:59
Hey, Kristen. Yes.
1:13:01
I heard you had an announcement you wanted to make.
1:13:05
Well, I am not going to make a full announcement, but be on the
1:13:10
lookout for something special, possibly later this week.
1:13:15
And might have a special guest joining us that may take us on a
1:13:21
trip and continue to go on further and might have to deal
1:13:32
with a little bit of arbitration in there too at the end.
1:13:38
Oh, oh, oh, I oh, I I know already.
1:13:41
I know already. And you didn't tell me?
1:13:47
It has been in the works for quite a long time.
1:13:50
I will say that hopefully it may come to fruitation and so it's
1:13:57
and if it does, there will be a special episode at the end of
1:14:00
this week. So everybody, hold your breath.
1:14:10
All right, you can breathe. You know, if they held it until
1:14:14
the until it actually happened, they would all probably pass
1:14:17
out. Exactly, exactly.
1:14:22
All right, let's end this thing tonight.
1:14:25
All right, Josh. Be safe out there.
1:14:31
It's getting darker earlier, especially now that we changed
1:14:35
the time. Don't get overwhelmed.
1:14:38
If you do, take a step back, take a deep breath and step back
1:14:43
in. Have a good week.
1:14:46
I will not see you guys next Sunday or we'll speak to you
1:14:51
guys next Sunday because it's my booster.
1:14:54
My state booster meeting is next weekend, so I will be attending
1:14:59
that, but I will see you the week after.
1:15:01
Safe travels to and from so I know you got a little bit of a
1:15:05
drive there, James. Yeah, Josh, we expect a full
1:15:09
report in two weeks, in the two weeks episode on Your Booster
1:15:15
and for everybody, old people hanging out, talking, giving
1:15:21
updates on insurance plans and other stuff.
1:15:26
Yeah, well, a lot of people think that carriers have to get
1:15:32
it quick, get it fast, know it all and get it done.
1:15:37
Especially management, but it is up to you to be accurate.
1:15:44
Accuracy breeds speed. Speed does not breed accuracy.
1:15:50
You can do the route fast, but you won't be accurate.
1:15:54
But if you are accurate, you'll eventually get fast at the
1:15:57
route. Don't let people pressure you.
1:16:01
Try new things if you want to, but just remember at the end of
1:16:06
the day. The only thing that's important
1:16:08
is that the mail gets delivered and I will back any carrier that
1:16:15
does their job efficiently and safely any day.
1:16:21
Just remember, no matter what, we're all in this together.
1:16:27
Absolutely. Thank you.
1:16:29
Hey Bill, your last final words for this evening.
1:16:33
Well, the the kind of. Fork off of James.
1:16:37
There we are, all one craft and there's a lot of comments on
1:16:46
social media that to me is disturbing because of the fact
1:16:51
that they talk down to people you don't know.
1:16:53
If they're brand new, you don't know if they have a learning
1:16:56
disability, you don't know what's going on in their lives.
1:17:00
Please. Non dues paying, Dues paying.
1:17:04
Please treat everybody respectfully on social media.
1:17:08
If somebody asks a question and they start out, I know this
1:17:11
might be a dumb question. Please take into consideration.
1:17:15
They don't know and they're looking for help.
1:17:17
They're looking for your assistant.
1:17:20
So be courteous enough to give them a respectful answer now.
1:17:26
Now that we do have the time change and darkness in folks be
1:17:31
ever present. Of your situation on the road.
1:17:33
You you don't know where that dog's coming from, Or in the
1:17:36
dark, you know? Take the tips from everybody
1:17:39
here with the fingertip gloves, with lights or headlights or
1:17:42
whatever suits you best. But be extra careful out there.
1:17:47
If you're out after dark and you know, remember, you're the most
1:17:51
important delivery day. Get home to your family, your
1:17:54
loved ones, because the post office will replace you in a
1:17:57
heartbeat without missing you. We will miss you.
1:18:02
So be safe and get home to your loved one.
1:18:07
Thank you guys. Everybody brought some good key
1:18:09
points out there, especially with this time change that
1:18:12
happened this week and if you are in the northern regions with
1:18:18
the impending season coming up on us shortly, to definitely
1:18:23
stay safe and stay warm properly.
1:18:29
Stay tuned for a special possible special episode at the
1:18:34
end of the week and we'll all be back Sunday.
1:18:38
Except for Josh. So everybody, take care, have a
1:18:41
safe week and we'll talk to you later.