When Your NOT Walking Alone.

So, with the USPS Higher Ups walking around with their collective pockets inside-out; crying poor while simultaneously spending more and more money on technology, it is likely that there will be more and more inspections conducted on Letter Carrier Routes. So, let’s go back to the basics of the things to keep in mind while being walked.

1. Examiners Conduct: You should be aware that route examiners must adhere to certain regulations governing their conduct. The M-39 Handbook states that the route examiner must not set the pace for you, nor should he or she forbid any rest or comfort stops. The examiner is not allowed to discuss mail volume or any evaluations of the route with you. Contact your shop steward to report a potential grievance if you feel the route examiner‘s conduct goes beyond what is allowed.

2. Fingering Mail. Do not finger mail when walking up or down steps or curbs, when crossing streets, or at any time it would create a safety hazard to yourself or to the public (M-41 Section 133.2). You must not finger mail while driving or hold mail in your hands while the vehicle is in motion. If the route examiner asks you to finger mail in a manner not provided for above, contact your steward to report a potential grievance.

3. Crossing Lawns. You should cross lawns to deliver mail only if there is, in your opinion, no safety hazard, such as a dog, slippery surface, snow, uneven terrain, or unusual obstacles, and only if there is no objection from the patron (National Agreement Article 41.3.N). During the route inspection, the examiner may not instruct you to cross lawns that you do not cross throughout the year.

4. Carrying Mail on Arm. Park & Loop deliveries should never be carried on your arm (emphasis added). This practice causes injury to your rotator cuff and elbows. Learn to deliver all mail from a pouch.

5. Curb line/NDCBU Deliveries. At each box, put gear selector in park (if on unlevel ground) or in neutral (if on level ground), with foot firmly on brake (M-0341, M-0972, M-0994).

6. Make One Hand Motion to Deliver Mail. Have all mail ready so only one hand movement is required for placing mail in receptacle. Take time to properly close mail receptacle.

7. Plant Both Feet. Park and Loop carriers should get in the habit of “planting both feet” prior to putting mail in the receptacle. This will keep you from “spinning on one foot” while making deliveries and will make delivery safer.

8. Securing Vehicle. Never leave your vehicle without first curbing the wheels, setting the brake, rolling up both windows, removing the keys and locking it. Remember, the vehicle is out of sight when you turn your back to it and walk away, even when just delivering a parcel or accountable.

9. Move your vehicle only when you are absolutely certain that it is safe to do so, especially if children may be nearby. If necessary, get out, circle your vehicle, and check underneath it to make sure (EL-814).

10. Pulling Away From Curb. Use your turn signal before turning, changing lanes, or pulling to or away from the curb or shoulder of the road, such as when a car or trash is blocking your way (EL-814).

11. Door must be closed. The driver’s door may be open when servicing curb line boxes but must be closed when entering intersections and crossing alleyways.

12. Leaving Notice. Never leave mail or parcels on the porch. If the customer is not home to accept the mail leave a notice.

13. NDCBUs/Collection Boxes. When collecting mail from a street box or a mail chute receiving box, or when delivering mail to apartment house boxes or neighborhood delivery and collection box units (NDCBUs) that are equipped with an arrow lock, remove the key from the lock to avoid personal injury or damage to your clothing or keys. Keep the chain for your mailbox keys securely fastened to your belt loop and place the keys and chain in your pocket when you are not using them. Dangling, swinging keys and chains can be dangerous (EL-814).

14. Never stand in the street when loading or emptying mailboxes. Do not place mail in or collect mail from any boxes that require you to stand in the street. Use Form 1767 to report such boxes to your supervisor so that corrective action can be taken (EL-814).

15. Parking Lots. Park in designated parking spaces only. Do not cut through parking lots. Use designated traffic lanes only (EL-814).

16. Homemade Scrunch Trays. Do not use Scrunch Trays to separate UAA mail on the street. You must only make two (2) separations on the street – raw mail and all other mail. Separating UAA mail is an office function (M-41, 242.63, M-39, Section 361).

17. Examiner Opening Doors/Setting Pace. Do not allow the examiner to perform any of your duties, nor walk in front of you – they are trying to set your pace.

18. Walk Pace. There is no standard or minimum street pace that a carrier is required to maintain. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated into speeding up on the day of inspection. The examiner may not set the pace for you and should maintain a position to observe only.

19. Breaks. Carriers are entitled to either one break in the office and one break on the street or two breaks on street time. Do not let the route examiner intimidate you, or coerce you into skipping or reducing your break, and if they attempt to do so contact your shop steward to report a potential grievance.

20. Lunch. You should take your full 30-minute lunch at one of the authorized locations recorded on the Form 1564-A in your route book. When leaving the route for lunch, lock the satchel containing undelivered registered and COD mail in a designated relay box or the vehicle. Make a simple record of the registered, COD, and other more-than-ordinary-value items that are left. When returning from lunch, check to ensure that no pieces are missing (M-41 Section 131.13). Do not let the route examiner intimidate you, or coerce you into skipping or reducing your lunch, and if they attempt to do so contact your shop steward to report a potential grievance.

21. Comfort stops. In addition to your lunch period and break periods, you may take any comfort stops reasonably necessary during the course of performing your street duties. Reasonable comfort stops will not be deducted from your actual time (M-39 Section 242.341). In fact, the examiner may not suggest or forbid any rest or comfort stops. Do not let the route examiner intimidate you, or coerce you into skipping a comfort stop, and if they attempt to do so contact your shop steward to report a potential grievance.

22. Hazardous Conditions. You are not required to risk personal injury from icy steps, broken or rotten steps or porches, protruding nails or sharp edges on mailboxes, or similar hazardous conditions, Use Form 1767, Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition, or Practice, to report any of these problems to your supervisor.

23. Return Your Equipment/Process Undelivered Mail. Take your empty equipment (depending on local practice) to the designated locations. Place undelivered mail on case and complete Form 1571. Note: Make sure you obtain a management initialed copy of Form 1571 (M-39 Section 111.2.j).

24. Personal Time Prior to Clocking Out. On your way to the time clock, you visit the restroom, wash-up and return items to your locker. There is no actual time entry for this personal time. Once you get back from the street make sure to perform all of your PM Office duties. If Letter Carriers are not allowed to perform these duties on office time in the afternoon, a shop steward or branch officer should be notified so he/she can investigate and, if appropriate, file a grievance citing a violation of the above-referenced Handbook M-41 via Article 19 of the National Agreement.