I’m hoping someone can simplify and explain this in a way that fits in with my circumstances. I’m a postman for Royal Mail and did my class 2 test. Last year, since then I’ve been trying to arrange an assessment at work so that I can pick up some driving hours as well as my postie work.
Well I did my assessment a couple of weeks ago which I passed easily, and got asked to drive a shift the following day, which went well and I can’t wait for the next trip. However, I thought that I could’ve picked up a shift this weekend but due to the way my other work is arranged I can’t.
My current contracted hrs are 20 per week on deliveries, this is made up of 2.5 hrs(16:00 - 18:30) 4 days per week and 10 hrs (7:00 - 18:30) on a rotating day, all my contracted hrs are between mon and Friday, I do usually pick up up at least 15 hrs over these hrs as overtime on delivery, again between monday and Friday, leaving me free, I thought, to pick up driving hrs at a weekend.
Maths has never been my strong point and all the rules and regs are frying my brain. I’d be really grateful if someone could put this in context and help me make sense of this minefield.
Cheers all
You need at least 45 hours off in one go every other week and on weeks between the 45 off you need at least 24 hours off in one go
To help you further I would need what you do in an average week done something like this -
Mon - postie 1600 to 1830
Tue - postie 1600 to 1830
Wed postie 0700 to 1830
thu - etc etc
That would set it out in a way where driving under EU regs could be fitted in
Cheers Rog
It’s hard to put an average week as I tend to not know what I’m going to be working other than my standard 20 hrs, I get rung at 6 in the morning to ask me to come in at 7 (not great for planning the rest of your life). But I suppose a typical week would look something like this
Mon 7.00-14.30 then 16.00-18.30
Tue 16.00-18.30
Wed 7.00-15.00 then 16.00-18.30
Thur 7.00-14.30 then 16.00-18.30
Fri 7.00-14.30 then 16.00-18.30
Sat off
Sun off
As my actual contracted hrs I work 16.00-18.30 mon - fri and one delivery shift from 7.00-14.30 once a week on rotation. Everything else is optional overtime.
Complicated innit!
Mon 7.00-14.30 then 16.00-18.30
Tue 16.00-18.30 DRIVE 0330 TO 1600
Wed 7.00-15.00 then 16.00-18.30
Thur 7.00-14.30 then 16.00-18.30
Fri 7.00-14.30 then 16.00-18.30
Sat off
Sun off
DRIVE EITHER SAT OR SUN EVERY OTHER WEEK
Cheers for that Rog, it’s starting to sink in and make a bit of sense now. Kind of! 
Just out of interest I’m also a postie and thinking of doing the same as yourself. What hourly rate do they pay for class 2?
Y’know mate, I’ve been asking that same question for months at work and get all sorts of different answers. But the shift I did was only on the 7.5 ton and the rate works out at basically the same as deliveries, it is a little more but you don’t get paid breaks so works out the same. The 17 tons are a bit better rate, allegedly.
Where are you based?
I’m in Manchester so I think the network distribution centre is Warrington. Been on deliveries for 14 years now and my plan now is to try and get onto Class 1 eventually. I believe Royal Mail now do a professional driver pathway. This is where internal staff with the correct licences get put through and coached into the role.
Just don’t put a card in… Or find someone who runs old wagons n fudge it 
Stotty:
I’m in Manchester so I think the network distribution centre is Warrington. Been on deliveries for 14 years now and my plan now is to try and get onto Class 1 eventually. I believe Royal Mail now do a professional driver pathway. This is where internal staff with the correct licences get put through and coached into the role.
Our networks manager was talking to me about this the other day, obviously I’ll be jumping at that if the opportunity arises. I’m just hoping at the moment that I get enough driving hours to top up my money to a liveable wage. Poxy 20 hour contracts!