Training and Expectations
As an employee with Cane Bay Carriers, you are required to perform in an efficient and professional manner at all times. We must overcome any challenges as a team and work toward improvement always. Below are rules and regulations that are easily forgotten and will result in disciplinary action if not corrected.
Professionalism
Conduct
Neat Appearance
Neat Appearance
All employees must conduct themselves in a professional and business-like manner. Poor attitude and poor conduct has a direct reflection of the Postal Service and our Cane Bay Carriers team. All employees must abide by the Zero Tolerance Policy and avoid any actions that may result in workplace violence or negative morale. Verbal abuse, physical violence or mistreatment of the mail to avoid or miscommunicate with a team member will not be tolerated.
Neat Appearance
Neat Appearance
Neat Appearance
All employees are required to maintain a neat, clean, and professional appearance reflecting a positive image while engaged in postal operations. You will wear a company issued shirt. All pants and shorts must be professional in appearance, no stains or holes and at waist height. Work shoes with no open heels or toes. This is not an option, regardless of what other Postal workers express to you, as some are not held to the same professional standards.
Clean and Organized Cases
Clean and Organized Cases
Clean and Organized Cases
All employees must keep their work area clean, organized, and free of debris. Any and all buckets and trays must be stacked neatly and squared up to allow room and safe movement in and around your case. Any and all buckets and trays must be cleared daily to insure no mail or parcels are left behind. No personal items are permitted in the shelving of your case. All notes and postal forms must be stacked or clipped neatly in one location to ensure easy access and to avoid clutter. This is not an option.
Clean Delivery Vehicles
Clean and Organized Cases
Clean and Organized Cases
All regular carriers are required to maintain the creditable appearance of their delivery vehicles. Your delivery vehicle must be stocked with all necessary Postal forms to ensure quality customer service. All mail, trays, buckets, debris, and trash must be removed daily. All vehicles must be washed, vacuumed, and the interior wiped at least once a month as instructed on your Fuelman card pouch. This is not an option and it is your responsibility to keep track of your cleaning schedule.
Safety
Phone and Earphone Use
Phone and Earphone Use
Phone and Earphone Use
According to Postal regulations, cell phones and ear devices are not permitted on the work floor or while driving. I have allowed you to keep your phones discreetly at your cases in case of family emergencies. However, standing around watching videos or playing games on your phone is not permitted. Each of you are paid hourly, so no one has only one specific route you are responsible for. You are to use your wait time for route maintenance and to help others on our team. Phone use is prohibited while driving and will result in disciplinary action. It is a safety hazard. Any accident caused by the distraction of phone use will result in an automatic termination.
Proper Lifting
Phone and Earphone Use
Phone and Earphone Use
Proper lifting is a requirement in the office and on the street. Never lift a heavy package, bucket, or trays of mail unsafely. Bend your hips and knees to squat down to your load, keep it close to your body, and straighten your legs to lift. Avoid turning or twisting your body while lifting or holding a heavy load. Never lift a heavy package over your shoulder. Being unsafe and not following safety rules will result in disciplinary action.
Safe Loading
Phone and Earphone Use
Tripping Hazards
Along with proper and safe lifting requirements, carriers must also follow safe loading practices. Never load your hamper or cart above your eye level. You must be able to see above and around your load to ensure you and everyone in your path is safe. Never drop heavy packages in the bottom of your hamper or cart to avoid injuries in lifting and damage to the package. There are floats and hand carts at your dispense for loading. Always push and never pull a cart or hamper to avoid injuries to yourself. Ignoring safety rules will result in disciplinary action.
Tripping Hazards
Pay Attention to Warnings
Tripping Hazards
Stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Tripping hazards can be found in many places and it is your responsibility to avoid them. At the office, trash, straps, containers, packages, and equipment can all quickly become a safety hazard. This is why it is important to keep your work area clean and organized, not only for your safety but for everyone around you. On the street there are many tripping hazards, such as curbs, parking blocks, drains, sprinklers, tree straps, tiled porches, and more. Always use the most clear and safest route.
Pay Attention to Warnings
Pay Attention to Warnings
Pay Attention to Warnings
Staying focused can be complicated with the multitasking of mail delivery, but it is your job to heed warnings. Especially, when they are right in front of you. Vehicle warnings are critical. Low fuel, tire lights, flashing dash lights can all be a warning for a break down. Dark sky and thunder obviously mean rain fall. Put rain gear on, roll up back windows to protect the mail and vehicle, and turn on head lights. Pull over in a safe location, if it is unsafe to drive. Buzzing bees can be a sign of a new hive near your delivery point. These are only a few examples of reasons to be cautious, aware of your surroundings, and alert of warnings.
Stay Hydrated
Pay Attention to Warnings
Pay Attention to Warnings
Hydration has a major impact on your day. Dehydration can lead to faintness, dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, and more. All unsafe conditions combined with or without mail delivery. It is critical to avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion by frequently drinking in between cluster boxes, streets, or more as needed. Bringing a cooler with ice and water is recommended and often provided for you in summer months. Take breaks to cool down and know your limits. Help is always available in emergency situations.
Sun Protection
Seatbelt Safety
Seatbelt Safety
Protect yourself from sunburn and other skin diseases. Apply sunscreen before starting your route and being in direct sun. Wear sun protection, such as sunglasses to protect your eyes and a sun hat with neck flap to shield your face and neck.
Seatbelt Safety
Seatbelt Safety
Seatbelt Safety
It is required by law to wear a seatbelt. There is no exception for mail carriers. Seatbelts need to be worn to and from the post office and while behind the wheel in between each box.
Avoid Backing
Seatbelt Safety
Curbing Your Wheels
To avoid a preventable accident, avoid backing up whenever possible. In the event of parking, park in areas you can pull through and not back up from to pull away. If this isn’t possible, first you must check around your vehicle to make sure there is nothing in your path and then back into the parking space. Backing is not safe once your vehicle has become stationary. The Delivery Management System monitors excessive backing, left turns, u-turns, and occurrences of quick acceleration or deceleration of 20 mph. Aggressive and irresponsible driving will result in termination.
Curbing Your Wheels
Turn Off the Ignition
Curbing Your Wheels
To prevent a rollaway vehicle, you are required to turn your wheels toward the curb. This will keep the vehicle from rolling into traffic or pedestrians, if it is hit or the brakes fail. Instead, it will roll into the curb when parked correctly. If facing downhill, turn the front wheels towards the curb. If facing uphill, turn the front wheels away from the curb. If parked in a parking lot or a driveway, turn your wheels so the vehicle will not roll into the street.
Turn Off the Ignition
Turn Off the Ignition
Turn Off the Ignition
To prevent a runaway vehicle, always put the vehicle in park, curb the wheels, turn the ignition off, and remove keys. Never dismount a vehicle and leave it running. Many of you have gotten confused with this concept. If a vehicle remained on during training, it was because you or your trainer were waiting in the vehicle for the other to deliver. Runaway vehicles are preventable and will result in an automatic termination.
Blocked Boxes
Turn Off the Ignition
Turn Off the Ignition
At this moment, there are no routes within the contracts of Cane Bay Carriers that authorize any carrier to bring back any mail for blocked boxes. You must park your vehicle in a safe location and dismount to deliver the mail. You may not bring any mail back to the office for a blocked mail box. The only acceptable reasons would be a down box or a closed road.
In the Office
Timesheet Honesty
Keeping Track of Forwards
Timesheet Honesty
Being honest and accurate on your timesheet is a critical part of our continued success with the Postal Service. Each route is allotted a specific time per day, which means it is only funded for that specific time. As our delivery areas grow, these times need to be adjusted with reason. Documenting additional unworked time is not permitted and will result in disciplinary action or termination. In addition, no employee is aloud on the work floor until their scheduled time.
Accurate Casing
Keeping Track of Forwards
Timesheet Honesty
Casing mail is a critical part of the delivery process. It is your first step to ensure efficient and accurate delivery. All raw mail must be cased first to redistribute missorted mail to its proper location. Flats are to be cased to the right or underneath of the letters. Letters are to be cased to the left or on top of the flats. Intermingling flats and letters will increase the occurrence of mail being stuck together or letters accidently inserted into the pages of flats causing misdeliveries. The picture above demonstrates perfect casing.
Keeping Track of Forwards
Keeping Track of Forwards
Keeping Track of Forwards
We have a system designed to quickly locate current forwards. When receiving a new forward sticker, you will log it on your recent forward list and make any notations needed for the street to insure the forward is not wrongfully delivered. You will also place this sticker on the correct pink card. It is imperative that you keep track of your customers forwards and insure you are not delivering any forwardable mail.
Keeping Track of Holds
Preparing for the Street
Keeping Track of Forwards
Holds are an extremely important service that the Postal Service offers and we must honor that service, by consciously checking and updating our hold list daily. If you do not start or deliver a hold on the correct day, you have failed in your job responsibilities. If you notice a sub has not updated the hold list, then you need to correct and report the problem immediately.
Keeping Track of Growth
Preparing for the Street
Preparing for the Street
Logging route growth is extremely important for the success of a contract and your employment. More hours without proper documentation to support an adjustment will result in a loss of contract. Upon collecting a filled out vacant card from a customer, you must enter the date on your Box Change log. Some customers do not wish to fill out their information on the vacant card, so you must stay alert in your construction areas and also record additional boxes when someone has moved in the house and is receiving mail or packages.
Preparing for the Street
Preparing for the Street
Preparing for the Street
Being properly prepared for the street will directly affect the success of your delivery. All large packages, accountables, pick ups, and any other vehicle dismounts must be notated on your parcel list. All employees are required to use the same indications on this list, in case of an emergency situation where another team member needs to come and help or take over your route. They must be able to pick up where you left off and understand your guide. These indications are as follows; parcels and dismounts in black ink with any abbreviations needed, holds in red ink, extra large packages that will not fit into a parcel locker must include a dash.
Insuring Nothing is Left Behind
Endorse Left Notice and Hold Packages
Insuring Nothing is Left Behind
House keeping, organization, and thoroughly checking behind you are an absolute necessity in the mail delivery process. As you case and deliver, the case, buckets and trays must always be checked and cleared of all mail and packages. If any sleepers or deliverable packages are discovered, you will return to retrieve and accurately deliver it promptly. This will result in disciplinary action, if the problem is not corrected. Every piece, everyday.
Keeping Your Work Area Clean
Endorse Left Notice and Hold Packages
Insuring Nothing is Left Behind
Your ability to keep your work area clean and tidy is a direct indication of how you care about your job. Someone who doesn’t feel it is important to clean up behind themselves and stay well organized replicates that same attitude on the street and provides poor customer service. This type of mindset can not be tolerated in a delivery setting. Keep your cases clean and tidy. All trash and debris must be cleaned up off the floor. Mail that has fallen behind the case needs to be picked up and properly handled. Buckets and deep trays must be cleared, stacked nicely and squared away under your case. If there are too many, don’t be lazy instead put them away. Any necessary notes or forms needed at the case must be clipped to the side of the case or tucked away in size order in one small corner section of the case. Refusing to clean your work area will result in disciplinary action.
Endorse Left Notice and Hold Packages
Endorse Left Notice and Hold Packages
Endorse Left Notice and Hold Packages
All left notice accountables and hold packages must be properly endorsed with your initials, the route number and the current date. In addition, hold packages or accountable items must also indicate why the package is being held and the date of when that item is expected to be picked up or delivered. Correctly endorsing your left notice or hold mail is extremely important, because if not properly endorsed it appears you are not completing your job of delivering it.
Political Mail
Political Mail
Endorse Left Notice and Hold Packages
Undeliverable Political mail must be endorsed and properly handled. Political mail that is addressed to the current resident of a vacant home must be endorsed as vacant or VAC and placed in the designated area at the USPS supervisor's desk. Any other undeliverable Political mail must be endorsed with the appropriate endorsement and placed in the designated area at the USPS supervisor's desk. Failure to endorse undeliverable Political mail can be considered a delay in mail and can result in disciplinary action. Placing Political mail in UBBM can also be considered a delay in mail and can result in a disciplinary action. Review instructions.
Leave Approval
Political Mail
Leave Approval
Any desired leave must be submitted in writing prior to the months schedule posting. Submitting leave does not follow an automatic approval. In taking leave, you will use any leave available in your accruals and take leave without pay when your balance has reached zero. However, any employee working more than one year can request three days of negative accrual leave in advance. This leave will be deducted from your last check, in the event of a separation of employment.
On the Street
Careless Mistakes
Careless Mistakes
Careless Mistakes
As an employee of Cane Bay Carriers, you are required to strive for accuracy. Frequent misdeliveries and careless mistakes can not be tolerated to achieve quality customer service. The first step to accuracy is following guidelines in the office, such as casing properly and focusing on organization. The second step to accuracy is maintaining a consistent productive flow, while thoroughly reading the address number and street name. Careless mistakes only occur when you have not followed guidelines established for your successful delivery. Accurate delivery depends on YOU!
Failure to Scan
Careless Mistakes
Careless Mistakes
Scanning is a critical part of the delivery process. The Postal Service provides customers with RealTime GPS scans, which means the customer can see when and where their package was delivered. It is imperative for you to scan each package at the point of delivery and in the right location. To avoid missed scans, packages must be scanned all at once as the parcels are removed from your delivery vehicle. Never go back and forth with scanning and placing mail in the boxes. Mixing scanned and unscanned pieces is a definite way to miss scans. If scans are missed, you will be responsible for going back out to your route to locate and properly scan the package.
Protect Yourself
Careless Mistakes
Protect Yourself
Missed scans and damaged mail can easily be blamed on the carrier. Keep track of any discrepancies throughout the morning and on the route. Attempt to locate proper addresses for Insufficient or IA packages or mail. Stamp damaged packages or mail and reseal if necessary. If a label becomes damaged on the street, take a photo or note the address along with any other helpful information to inform a clearing administrator at the end of day.
Indicators
Vacant Mailboxes
Protect Yourself
Throughout the years, we have come to the realization that indicators are the best way to fulfill hold and forward services for our customers. You may be able to memorize this information, but anyone else assisting or giving you a day off also needs to provide the same service to your customers. Therefore, it is a regular carriers responsibility to indicate on the street which homes are experiencing delivery issues, are on hold, have forwards, or are vacant. Clear, clean, and simple notes on the far right/left side of the box are needed for delivery issues and forwards that are not being correctly processed. A vacant card for vacant boxes and a rubber band for any box on hold or not receiving delivery temporarily.
Vacant Mailboxes
Vacant Mailboxes
Vacant Mailboxes
Throughout your route, you will find vacant homes from move outs or new construction. It is imperative for you to stay aware of forwards and mail arriving with new names who will soon occupy the residence. To indicate these boxes are vacant, a vacant card should always be placed on the right side of the box and any notes needed to insure the correct mail is forwarded. Any questionable First-class mail should be placed on the opposite side of the box and dated. If there is no movement at the home or the home does not appear to be ready for occupancy, send this mail back as UTF or Vacant. For no reason, do we place standard mail or bulk mail in vacant boxes. The box is vacant and that mail is addressed to the current resident. There is no current resident, so the mail does not belong in the box.
Pick Up Request
Vacant Mailboxes
Vacant Mailboxes
Customers have the ability to request a Pick Up online or by simply leaving a note for you to come pick up a package at their door. All carriers must honor Pick Up request to avoid failures and provide quality customer service. In the event of a Pick Up, you will scan packages received in the Prepaid Acceptance mode. Then, you will scan the Pick Up paper YES as the pick up has been completed. Pick Ups are not an option, so you will always attempt to locate the packages and pick them up. The Pick Up paper must always be scanned YES, even if you have went to the address and the customer has forgotten to place their packages outside or is not responding to the door. If you scan the Pick Up paper NO, you have made the office aware that you have ignored your responsibilities to attempt the request. In the event that the packages are unable to be picked up, you must notate the reason why on the pick up paper. Acceptable reasons for not retrieving packages are; there were no packages found, the packages were not ready, or the packages were not USPS packages. Forgetting the Pick Up, because you forgot to write it on your list is not an acceptable reason.
Leaving Notices
Parcel Locker Keys
Parcel Locker Keys
All employees are required to collect a signature or authorization due to Covid-19 for any package requiring signature services. In the event a customer is not home, the carrier will stand at the door and write a 3849 to leave on the door. Each accountable item is given additional time for these notices. This time is not spent at the office or in your vehicle writing a notice. This time is to allow the customer time to respond on the door bell camera or physically open their door. The 3849 must always be legible and completely filled out.
Parcel Locker Keys
Parcel Locker Keys
Parcel Locker Keys
All employees are required to remove parcel locker keys from lockers, upon approaching the box. Parcel locker keys are required to be placed inside the actual correct locker or kept in the outgoing mail area toward the front and visible for you to insure they are dispensed correctly. This is not an option as many keys have went missing or have been damaged from not following protocol. Regular carriers are also required to make sure these keys stay labeled and keep a running list of any damaged boxes or keys. This list is to be given to your supervisor, not a postal administrator. Your supervisor will make a collected list of all issues in the area to report at one time to insure all carrier parcel locker issues are corrected.
Customer Access
Parcel Locker Keys
Securing the Mail
Do not deny customer access to their mail or packages by forcing large packages behind locks or keeping the mail pulled forward in the box to the point the customer can not turn their key to open the box. Be smart and push the mail back. This not only protects the mail from rain water, but it allows ample space for the lock mechanisms to turn. Be smart and turn the package allowing room for the door to close without force or take the package to the door. Purposely allowing mail or packages to be damaged with result in disciplinary action or termination.
Securing the Mail
Work Orders or Sample Request
Securing the Mail
As an employee of Cane Bay Carriers, you have accepted an oath to protect the sanctity of the mail. You must at all times make sure the mail is safeguarded. Mail should never be placed on top of your vehicle or any mail box. Mail boxes should never be left open without being in your direct line of vision. You should never allow a customer to collect their mail or anyone else’s mail out of an opened cluster unit. All buckets and trays must be cleared and removed before leaving any area. Last, but not limited to, you must never loose sight or immediate distance of your vehicle without first rolling up windows and locking doors to insure the safety and security of the mail. Purposely or accidentally leaving mail not secure is an extreme offense.
Avoid Property Damage
Work Orders or Sample Request
Work Orders or Sample Request
Property damage is a direct result of carelessness on your part. To prevent property damage, be aware of your surroundings and keep a consistent distance away from curbs, mail boxes, trees and anything else that may be damaged or cause damage to the delivery vehicle. All accidents are preventable.
Work Orders or Sample Request
Work Orders or Sample Request
Work Orders or Sample Request
Work Orders, also known as Sample Request, randomly pop up on our scanners and we must stop to complete them. They are a delivery point request to measure, record, and report the units service performance. The scanner will prompt you to scan all items out for delivery that day. Do not scan mail that was delivered the day before. Never ignore a Work Order causing a failure on the route. If you accidentally ESC the Work Order, you must scroll down on your Menu screen to locate and complete it. If you have passed the location, you must select that you have already passed the location.
Parcel Delivery
Parcel Locker Use
Apartment Hub Standards
Apartment Hub Standards
Parcel Lockers save the day! However, there are limits and rules to keep the availability of these lockers open. First, follow your parcel list training procedures which were designed to prepare you for success. Note your extra-large door packages, so you have a guide when retrieving your parcel locker size packages. You can place aside buddy packages that may go to the door or nearby.
Second, always scan parcel locker packages delivered to parcel locker when you have determined there is locker availability. Last, place your packages in the parcel lockers making sure you have removed and accurately placed the correct key in the front Left corner of the customers mailbox. Do not force large boxes in lockers or place diagonal against the locking components. This will prevent customers from opening the locker and eventually cause damage reducing the amount of lockers available for delivery.
Apartment Hub Standards
Apartment Hub Standards
Apartment Hub Standards
Apartment Hubs are available for USPS use, as long as they are not abused. First, you must deliver your mail, along with the regular daily spurs and small parcels that will fit into the mail receptacles and available parcel lockers. Then, you may attempt to deliver the remaining packages for that given area to the Hub location. These packages are currently being scanned as Delivered to the Office or Mail Room when being placed in the Hub. Packages that are too large to fit in the available lockers at the Hub location must be delivered to the customers door. Packages cannot be left on the Hub room floor or in the leasing office for any reason.
Porch Placement
Apartment Hub Standards
Porch Placement
After retrieving and scanning the package(s) from your delivery vehicle, carrying and placing the package(s) on the correct customer porch is the next important step. Use the safest and quickest route to navigate your way to the delivery drop off location. This location will always be the front porch, unless the package is small enough to fit in a mail receptacle, available parcel locker or hub. It is important to place the package gently down to the left or right of the door or other safe covered area available. Do not leave packages or mail containers in the walkway or block customers access to their front door, as this may cause a tripping hazard. Never put yourself in danger by existing your vehicle with a dog present or walking around, in or behind homes. Watch your steps and safety first!
End of Day
Get the All Clear
Get the All Clear
Get the All Clear
Upon returning to the office, you are required to check with a clearing administrator to insure all of your delivery scans have been delivered. At that time, you may produce your written or photographed discrepancies that you have encountered throughout the day, if there are any missed scans in reference to them. You may not leave the building without first identifying and correcting any issues in your route report. If you have a missed scan and do not recall the item, then you need to investigate the possibilities and search for the item. If you still can not locate the piece in the office, you may need to return to the street to scan it again. In any occurrence, the issue must be corrected with an appropriate scan or a written explanation of why there is no scan. You must exhaust all efforts to correct this issue.
Mark Ups
Get the All Clear
Get the All Clear
Before and during delivering, you will come across mail that can not be delivered and needs to be properly endorsed and sorted into its next collection area to be returned or redirected. This will include any attempted and left notice signature required items or accountable items.
Hold mail must be placed in the hold mail area. Hold and left notice packages must be left on the Attempted shelve for scan review and filing. Accountable items must be returned to the Accountable cart and cleared, if necessary. You can never leave any unidentifiable or deliverable mail at your case. This is considered a delay in mail and not prohibited at any time. Review instructions on how to handle undeliverable mail and packages.
Empty Hampers
Get the All Clear
Empty Hampers
To avoid over flowing morning hampers, you are required to empty your hampers after you have cleaned up your return mail and cleared your scans. At your case, stack large packages neatly and place spurs in buckets. All package addresses must be checked for accuracy and placed in the appropriate return location, if it does not belong to your designated route. Packages and buckets must be squared away and safely lined up to avoid any tripping hazards.