Clarence Lyles has learned a thing or two after 45 years with USPS — including proper loading techniques.
The Charlotte, NC, letter carrier says properly loading vehicles and carts while making deliveries helps protect employees, customers and the mail.
“It’s very important to know how to load without accidents,” Lyles says.
Employees like Lyles help USPS work efficiently and safely, according to Safety Director Linda DeCarlo.
“When employees load their vehicles properly, they reduce the risk of injury,” she says.
Lyles offers the following advice to his fellow employees:
• Load and unload vehicles in the order of your route, and reorder as you go. This reduces the need to over-reach or over-step while delivering.
• Take two trips to avoid heavy and tall delivery cart loads. Overloading “could cause a package to stumble and break or hit someone,” Lyles says.
• Keep sight lines clear. When you’re behind the wheel, make sure your vision isn’t blocked by anything you’ve loaded into your vehicle. This will help you avoid striking objects.
• Keep the lines of communication open. If you’re confused on proper procedures, talk to your supervisor.
“If you don’t know, it’s better to ask,” Lyles says. “No question is a bad question to do the job safely and avoid accidents.”
“Best practices,” a new series on employees who demonstrate on-the-job excellence, appears regularly in Link.