Question for the old school guys - How'd ya start your day?

[Steelheader]

LOL. You look so different there. It's Warren. What you doing in this dump?

Been here for years. Just rarely get in here.

 

[LoadJockey]

Do they still have RD routes? They were the toughest because unless you knew the customers you couldn't find homes. Where I am, they did away with RD's to implement the 911 system.

I'm not familiar with the terminology. What are RD routes? What is the 911 system? Soz if the questions are dumb. We got a rural route that has sectioned streets like M n M 1/2 but you gotta know when the line starts by the power boxes. We also have a 300+ mile gurlac route that has like 40 stops but you gotta know where ya going. I haven't done that one yet.

 

[LoadJockey]

Can you imagine a guy in 1990
Showing up In Browns , unshaven , earrings and a Man bun , carrying a back pack like he's going camping !

I get looking professional but I am most def the backpack guy . I carry a rucksack that has everything I could need. Wrenches/Spare socks/gloves/ dog treats/ bungees/ etc.

 

[Wally]

I'm not familiar with the terminology. What are RD routes? What is the 911 system? Soz if the questions are dumb. We got a rural route that has sectioned streets like M n M 1/2 but you gotta know when the line starts by the power boxes. We also have a 300+ mile gurlac route that has like 40 stops but you gotta know where ya going. I haven't done that one yet.

Rural Delivery areas, no house numbers, just RD 356, 357, 358, etc. The system the USPS used.

The big problem for UPS with RD routes was you might have 10 houses on a long flag lot road. Some were build before others so their RD number would be lower than the newer house. You needed to know what house to go to? They often were not marked. Also, if a newer house was built near the older, their RD number might be higher even though they are first in order! They kept counting up. Sometimes the would add letters like RD 1-396A, RD 1 396B!

Another headache was often in a middle of a long road, the RD loop would stop. The USPS would back up and start down the same street on the other side. That point would begin another RD loop with another name. If you didn't know the RD breaks, you were screwed!

The 911 system forced each homeowner to use a specific address. It went in sequential order up and down every street and lane.

 

[Steelheader]

Do they still have RD routes? They were the toughest because unless you knew the customers you couldn't find homes. Where I am, they did away with RD's to implement the 911 system.

When they did 911 same thing happened. They were called RR here. Rural Route. A lot of customers on these areas, which I have a bid route on now, refused to use the new physical address. I struggled the first couple days cold. Circa 1991. Thomas guides were useless. Thankfully I had a background in landnav and cartology for those people not marked but had physical address on package. I found pretty much all the addresses blind. Then I found out I could buy the fire station map. Much more detailed. Then I got one of the RR maps from all the POs on my route. Then with the first 911 upgrade they forced everyone to use physical addresses. I haven't seen a RR Box address in probably 20 years now.

 

[Wally]

When they did 911 same thing happened. They were called RR here. Rural Route. A lot of customers on these areas, which I have a bid route on now, refused to use the new physical address. I struggled the first couple days cold. Circa 1991. Thomas guides were useless. Thankfully I had a background in landnav and cartology for those people not marked but had physical address on package. I found pretty much all the addresses blind. Then I found out I could buy the fire station map. Much more detailed. Then I got one of the RR maps from all the POs on my route. Then with the first 911 upgrade they forced everyone to use physical addresses. I haven't seen a RR Box address in probably 20 years now.

The 911 system was a lifesaver! Before that, we had customers using the RD#, some the street address, some lot numbers. Now if a road went through township lines you could for example, you could have 3 homes with the number 105 within a mile of each other!

 

[quad decade guy]

The 911 system was a lifesaver! Before that, we had customers using the RD#, some the street address, some lot numbers. Now if a road went through township lines you could for example, you could have 3 homes with the number 105 within a mile of each other!

Especially mobile homes, manufactured houses.

They'd move their house and never remove the string of previous numbers. 100255 or 123 A. Many times mailbox of no help.

 

[Steelheader]

Especially mobile homes, manufactured houses.

They'd move their house and never remove the string of previous numbers. 100255 or 123 A. Many times mailbox of no help.

I wish I got a picture of one on my route before they painted it. Had a dozen different addresses on it. I actually have watched it move from 3 of them.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

The 911 system was a lifesaver! Before that, we had customers using the RD#, some the street address, some lot numbers. Now if a road went through township lines you could for example, you could have 3 homes with the number 105 within a mile of each other!

That's why all the old timers had a filel box in the back of their truck

 

[Steelheader]

That's why all the old timers had a filel box in the back of their truck

We had fire station maps and PO RR box maps with box #s on them. That really helped. Thankfully by time I started they were phasing the RR# out. So only had a fraction of them daily.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

We had fire station maps and PO RR box maps with box #s on them. That really helped. Thankfully by time I started they were phasing the RR# out. So only had a fraction of them daily.

I only had to do one of those routes a couple of times, what's to say I did not make my stop per hour those days