@@klassicgarage oh yes, you can imagine the amount of times we hear ‘it’s the red one in the yard’ 🤣🤣 I love the job though, started through their apprenticeship scheme when I was 16 and I’m now a fully qualified mechanic, including electric trained and a MOT tester. September 2025 marks my 10th year! Used to be a job for life but I still think it is 😎
In our part of the UK, nearly all the Vauxhall RM vans have been got rid of now, in favour of Peugeots. Mainly the Peugeot Expert, but quite a few of the Partners and some of the Boxers (to do the parcel deliveries). Some Mercedes Benz Sprinter vans still in good use, Fiat Doblos.. It's usually DAF trucks that are used to cart the mail between sorting offices. On a larger scale between the major cities in the UK Mercedes Benz and DAF trucks were constants in the Royal Mail fleet but just a few years ago they invested in 29 IVECO trucks which run on biofuel a bit like the McDonald's wagons running on their own oil that's used to cook their chips in.😜
Also worth a mention is that in some rural areas Royal Mail used to operate Mail buses, vans fitted with additional seating would be used to help those in areas with little to no busses get around
I've worked for Royal mail 43 years most of my time driving the artics... This film did not show one... So incomplete regarding vehicles from Royal mail
Bedford CA did not become 'synonymous' with the Royal Mail, which only acquired a few on a trial basis. Also, what was the 'specially-designed' vehicle that you attribute to wartime deliveries?
All their vehicles are pink now, the Royal Mail don't have the money to keep them updated and as in most red vehicles they have faded with age. A good T Cutting would give them another couple of years of their iconic vibrant red, but they obviously can't afford that either.
Spotlight on the CA - really, never saw one, what about the 50s, 60s & 70s, all we got was a quick drive by of a J and EA and no mention of the backbone of the fleet - the Morris 1000, not good enough!!!!!
Also failed to mention that I've never seen a royal mail van without a single body panel without a dent or scratch on it. Same as amazon delivery vans. They all get driven by pent up teenagers i guess! Drive it like you stole it!
I’ve had several straight from auction. They have all been fantastic. Maybe tatty but mechanically they have been unbeatable for the money they cost. I paid £1850 for a 3 year old escort van with 33,000 miles… had it for 5 years and sold it for £2000 with 140,000 in it… then got a transit and did the same
@@nevillebloodybartos Well done , they are usually hammered , bumping on and off kerbs etc ,I suppose it depends which area it comes from .I bought vw caddy gas van 35 ,000 for £6000 11 years ago never touched it apart from timing belt ,its still only got 74,000 on it now
@ I always buy ex fleet stuff. Usually bit rough looking but great mechanically. The gas stuff is usually in better nick and commands more money. The Royal Mail stuff is beaten to hell and cheap as chips, but mechanically still in good condition. I’ve got an ex AA transporter van now, had it 8 years and it’s at 260,000. Royal Mail used to only keep small vans for 3 years and larger vans for about 6 years so they still had plenty of life in them. Now they keep them 10yrs+ but get a good one and it’s been better maintained than most private cabs half the age
@@nevillebloodybartos Not sure they keep them for ten years ! the thing with the gas vans is they spend nearly all day doing nothing, may two . three calls a day ,unlike a mail van! British gas keep them for three years , and they're really good vans , A/C . heated mirrors ,electric windows ant skid
Body work might be tatty but mechanically they are sound, we’ve got vehicles that have got 800k km on them, still start first time and run like clockwork
Well the crak is red is on the way out, the latest ones are white with yellow livery, they look terrible, there 2 just been delivered to our sorting office
Great video, thank you for shining light on us Royal Mail fleet mechanics. A job that often gets overseen 👍🏻
Must be a headache trying to find the right van in a car park 😂
@@klassicgarage oh yes, you can imagine the amount of times we hear ‘it’s the red one in the yard’ 🤣🤣 I love the job though, started through their apprenticeship scheme when I was 16 and I’m now a fully qualified mechanic, including electric trained and a MOT tester. September 2025 marks my 10th year! Used to be a job for life but I still think it is 😎
A modern digital world
Like this narrating
In our part of the UK, nearly all the Vauxhall RM vans have been got rid of now, in favour of Peugeots.
Mainly the Peugeot Expert, but quite a few of the Partners and some of the Boxers (to do the parcel deliveries).
Some Mercedes Benz Sprinter vans still in good use, Fiat Doblos..
It's usually DAF trucks that are used to cart the mail between sorting offices.
On a larger scale between the major cities in the UK Mercedes Benz and DAF trucks were constants in the Royal Mail fleet but just a few years ago they invested in 29 IVECO trucks which run on biofuel a bit like the McDonald's wagons running on their own oil that's used to cook their chips in.😜
Also worth a mention is that in some rural areas Royal Mail used to operate Mail buses, vans fitted with additional seating would be used to help those in areas with little to no busses get around
Called “ the post bus” ….seen one in my early years as a postie
Very cool
Good to see two of my still photographs appearing in this video.
Hey Steve, did we credit? Let me know if not and I'll add it ☺️
@@klassicgarage Unlikely as they are from my Flickr stream, so please add a credit for "Kitmasterbloke", many thanks!
My Dad was a proud Postman for 33 years, he drove a Ford Escort followed by a Vauxhall Combo.
Excellent video, very interesting, i enjoyed it, keep up the good work
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 🤝
I worked on a Post Office site in Islington and Morris LD vans were the most common at that time
We used to buy them out of Measham commercial auction
I've worked for Royal mail 43 years most of my time driving the artics... This film did not show one... So incomplete regarding vehicles from Royal mail
As a retired postman driver no mention of the Leyland Terrier /Leyland Boxer/ Leyland Roadtrain / Bedford TK or TM or the Ford Cago .
Visit Royal Mail Garston in Liverpool.
There is a collection of over 150 model vehicles, ships and a plane on public display
Would that be on display at the customer service point? Looks like a regular DO to me, from street view
@andrejz2438 yes just walk in and look to the left
Bedford CA did not become 'synonymous' with the Royal Mail, which only acquired a few on a trial basis. Also, what was the 'specially-designed' vehicle that you attribute to wartime deliveries?
And apart from the model, none of the pictures accompanying that portion of the video were CAs. Most were Morris LDs which were not mentioned.
All their vehicles are pink now, the Royal Mail don't have the money to keep them updated and as in most red vehicles they have faded with age. A good T Cutting would give them another couple of years of their iconic vibrant red, but they obviously can't afford that either.
The LDV Convoy they had an rpm governor.
Spotlight on the CA - really, never saw one, what about the 50s, 60s & 70s, all we got was a quick drive by of a J and EA and no mention of the backbone of the fleet - the Morris 1000, not good enough!!!!!
the yellow stripes should be added back
How much would that cost on a fleet of thousands
Definitely agree
The mail vans still have the royal cypher EIIR, when will they be updated with one for Charlie? I suggest it should be C3PO. Anyone agree?
Only going to be Royal Mail logo on vans that replace older vans.
King Charles did say he didn't mind the EiiR not being changed straight away.
Wish I could buy the mail van my Dad drove.
You forgot to mention how many of these used vans ended up in Malta, from the days of the Morris Minor LCV to as much as the latest Vauxhall Combo....
Also failed to mention that I've never seen a royal mail van without a single body panel without a dent or scratch on it.
Same as amazon delivery vans. They all get driven by pent up teenagers i guess!
Drive it like you stole it!
No mention of the most popular van the Morris Minor!!
We'll try and highlight the moggie in a future dedicated video
Calm down, no need for the childish exclamation marks.
@@northernblue1093 who rattled your cage?
took my test in a morris minor around bham with the post office then into the j4s and commers for deliverys back in the 70s
I heard a story that they had rubber wings?
A lot of ex royal mail vans are broken up and recycled by Charles Trent in Poole
Royal mail hasn't taught anyone how to drive them
Most are dented
These days known as Royal Fail with their sidekicks Parcelfarce.
Shush 🤣
No sane person would buy an ex royal mail van
I’ve had several straight from auction. They have all been fantastic. Maybe tatty but mechanically they have been unbeatable for the money they cost. I paid £1850 for a 3 year old escort van with 33,000 miles… had it for 5 years and sold it for £2000 with 140,000 in it… then got a transit and did the same
@@nevillebloodybartos Well done , they are usually hammered , bumping on and off kerbs etc ,I suppose it depends which area it comes from .I bought vw caddy gas van 35 ,000 for £6000 11 years ago never touched it apart from timing belt ,its still only got 74,000 on it now
@ I always buy ex fleet stuff. Usually bit rough looking but great mechanically. The gas stuff is usually in better nick and commands more money. The Royal Mail stuff is beaten to hell and cheap as chips, but mechanically still in good condition. I’ve got an ex AA transporter van now, had it 8 years and it’s at 260,000. Royal Mail used to only keep small vans for 3 years and larger vans for about 6 years so they still had plenty of life in them. Now they keep them 10yrs+ but get a good one and it’s been better maintained than most private cabs half the age
@@nevillebloodybartos Not sure they keep them for ten years ! the thing with the gas vans is they spend nearly all day doing nothing, may two . three calls a day ,unlike a mail van! British gas keep them for three years , and they're really good vans , A/C . heated mirrors ,electric windows ant skid
Body work might be tatty but mechanically they are sound, we’ve got vehicles that have got 800k km on them, still start first time and run like clockwork
Well the crak is red is on the way out, the latest ones are white with yellow livery, they look terrible, there 2 just been delivered to our sorting office
Invokes trust??? You been under a rock this last few months??? 🤣😂
Electric car are trash