My first delivery was Jan. 1990.
You were expected to provide your own maps. There might be copies in the center. Maybe not. All we had were "Mapsco's". Local area spiral type maps of streets. They were adequate but not always up to date with new developments and such. There was a "big copy" of the Mapsco on the wall(chalkboard size). BTW, these Mapsco's were pricy($30). You might get away with a gas station type map. Maybe. BTW, you doing all this copying off the clock(now)?
So, if you were a qualifying rookie, you did everything possible to be "prepared"........maps, pre-running the area(weekends)(after work) etc. Whatever it took. Yes, working off the clock(pre-start)etc. Asking other drivers....Note: this was grossly unfair(working off the clock) and should have never happened. The Union looked the other way and condoned it(still does).
Once qualified and getting a regular route was huge. You just basically learned your "area" bit by bit. Built "area knowledge" every day. Some guys always worked off the clock pre-departure(massaging their load quality) etc. Multi-decade veterans to rookies. Once I got a bid route, all that stopped for me. Mgt. hated me for it. As it caused departure delays and lot's of other problems. Back then, I just stretched and read novels(right in front of the offices) and it infuriated them. We didn't have smart phones. Yes, I did buy my own 2-wheeler dolly. Our pkg car dollies would disappear overnight and your day was sunk without one. Our center tried chaining them but chains were cut. If you didn't go looking for one off the clock pre-work.....your departure was delayed(mgt hated that). Plus- they were all gone.
I hated cover driving for obvious reasons(too much working off the clock).
In the end, area knowledge made you successful. It gave you a cushion of time and rhythm to the route. Mgt though, always nipping at that time cushion to tighten it up.....always more work.
Directly answering your question: Rookie-anything it took. Vet- nothing. As a vet, I just started work at start-time and come what may....your day was make or break at start-work. Car a mess....you were behind all day. Neat and tidy......you had a chance. Being able to walk through your car throughout the day was huge. I had my same route for basically 14 years.
Old, big wheel, no power-steering pkg cars? Yep.You got a work out and tendonitis. Mgt could care less. You had to plan backing, parking and everything else(delivery points etc.). Getting low profile tires and bigger side doors was huge. I had a Ford with an electric emergency brake. Saved my left elbow. Today's GPS was Star Wars tech for us. Early 2000's we still didn't have it as a company(no-way I was going to buy it myself). Besides I didn't need it(area knowledge). If they gave me an unfamiliar split.....I stumbled through it(however long it took).
This was how I did pkg car.^^^^^
