Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Can a mail carrier talk for hours on the job(2–3) with just one person,give people rides in her mail truck, and take car rides with neighbors while still in uniform? This is the worst mail carrier I've had. Everyone in my apartment also gets few mail

Asked by Caroline about 11 years ago

I am appalled at these observations of a mail carrier. If they are a city letter carrier, they aren't allowed to do any of the as far as I know. The actions seem completely unprofessional and probably against postal regulations. I would never give someone a ride in my mail truck or even have enough time to talk to one person on the route. If I talk to someone for even a few minutes I start to get anxious that I'll be late returning to the PO from my delivery route. I don't think it is against the rules to take a ride with someone while you are in uniform as long as the mail is secured in the postal delivery vehicle. We are authorized a 30 minute lunch break, two 10-minute breaks, plus whatever bathroom breaks are necessary. I have heard stories like you have told while reading some Facebook Forums or message boards. They are definitely working somewhere I'm not familiar with and with a management who doesn't care to do anything about this. I believe in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. People like you have observed have probably been ripping off the USPS and the ratepayers for years. There are definitely other USPS workers who would disagree strongly with my comments, but this is how I see it. If you know for sure you aren't getting all of your mail, you could bring it to the attention of the delivery supervisor of your local PO. I would question how you would know you are missing anything. It's possible that your apartment complex residents don't receive a lot of mail. Thanks for writing.

687 Votes

Can i put lipstick marks/perfume on my outgoing mail?? I've done it for months now my mail carrier refuses to pick them up.. is that illegal or is it the carrier's chioce??

Asked by Jessie almost 11 years ago

I don't know the answer to this and have never heard of it being an issue. I would likely pick the mail up but maybe each carrier has the discretion because it's possible they are allergic to such smells from perfume or lipstick. Lipstick could possibly get on other mail which isn't right in my opinion. Did the letter carrier ever mention to you why they wouldn't pick up the outgoing mail. I haven't done any online research regarding "mailing requirements" so I can't say if lipstick marks or perfume is permitted. I don't recall ever seeing it myself except in Valentine's Day advertising that may say "SWAK" (sealed with a kiss).

687 Votes

While driving the vehicle to make a delivery, another motorist points towards the back of your vehicle as if something is wrong. What do you do?

Asked by Tolu Akande over 10 years ago

If I were in motion, I'd safely pull over, put on my four-way flashers, and then get out to investigate. It's possible that my gas cap is hanging out the side of the LLV, the back gate isn't secure, or maybe I'm dragging something. It could also be something that I haven't thought of. If the motorist is still around I'd ask them what they are pointing out.

687 Votes

I'm a CCA in Ohio that survived the winter (YAY!) and this will be my first summer working for the USPS. Do you have any tips for surviving the heat?

Asked by Bradan over 11 years ago

Bradan, Congratulations on surviving the winter! That can't have been fun at all. I'm just glad it's over also. As much as the heat isn't fun, I prefer it over the cold. I know there are others who feel quite differently about that. As far as tips go, my main tips are: 1) Drink plenty of water or some other liquids. I've heard different schools of thought whether or not Gatorade is good. My joke is that on the internet you can find anybody to support your opinion. I would guess that it works but there is a very high sugar content. The key is to stay hydrated.

2) Wear a hat to block the sun off your head and face. I wear a cowboy-type hat which works well. I fold the edges up by the ear so it doesn't look so funny but there is a tradeoff in that I'm exposing more of my face to the sun. I'm not sure what the official name of the hat is. You could also wear a white mesh pith helmet. Baseball caps will help as well but not cover too much of your face or neck for sun exposure. I also wear sunglasses most of the time.

3) Wear as light clothes as possible. I usually wear shorts in the warm weather and a short-sleeve uniform shirt with a t-shirt underneath.

Those are the basic tips that I can think of. Make sure to ask or take a cue from your fellow carriers, as I'm far from being an expert on this. On the very hot and humid days I consume water without even thinking about it, usually bringing about 2 liters with me plus some orange juice to drink with lunch.

Good luck to you. During July and August there is so much extra work to do because of our fellow workers going on vacation. We never seem to have enough help. I'm sure that story is repeated in many Post Offices nationwide.

687 Votes

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My boyfriend is just started working for the USPS and has only been by himself for 2 days and they are complaining that he isn't going fast enough. It's a 14 mile walking round and the want him to start at 8.30 and be done by 12.30 is this realistic?

Asked by aallee about 11 years ago

It doesn't sound reasonable to me to even have a 14-mile walking route to begin with. That is walking more than a half-marathon daily. If you had zero mail to deliver and walked 14 miles you may be able to cover the route in 4 hours if walk at 3.5 MPH. That is faster than most people walk or at least about the average walking speed. Please tell your boyfriend to do the best he can, walk safely, and that the rate he is being asked to walk at is unrealistic. I just did a quick internet search for "average walking speed" and it is 3.1 MPH. This doesn't include delivering mail or any weight added if your boyfriend is carrying a satchel of mail. USPS management is known for being unreasonable at times.

686 Votes

I accidentally put the recipients address first then my address will the recipient still get the letter or will I have to do another envelope

Asked by Taylor about 11 years ago

The USPS uses a lot of automation to sort the mail and I think it's looking for the address in the middle of the envelope as to where to send the item. In your example, I would recommended using a new envelope. Write your address (which will be considered the return address) in the upper left hand corner of the envelope. Put the recipients address in the center of the envelope and the sufficient postage in the upper right hand corner.

686 Votes

It seems that all the big blue mailboxes on the street that we put our mail into have been replaced with new ones. They look just like the old ones but there is less space for the envelopes to go through into the box. Why?

Asked by Roberta almost 11 years ago

I actually have no idea regarding the blue collection boxes being replaced with ones that have thinner slots. Possibly it is harder to steal out of it with a thinner slot buy I'm purely speculating. I don't know that theft from these boxes is much of an issue in most areas. Your question is the first I'm hearing about different size slot collection boxes. If anything I just hear of there being less collection boxes in general due to the decline in First-Class Mail being sent.

686 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Can a mail carrier talk for hours on the job(2–3) with just one person,give people rides in her mail truck, and take car rides with neighbors while still in uniform? This is the worst mail carrier I've had. Everyone in my apartment also gets few mail

Can i put lipstick marks/perfume on my outgoing mail?? I've done it for months now my mail carrier refuses to pick them up.. is that illegal or is it the carrier's chioce??

While driving the vehicle to make a delivery, another motorist points towards the back of your vehicle as if something is wrong. What do you do?

I'm a CCA in Ohio that survived the winter (YAY!) and this will be my first summer working for the USPS. Do you have any tips for surviving the heat?

Also on Jobstr...

My boyfriend is just started working for the USPS and has only been by himself for 2 days and they are complaining that he isn't going fast enough. It's a 14 mile walking round and the want him to start at 8.30 and be done by 12.30 is this realistic?

I accidentally put the recipients address first then my address will the recipient still get the letter or will I have to do another envelope

It seems that all the big blue mailboxes on the street that we put our mail into have been replaced with new ones. They look just like the old ones but there is less space for the envelopes to go through into the box. Why?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Can a mail carrier talk for hours on the job(2–3) with just one person,give people rides in her mail truck, and take car rides with neighbors while still in uniform? This is the worst mail carrier I've had. Everyone in my apartment also gets few mail

Can i put lipstick marks/perfume on my outgoing mail?? I've done it for months now my mail carrier refuses to pick them up.. is that illegal or is it the carrier's chioce??

While driving the vehicle to make a delivery, another motorist points towards the back of your vehicle as if something is wrong. What do you do?

I'm a CCA in Ohio that survived the winter (YAY!) and this will be my first summer working for the USPS. Do you have any tips for surviving the heat?

Also on Jobstr...

My boyfriend is just started working for the USPS and has only been by himself for 2 days and they are complaining that he isn't going fast enough. It's a 14 mile walking round and the want him to start at 8.30 and be done by 12.30 is this realistic?

I accidentally put the recipients address first then my address will the recipient still get the letter or will I have to do another envelope

It seems that all the big blue mailboxes on the street that we put our mail into have been replaced with new ones. They look just like the old ones but there is less space for the envelopes to go through into the box. Why?

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