MailmanDave
17 Years Experience
Long Island, NY
Male, 43
I am a City Letter Carrier for the US Postal Service in NY. I've been a city letter carrier for over 17 years and it is the best job I've ever had. I mostly work 5 days per week (sometimes includes a Saturday) and often have the opportunity for overtime, which is usually voluntary. The route I deliver has about 350 homes and I walk to each of their doors to deliver the mail. Please keep in mind that I don't have authority to speak for the USPS, so all opinions are solely mine, not my employer.
I was looking at the USPS website about Priority Mail Express and it says that there is a guaranteed delivery date but it's not available in all areas to be exactly the next day. We used to deliver Express Mail on Sunday but that may be only available in certain places. If you sent the item out on Friday it was possibly past the deadline for Saturday delivery and the destination PO may not offer Sunday Priority Mail express delivery. In this case the item you mailed will be delivered Monday. There is a decent amount of information about Priority Mail Express on USPS.com. Be sure to read the disclaimers as it pertains to service being available 365 days per year.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hello%20I%20have%20a%20question%20for%20you%2C%20if%20I%20played%20for%20the%20flat%20rate%20overnight%20shipping%20with%20usps%2C%20why%20does%20the%20tracking%20number%20tell%20me%20that%20I%20won%27t%20get%20it%20for%20two%20days%3F%20I%20sent%20it%20out%20on%20Friday%20they%20said%20it%20won%27t%20get%20there%20until%20Monday.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15668)
I'll tell you what I do in this situation (which is common) but I can't say what each carrier will do and I'm sure it also varies by location. We deliver many parcels that won't fit into a mailbox. I bring the item to the front door of the house and leave it on the side of the door. I rarely ring a door bell since I don't need to see anybody to give the mail to. I also work in a neighborhood where mail/package theft is close to non-existent. If you live an apartment building or an area where mail can't just be left near a front door then the letter carrier might leave a PS 3849 Delivery Notice/Reminder/Receipt to notify the recipient that we have mail for you to retrieve from the PO or allow you to authorize delivery and leave mail at a specified location.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20do%20you%20do%20if%20the%20mail%20does%20not%20fit%20in%20the%20mailbox%20%0AExample%3A%20there%20is%20a%20box%20to%20go%20into%20the%20mailbox%20but%20it%20doesn%27t%20fit%20for%20whatever%20reason%2C%20what%20do%20you%20do%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15999)
I generally don't wear winter boots but I wear rubber overshoes if there is snow on the ground. These are the same thing I'd wear if it were raining outside. The brand I use is Tingley and they come in at least 3 dfferent height overshoes. They aren't really warm so I wear thermal socks in the winter so my feet and toes don't freeze.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20brand%20of%20winter%20boots%20do%20you%20wear%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17599)
I sign customer's names on accountable mail or packages that need a signature if I know them and they'd likely want that done. I frequently do this but technically it's not allowed unless the recipient has given previous written authorization to do this. So far, it's never been a problem in my career that I've signed for an item, but I don't expect others to do the same. As far as if this can screw over a customer, I don't know. I suppose if you signed for a package for a customer and then never delivered it to them it could be a problem. I think in that case the letter carrier would be questioned because the intended recipient never received the item and will say it's not their signature on the PS 3849 or electronic signature record.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Have%20you%20ever%20had%20to%20sign%20someone%27s%20name%20for%20them%20on%20a%20package%20because%20they%20weren%27t%20home%3F%20and%20also%20is%20there%20any%20way%20that%20doing%20this%20can%20screw%20over%20the%20customer%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15435)
iPhone & iPad Technician
What's something you think Apple does surprisingly POORLY?
Bowling Alley Attendant
What do bowling alleys do to keep those nasty shoes clean/sanitary?
Casino Dealer
How do you prove that someone is card-counting?
I don't know at all about the requirements for what vehicles are allowed for delivering US Mail. We use Postal-owned vehicles where I work. When I was first hired we sometimes used our own vehicles for mail delivery and didn't know of any requirements. We were only doing park and loop and foot routes with our own vehicles. The rural route carriers had privately owned right hand drive vehicles for mail delivery. I would recommend looking at the website or contacting the NRLCA, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. I know that city carriers (which I am) would sign a CDOA which was a Carrier Drive Out Agreement that would stipulate what is required and what the compensation would be for using your own vehicle.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=If%20I%20work%20for%20the%20Postal%20service%20can%20I%20have%20a%202%20door%20car%20to%20deliver%20Mail.%20its%20a%202006%20Honda%20Civic%20and%20I%20plan%20to%20put%20the%20steering%20in%20the%20right%20side%20but%20I%20want%20to%20make%20sure%20that%20a%202%20door%20car%20is%20ok%20to%20Deliver%20mail%20in%20a%20personal%20car%2C%20and%20not%20a%204%20door.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16230)
Definitely. Most of the time we deliver the mail that you are supposed to receive, but it's possible that the mail for you has been missorted and will show up later on the delivery route and the letter carrier doesn't backtrack the same day to bring it to you. You should get the mail the next delivery day. If the mail was misdelivered to another address it could be days (if at all) for you to receive the mail you are supposed to. The reason is because if mail is misdelivered its up to the errant recipient to put the mail back in a mailbox to be correctly delivered. They may do it right away, in a few days, or not at all.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20it%20possible%20for%20a%20mail%20carrier%20to%20overlook%20mail%20that%20is%20supposed%20to%20be%20delivered%20to%20you%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16240)
If you want to apply to be a letter carrier, the process begins at www.usps.com and look for an employment or careers tab. It has been many years since I applied so I don't know the process now. There is an exam, interview, and medical (including a drug test). I don't believe the process is that difficult based on the quality of employees that I've seen get hired lately. If you are hired as a City Carrier Assistant (CCA), you can expect to start out just filling in where needed when routes are overburdened with mail or carriers are out for some reason (injury, vacation, jury duty, military service). It means being very flexible with your schedule and sometimes working as much as 7 days/week. We have regular mail delivery Mon-Sat and then some offices deliver Amazon.com parcels on Sunday. You can apply anytime for the position so I wouldn't necessarily drop college right away. Earning a degree can make you more marketable in other feels. Working as a letter carrier doesn't require any higher education as far as I know. When you start out the pay is approximately $16/hr and there are virtually zero benefits except a small amount of paid time off. There is hardly any guarantee of hours to work and it could take awhile before you become a full-time regular employee which can be worthwhile. I do really like the job, but I did get a bachelors degree many years earlier. I didn't know what career I wanted to have and ultimately wound up at the USPS when I was 27 years old with a lot of encouragement from my father and friends. Working safely and accurately are two important attributes to the job. Good luck to you and please post any more questions you may have!
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hey%21%20There%27s%20a%20high%20chance%20that%20I%27ll%20drop%20college%20and%20become%20a%20mailman.%20Which%20is%20a%20dream%20of%20mine%21%20Could%20you%20be%20tell%20me%20how%20to%20apply%20and%20expect%3F%20I%27m%20currently%20the%20age%20of%2019%2C%20legal%2C%20and%20no%20driving%20issues.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15473)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
