Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

When being converted to a "Career" employee, what are the requirements? Is there going to be another probationary period?

Asked by Dee almost 10 years ago

As long as you've passed the 90-day probationary period, you'd be eligible to become a career employee once a position becomes available. They usually convert CCA to Regular "career" employees in the order which the CCAs were hired. Depending on how quickly older workers retire or other workers transfer or leave the USPS will often decide how long it takes to be converted. Where I work, it has been usually less than 18 months to be converted but your mileage may vary greatly. It is very good to become a career employee because you have guaranteed number of hours you'll work each week, plus you get health insurance coverage.

560 Votes

I live in a hirise. Mail is delivered to a clusterbox on the 1st floor. The new mailman will not permit me to unlock my mailbox and retrieve my mail while he is delivering mail saying that since some of the boxes are unlocked the area is insecure??

Asked by dwdoc over 9 years ago

I probably won't be able to assist you with your specific situation but can't give my opinion. I personally think it's not true and the letter carrier is being a bit difficult. It can be annoying to a letter carrier to be interrupted when distributing mail to the cluster boxes but I suppose there are worse things to worry about. I only deliver mail to a cluster box community on occasion and if someone came up to me I'd use my judgment and likely give them their mail. It's a gated community and know of no mail theft issues whatsoever. In your case you even come with a key so it's clear that you are the resident for a particular mailbox and he shouldn't worrry about you taking from another mailbox. Please keep in mind that this is only opinion and it's not something I go through on a daily basis. In the office where I work, we have received no instructions that I can recall about allowing customers to retrieve mail from their cluster box while the letter carrier is servicing them. Letter carriers are tasked with keeping the mail secure but I think with any level of reasonableness they can do that especially with peole they may know personally. Thanks for your question though I don't know if you'll make any headway with your particular new letter carrier.

558 Votes

Lets pretend someone takes all the required test and performs phenomenally. Now, I was wondering if it' possible to get a job as a mail carrier as a first job? Do you know if that would be an automatic "No-No"?

Asked by Makayla about 10 years ago

I think it would be great if you scored well on any exams you take for employment with the USPS. Many new hires today are hired as CCA (city carrier assistant) which is a letter carrier position. I think you apply for certain positions so you may have a choice to be a CCA or PSE (Postal Support Employee). A PSE is a position where you generally work inside doing mail processing, distribution, or retail sales and service. Most, if not all, of the letter carriers who I work with were hired as carriers first. I don't, however, have any more insight to the hiring practices except what I posted here. I know I'd always like to see motivated and competent individuals hired by the USPS.

557 Votes

Can postman have rounds that include their own address?

Asked by Keri almost 10 years ago

I don't know of any rule against this. I haven't seen it in my office much (or at all) but several letter carriers (4 I think) live in the towns where we service.

557 Votes

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Thanks for your fast response. I only have one more ? You said it's okay to walk through yards. What about landscaping? My mail guy was stepping through my flower beds and jumping up on my porch, making a muddy mess. I asked him to stop. Is that ok?

Asked by Cathy almost 9 years ago

It is fine to ask the letter carrier not to walk through the flower beds and then track mud onto your porch. I'll admit I'm not the most considerate person sometimes when walking across lawns and through flowerbeds. I certainly don't want to crush the flowers. Ultimately it's your property and you can request anything you'd like as to how the carrier approaches the mailbox. It's possible that even if your regular carrier adheres to your request any replacement letter carrier my not adhere to your request if they aren't notified by your regular carrier via a "carrier" alert card. Any reasonable letter carrier should understand and adhere to your request.

556 Votes

I was wondering if you would know how I would go about trying to find the last name of a letter carrier from 1967 in Brooklyn, NY.

Asked by Barbara about 9 years ago

Barbara, I have no idea how that information would be found with the USPS. I also don't know If those type of HR/Personnel records are public. Before 1971, the USPS was the Post Office Department, an executive branch of the US Government. Even if the information was available I don't know who would be helpful enough in the current USPS HQ or Human Resources Department to look this up. It would seem like a needle in a haystack and I don't have confidence you'd get anywhere in your search. This is based on my personal observations of my employer, not through any knowledge of your specific question.

556 Votes

I completed a change of address from my physical address to my po box. but to catch my credit card i had place a hold on my mail to be picked up. the mail carrier returned all my mail to sender stating that i didn't live there. what should i do?

Asked by pattie about 10 years ago

Pattie, I don't know what to tell you to do. If your mail is being forwarded from your physical address to the PO Box, you usually can't "catch any mail in between" before its forwarded. I'm not sure why any mail wouldn't be forwarded and why it was returned stating you don't live there anymore. You can call your credit card company and ask them to send a replacement card though they could be leary about sending credit cards to a PO Box address. Mail is usually forwarded to your new address for 1 year. I'm not sure how long ago you submitted the address change.

556 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

When being converted to a "Career" employee, what are the requirements? Is there going to be another probationary period?

I live in a hirise. Mail is delivered to a clusterbox on the 1st floor. The new mailman will not permit me to unlock my mailbox and retrieve my mail while he is delivering mail saying that since some of the boxes are unlocked the area is insecure??

Lets pretend someone takes all the required test and performs phenomenally. Now, I was wondering if it' possible to get a job as a mail carrier as a first job? Do you know if that would be an automatic "No-No"?

Can postman have rounds that include their own address?

Also on Jobstr...

Thanks for your fast response. I only have one more ? You said it's okay to walk through yards. What about landscaping? My mail guy was stepping through my flower beds and jumping up on my porch, making a muddy mess. I asked him to stop. Is that ok?

I was wondering if you would know how I would go about trying to find the last name of a letter carrier from 1967 in Brooklyn, NY.

I completed a change of address from my physical address to my po box. but to catch my credit card i had place a hold on my mail to be picked up. the mail carrier returned all my mail to sender stating that i didn't live there. what should i do?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

When being converted to a "Career" employee, what are the requirements? Is there going to be another probationary period?

I live in a hirise. Mail is delivered to a clusterbox on the 1st floor. The new mailman will not permit me to unlock my mailbox and retrieve my mail while he is delivering mail saying that since some of the boxes are unlocked the area is insecure??

Lets pretend someone takes all the required test and performs phenomenally. Now, I was wondering if it' possible to get a job as a mail carrier as a first job? Do you know if that would be an automatic "No-No"?

Can postman have rounds that include their own address?

Also on Jobstr...

Thanks for your fast response. I only have one more ? You said it's okay to walk through yards. What about landscaping? My mail guy was stepping through my flower beds and jumping up on my porch, making a muddy mess. I asked him to stop. Is that ok?

I was wondering if you would know how I would go about trying to find the last name of a letter carrier from 1967 in Brooklyn, NY.

I completed a change of address from my physical address to my po box. but to catch my credit card i had place a hold on my mail to be picked up. the mail carrier returned all my mail to sender stating that i didn't live there. what should i do?

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