Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

What do you do with mail that is sent to an address that doesn't have a mailbox

Asked by Jerry over 6 years ago

Some letter carriers may handle it differently than others. This is my comment in most situations as to “what would we be done if....”We can rubber band the mail and leave it on the ground or on a bench by a door. Technically, the mail should be endorsed “NMR” which means No Mail Receptacle and returned to the sender, if applicable. Certain classes of mail would just get discarded at the PO and maybe sent out for recycling.

353 Votes

Do your trucks have heat and/or AC?

Asked by Amber almost 7 years ago

All of our vehicles have heat. I don’t think we could survive in the colder climates without it. The LLVs (Long-life vehicle), which has been the majority of our delivery fleet since the mid-1990s, don’t have AC. The newer vehicles, which are likely to be coming on line in the next 2-5 years will have air conditioning. In office where I work, some carriers use Dodge Promasters which have AC as well.These trucks are left hand drive (like most vehicles in the US) so can only be used on walking routes where delivery is made to businesses or the front door of residences.

352 Votes

Do you use the restrooms at businesses on your route if you have to go

Asked by Dave almost 7 years ago

Yes. I’ve never had an issue using the restroom at any business that I deliver mail to if I have to use their facilities. I work near a gas station and public library so those are my “go to” spots. Furthermore, there are sometimes construction sites on the postal route and I may use their portable toilet if necessary. As inappropriate as it may sound, if I’m in a rural area and there are no restrooms nearby I may just urinate (discreetly) in a wooded area. It would be embarrassing if I ever was caught but so far it’s not been an issue.

351 Votes

Hi Dave, Thanks for this opportunity to address a contentious mail-related issue my wife and I have been struggling with for years. She works from home and relies on the mail to communicate with her customers. Timeliness of mail delivery is crucial to her business. Most of her mail comprises USPS envelopes with prepaid postage. She maintains that her mail will arrive at its continental US destination sooner if it is handed to a clerk at our Kettering OH post office (our servicing office) rather than simply placed in our residential mailbox which is serviced daily (save for Sundays and holidays of course). She continues to believe this despite my being told by said clerk that all mail is gathered from all USPS/residential/commercial boxes and taken to the post office where it is sent to Columbus OH for sorting and dispatch. Which method is faster? And, is mail placed in a residential mailbox guaranteed to be post marked on the same day it is picked up (excluding Sundays and holidays of course)? Thanks again.

Asked by Roger N. over 7 years ago

This is a very thorough question and i don’t know that I can give you an absolute answer, but I can try. I can assure you that any mail given to a clerk at PO or out in a collection box (blue box) or picked up by a letter carrier from your residence will go the same day to the mail processing plant in Columbus, OH. I guess an exception would be is if the letter carrier picked up the mail so late in the day due to our staffing shortages that the mail may not be dispatched from your local post office to the regional processing center. I haven’t seen this happen too often but I can’t speak for any office other than the one I work with. Another thing to point out is that there is possibly more than one truck per day that takes outgoing mail from your PO to the Columbus mail processing facility. I’m not sure about your office. I still don’t think for the most part it would make a difference if the mail was dropped off at the PO or picked up at your house. Thanks for your question, Roger.

347 Votes

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Was wondering if it's possible to mail a standard Priority package using a Priority Express envelope, and only pay the standard postage? And can you mark out with sharpie the "Express" logo so the carrier will know what your intentions are?
Thanks-

Asked by DAVIDB over 7 years ago

I’d recommend against doing this because Priority Mail Express Envelopes are specifically to be used for that purpose only. I don’t know the the ru!es for sure. Some postal employees, myself included, are sometimes sticklers for the correct postage being applied to go along with the type of packaging used. The supplies are provided free of charge with the condition that a certain class of mail is required to use the free packaging. While I can’t say your proposal to put a sharpie marker through the “express” markings wouldn’t serve your intended purpose, I’d recommend playing it safe and not doing that. Thank you for your question.

346 Votes

Can you get in trouble for giving the wrong mail to the wrong house?

Asked by 56 over 6 years ago

I have yet to see that happen, though I wish the quality of service was focused on. If a customer were to complain about chronic misdeliveries, a supervisor will likely mention it to the letter carrier and ask them to be more careful. If the problem persisted, the supervisor may ask to verify the mail each day for the customer who complained about misdeliveries

346 Votes

I heard you guys are supposed to back into parking spaces is that true. Is it also true that if you hit something that could be it for your job

Asked by Mr C over 6 years ago

These are 2 good questions which, as always, don’t have definitive answers.

1) On the subject of backing into parking spaces it has been so many years since I was trained on driving a postal vehicle but I do think that is what I was taught. I do this almost always when driving a postal vehicle or personal vehicle. While it is definitely refrained on by management to back up the vehicle, it is recommended to park this way so when we leave the parking space, it’s much easier to see the situation. When we back in we often will know the current situation so can back in more safely to a space. Most of our vehicles don’t have backup cameras so there are some more difficult areas to see when the vehicle is in reverse. I think it’s a great idea to back in as often as possible as long as you aren’t delaying traffic behind you. I often use my hazard flashers when I want a car to pass me so I can put the vehicle in reverse.

2) in general, if you strike an object or get into an accident, you won’t lose your job. I’ve never seen a letter carrier fired for this reason unless they were in their first 90 days (the probationary period). Most of the time, you are prohibited from driving a USPS vehicle until you get some remedial training or watch some safety videos. I suppose if you had multiple motor vehicle accidents or were find to be willfully negligent with the operation of the vehicle, you could be terminated. We are represented by a union so most terminations would be challenged via grievance procedure. If one were found to be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while driving a postal vehicle, that may also lead to termination.

346 Votes