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.
If you are hired as a letter carrier, it's likely you will be a City Carrier Associate (CCA). You'd be assigned to a specific post office which is where you'd be expected to work. You may ask to be hired at an office closer to home, but usually transfers take place after you have passed a probationary period (90 days I think) and worked in a location for at least 1 year.
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Ana, I can't answer why the letter carrier is consistently leaving the wrong mail in your box on a regular basis. Is your house number clearly visible and is the mail that is put in your box clearly not for your address? I'd recommend a couple of remedies, though I don't know if it will work. 1) Affix a note which won't come off to the inside of your mailbox, or on the outside which is visible and states that only mail for (your names) should be delivered to your mailbox. 2) If you see your letter carrier, you may address this issue with them. 3) You may call the PO which that carrier works from and speak with their delivery supervisor explaining that you continuously get wrong mail in your mailbox. I do hope that works for you as accuracy is part of of our job requirement and I try to take pride and delivering mail correctly on the first attempt.
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Congratulations on getting to the next steps in the application process. Is the memory portion where they give you 5 addresses or names in each of 5 boxes and you have to answer which address or range of addresses goes in a particular box? That is how it was when I took the exam many years ago. i honestly can't remember how I was able to do that. There is some trick or good method to remembering the next box assignments but I don't know what it is. Maybe if you do a web search for tips on how to do the memory section of the 473E. I didn't seem to have any results with actual tips, but there are study guides that are sold to help you. I actually see that the memory section is different from the exam I took years ago. im sorry that I can't be more specific in assisting you.
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I am not sure why probation camp mail takes longer to receive or to be delivered. My main thought would be that incoming mail may be checked for prohibited items sent to the probation camp. I don't have any personal involvement with delivery to such institutions.
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I'll answer your second question first Nat. The carriers I work with (as well as I myself) use GPS on their smartphones to find streets and neighborhoods they may not be familiar with. I've been working in the same area for many years but sometimes get sent to streets I haven't been to in awhile. I break out the maps App on the iPhone to get me there. Management used to give out route maps to assist carriers but I don't know if they still do since GPS is easily available to most. Please be careful using it when driving. I try to picture the directions ahead of time so I'm not fumbling with the phone while driving. With regards to how long it takes to make career employee from CCA, it really depends on the attrition/retirement rate in your office/area. CCAs are usually made into career employees when a somebody retires or leaves the office or area where you work which would create a vacant position. It could range from a few months to several years to be converted from a CCA to career employee. In my opinion it is generally worth the wait. Your wages don't go up significantly when you become a career employee but you are entitled to health and retirement benefits and paid annual leave. If you access the NALC website and search for pay chart you can see what the wage progression is. You have to make sure you look at the section for CCA or Career letter carriers hired after 2013 I think as the pay scale is different than those hired before then. Good luck and work safely. The NALC is the labor union that represents city letter carriers employed by the USPS. I recommend joining that organization.
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Kate, I first want to say thanks for using this Q and A board on jobstr. It is fun interacting and trying to help others with postal-related questions. I am no expert and the views are my own. I'd probably get some type of communication from management (and not in a good way) if they found out I was doing this. So far, so good. Anyhow, to answer your question after my long-winded introduction, yes, most of us will certainly accept tips during the holidays even though it is against USPS regulations. Please don't fell any pressure to do so as I fell that is completely unethical and plenty of people that I deliver mail to don't tip me at all which is fine. We are all paid a fair salary with benefits and a have a retirement plan. If you do tip your mailman at Christmas in cash, the only thing that I hope happens is that you get a thank you acknowledgement. I think that is very thoughtful of you. Merry Christmas to you.
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I don't know why there would be a "delivered" scan on a package that was shipped the same day as the status you are referencing. That status usually means that the package was delivered. If the destination city is the same as the sending city, 7 Days seems like way too Long. Inside a city is usually the next day or 2. I don't know if your package will arrive at its destination but hope it will. You may call 1 800 ASK USPS with the tracking # to see if there is any more info/suggestions.
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