Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

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.

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Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Best Rated

Is it possible to tell the location of the mailbox where a letter was mailed from?

Asked by pookiebear almost 12 years ago

Your q came in twice so I deleted the second one. I don't know that you can tell which mailbox a letter was sent from. When a carrier picks up letters from the blue collection boxes or from a residence, they commingle those letters with all of the others thatb have been picked up and generally get sent to a mail processing for sorting.

hi, I have gotten hired as a CCA and start my orientation on the 29th. My question is if we don't get uniforms for 90 to 120 days or so, what do we need to wear as far as clothes and shoe wear go? and also how long is orientation? Thanks

Asked by heather about 12 years ago

Congratulations on being hired as a CCA for the USPS. I would recommend wearing a comfortable shirt and comfortable walking shoes. Shorts should be allowed as well if you are working in a warmer climate. If orientation is at a centralized office the first day and you won't be delivering mail, please ask the USPS employee that question. You may also call the station you are assigned to and they might have a suggestion as well. They may give you a baseball cap to wear or maybe you can bring your own. Be sure to be bring water and a lunch as well. As far as I know orientation is part classroom, part driver-training, and part on-the-job (where you follow or assist a letter carrier on their route). I hope this helps and Good Luck to you!

Do I need to go to the post office to mail a letter to Guatemala, or can I just put a couple extra stamps on the letter?

Asked by Bri over 11 years ago

I think if you put a total of 3 Forever Stamps on an envelope that would be sufficient to cover a letter to Guatemala. The minimum rate for a letter there is apprx. $1.10 so 3 stamps would be good to be on the safe side. A trip to the PO wouldn't be necessary unless the item weighed more than 13 oz. I think.

I was just hired as a CCA and training starts in a few weeks. Are there any tips you can give me, i hear there are high turnover rates and im a bit nervous that i will not be able to complete the tasks.

Asked by Peanut about 12 years ago

I have heard the same thing you have regarding high turnover rate among CCAs. My recommendation is don't pay any attention to anyone who is very down on the job or says "what a mistake you've made coming here". When being trained pay attention to your on the job trainer and ask questions if you have any. When delivering mail, try to be conscientious about delivering it to the proper address as opposed to doing it quickly. Be polite and respectful to your co-workers and postal customers. Have a good attitude and if anyone in management says you aren't working quickly enough say "I'm doing the best I can". Also, when driving a postal vehicle, be very careful, always turn off the engine when leaving your seat, and lock the truck if it will be out of your sight. 

Why mailman often lie about being at home leaving pickup notice infact they never leave such notice?
Why do they enter sytem as package delivered when it fact it has not?causing Legal issues. What does supervisor KEYED package mean?

Asked by delivery status over 11 years ago

I have no idea why mailmen and Supv would lie about delivery status but I believe you when you say they do. Any time I have a package to deliver, I accurately record the status of the package, whether it be attempted or delivered, etc. I dont know what supervisor KEYED package means. It is unfortunate that this happens and causes you legal issues. A worker should be disciplined if they knowingly falsify the status of a package they are entrusted with. 

Hello, Can you tell me what happens when a first class mail parcel goes missing and it was never scanned by the mail carrier does the mail carrier have to pay out of their own pocket?

Asked by anon almost 11 years ago

I don't think there is any penalty for the letter carrier to pay anything out of pocket. I've never heard of this happening with respect to a First Class Mail Parcel going missing. It is usually hard to prove that a mail carrier actually had possession of the parcel and then didn't deliver it. I know the scans are meant for tracking an item but it may not prove internally who had possession of the parcel. This is different from a registered or certified item which we sign for when we take possession of them. The item could go missing anywhere along in the mail stream. I suppose if one particular mail carrier had several complaints that parcels on their route were missing it would raise some eyebrows and there would need to be an investigation as to the rate of missing parcels. I've never heard of it happening where I work, but I'm sure there are some letter carriers who aren't very honest. I still don't know how one could get away with taking multiple parcels without being caught. Then again, I don't have that kind of mindset so I'm a bit naive when it comes to this subject.

hey there i will be starting the cca postion soon. any advice?
- how long can it take to become "career" in queens?
- the allowance dose not cover much .
-must i wear strictly uniform or may i buy simular items

Asked by morgan almost 11 years ago

Congratulations on being hired as a CCA. First I will answer your questions and then I may give you some advice.

1) I don't know how long it will take to become a career employee in Queens. I've heard that the mobility and promotions are quicker in urban environments due to turnover and the number of positions, but I have no way of verifying that. The suburban office where I work has 6 CCAs and I think they have all been here for less than 1 year.

2) The uniform allowance isn't too much, but it should cover your basics. After a couple of years, I have had more than enough to wear and use the uniform allowance mostly on footwear (expensive..$100/pair) and warm weather clothing.

3) Technically, you should always be wearing all USPS regulation clothing/uniform once you have passed probation and are given a uniform allowance. Whether or not you actually have to do this will likely depend on your supervisor or postmaster. They seem fairly lax in my office in enforcing the uniform regulations which I think is wrong. I wear regulation clothing head to toe including footwear. The proper footwear is very important because it has to be approved to be slip-resistant. This job may require a lot of walking and you don't want a slip, trip or fall to injure yourself. Having the proper footwear and paying attention to where you are walking is very important.

My advice to you would be as professional as possible in performing your assigned job. Don't get involved in any office politics. Join the NALC. Bring any questions to your shop steward that you may have re: rights as a CCA. Work safely. As a CCA, you may be assigned to different stations on different days, have very few days off, and have an ever-changing work schedule. It's possible you will have a huge amt of hours per week or not many.  If a manager/supervisor gives you vague or unreasonable instructions, it's important to speak up to get clarification and/or tell them you won't be able to finish an assignment in the allotted time. Do not let yourself be bullied by management. They may try to intimidate you, but as long as you show up for work on time, work safely and professionally, things should work out fine. If you like the work and think that making a "career" employee would be good, don't give up on your CCA position no matter how stressful it could be at times. Being a career employee allows you to work a much more consistent schedule and receive paid sick leave, subsidized health insurance, and many other benefits.

 

Good luck!