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.
You are asking a good question which I don't know how to answer. When we were hired, co-workers who were certified as Driver-trainers would teach us how to drive the LLV and also sign us off as being trained. I don't know anything about "off the clock" or "off the job" rural carriers who offer training lessons or preparation on LLV training. I can only speak from personal experience that it wasn't terribly difficult to learn how to drive the LLV even though the steering wheel is on the opposite side that we are used to in the United States. Overall, the LLV drives similar to other automatic drive vehicles in the US. The important things to keep in mind is blind spots and handling in inclement weather. Those are times or conditions to be extra cautious and always wear your seat belt. Good Luck to you!!
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It hasnt happened to me before that somebody points to the back of my vehicle as if something was wrong. I can, however, picture that scenario. I believe I would safely pull over to the side of the road when I can and investigate what they may have been pointing at. Maybe it was a gas cap I forgot to replace, an open cargo lift door, or maybe I am dragging something. I do have people sometimes drive up near me, but if it is a busy road or they are unsafely positioned I will either ignore them or point them to pull over to the side of the road and assist them. Safety is my number one priority, because if I am injured or in a motor vehicle accident, I am not working and it could lead to internal discipline.
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If the flyers are unaddressed which would usually be the case when there are leftovers, I bring them back to the post office where they are usually discarded in a recycle bin. It's not too often that I have leftover flyers because they are usually distributed to the letter carriers in the correct quantity needed to cover the entire route (give or take a few). Another reason why we usually don't have leftovers is because we are supposed to count out the number of flyers needed for each section (loop or relay) resulting in a low amt of overage. I do see many flyers put in the recycle bin at the end of the day leading me to believe that some flyers aren't delivered or there is an error in the counts for some routes. A lot of flyers are probably of little interest to the recipients, but that isn't my concern. I am loyal to the mailers who are paying the USPS to provide delivery services for their advertising.
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I am not familiar with any rules that say you must empty your mailbox daily. I would let mail pile up in a mailbox until it may become full so no future mail can fit in a mailbox. It is not a common occurrrence where I deliver mail, but I am sure it does happen some places. If a mailbox came completely full, I may return any additional mail with the endorsement "box full".
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I can't say for sure but we often are the same person that delivers packages and regular post. During this time of year, it is common for some offices to have another person deliver packages separately from the post because the package volume can be so overwhelming. Some offices have full-time parcel post routes so the package would possibly be delivered by a different letter carrier. Thanks for writing and Happy Holidays!
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I agree that the note is not very professional. At our office, a SUpv has official forms that would be filled out if delivery was going to be suspended due to a blocked box. I believe you understand the point of the note. Since I don't know what your street looks like, I don't know the parking situation, but normally clearance has to be provided so the letter carrier can approach the mailbox, deliver the mail, and then depart without having to leave the vehicle. I don't know the best way to approach this issue, but a call to the PO wouldn't hurt and have a discussion with the supervisor regarding the note and the regulations for suspending delivery due to a blocked mailbox.
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Dan, I don't know the answer to your question. You likely live on a RR (Rural Route) or HCR (Highway Contract Route) given the fact that the mailbox is so far from your lake home. This has no bearing on what ZIP code you use as far as I know. I could see either ZIP code working based on what you told me, but I'm sure only one ZIP is actually correct. My suggestion is to stop in at a local post office during their business hours and ask a clerk or supervisor what ZIP you shoud be using or possibly call them if you can find their phone # or possibly 1-800-ASK-USPS. Thanks for writing and congratulations on your new home purchase.
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