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

I enjoy officework and paperwork, and in particular "tracking things down" (detective work). The dead letter department for instance, might be really interesting. How does one find a PO office job, especially such as the above?

Asked by KaneKat over 12 years ago

I don't know how one would get the job in the dead letter office tracking things down. That would likely be a clerk position which may become internally available after working for awhile at another position.

1028 Votes

If my tracking number shows up when I use your website, does it mean you are delivering the package when it arrives to the US?

Asked by MrPlaneDick almost 13 years ago

I think when the tracking number shows up on the USPS website, i think that means the item has arrived in the US. I don't know how long it takes to actually get delivered. It's also possible items are delayed in US Customs, but i dont know how common that is. 

1026 Votes

Do I have to empty my mailbox everyday? Sometimes I am not in town overnight. Every time I do not get my mail for a day, the mailman takes the mail back to the main post office and leaves me a note saying "You must remove mail every day"....

Asked by Cindi over 12 years ago

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 to the sender with a note saying "mailbox full."

1025 Votes

How long does it usually take to mail a letter, dropped off in a blue collection box, across the states?

Asked by BWras over 12 years ago

If the letter is dropped in the blue collection box before the pickup time, then it is 1-3 days for a letter to be delivered across the states. Maybe AK and HI would be longer, but that is for the 48 contiguous states. 

1024 Votes

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What do the six colors for case blocks mean?
Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, White.

Thanks.

Asked by musicnmustangs about 12 years ago

I think you mean in our carrier cases when we sort the mail in the post office, we use different color plastic tabs or colored bars to put in the case to indicate the status of certain addresses. Some carriers are better at using these than others and I don't think it's mandatory, but I think it is a great tool to help the carrier remember any changes on the route and to communicate that information for any substitute letter carrier.

The following is my understanding of the colors:

Red=I don't know

Green=Hold Mail

Yellow=Certain name at that address has/had a forwarding order on file (In our colored tabs, you can actually put a small tab of paper in there with the name of the family/individual/business that has a forwarding order on file)

Orange=Vacant Address-Do not deliver anymail here

White=Unknown

1024 Votes

What is the best pair of shoes you have found for letter carriers?

Asked by Cecilton,MD almost 12 years ago

As letter carriers, we are required to wear certain type of shoes that meet certain safety requirements. They all must have an SR/USA certification for slip resistance. For many years I have worn New Balance MK706BL ordered through a postal uniform vendor. There are many choices and I think they range from $70-$120. These are low-cut, black, walking shoes. If you do a web search for USPS Uniform Footwear the result will likely show you the many choices available. 

1023 Votes

I have removed the mailbox from my house because travel often. I have a PO box. Every time i return I find junk mail stuffed into the screen door. I have complained to the local Post Office but nothing gets done. What are my options?

Asked by Hugh Mann almost 13 years ago

I agree with you that as long as you don't have a mailbox up, then NOTHING should be delivered at all. We would discard any Standard Mail (usually circulars or donation solicitations). Any first class mail should be marked "No Mail Receptacle" and returned to sender. One option would be to put your mail on hold while you are away. You can do that online or by going into any PO and filling out an "authorization to hold mail" form. 

1023 Votes

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