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

im about to start orientation next week would I be able to get a set route right away or at least routating or a set schedule?

Asked by ryan about 12 years ago

Congratulations on your being employed with the USPS. It depends on the staffing of a particular office as to whether you will get a set route right away or varying hours. If the office is shorthanded, it's possible you can be assigned a route to daily and that will become your route until further notice. More often than not, new hires fill in where needed to cover carriers who are on vacation or sick leave or to deliver "pieces" on routes which one carrier may not be able to complete in their workday. At a certain time, usually after probation is over, you can bid to "hold down" a route or assignment of rotating routes when a carrier is out on vacation or extended sick leave. If you "hold down" an assignment this entitles you to do that route daily and you can only be "bumped off" that route under certain circumstances which are covered in the labor/mgmt or local agreement.

What would you recommend as procedure if we get someone else's mail? Write a note on it? Leave it?

Asked by Anonymous over 12 years ago

I would recommend that you leave it in your mailbox the next day preferably with either a post-it note on it saying "delivered to wrong address" or writing it on the letter directly if you don't have post-it note or piece of paper to clip to it saying "delivered in error". Please return it somehow to your letter carrier or the PO as you'd probably want the same done if a letter addressed to you was delivered in error somewhere else.

how many day does a package to deliver

Asked by osman mateen over 11 years ago

It depends on a couple of important factors: method (or type of service) sent as well as distance to destination. Priority Mail is one of the best services we offer for parcels. It usually takes about 2 days for most destinations around the country.  A more economical method is called Standard Mail or Parcel Post (not sure of the current name) which could take between 1-5 days depending on distance. Weather and Holidays could sometimes delay the transportation of parcels as well. When parcels are shipped the mailer gets a tracking number so they can see how their shipment is progressing through our transportation network similar to if you shipped via UPS or FedEx. Thanks for your question. 

Are there any specific USPS regulations for installing a mailbox at my home on Long Island?

Asked by chertz over 12 years ago

They are likely the same nationwide.

My fiancé is a CCA and we planned to go out of town for the weekend after he got off work Saturday. His boss told him on Thursday he had to work Sunday. Can they force him to work or fire him for not showing up even though Sunday isnt a reg work day?

Asked by Mmmmm over 12 years ago

I don't know for sure whether or not your fiance's boss can make him work on Sunday. I know when I was a PTF (Part-time Flexible) we did work Sunday's on occasion and during this time of year (December) it would be pretty common. He should speak to your boss and say that you already made plans to take a small trip which would include Sunday and could he possibly have off of work that day. I do understand that being a CCA is difficult with scheduling because you are expected to be available on virtually any day. Please make sure he asks off ahead of time for the wedding (If you have a date scheduled).

If I accidentally use a priority box for first class shipping, will it be sent bam to me?!?

Asked by Kristie almost 13 years ago

The item may be sent back to you for more postage for the Priority Rate. Did the item you mailed weigh 13 oz. or less.(domestic) That is the only way you can qualify for first class shipping. But, if the item is in a Priority Box it needs the Priority Rate. You might get lucky and the package will be delivered with no extra fee added.

Our mailbox has no names on it, the other day on one of our letters was written "do they live here"

Does that mean the mailman has not been delivering that persons mail? Would the missing mail be held at the post office or sent back to sender?

Asked by Meg over 12 years ago

The Missing mail would likely be returnEd to the sender and not kept at the PO. if I were the carrier and I saw mail with a name I wasn't familiar with, I think I would deliver it and if each time the letter was not returned to me with a notice saying "not here", I would assume it was a valid delivery. Unless you live on a rural route, there is no obligation that I'm aware of to notify what names are valid at a specific address. I generally deliver it until told otherwise.