Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Are there any special USPS requirements for installing a residential mailbox?

Asked by ch over 11 years ago

It depends if it is a curbside mailbox or a mailbox at the door to your house. If it is a curbside mailbox that the letter carrier must access from their postal vehicle then there are specific height rqmts and distance from the curb that the box must be. I don't have these specs here, but I imagine it can be found online by doing a search of "curbside residential mailbox requirements"

756 Votes

What do you do if somebody on your route walks up and asks you if you would hand them their mail instead of putting it in the box?

Asked by bryce over 11 years ago

If I had the mail somewhat accessible in an easy manner and if I knew who they were (which I usually do since I dsliver the same route daily) then I would hand them their mail. This doesn't happen very often though. If their house is later in the route and their mail isn't quickly accessible, I don't go out of my way to give them their mail that far ahead of time. I may make an exception if it is asked once in awhile, but not on a regular basis.

755 Votes

If a person lives at 1 address, has certain important mail delivered there & in the same town, use another person's address to have other mail delivered there?

Asked by Tim over 11 years ago

I am not completely sure what is being asked by this question, but here is the general rule that we should follow when delivering mail. Unless there is an official change of address order on file to forward a person's mail from one address to another then the mail should only be delivered to the address which is printed on the envelope as to where the letter should go.

755 Votes

I just got hired as a CCA and start orientation next week. Go me! The current CCA (9 years) that delivers to my house is still trying to go FT. That seems a very long time to wait. IYO, how hard is it to go FT in the Los Angeles metro area?

Asked by FF over 11 years ago

I don't have any inside knowledge on how long it would take to make a FT regular carrier in the LA area. I agree though that 9 yrs is a long time to wait. Congratulations and good luck to you!

755 Votes

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when is the latest time a mail carrier should deliver the mail. We do not get our mailed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. He arrives at the mailboxes and it takes him 2 to 3 hours to sort the mail and put it in the boxes. We live in an apartment complex

Asked by Jules over 10 years ago

I can't give you an exact answer because operationally and geogrpahically the delivery times and deadlines are varied. I can make some generalizations but they will be based on what I experience or read about. At the PO where I work, most letter carriers are back and "off the clock" by 5PM meaning your mail should arrive no later than about 4:40PM. This is if the weather isn't severely hot or cold, our staffing level is sufficient, and the mail volume is not out if the ordinary. Where you live, it may be a very large apt complex that receives a lot of mail, staffing at the PO may not be up to where it should be, or the worker could just be slow. These are reasons, or possibilities as to why you receive your mail about 5:30 or 6:00 PM daily. It does sound slightly late to me, but not extreme, and I don't have any information on a standard cutoff time as to when mail should be delivered. Thanks for your question.

754 Votes

I have a vacation hold on my mail, but my carrier decides to take one piece out and give it to my neighbor with the request that she contact me as the carrier "thinks" the piece of mail might be "important." Is this against USPS rules?

Asked by Neeliec almost 11 years ago

I think it is wrong for a letter carrier to make any type of judgment whether or not a piece of mail is important or not. They shouldn't be involving a neighbor since the neighbor may or may not have any type of relationship with the customer and shouldn't be privy to any of the type or content of mail received by you. When a customer puts their mail on hold, I treat all mail the same way no matter if it looks like a check, biill, automobile advertisement, donation request, etc. It is definitely not our job to judge anything about the mail and I would suggest it is very much against the rules even though your carrier meant well. Thanks for writing.

754 Votes

Hey Dave! Just wanted to share because I've seen your page. I'm currently in central ny about to undergo my first day of carrier academy. I will be a Cca in a small city in upstate New York. I was wondering if you know as a Cca i would get lots hrs?

Asked by Ny cca over 10 years ago

Congratulations on getting hired as a CCA! I don't know how many hours you will get in your particular office as each office is unique. Usually, a CCA fills in for a regular carrier when they are out sick or on vacation to deliver their route. They are also given "pieces" or "splits" on routes when a regular carrier may not finish their route within 8 hours and they don't want to work overtime or when management doesn't authorize overtime for the regular city letter carrier. CCAs may also work on Sundays to deliver Amazon.com parcels. They don't do this in every office so I don't know if yours is included in that service. In the office I work at, the CCAs all get plenty of hours due to a bit of short staffing. I am not sure of the minimum hrs/shift or minimum hours/week that a CCA is guaranteed. If you go to www.nalc.org, or more specifically http://www.nalc.org/workplace-issues/city-delivery/cca-contractual-issues, they have details about being a CCA. It may be a bit technical, but it's a good reference. Good luck, be on time for work, and work safely. Try not to get involved with any office drama.

754 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Are there any special USPS requirements for installing a residential mailbox?

What do you do if somebody on your route walks up and asks you if you would hand them their mail instead of putting it in the box?

If a person lives at 1 address, has certain important mail delivered there & in the same town, use another person's address to have other mail delivered there?

I just got hired as a CCA and start orientation next week. Go me! The current CCA (9 years) that delivers to my house is still trying to go FT. That seems a very long time to wait. IYO, how hard is it to go FT in the Los Angeles metro area?

Also on Jobstr...

when is the latest time a mail carrier should deliver the mail. We do not get our mailed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. He arrives at the mailboxes and it takes him 2 to 3 hours to sort the mail and put it in the boxes. We live in an apartment complex

I have a vacation hold on my mail, but my carrier decides to take one piece out and give it to my neighbor with the request that she contact me as the carrier "thinks" the piece of mail might be "important." Is this against USPS rules?

Hey Dave! Just wanted to share because I've seen your page. I'm currently in central ny about to undergo my first day of carrier academy. I will be a Cca in a small city in upstate New York. I was wondering if you know as a Cca i would get lots hrs?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Are there any special USPS requirements for installing a residential mailbox?

What do you do if somebody on your route walks up and asks you if you would hand them their mail instead of putting it in the box?

If a person lives at 1 address, has certain important mail delivered there & in the same town, use another person's address to have other mail delivered there?

I just got hired as a CCA and start orientation next week. Go me! The current CCA (9 years) that delivers to my house is still trying to go FT. That seems a very long time to wait. IYO, how hard is it to go FT in the Los Angeles metro area?

Also on Jobstr...

when is the latest time a mail carrier should deliver the mail. We do not get our mailed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. He arrives at the mailboxes and it takes him 2 to 3 hours to sort the mail and put it in the boxes. We live in an apartment complex

I have a vacation hold on my mail, but my carrier decides to take one piece out and give it to my neighbor with the request that she contact me as the carrier "thinks" the piece of mail might be "important." Is this against USPS rules?

Hey Dave! Just wanted to share because I've seen your page. I'm currently in central ny about to undergo my first day of carrier academy. I will be a Cca in a small city in upstate New York. I was wondering if you know as a Cca i would get lots hrs?

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