Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

I think you misunderstood my question. I meant when the person walks up next to his box when you drive by, do you give him the mail, or do you put it in the box anyway? My carrier won't deliver my mail unless I am well away from my box when he comes.

Asked by bryce over 12 years ago

I deliver the mail via foot and don't drive up to a mailbox as you describe. The town in which I deliver mail does have sections where the letter carriers do drive up to a mailbox and put the mail in. I did this when I was a substitute letter carrier and will do it on occasion if that carrier is out or needs assistance. If the situation you described occurred while I was delivering, I would hand them the mail. I don't know if there is a policy against handing the mail directly to a customer in the environment you described. Some carriers may not want to hand the mail directly to a customer from their postal vehicle for safety reasons.

904 Votes

Can a mail carrier close a mailbox in an office setting and return items to sender because the mailbox is full?

Asked by P-Fever about 12 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean by close a mailbox, whether if the door/lid is ajar or you mean permanently close it and return mail to the sender. I do know if a mailbox is full and the mail isn't claimed after awhile (not sure of the time frame), the letter carrier does have the option to return "overflow" mail to the senders with the endorsement on it saying "box full". Another option is that the mail can be put into a "hold" area in the post office with a note on top saying "box full" and waiting to see if the mailbox is emptied and then would deliver the mail being held at the post office. I don't know if one procedure is correct and the other isn't. I haven't experienced it much (if at all) during my career.

902 Votes

Just got offer for cca position AND just found out my license is suspended, what can i do? been unemployed for a year and really need this position.

Asked by mary over 12 years ago

I am not sure what will happen re :your license being suspended and being offered a CCA Position. How long do you think it will be before you get your license back? I don't believe it is legal to have you driving a USPS vehicle with a suspended driver license.

900 Votes

Can I give my mailman the key to a new lock mailbox I just bought? I live in a 3 family house and someone is stealing my mail.

Asked by LA almost 12 years ago

LA, it is awful that mail is being stolen. I don't know what good it will do, but I would recommend reporting that to your local post office or the Postal Inspectors. To answer your question, I don't know that a mailman would get involved with being responsible for a key to a private mailbox. If everyone on their route did that, how would they keep track of all of those keys? Furthermore, if that mailman was off/sick/vacation, how could you be sure that the replacement mailman would get the key? I just don't think it will be feasible or practical or possibly even allowed. Another option (though less convenient) would be to rent a PO Box which would definitely be secure.

900 Votes

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I've been having this issue that I sometimes don't receive postal mail.It gets returned to the sender saying: the individual has moved.This has been happening mostly with mails being sent to me from out-of-city.Any clues as to why this is happening?

Asked by Hamza about 12 years ago

I'm sorry but I don't know why this would be happening. Did someone with a similar name possibly live at or near your address and then moved and not leave a forwarding address? I know that isn't a likely reason. The only suggestion I can think of is to contact your local post office and re-affirm that you are still at your present address and don't return any mail that comes with your name to your present address. If it isn't your local post office that is returning your mail, I don't know how/why this is a happening. Thank you for writing.

899 Votes

Hello, thanks for this site, it's helpful. I have an interview for the CCA position this week.

I am wondering, if after X amount of years, if I am giving a career position if I had the option to transfer to a rural carrier at some point?

Asked by PossibleCCA over 12 years ago

You're welcome and thank you for the compliment. Good luck to you in the interview this week for CCA. The rural carrier position is a completely separate pay scale and pay method vs. city carriers. They are also represented by a different union. I honestly don't know the procedure or opportunities for transfering between a city carrier and rural carrier. City carriers are paid by time at an hourly wage. Rural Carriers are given a route, or part of a route, to complete and paid a set wage on the volume of mail for a particular assignment. I think the dollar amt. is adjusted yearly during a "mail count" period for rural carriers. The sooner a rural carrier finishes their daily assignment, the sooner they can go home and still be paid a set amt. for the day. In the office that my brother works in, I think that most of the rural carriers are done before noon and start their day apprx. 7:00 AM. It is a pretty good deal for them. Some of them are required to work 6 days/week as part of their regular assignment. The office I work in has both city carriers and rural carriers though I've not ever seen one transfer between crafts. It doesn't mean it can't be done. I'm sorry that I'm just not familiar with how it's done and if it would mean a re-starting over in your craft seniority for bidding purposes.

897 Votes

I know it's illegal to open someone else's mail, and I write return to sender on it, and send it back, but what if there is no return address? I would like to read and try to find out who sent it, and contact them, but the law won't let me. What do?

Asked by Not The Recipient over 12 years ago

In your example, I would write "addressee not known" and leave it out for the letter carrier to take back to the PO. Eventually the letter may wind up in the dead letter (Nixie) office where it may be opened and returned to the sender if it can be determined who should get it back or who it should be sent to. I personally wouldn't recommend opening the letter if you aren't the intended recipient. I understand your intentions are good, but I wouldn't want to get involved with someone else's first class mail.

895 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

I think you misunderstood my question. I meant when the person walks up next to his box when you drive by, do you give him the mail, or do you put it in the box anyway? My carrier won't deliver my mail unless I am well away from my box when he comes.

Can a mail carrier close a mailbox in an office setting and return items to sender because the mailbox is full?

Just got offer for cca position AND just found out my license is suspended, what can i do? been unemployed for a year and really need this position.

Can I give my mailman the key to a new lock mailbox I just bought? I live in a 3 family house and someone is stealing my mail.

Also on Jobstr...

I've been having this issue that I sometimes don't receive postal mail.It gets returned to the sender saying: the individual has moved.This has been happening mostly with mails being sent to me from out-of-city.Any clues as to why this is happening?

Hello, thanks for this site, it's helpful. I have an interview for the CCA position this week.

I am wondering, if after X amount of years, if I am giving a career position if I had the option to transfer to a rural carrier at some point?

I know it's illegal to open someone else's mail, and I write return to sender on it, and send it back, but what if there is no return address? I would like to read and try to find out who sent it, and contact them, but the law won't let me. What do?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

I think you misunderstood my question. I meant when the person walks up next to his box when you drive by, do you give him the mail, or do you put it in the box anyway? My carrier won't deliver my mail unless I am well away from my box when he comes.

Can a mail carrier close a mailbox in an office setting and return items to sender because the mailbox is full?

Just got offer for cca position AND just found out my license is suspended, what can i do? been unemployed for a year and really need this position.

Can I give my mailman the key to a new lock mailbox I just bought? I live in a 3 family house and someone is stealing my mail.

Also on Jobstr...

I've been having this issue that I sometimes don't receive postal mail.It gets returned to the sender saying: the individual has moved.This has been happening mostly with mails being sent to me from out-of-city.Any clues as to why this is happening?

Hello, thanks for this site, it's helpful. I have an interview for the CCA position this week.I am wondering, if after X amount of years, if I am giving a career position if I had the option to transfer to a rural carrier at some point?

I know it's illegal to open someone else's mail, and I write return to sender on it, and send it back, but what if there is no return address? I would like to read and try to find out who sent it, and contact them, but the law won't let me. What do?

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Hello, thanks for this site, it's helpful. I have an interview for the CCA position this week.

I am wondering, if after X amount of years, if I am giving a career position if I had the option to transfer to a rural carrier at some point?