Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Will a mail man come back afyer his route if there is a package to large for him to carry

Asked by logan over 10 years ago

I am not sure. If the letter carrier is using a postal delivery vehicle like a 2-ton truck or LLV (long-life vehicle), they will usually deliver a parcel before or after they deliver the mail and smaller parcels on that street or area. If they are a foot carrier with a walk-out route that means they don't drive a delivery vehicle and another postal employee, usually a Parcel Post carrier, would deliver the large parcel separately. Thanks for your question.

574 Votes

is it quicker mailing a letter at the post office versus dropping it in a local mailbox to get to the recipient?

Asked by BARB about 11 years ago

It depends when you drop the letter in the blue collection box. If it is before the daily pickup time (which is usually posted on a label somewhere on the box) then it is likely going to be on the same dispatch truck as if you put the letter in a box at the PO. The truck then goes to a centralized mail processing facility. If you put the letter in a blue collection mailbox after the daily cutoff time posted on the mailbox, but the local PO is still open, you'd probably be better off bringing the letter there for mailing. At most POs you can probably bring in letter up until 1700 for same-day processing.

574 Votes

How do you keep your hands warm in cold weather while holding or gripping, fingering and delivering a mail bundle?

Asked by vbjmin about 11 years ago

Vbjmin, you ask a question that I'd love to know the perfect answer to as I've been struggling with this issue from the beginning of my postal career. Cold hands are really hard to tolerate especially when you will be out delivering hours and they must be nimble enough to finger the mail. I wear a glove (thick or thin) on the hand where I hold the mail and cradle the flats since I don't need that hand to finger the mail. The hand that I use to finger the mail and deliver the mail I try to wear a thinner and sometimes fingerless glove or one with small gripping dots on them This has worked okay over the years. Another item which can be useful is "hot hands" which are small single-use packets that form a chemical reaction and heat up for several hours. You can put those in your pocket or even inside your glove. I have rarely used these but my girlfriend, not a letter carrier, loves them. I have purchased many pairs of gloves over the years. It's just a matter of finding the ones that keep you warm enough but allows you to still feel the mail. Thanks for writing and winter is my least favorite season to deliver mail.

574 Votes

I am waiting for my package outside my apartment's mail box am I allowed to ask for my package before he or she puts it in my mailbox

Asked by Jaime over 10 years ago

It depends on who your letter carrier is. Some will give it to you ahead of time and others will want to place it in the mailbox so they know you have legitimate access to your mailbox. As long as I knew the individual resided at the address associated with the package or they could prove it with identification, I would hand them the package. In my career I've never had a problem. Please remember that not every letter carrier behaves the same way. Thank you for the question.

574 Votes

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I was wondering about the scan app on the new standard postage stamp you buy at the machines inside the post office,which are different from normal stamps. And what info comes up when you scan them with your Iphone? So far it hasn't yet worked for me

Asked by DavidB about 11 years ago

If you are referring to the forever stamps which are bought in a SSK (sales and service kiosk) which come in sheets of 10 for 4.90 and then are printed out on what looks like stickers there is no information on that scan that I'm aware of. I realize it has a code that looks like it is scannable. If you purchase postage to mail a package the label that is printed out to put on the package does have a scannable USPS tracking # which can be used with the Track function on the iphone USPS app. Thanks for the question and I do buy stamps from the SSK myself. It is so easy to use.

573 Votes

I paid off my car about 3 years ago and never received the title. I thought nothing of it til now since I am trying to sell my car. I called the lender and they said they sent it back in 2012. Is there any way I can find it throught the USPS?

Asked by Manual over 10 years ago

I think that titles are sent by regular first-class mail. That is how I've seen it in NY state. I'm not sure your lender does it the same way. Either way, there is no way to find it through the USPS. I don't know how easy it is to get a replacement title from your motor vehicle bureau. I'm sure there is a process as titles are probably lost or misplaced often. When car owners receive a title, they probably put it away somewhere, never to be looked at again until they want to sell of or dispose the car. You could also call back the lender to see if they have a procedure for replacing your clear title, but I don't know about this either.

573 Votes

Our carriers (town of 7k) leave "HOLD" notes in our home box when we request our mail held. Anyone can figure out which houses are easy targets for theft with that info. Is that protocol?They say they can't remember not to leave it otherwise.

Asked by KC D about 11 years ago

I don't know what is technically the protocol for a carrier reminding themselves that a house is on hold. You make a good point. Most of our carriers have hold notes or cards they sequence in with the mail nearby so when they arrive at the house on hold, they would know to skip it. The note or card is then brought back to the PO for use the next day. I just memorize it from when I prepare the mail in the PO in the AM, but I would usually have no more than 10-15 houses at once who are on hold and their mail usually is left behind at the PO so there would be nothing to deliver even if I forgot the house was on hold.

573 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Will a mail man come back afyer his route if there is a package to large for him to carry

is it quicker mailing a letter at the post office versus dropping it in a local mailbox to get to the recipient?

How do you keep your hands warm in cold weather while holding or gripping, fingering and delivering a mail bundle?

I am waiting for my package outside my apartment's mail box am I allowed to ask for my package before he or she puts it in my mailbox

Also on Jobstr...

I was wondering about the scan app on the new standard postage stamp you buy at the machines inside the post office,which are different from normal stamps. And what info comes up when you scan them with your Iphone? So far it hasn't yet worked for me

I paid off my car about 3 years ago and never received the title. I thought nothing of it til now since I am trying to sell my car. I called the lender and they said they sent it back in 2012. Is there any way I can find it throught the USPS?

Our carriers (town of 7k) leave "HOLD" notes in our home box when we request our mail held. Anyone can figure out which houses are easy targets for theft with that info. Is that protocol?They say they can't remember not to leave it otherwise.

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Will a mail man come back afyer his route if there is a package to large for him to carry

is it quicker mailing a letter at the post office versus dropping it in a local mailbox to get to the recipient?

How do you keep your hands warm in cold weather while holding or gripping, fingering and delivering a mail bundle?

I am waiting for my package outside my apartment's mail box am I allowed to ask for my package before he or she puts it in my mailbox

Also on Jobstr...

I was wondering about the scan app on the new standard postage stamp you buy at the machines inside the post office,which are different from normal stamps. And what info comes up when you scan them with your Iphone? So far it hasn't yet worked for me

I paid off my car about 3 years ago and never received the title. I thought nothing of it til now since I am trying to sell my car. I called the lender and they said they sent it back in 2012. Is there any way I can find it throught the USPS?

Our carriers (town of 7k) leave "HOLD" notes in our home box when we request our mail held. Anyone can figure out which houses are easy targets for theft with that info. Is that protocol?They say they can't remember not to leave it otherwise.

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