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.
It's a very good question with a pretty easy answer. In our office, besides the regular letter carriers who deliver the same route daily, we have a group of carrier technicians (aka floaters) who deliver the mail when a carrier has a day off during the week. As much as mail is delivered Mon-Sat most carriers are only obligated to work 5 of those days. To also help fill the gap when a carrier is sick or on vacation or out for any reason a CCA (city carrier assistant) can deliver the mail. If we are very short-staffed (common in the office where I work), we deliver our own routes and then take part of the vacant route and deliver that, usually for OT pay. That is usually :30-1:00 of additional delivery time but could be longer.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Who%20delivers%20the%20mail%20if%20you%20are%20sick%20or%20on%20vacation%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15648)
Flower, whether you live in Canada or the U.S., my answer to your question is the same: I don't know what can be done to amend this. I don't know that it is illegal either. Most apartment buildings that I've seen have a cluster of mailboxes near the lobby and are serviced by a USPS worker (in the US). I, too, live in an apartment building (a cooperative) and a USPS Letter Carrier distributes the mail. Management has no access to the cluster boxes as far as I know. On the flip side, there may be some arrangement for the management to deliver the mail in your building though I don't know the mechanism that would allow for such an agreement. The only thing I can compare your situation to is that many college campuses have mail that is distributed by non-USPS employees into boxes usually at a residence hall or student center/union. I did that for one year when I attended a university in NY.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20live%20in%20a%20building%20with%20mailboxes%20we%20tennents%20access%20by%20key.%20However%20I%20found%20out%20that%20the%20management%20at%20our%20building%20puts%20the%20mail%20into%20the%20boxes%20and%20not%20the%20mailman.%20My%20boyfriend%20says%20this%20is%20illegal.%20%20What%20can%20I%20do%20to%20amend%20this%3F%20I%20live%20in%20Canada&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14655)
its possible that a holiday may delay mail delivery by a day. We don't always get the mail there on time except in the case of Priority Mail Express which is guaranteed by a certain date or the mailer can apply for a refund of the postage. During a holiday, I believe mail is still being transported through our distribution network, though I don't know if it is sorted at a mail plant and therefore could be delayed a day due to the holiday. The mail volume to be delivered the day after a Monday holiday is usually much more than a regular Monday.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Lets%20say%20Its%20monday%20and%20presidents%20day%2C%20specific%20mail%20is%20to%20come%20on%20a%20thursday.%20does%20presidents%20day%20affect%20it%20to%20come%20on%20friday%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14589)
I don't know where you mailed the letter from, but I think mail is still processed on a holiday even if there is no delivery. I would suggest that it will arrive on Tues or Wednesday. Also, I've heard through unofficial sources that the service standards for first class mail has been delayed by a day, at least with local mail. Mail that used to take one day has started to take two days as of last week, but I haven't heard any official word or complaints about it. I don't work in an environment where I'd head too many complaints from customers nor would management tell us of too much with regards to service changes unless they absolutely had to.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20sent%20a%20letter%20friday%20to%20California%20and%20it%20usually%20takes%203%20days%20to%20send%20but%20monday%20is%20MLK%20day%20so%20what%20day%20should%20it%20arrive&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14351)
Bouncer
How often would you find yourself in real danger?
CPR Trainer
Why does the 'official' CPR method change from time to time?
MBA Student
How many years of work experience do you REALLY need before applying?
I have just copied and pasted the answer I posted from a previous q with similar wording:
I don't know the answer to this. My guess is as long as it isn't being held in customs for further inspection, then it should clear in a couple of days. When I see items from overseas that is postmarked it seems that it took 7-10 days total from when it was mailed. I'm just going on observation here and don't have any inside knowledge on what the goal is to clear international packages for delivery.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=How%20long%20does%20it%20take%20for%20%20package%20to%20leave%20the%20international%20sorting%20center%20to%20be%20delivered&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15665)
Another good question that I'll fail miserably at. It's hard to find good gloves that will keep your ha ss warm and dry plus allow you to easily finger the mail. While I walk I wear a pretty regular glove on the hand where I hold the mail and then may leave the hand I use to finger the mail exposed but put it in my pocket between houses to keep it somewhat warm. You may also purchase single use hand warmers which you can keep in your pocket and they should last you the whole work day. Some carriers wear sealskin type gloves. I've never tried some so I can't comment on how good they are. Basically I own many pairs of gloves and just do a lot of experimenting to get it right. If it's raining try and bring multiple pair so you can exchange out wet gloves for dry gloves.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=On%20the%20topic%20of%20keeping%20dry%2C%20have%20you%20come%20across%20a%20good%20brand%20of%20gloves%20that%20keep%20your%20hands%20dry%20and%20warm%20during%20these%20colder%20months%20of%20rain%20and%20chills%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16215)
I didn't realize you'd be doing such a large mailing. I believe that amt of postcards would qualify for a discount but sometimes it depends on the quantity of pieces for a certain area, how the mailing is prepared, and where you enter it into the system (some large mailings are cheaper to drop off at a mail plant vs. a local PO). The name for a bulk mailing discount is usually called presort standard and presort first class Mail. The standard doesn't get handled as quickly as first class mail which is why it's cheaper. I am sure the answer is quite a bit more complex than what I've told you. Some resources that I'd look for are the Direct Marketing Association or search for "USPS bulk mailing discounts" or "basics of bulk mailing USPS". If stamps or meters are not affixed to your postcards you can't just drop them in a mailbox. The mailing would need to be processed through the BMEU (business mail entry unit). You may also need to get a bulk mailing permit to use an indicia and get a discount. I don't know these details at all. You ask good questions but my area of knowledge has more to do with the job of a city letter carrier. That is why I'm not being any more specific. Anything I've typed here is what I've learned over the years by asking my associates similar questions that you have asked. None of this knowledge is necessary to be a letter carrier.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%20again%20i%20got%20everything%20figured%20out%20with%20my%20postcard%20and%20am%20going%20to%20be%20sending%20out%2010%2C000%20at%20once.%20Would%20i%20be%20able%20to%20get%20a%20bulk%20discount%20for%20this%3F%20or%20would%20it%20be%20wiser%20to%20pay%20for%20first%20class%20postage%3F%20and%20will%20they%20be%20delivered%20the%20same%20either%20way&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16243)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
