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.
To be honest Henry, I don't know what happens when you drop a UPS package off in a USPS collection box by mistake. The logical thing would be for us to hand it off to UPS somehow. UPS drop boxes and drivers are pretty easy to find in NYC. You say there is no UPS tracking information that's been updated. Like you said, I doubt it will be turning up anywhere but I don't know what would happen to it unless it's sitting on some pile of errantly mailed items at a mail sorting facility. Nothing surprises me at the USPS when it comes to missing items. I hate to be a pessimist but I hear enough stories of us errantly delivering mail or packages and then who knows what the recipient does with it, if anything. I try to be very accurate and diligent with my deliveries as do most of my co-workers but it just takes a few screw-ups to ruin the journey of a package or letter which was properly mailed. I know I got off on a tangent here. Maybe you could wait another week before considering it lost or call the USPS customer service phone number. I'm not sure how much help they can be in this situation.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%20Dave%2C%20%0A%0AI%20have%20accidentally%20dropped%20off%20a%20UPS%20package%20in%20a%20USPS%20mailbox%20within%20NYC.%20I%20have%20waited%202%20weeks%20for%20it%20to%20be%20handed%20over%20to%20UPS%2C%20but%20it%20has%20not%20turned%20up%20in%20my%20tracking.%20Should%20I%20assume%20that%20I%20will%20not%20get%20this%20back%3F%20It%20has%20my%20passport&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15583)
Yes, stamps are required. I believe what is printed in the upper right hand corner of the postcard is known as an indicia. That is to indicate to the USPS has been paid for the postage but only after being brought to. Business Mail Entry Unit (a BMEU). In that case no additional postage is required. To answer your question you aren't using EDDM so after you affix the address label, you would need to put a .49 Forever stamp on each card since I believe the card exceeds the dimensions for a .35 postcard. I believe I'm correct about all of this but it wouldn't hurt to physically go into a Post Office and see if any of the retail clerks or supervisors can give you a more definitive answer. Good luck with the mailing and your business.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%20i%27m%20buying%20these%20postcards%20https%3A%2F%2Findexprints.net%2Fproducts%2Fdetails%2F225%2FMCA-EDDM-65X9-Postcards%23.Vo0r1rYrJnI%0A%0Aand%20i%27m%20also%20buying%20labels%20to%20but%20on%20them%20since%20i%27m%20not%20using%20every%20door%20direct%20mail.%20Would%20i%20still%20need%20to%20buy%20postage%20stamps%20for%20them%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16218)
As far as I know you are allowed to. I know some carriers who have portable radios or just use their PED to play music. As far as a cell phone goes, I'm pretty sure you can use it as long as it is hands free. I have a route where I walk most of the day and I listen to podcasts on my iPhone. I have one earphone in and leave the other ear free. I think it's inappropriate and a bit unsafe to have both ears covered while delivering on foot or driving. The outside noise is important to hear if a car is coming or a customer that may need your attention. From time to time, there may be a safety talk or notice at work about the use of personal electronic devices but it doesn't seem too strict or maybe just not enforced. I don't like seeing my colleagues have both ears covered while delivering mail, but I'm not a supervisor so I don't address this issue.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Are%20you%20allowed%20to%20listen%20to%20music%20in%20your%20truck%3F%20Say%20for%20a%20cell%20phone&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15017)
Jay, I don't know what happened to your package. It would be odd for a package from TX bound for GA to wind up in OH once already being in GA. My guess is that it was somehow missorted and put on a truck or plane to OH. As long as it was addressed properly there is a very good chance it will soon make it back to GA and be delivered to you. While I can't guarantee this, it would take multiple sorting and delivery errors for you not to receive your package. There will be a delay of at least a day or two until you finally receive the package (assuming that you do receive it).
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20live%20in%20GA.%20I%20am%20expecting%20a%20pkg%20from%20TX%20soon%20and%20when%20I%20last%20tracked%20it%20online%20it%20was%20in%20GA.%20A%20few%20hours%20later%20I%20track%20it%20again%20and%20its%20now%20in%20OH.%20What%20happened%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15818)
CBP Officer
Do you catch less marijuana at the border now that it's being decriminalized in some States?
The IT Guy
What's the the stupidest IT question you've every gotten?
School Teacher
How do you feel about the idea of year-round schooling?
I don't know about this. I have never been interested or been asked to find out if a particular person owns a PO Box. I would say that we can't look up in a database to see if a person owns a PO Box.I do have access to the actual PO Boxes where I work and can see from the labels at the clerk side of the PO Box who the current renter of the PO Box is, but don't know of any internal database that I'd have access to. Anybody can go online (general Google search) to search for the address where a person lives and that may yield a result, but it wouldn't likely result in any PO Box info.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Can%20I%20hide%20a%20po%20box%20from%20a%20mailman%20I%20know%20whose%20route%20is%20not%20in%20my%20zip%20code%20or%20neighborhood%3F%20Can%20any%20mailman%20look%20up%20the%20address%20or%20po%20box%20of%20any%20person%20in%20the%20city%20he%20delivers%20mail%3F%20Are%20knowing%20things%20like%20this%20not%20restricted%20to%20people%20in%20his%20route%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16386)
Jessica, yes I have a very dry sense of humor and since you don’t know me it’s important I put LOL. If I didn’t you may have been a bit taken aback by the comment. Either of the reasons given by the fill-in guy could be valid but you think it may be another reason. I think eventually that you will find out by whether or not he starts delivering to your house again. Sometimes if we have too much to deliver, the supervisor will take away part of our route and give it to a substitute letter carrier or for another regular carrier as overtime.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=My%20mouth%20just%20dropped%21%20I%20am%20definitely%20no%20home%20wrecker%20lol%20I%20know%20you%20were%20kidding.%20%20I%20do%20have%20an%20update%20lol%2C%20I%20asked%20the%20fill%20in%20guy%20what%20happened%20and%20he%20said%20that%20my%20regular%20had%20too%20much%20mail%20to%20carry%20today%2C%20then%20said%20he%20thinks%20hes%20on%20vaca..%20BS&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/19362)
Congratulations on being offered and accepting the CCA position. I don't know what you'd be required to drive in Manhattan. In our office all carriers are trained on the LLV and on the 2-ton postal truck, but I haven't driven the latter in years and would be reluctant to if asked due to my lack of familiarity with it and I, too, don't like the size of it. In Manhattan I don't like to drive at all. It is so congested and some streets are pretty narrow. Besides the 2-ton I don't see too many other postal vehicles driven in Manhattan. Many CCAs work on Sunday's delivering Amazon parcels which requires driving. You may ask at orientation about this or if you felt comfortable you could ask a letter carrier that you might see delivering in Manhattan the same question which you posted here. Always wear your seatbelt and good luck David!
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%2C%20Dave.%20I%20just%20accept%20a%20CCA%20position%20in%20Manhattan%20district%20in%20New%20York%20City.%20Do%20I%20need%20to%20drive%20the%202%20ton%20postal%20van%3F%20Even%20though%20I%20have%20my%20driver%27s%20license%20for%20more%20than%2010%20years.%20I%27ve%20never%20driven%20a%20car%20this%20size.%20Especially%20in%20a%20city%20like%20NY&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16274)
-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
