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.
I'm not sure I understand your question but I'll take a guess that you want to know the three main things we do on our job. Our main job is to sort mail (a little bit in the AM) , deliver mail and parcels and collect outgoing mail in a prescribed geographic area. It is most important we do this in a safe, professional, and courteous manner and pay attention to the addresses and deliver the mail properly. It is a fairly simple job in my opinion but can be physically challenging in harsh weather and heavy mail loads. Thank you Jacob for your question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20three%20things%20do%20mailman%20have%20to%20do%20on%20the%20job%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16957)
Cathy, in my opinion that is a tricky situation. I think it technically can be up to the carrier to decide whether or not they feel safe delivering mail to the house with the dog or not. On the flip side, I encounter that situation a couple of times per day and don't think twice about delivering to houses where I know the storm door is latched and strong enough to contain the dog. This is coming from a carrier (me) who isn't too comfortable with dogs overall and have never owned one. It is a very rare situation (almost zero) that I've refused to deliver mail to a house with a dog inside the front door. If the door looks a bit ajar I might put my foot by the front door while delivering the mail. I'm not sure any of this helps. I think the basic mantra is if we don't feel comfortable delivering to a house we don't have to. It seems a bit too gray though because someone could take that to an extreme. I feel it's always easier to deliver the mail then to have to bring it back and then attempt 2x the amount on the next delivery day.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=A%20person%20in%20my%20neighborhood%20is%20not%20getting%20her%20mail%20because%20the%20carrier%20is%20afraid%20of%20the%20dog%20INSIDE%20her%20house.%20She%20leaves%20her%20front%20door%20open%2C%20but%20has%20a%20sturdy%20storm%20door.%20She%20called%20the%20local%20manager%2C%20who%20said%20that%20it%20is%20always%20up%20to%20carriers.%20True%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/18946)
I don't know how long you get to deliver a certified letter, but 3 minutes sounds reasonable to me per address. If the recipient is not home, it does take time to fill out a PS Form 3849 properly to leave in their mailbox. If the recipient is home, they need to sign the MDD and possibly a return receipt which also takes a bit of time. It also takes time to wait at a customer's door once you ring a door bell or knock. My general answer is however long it takes you to properly attempt/deliver a certified letter is what it takes. I don't know of any official time variances. I don't fill out PS Form 3849 in the office because there is a chance you won't need to leave a notice so it's wasting time to prepare them in the office before attempting delivery.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20had%2020%20certified%20letters%2C%20what%20is%20the%20time%20variance%20to%20get%20it%20done.%20Is%20it%203%20minutes%20per%20letter&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17043)
Generally, if we had a postal route where we drive a USPS vehicle (as opposed to urban routes where carriers may just walk out from the local post office and pick up mail from relay boxes along the way), we should have no problem handling multiple packages in one day even if they are different sizes. It's common for a recipient to get large and small items in the same day. I generally put them all together and leave them on the ground near the front door or mailbox. I would treat this situation just like I would getting lots of packages domestically. The items may have a tracking bar code that I'd scan as delivered once I delivered the items. I hope your experience is just as I've described.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%2C%20I%20ordered%20a%20bunch%20of%20stuff%20online%20on%20the%20same%20day%20from%20various%20online%20shops%20from%20the%20same%20country%20overseas.%20There%20will%20be%20many%20packages%20of%20different%20sizes.%20Can%20you%20tell%20me%20how%20a%20mailman%20may%20handle%20the%20packages%20if%20they%20all%20arrived%20on%20the%20same%20day%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17301)
Radio program/music director
What's your take on the whole Don Imus racism scandal?
iPhone & iPad Technician
Do you think tablets are just a fad?
Call Center Representative
Are you allowed to hang up on a caller if they're being very rude?
If you dropped the letter at the PO at 3:45 PM, there is an excellent chance that the letter would be collected out of the box the same day (assuming it was M-F) and then sent to a local mail processing facility to be sorted and then sent to its destination. This usually takes two days if it's in the same city to get from the origin to destination. It used to be a one-day delivery standard but I think many places now operate on a two-day standard for First-Class mail in the same city.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20recently%20put%20mail%20in%20the%20drop%20off%20thing%20at%20the%20post%20office%20at%203%3A45%20.%20When%20will%20the%20mailman%20get%20it%20out%20to%20take%20it%20to%20its%20designated%20spot%20.%20It%27s%20in%20the%20same%20city%20where%20it%27s%20going%20to&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16904)
It's hard to say whether or not the job will be too physical or not for you. In the office where I work, there are a few heavier women who have recently been hired and are doing well. They sometimes come back from delivering and look wiped out but can still do the job. It also may depend on how much walking the job entails. In some offices the letter carriers drive a delivery vehicle all day and don't have to carry a satchel with mail on their shoulders. I recommend getting as much rest as possible the night before work and eat properly. When starting out, however, don't overdo it in terms of physical exertion. If you start to feel ill, slow down stay hydrated. I don't want to mislead you and say that everyone can handle this job physically, but I've seen many people who look out of shape so just fine as letter carriers. Good luck to you!
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%27m%2041%20and%20female%20slightly%20overweight%20and%20inactive.%20I%20just%20got%20hired%20as%20a%20CCA.%20Will%20the%20job%20be%20to%20physical%20for%20me%20starting%20out%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17486)
The letter carrier shouldn't be putting your former neighbors mail in your mailbox just because they moved out without putting in a forwarding request. After all, it's not your mail and you have nothing to do with it. After awhile, the letter carrier should empty the mailbox, discard any standard mail (advertising mail of a certain class) and return any first and second class mail as "unable to forward" to the sender. At the PO, that address or unit should be marked as "vacant" so no mail is left there unless a new tenant or homeowner moves in. We shouldn't be delivering mail to addresses known to be vacant. You may leave a note note mailbox saying something to the effect "please don't leave any mail for (insert your neighbors name and/or address) in my mailbox. Thank you." If that doesn't work, you may contact your post office and mention this to a manager or delivery supervisor. From what you've described , the letter carrier(s) serving your area is quite unprofessional and doesn't care to address the issue of the mailbox overflowing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=My%20neighbor%27s%20moved%20and%20did%20not%20forward%20their%20mail.%20%20%20Now%20that%20their%20mailbox%20is%20full%20the%20postman%20delivers%20it%20to%20my%20mailbox.%20Is%20this%20wrong%3F%20The%20mail%20is%20piling%20up%20and%20spilling%20out%20all%20over%20the%20street.%20The%20mailbox%20won%27t%20even%20close%20anymore.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17312)
-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
