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.
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)
It is fine to ask the letter carrier not to walk through the flower beds and then track mud onto your porch. I'll admit I'm not the most considerate person sometimes when walking across lawns and through flowerbeds. I certainly don't want to crush the flowers. Ultimately it's your property and you can request anything you'd like as to how the carrier approaches the mailbox. It's possible that even if your regular carrier adheres to your request any replacement letter carrier my not adhere to your request if they aren't notified by your regular carrier via a "carrier" alert card. Any reasonable letter carrier should understand and adhere to your request.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Thanks%20for%20your%20fast%20response.%20I%20only%20have%20one%20more%20%3F%20You%20said%20it%27s%20okay%20to%20walk%20through%20yards.%20What%20about%20landscaping%3F%20My%20mail%20guy%20was%20stepping%20through%20my%20flower%20beds%20and%20jumping%20up%20on%20my%20porch%2C%20making%20a%20muddy%20mess.%20I%20asked%20him%20to%20stop.%20Is%20that%20ok%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/18947)
I probably won't be able to assist you with your specific situation but can't give my opinion. I personally think it's not true and the letter carrier is being a bit difficult. It can be annoying to a letter carrier to be interrupted when distributing mail to the cluster boxes but I suppose there are worse things to worry about. I only deliver mail to a cluster box community on occasion and if someone came up to me I'd use my judgment and likely give them their mail. It's a gated community and know of no mail theft issues whatsoever. In your case you even come with a key so it's clear that you are the resident for a particular mailbox and he shouldn't worrry about you taking from another mailbox. Please keep in mind that this is only opinion and it's not something I go through on a daily basis. In the office where I work, we have received no instructions that I can recall about allowing customers to retrieve mail from their cluster box while the letter carrier is servicing them. Letter carriers are tasked with keeping the mail secure but I think with any level of reasonableness they can do that especially with peole they may know personally. Thanks for your question though I don't know if you'll make any headway with your particular new letter carrier.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20live%20in%20a%20hirise.%20Mail%20is%20delivered%20to%20a%20clusterbox%20on%20the%201st%20floor.%20The%20new%20mailman%20will%20not%20permit%20me%20to%20unlock%20my%20mailbox%20and%20retrieve%20my%20mail%20while%20he%20is%20delivering%20mail%20saying%20that%20since%20some%20of%20the%20boxes%20are%20unlocked%20the%20area%20is%20insecure%3F%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/18062)
They do make a difference. By affixing a Priority Mail sticker, you are required to pay the Priority Mail rate which can be much higher than the standard parcel post rate or what I think is called retail ground. Priority Mail is given excellent treatment as far as how it is transported from origin to destination and there is a very high likelihood that the item will be delivered within 1-3 days of mailing depending on the destination. If the sticker is affixed to an item but there isn't sufficient postage to cover the Priority Mail rate, the parcel will be either returned to the sender for being "short paid" or an attempt to collect the underpayment from the recipient as "postage due".
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20have%20Priority%20Mail%20stickers%20I%20can%20affix%20to%20the%20outside%20of%20packaging.%20Do%20they%20make%20any%20difference%20in%20how%20the%20parcel%20is%20processed%20or%20handled%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/18633)
Border Patrol Agent
When you catch an illegal alien crossing the border, is he deported immediately?
Call Center Representative
Are you allowed to hang up on a caller if they're being very rude?
CPR Trainer
Are men better at CPR than women because they're generally stronger?
Barbara, I have no idea how that information would be found with the USPS. I also don't know If those type of HR/Personnel records are public. Before 1971, the USPS was the Post Office Department, an executive branch of the US Government. Even if the information was available I don't know who would be helpful enough in the current USPS HQ or Human Resources Department to look this up. It would seem like a needle in a haystack and I don't have confidence you'd get anywhere in your search. This is based on my personal observations of my employer, not through any knowledge of your specific question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20was%20wondering%20if%20you%20would%20know%20how%20I%20would%20go%20about%20trying%20to%20find%20the%20last%20name%20of%20a%20letter%20carrier%20from%201967%20in%20Brooklyn%2C%20NY.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/18694)
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)
During the winter I wear whatever brand clothing makes the USPS uniforms that I purchased. We have only a few choices about the brand of clothing we buy from authorized uniform vendors. I wear whatever will keep me warm and dry from head to toe. I've found that it's best to dress in layers and bring more warm clothes than you may need so you're not caught outside freezing or wet.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20brand%20winter.%20It%27s%20do%20you%20wear%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17598)
-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
