Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

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.

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Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Best Rated

What are the nationwide regulations for resIdential mailboxes?

Asked by chertz over 12 years ago

I don't know what the regulations are for attaching a mailbox to your house. Does your letter carrier walk to your door to deliver the mail? If that is the case, the mailbox must be accessible in a safe area for the carrier to reach the mailbox. If you live in an area where the delivery is made to a curbside mailbox there are regulations for how tall the mailbox must be from the ground plus there must be clearance on either side of the box so that the postal vehicle can get in and out of the area without having to put the vehicle in reverse too much. 

hi, I have gotten hired as a CCA and start my orientation on the 29th. My question is if we don't get uniforms for 90 to 120 days or so, what do we need to wear as far as clothes and shoe wear go? and also how long is orientation? Thanks

Asked by heather over 12 years ago

Congratulations on being hired as a CCA for the USPS. I would recommend wearing a comfortable shirt and comfortable walking shoes. Shorts should be allowed as well if you are working in a warmer climate. If orientation is at a centralized office the first day and you won't be delivering mail, please ask the USPS employee that question. You may also call the station you are assigned to and they might have a suggestion as well. They may give you a baseball cap to wear or maybe you can bring your own. Be sure to be bring water and a lunch as well. As far as I know orientation is part classroom, part driver-training, and part on-the-job (where you follow or assist a letter carrier on their route). I hope this helps and Good Luck to you!

Recently started a business on eBay. One of the orders was marked as DELIVERED on the same day it was shipped, but the final destination is my own city. It's been seven days. What does this status mean? Will the shipment still reach its destination?

Asked by Freddy G over 12 years ago

I don't know why there would be a "delivered" scan on a package that was shipped the same day as the status you are referencing. That status usually means that the package was delivered. If the destination city is the same as the sending city, 7 Days seems like way too Long. Inside a city is usually the next day or 2. I don't know if your package will arrive at its destination but hope it will. You may call 1 800 ASK USPS with the tracking # to see if there is any more info/suggestions. 

I was just hired as a CCA and training starts in a few weeks. Are there any tips you can give me, i hear there are high turnover rates and im a bit nervous that i will not be able to complete the tasks.

Asked by Peanut over 12 years ago

I have heard the same thing you have regarding high turnover rate among CCAs. My recommendation is don't pay any attention to anyone who is very down on the job or says "what a mistake you've made coming here". When being trained pay attention to your on the job trainer and ask questions if you have any. When delivering mail, try to be conscientious about delivering it to the proper address as opposed to doing it quickly. Be polite and respectful to your co-workers and postal customers. Have a good attitude and if anyone in management says you aren't working quickly enough say "I'm doing the best I can". Also, when driving a postal vehicle, be very careful, always turn off the engine when leaving your seat, and lock the truck if it will be out of your sight. 

Are carriers allowed to listen to an mp3 player while walking a route?

Asked by Johnny over 11 years ago

That is a great question which I will answer in 2 ways. For the last few years I wore an MP3 player (iphone) with a wired earpiece while I delivered mail on foot and listened to podcasts. I always left one ear exposed and not listening to the podcasts. Nobody ever said a word to me about it. Recently, however, I returned to work after an extended absence (on an off for almost one year) and a co-worker who saw me "wired" to listen to the PED said that while I was out we had a service/safety talk that we weren't allowed to be using the PED's while we are at work either in or out of the Post Office. I thanked him for his advice, but thought I would do a little more investigating. I asked about 2 or 3 other co-workers and they said they didn't know anything about a rule like that. I didn't ask my supervisor or shop steward. I don't believe it is anything you would get disciplined for, but the mgmt. may say you aren't allowed to use them. If they ever did that I may ask to see that policy in writing even though I could see mgmt. as saying it falls under the "you will be distracted" reasoning. Again, I have never seen it as an issue at the PO where I work, but please keep in mind that I don't listen to it loudly and only have the ear buds in one ear. When a customer comes to speak with me, I put the personal electronic device (PED) on pause and sometimes even take out the earpiece. I would be very disappointed if they made a rule about not listening to an MP3 player while delivering mail as that is very helpful in getting me through the workday, not to mention I learn a lot from the podcasts. Thanks for writing in with your question.

Can a mailman place a stamp on a letter and mark a big "x" across the stamp and deliver the letter himself or have a Co - worker deliver the letter without it going through the USPS mail system?

Asked by Just asking over 10 years ago

I am sure this is done sometimes and possibly even without a stamp (which I think is very wrong to do). I sometimes see a card or letter being mailed from one customer on the route to another. I guess I could just cancel the stamp with a pen and deliver the letter directly, but I put the mail into the regular outgoing mail dispatch and have it run through the system. Delivery time is usually 2 days later. I have never heard either way if there is a proper procedure to be followed. If a co-worker gave me a letter to be delivered, I'd likely deliver it without it going through the mail processing system. It rarely comes up though.

Do I need to go to the post office to mail a letter to Guatemala, or can I just put a couple extra stamps on the letter?

Asked by Bri about 12 years ago

I think if you put a total of 3 Forever Stamps on an envelope that would be sufficient to cover a letter to Guatemala. The minimum rate for a letter there is apprx. $1.10 so 3 stamps would be good to be on the safe side. A trip to the PO wouldn't be necessary unless the item weighed more than 13 oz. I think.