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

I have moved to a new community, but I do not know my mailbox number. Where can I know my mailbox number? Thanks.

Asked by Albert over 11 years ago

I would recommend one of two options: 1) If you see a letter carrier delivering mail in your community, you could ask him or her if they know. It is likely that mail in your community is a centralized delivery meaning that there is one larger mailbox divided into many separate mailboxes which are accessed by the resident's key. If you don't see an individual mailbox or have a mail slot in your front door, this is likely the method of delivery where you live. 2) Contact the management or leasing company and ask them how you receive your mail in this new community. It is often, but not always, the case that your box number is the same as your apt or unit or house number.  

Do I have to empty my mailbox everyday? Sometimes I am not in town overnight. Every time I do not get my mail for a day, the mailman takes the mail back to the main post office and leaves me a note saying "You must remove mail every day"....

Asked by Cindi about 12 years ago

I am not familiar with any rules that say you must empty your mailbox daily. I would let mail pile up in a mailbox until it may become full so no future mail can fit in a mailbox. It is not a common occurrrence where I deliver mail, but I am sure it does happen some places. If a mailbox came completely full, I may return any additional mail to the sender with a note saying "mailbox full."

My co-workers and I have different opinions, I think the majority of routes in suburban areas are curbside(where the mailman drives to each mailbox and drops the mail) would you say this is true?

Asked by Mark about 12 years ago

In my opinion, the majority of suburban mailboxes are curbside so the letter carrier can deliver the mail without having to get out of his/her truck. Where I work Is fairly mixed between curbside delivery and door delivery but I would suggest that all new construction would have either curbside (mounted) delivery or a centralized cluster box unit method of delivery. This answer is mainly my opinion and not based on scientific research.

I ordered something online and they accidentally put my delivery street address but the billing city and zip code as my shipping address. So I have the right street address but wrong city and zip code. What can I do??

Asked by Andrew over 11 years ago

Andrew, it is likely that the item will be returned to the shipper saying "invalid address" or "no such street or number".  I'd recommend emailing or calling the company you ordered the item from (customer service department) and advising them of your error. Maybe they could put a note on your order that if the item is returned to the shipper that it should be reshipped to your correct city and ZIP code which you will have advised them of. Thanks for writing.

I wanted to know how effective the package intercept is? After reading some reviews I have found that it is not something that is at the top of USPS' to do list. Please give me your input.

Asked by Angie over 12 years ago

i don't know anything about package intercept, but I would suspect that any international mailing would be hard to do it for. It is true that it isnt on the top of the list of services offered due to the shear volume of packages processed. I don't know if eBay would be of any help getting you paid for the item either. Some African countries have a very poor track record when it comes to fraudulent transactions.

If someone is blocking the mailbox and you skip that house, does the mail from that day get delivered the next day?

Asked by DV almost 12 years ago

Yes, the mail should be delivered the next day. I don't personally remember ever skipping a house due another vehicle blocking access to the mailbox, but I'm sure it is a common occurrence for carriers who have routes where they deliver directly to a curbside mailbox (also known as a mounted route or rural mailbox). If it were to happen several days in a row, I don't know the time frame where the mail would eventually be returned to the sender as undeliverable due to blocked mailbox access. The same goes for if we are unable to get to a mailbox or street due to severe weather. In that case we also would attempt to deliver ALL the mail on the following delivery day.

What is the best pair of shoes you have found for letter carriers?

Asked by Cecilton,MD over 11 years ago

As letter carriers, we are required to wear certain type of shoes that meet certain safety requirements. They all must have an SR/USA certification for slip resistance. For many years I have worn New Balance MK706BL ordered through a postal uniform vendor. There are many choices and I think they range from $70-$120. These are low-cut, black, walking shoes. If you do a web search for USPS Uniform Footwear the result will likely show you the many choices available.