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'm CCA struggling to meet my sup's 3pm deadline in my 1st wk. I was given a RT 85% residntl. The sup complained I take 7.5hrs to do a 3hr job. They said take a day off but u noted CCA can't be disciplined for too slow but no wrk is like discipline.

Asked by GS from Calif. over 12 years ago

I can't comment on your particular situation, but maybe I misspoke about no discipline as long as you are doing your job. I agree that taking a day off does sound like discipline. Did you call the SUpv to say you couldn't make the 3PM deadline? They shouldn't be so hard on you in the first week, though going over by 4.5 hrs is quite a bit. Any chance of somebody training you better to be more efficient as you deliver? These are just some suggestions. 

What would you recommend as procedure if we get someone else's mail? Write a note on it? Leave it?

Asked by Anonymous about 12 years ago

I would recommend that you leave it in your mailbox the next day preferably with either a post-it note on it saying "delivered to wrong address" or writing it on the letter directly if you don't have post-it note or piece of paper to clip to it saying "delivered in error". Please return it somehow to your letter carrier or the PO as you'd probably want the same done if a letter addressed to you was delivered in error somewhere else.

im about to start orientation next week would I be able to get a set route right away or at least routating or a set schedule?

Asked by ryan almost 12 years ago

Congratulations on your being employed with the USPS. It depends on the staffing of a particular office as to whether you will get a set route right away or varying hours. If the office is shorthanded, it's possible you can be assigned a route to daily and that will become your route until further notice. More often than not, new hires fill in where needed to cover carriers who are on vacation or sick leave or to deliver "pieces" on routes which one carrier may not be able to complete in their workday. At a certain time, usually after probation is over, you can bid to "hold down" a route or assignment of rotating routes when a carrier is out on vacation or extended sick leave. If you "hold down" an assignment this entitles you to do that route daily and you can only be "bumped off" that route under certain circumstances which are covered in the labor/mgmt or local agreement.

I am having problems with the Zip + 4 digits. I have noticed that with just the first 5 my package gets delivered. but with the plus 4 it gets undelivered (auto due to apt no. ebay) is it possible some mailmen are not familiar with it still?

Asked by Bert about 12 years ago

I don't know why it would make a difference whether or not your package had the 5-digit ZIP or the Zip + 4 digits. I don't know anybody who I work with who pays attention to it or needs to pay attention to it. If the parcel has the correct address including the apt. #, I would think that would be sufficient to get it delivered. The only suggestion I'd have is to contact the PO to mention this to them. Leaving a note in the mailbox won't help because it seems like you probably have several different letter carriers.

Ok I receive ssi but the apt I have my cheek going to is vacant now so will my check go back to the post office?

Asked by meicy over 11 years ago

As long as the letter carrier knows that the unit is vacant and doesn't deliver it there, the SSI ck will eventually find its why back to the issuing govt agency where it will probably stay until they get a valid address from you as to where to send the SSI cks in the future.

Do the mailman usually run on saturdays and what time do they usaully start and stop running?

Asked by Mark over 11 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean by running. Saturday is a regular delivery day for the USPS. As far as I know, nobody delivers any faster or slower on a Saturday. For those carriers that have routes with businesses that are closed Saturday, they may get done with their routes sooner. In this case they are sometimes given other duties to make up for the "undertime". In my office, those carriers usually do a collection run or deliver Express Mail or help out on another route that is overburdened that day. Deliveries where I work are usually made between 9:30 and 4:30.

are mailmen suppose to come to the door with a registered letter or just leave a card for you to go to the post office to get it?

Asked by Cindy about 12 years ago

As far as I know if a letter requires a signature to be delivered (i.e. registered or certified), the letter carrier should make an attempt to get a signature at the intended address and not just leave a PS3849 Notice of Attempted Delivery. You may call the Post Office to have the item redelivered and you may leave the signed notice for the carrier to pick up and leave the registered item if all parties feel comfortable doing that.