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.

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

1237 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Best Rated

I have gone through all my training as a mail carrier and just finished my driving test. .Everything went well and he said I did well but im not comfortable with the 2 ton. Will i be asked to drive this or was it just to familiarize me with it?

Asked by Daniel M almost 12 years ago

Congratulations Daniel on finishing your training as a mail carrier including the driving evaluation. With regard to driving the 2-ton vehicle, I don't know if you will ever be made to drive it. I would hope that you wouldn't be. I know that I am in the same position as you with regards to driving it. I have only driven it a few times in my career and and am never asked to drive it. If you didn't feel comfortable driving it, I would speak up and mention that you don't think it is safe for you to drive it and see if you could get out of doing it. I wish you well.

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.

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. 

I put a letter in the mail yesterday around 11 am, when do you think the letter will be in the person's hands?

Asked by jay over 11 years ago

It depends how far the letter as to travel to get to its destination. I think 1-4 days is the normal amt of time for a letter to reach its destination.

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.

If my regular mail isnt at the post office by the time my normal mail man leaves for his route, will they see it when they get back to the Post office and bring it back to my house the same day?

Asked by CC over 12 years ago

Not usually. At our PO, we generally won't leave for a route until all of the regular (1st and 2nd class) mail is ready for delivery. So as to your question, I would think that the mail wouldn't be delivered until the following day unless a supervisor specifically approved a carrier to go out and deliver late-arriving mail.