Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

1237 Questions

Last Answer on February 18, 2022

if you were sending mail to someone, and you spelled their street address wrong by one letter (ex. Hamptons but spelled as Hampton) and everything else correct, will it mail to the correct house?

Asked by Aya over 10 years ago

If the mail is addressed correctly otherwise and only off by one letter, it should be delivered to the correct house. It would maybe a problem if there was another street in the same town which had a similar name or suffix (like the town had a 3rd St and a 3rd Av). The most important things in an address would be the # and ZIP code. If the street is spelled somewhat close, you'd likely have the item delivered to the correct house. Thank you for writing.

796 Votes

Is it possible to go to the post office to ask for my package before it is delivered via postman?

Asked by Carly over 11 years ago

I believe you generally can't pick up a package before it is delivered because it is possible that the carrier has already left the PO with it and is out on his or her route or the retail window isn't open yet. Even if the retail window was open, I'm not sure that the retail sales associates would want to search through the parcel area or ask the carrier to assist in searching through the parcel area for a specific parcel. The bottom line is I don't know the rule regarding your question if there is a rule on this to give you an accurate answer. It's possible that it is just a personal decision on the part of an employee.

796 Votes

It is unusual for a mailman to refuse to deliver in 1 to 3 inches of snow if it was not cleared? He is walking across the same amount of snow in neighboring yards after leaving their porch. He grabbed and threw my snow shovel out in my yard today.

Asked by Mike over 11 years ago

I don't know what is common or not for a mailman to do in that amt. of snow. It seems strange that they would do it for some customers and not others. That said, if a carrier feels they can't safely approach a mailbox due to snow, then they may refuse. I think it all comes down to a judgment call by the letter carrier if there is any doubt for their safety in approaching a mailbox. As to the inconsistency of doing one house as opposed to another house which seem similarly cleared or not cleared, I don't know why that decision is made.

795 Votes

when is the latest time a mail carrier should deliver the mail. We do not get our mailed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. He arrives at the mailboxes and it takes him 2 to 3 hours to sort the mail and put it in the boxes. We live in an apartment complex

Asked by Jules almost 11 years ago

I can't give you an exact answer because operationally and geogrpahically the delivery times and deadlines are varied. I can make some generalizations but they will be based on what I experience or read about. At the PO where I work, most letter carriers are back and "off the clock" by 5PM meaning your mail should arrive no later than about 4:40PM. This is if the weather isn't severely hot or cold, our staffing level is sufficient, and the mail volume is not out if the ordinary. Where you live, it may be a very large apt complex that receives a lot of mail, staffing at the PO may not be up to where it should be, or the worker could just be slow. These are reasons, or possibilities as to why you receive your mail about 5:30 or 6:00 PM daily. It does sound slightly late to me, but not extreme, and I don't have any information on a standard cutoff time as to when mail should be delivered. Thanks for your question.

795 Votes

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Hey Dave! Just wanted to share because I've seen your page. I'm currently in central ny about to undergo my first day of carrier academy. I will be a Cca in a small city in upstate New York. I was wondering if you know as a Cca i would get lots hrs?

Asked by Ny cca over 10 years ago

Congratulations on getting hired as a CCA! I don't know how many hours you will get in your particular office as each office is unique. Usually, a CCA fills in for a regular carrier when they are out sick or on vacation to deliver their route. They are also given "pieces" or "splits" on routes when a regular carrier may not finish their route within 8 hours and they don't want to work overtime or when management doesn't authorize overtime for the regular city letter carrier. CCAs may also work on Sundays to deliver Amazon.com parcels. They don't do this in every office so I don't know if yours is included in that service. In the office I work at, the CCAs all get plenty of hours due to a bit of short staffing. I am not sure of the minimum hrs/shift or minimum hours/week that a CCA is guaranteed. If you go to www.nalc.org, or more specifically http://www.nalc.org/workplace-issues/city-delivery/cca-contractual-issues, they have details about being a CCA. It may be a bit technical, but it's a good reference. Good luck, be on time for work, and work safely. Try not to get involved with any office drama.

795 Votes

We recently just moved to a corner house and one of my friends sent me a package with the street address where the house is in but our mailing address is the same house # but with the main ave next to it. Will it still come? Or will it get lost?

Asked by Sofia over 11 years ago

I don't know that I completely understand your question, but I'll give it a try. Most houses have an official mailing address which should often correspond with the physical location of the house. I can see if it is a corner house it may be a bit confusing. You may want to contact the PO to tell them that this may be happening, and, for further reference, please advise those who mail you items of your correct mailing address and clarify with your PO as to what address should be used. This is a very important subject matter to make sure items get to where they are intended to go, especially with a lot more automated processing of the mail and substitute letter carriers who may not be familiar with all of the names are on a certain route.

794 Votes

Do you know people who work at the post office yet have a dream of doing their own business? Do some people work at the post office and work on their dream at night until they get a breakthrough in the area of the dreams?

Asked by JTDN almost 12 years ago

I am sure This happens a lot. While it is a very secure job to have, it's not what everyone wants as a career. Some of my co-workers have left for jobs with other govt agencies, to become police officers. I don't know of anyone who started a business once they got a breakthrough. But we are a huge company so it has likely happened. Not too many people resign after being on the job more than 5 years.

794 Votes

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Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

if you were sending mail to someone, and you spelled their street address wrong by one letter (ex. Hamptons but spelled as Hampton) and everything else correct, will it mail to the correct house?

Is it possible to go to the post office to ask for my package before it is delivered via postman?

It is unusual for a mailman to refuse to deliver in 1 to 3 inches of snow if it was not cleared? He is walking across the same amount of snow in neighboring yards after leaving their porch. He grabbed and threw my snow shovel out in my yard today.

when is the latest time a mail carrier should deliver the mail. We do not get our mailed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. He arrives at the mailboxes and it takes him 2 to 3 hours to sort the mail and put it in the boxes. We live in an apartment complex

Also on Jobstr...

Hey Dave! Just wanted to share because I've seen your page. I'm currently in central ny about to undergo my first day of carrier academy. I will be a Cca in a small city in upstate New York. I was wondering if you know as a Cca i would get lots hrs?

We recently just moved to a corner house and one of my friends sent me a package with the street address where the house is in but our mailing address is the same house # but with the main ave next to it. Will it still come? Or will it get lost?

Do you know people who work at the post office yet have a dream of doing their own business? Do some people work at the post office and work on their dream at night until they get a breakthrough in the area of the dreams?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

if you were sending mail to someone, and you spelled their street address wrong by one letter (ex. Hamptons but spelled as Hampton) and everything else correct, will it mail to the correct house?

Is it possible to go to the post office to ask for my package before it is delivered via postman?

It is unusual for a mailman to refuse to deliver in 1 to 3 inches of snow if it was not cleared? He is walking across the same amount of snow in neighboring yards after leaving their porch. He grabbed and threw my snow shovel out in my yard today.

when is the latest time a mail carrier should deliver the mail. We do not get our mailed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. He arrives at the mailboxes and it takes him 2 to 3 hours to sort the mail and put it in the boxes. We live in an apartment complex

Also on Jobstr...

Hey Dave! Just wanted to share because I've seen your page. I'm currently in central ny about to undergo my first day of carrier academy. I will be a Cca in a small city in upstate New York. I was wondering if you know as a Cca i would get lots hrs?

We recently just moved to a corner house and one of my friends sent me a package with the street address where the house is in but our mailing address is the same house # but with the main ave next to it. Will it still come? Or will it get lost?

Do you know people who work at the post office yet have a dream of doing their own business? Do some people work at the post office and work on their dream at night until they get a breakthrough in the area of the dreams?

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