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

If annual leave is 440 hours carry over per year. My question is if a carrier has 10 weeks 400 hours for 2015, he can carry over 4 weeks or 160 hours for 2016 calendar year? bc he didn't carry over 440 only 160. please clarify

Asked by jvitto48 about 11 years ago

I don't fully understand your question, but I will tell you what I know. For the leave year (which is slightly different than a calendar year since it goes by pay periods), the maximum annual leave that a FERS City letter carrier can carry over is 440 hours, the equivalent of 11 weeks. Any leave accumulated in the 2015 leave year that would bring the AL balance to greater than 440 hours would need to be used by the end of the 2015 leave year or be forfeited. In your example a carrier that has 400 hours in 2015 can only save an additional 40 hours of AL to be carried into 2016. The remaining 120 hours (assuming they received 160 hours during 2015) would have to be used by the end of the 2015 leave year or be forfeited. Another way I read your question is that you are asking if a carrier begins the year with 400 hours and wants to carry over 160 hours into 2016, would that be okay. The answer is yes because 160 hours of AL is under the 440 hours maximum leave carryover.

Why would my carrier report my package delivered and it's not in my box no notice left I live in apartment complex?

Asked by Tina almost 11 years ago

Tina, when I get a question like this it disturbs me because I have to think it wasn't an innocent error that the item was scanned as "delivered" but no notice was left nor was the item. As an aside, if a notice was left, the package would have been scanned as "attempted". It could've been an error, but I will explain why I think it may not have been. When the packages arrive at our PO in the AM, they are all scanned as "arrival at unit". Then, at the end of the work day, our supervisors are supposed to make sure that each item has an additional scan such as "attempted" or "delivered" or "business closed", etc. I know at our office that if they can't find the parcel as accidentally left behind in the office they may assume the parcel was delivered and enter it as such. Amazon specifically wants their items delivered the day they arrive at the destination PO. In a way this is falsifying and undermining the integrity of our scanning system. I won't say this happens to many items nor do I know if it's widespread. Hopefully what I described above is what happened with your package and it should be delivered on the following delivery day.

i live in pearsal tx does mail pass new years

Asked by victor over 11 years ago

There is no regular mail delivery on New Year's Day.

To Postman-
When you send the Business Reply envelope,is it still stamped at the post office with time/date and location?
Thanks-
David B.

Asked by DwB44 about 11 years ago

Not usually. Business Reply Mail is sent to a mail processing facility like all other outgoing mail. When it gets there I'm not exactly sure how it's processed but I think the bar coding on the envelope might separate out BRM so it doesn't have to go through a canceling machine. I just know that a local PO has nothing to do with stamping the date and location on it. What the actual envelope looks like at the receiving end I don't know.

Hey, I applied for the usps as a city carrier , passed both assessments, n filled out a few job vacancies, I had just fixed my suspended license 2 weeks ago, it was suspended since last yr for a texting violation,think I could still be considered?

Asked by Quentin over 10 years ago

I don't know how much your license suspension will affect your job chances with the USPS. You do need a valid driver license to be a letter carrier as far as I know. You said you have fixed the suspension for texting while driving recently. I don't know if you need to provide this information to the USPS proactively or only if they ask. I would think somewhere along the application process they'd ask you questions about your past driving history and possibly request a motor vehicle department drivers abstract which has your history of suspensions convictions violations, etc. Please be sure to answer all questions honestly and possibly have proof available that your license is no longer suspended. Good luck to you and put that phone down while driving. I understand it's tempting.

What does it mean when the mailman skips your house? My mailman deliberately speeds pass my house. Theres nothing blocking the mailbox. This has been going on for 2 wks. Every other day or so theres a mailman who does deliver the mail. Why isn't he?

Asked by Chasity_ over 10 years ago

It sounds suspicious or odd that your letter carrier is speeding past your house and skipping delivery with nothing apparent to block their access to your mailbox. It could be that you have no mail addressed to your house that day, but you would know better than me if you should be getting a delivery daily. I would call or somehow contact your local post office and ask to speak with a delivery supervisor or manager and mention it to them. Out of 6 delivery days a week, I would guess about 4 of them have some type of mailing that goes to each address which I service. I can't say it's the same for your town. It is also a bit strange that when you have another mail carrier they deliver the mail.

Is it okay to finish a route and take the half hour lunch at the end then drive back to office

Asked by JVitto over 10 years ago

I used to do this but was then told that I really should take the 30 minute lunch within 6 hours of my BT (begin tour) time. I now take lunch from approximately 1300-1330. The new scanners that we have tells the mgmt where we are so they can see if we are sitting for 30 minutes at the end of the day instead of our approved lunch period. If the management doesn't give you a hard time about it, I don't see why not but the union and managers technically should be enforcing the 6-hour rule for taking a lunch break. I've become used to it so it's no big deal to take lunch when I'm supposed to and not at the end of the delivery route.