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 had "not nice words" with a substitute driver the other day and she threatened to stop my mail. Can she really stop it because we had words.

Asked by tn mom over 10 years ago

I don't know the answer to that. I can't imagine that there are too many situations to get into conflict with a customer. I would usually walk away from most situations that could get out of hand. Anyhow, they shouldn't threaten to stop the mail because of the "words" unless there was a physical threat made by you, which it doesn't sound like. If, by chance, you notice mail not being delivered, you could contact a delivery supervisor or Postmaster or manager to tell them what happened and ask why you didn't receive mail when you were supposed to. I hope that cooler heads prevail. I have a few jerky customers that I deliver mail too, but I don't let it bother me. They continue to get the exact same quality service as everybody else I deliver mail to. I hope that cooler heads prevail in your situation and that the mail service isn't interrupted. Thanks for writing with your q.

If a package is marked delivered on your account. And said it was in a parcel locker and I didn't get it who do I talk to?

Asked by JF over 10 years ago

Was there a key to the parcel locker in your mailbox? That would indicate as to where you should go to retrieve your parcel. If there is no key in your mailbox to access the parcel locker, then I'm not sure where your parcel would be. I'd speak with the letter carrier who serves your route or a delivery supervisor at the PO where the mail is delivered from. I don't have a lot of faith in tracking down parcels that are misdelivered or said that they are somewhere and they aren't. Sometimes it may show up in a day or two, but I don't know why it would show as delivered to a parcel locker and now you can't find it. I hope your package shows up.

my mail carrier says he can not “leave notice” for Amazon packages if i don't answer at my apartment. he has to leave the package at my door. i had one stolen once and don't want package left. there is now office

Asked by David almost 12 years ago

David, i don't know the answer to resolving that issue, but it does seem wrong for the carrier to leave the package at your apt. door if you don't feel it is safe for that to be done. You are saying there is now an office? Do you mean an apt. rental office that would accept your parcels is available? Maybe a sign could be said to leave packages at the rental office. I don't know that your letter carrier would do that. Finally, your letter carrier is correct (at least from the perspective where I work) that we are just to leave Amazon parcels at any address and not scan it "attempted". We scan it delivered even if they are on a vacation hold and then we hold the parcel at the PO until delivery to this address has resumed. This doesn't make sense if you live in area where a secure place to leave a parcel isn't available. Another option may be to rent a PO Box for your parcel deliveries  but that requires time and an additional cost. Thanks for writing. 

Is there a typical time frame to get hired as a carrier from the first steps of applying until one lands a job?

Asked by cdaws almost 11 years ago

I don't know but my guess would be 6 months or less. I don't know if there is still a test that needs to be taken to be hired as a City Carrier Assistant and how frequently the test is given. Many years ago, this exam wasn't given too frequently. Now I hear nothing about it so maybe it's an ongoing hiring process, where they are continuously hiring and training. From what I hear anecdotally, and what I personally see in my workplace we defintitely could use some new hires. It seems the demand for letter carriers exists, but the hiring of qualified candidates who make it through probation isn't keeping pace with that demand. Good luck to you!

do mailman sometimes deliver the mail, then come back around and do the priority packages? Especially if it is a substitue mail carrier? Thanks.

Asked by mcmjuly over 11 years ago

Sure, sometimes a carrier may forget that they have a package for an address and come back later to deliver it. It's also quite possible that some Priority Mail arrived at the PO after a letter carrier has left to deliver their route. In that case, another (or even your own) may be around later to deliver the priority Mail, but it is sometimes just left for the next delivery day if it arrived too late at the PO to send someone out or they may not even have to be delivered that day.

I paid off my car about 3 years ago and never received the title. I thought nothing of it til now since I am trying to sell my car. I called the lender and they said they sent it back in 2012. Is there any way I can find it throught the USPS?

Asked by Manual almost 11 years ago

I think that titles are sent by regular first-class mail. That is how I've seen it in NY state. I'm not sure your lender does it the same way. Either way, there is no way to find it through the USPS. I don't know how easy it is to get a replacement title from your motor vehicle bureau. I'm sure there is a process as titles are probably lost or misplaced often. When car owners receive a title, they probably put it away somewhere, never to be looked at again until they want to sell of or dispose the car. You could also call back the lender to see if they have a procedure for replacing your clear title, but I don't know about this either.

Im a new CCA and im wondering what the uniform regulations are if we dont have an offical uniform yet. Do i wear board shorts, collared shirt or what? How about shoes? Leather shoes are expensive, what can i wear instead?

Asked by mike over 11 years ago

Mike, I believe it takes several months before your probation is over and you receive a uniform allowance. I don't know for sure what the uniform regulations are, but the CCAs in my office where jeans and t-shirts mainly. They should tell you at orientation what is acceptable and not acceptable. The shoes must not be open-toed. I may have worn sneakers during my probationary period. The shoes that are purchased with the uniform allowance can easily cost $80 and up. Good luck to you and work safely.