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.
It probably depends on the office where you work as to what time you start delivering your route. Where I work most deliveries probably start between 9:15 and 10:30 AM. It depends how long the letter carriers take to prepare their routes in the AM for delivery. Some routes get more mail than others or take longer to prepare in order for delivery. Also, some letter carriers are faster than others at starting their routes. I usually start delivery by 10AM and am finished around 4PM if the weather and volume of mail and parcels isn't out of line with what I normally get. Most of the letter carriers where I work start their tour at 7:30 AM.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=When%20do%20most%20mailman%20and%20women%20start%20their%20routes%3F%20Are%20there%20different%20times%20for%20different%20people%3F%20or%20is%20it%20the%20same%20for%20everyone%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16422)
If you have received incorrect mail in your PO Box, you can do a few things. You can write on the envelope, "addressee unknown" and push it back through the PO Box so it lands on the floor or leave it in an outgoing mail collection box. Either way, the PO Box clerk should see that it doesn't belong to you after you have written on it and either forward it or return it to the sender. You could probably also keep the mail but that may not be ethical especially if it was important mail. I'm sure many PO Boxes get closed and the renter doesn't leave forwarding instructions.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=what%20do%20i%20do%20with%20mail%20that%20was%20delivered%20to%20the%20po%20box%20irent%20but%20isnt%20addressed%20to%20me%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15694)
Yes, stamps are required. I believe what is printed in the upper right hand corner of the postcard is known as an indicia. That is to indicate to the USPS has been paid for the postage but only after being brought to. Business Mail Entry Unit (a BMEU). In that case no additional postage is required. To answer your question you aren't using EDDM so after you affix the address label, you would need to put a .49 Forever stamp on each card since I believe the card exceeds the dimensions for a .35 postcard. I believe I'm correct about all of this but it wouldn't hurt to physically go into a Post Office and see if any of the retail clerks or supervisors can give you a more definitive answer. Good luck with the mailing and your business.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%20i%27m%20buying%20these%20postcards%20https%3A%2F%2Findexprints.net%2Fproducts%2Fdetails%2F225%2FMCA-EDDM-65X9-Postcards%23.Vo0r1rYrJnI%0A%0Aand%20i%27m%20also%20buying%20labels%20to%20but%20on%20them%20since%20i%27m%20not%20using%20every%20door%20direct%20mail.%20Would%20i%20still%20need%20to%20buy%20postage%20stamps%20for%20them%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16218)
Congratulations on being offered and accepting the CCA position. I don't know what you'd be required to drive in Manhattan. In our office all carriers are trained on the LLV and on the 2-ton postal truck, but I haven't driven the latter in years and would be reluctant to if asked due to my lack of familiarity with it and I, too, don't like the size of it. In Manhattan I don't like to drive at all. It is so congested and some streets are pretty narrow. Besides the 2-ton I don't see too many other postal vehicles driven in Manhattan. Many CCAs work on Sunday's delivering Amazon parcels which requires driving. You may ask at orientation about this or if you felt comfortable you could ask a letter carrier that you might see delivering in Manhattan the same question which you posted here. Always wear your seatbelt and good luck David!
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hi%2C%20Dave.%20I%20just%20accept%20a%20CCA%20position%20in%20Manhattan%20district%20in%20New%20York%20City.%20Do%20I%20need%20to%20drive%20the%202%20ton%20postal%20van%3F%20Even%20though%20I%20have%20my%20driver%27s%20license%20for%20more%20than%2010%20years.%20I%27ve%20never%20driven%20a%20car%20this%20size.%20Especially%20in%20a%20city%20like%20NY&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/16274)
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Do you ever operate on guys who get their jaws busted in a fight?
Sushi Chef
Is there THAT much difference in quality between the fish served at mid-range vs high-end places?
Veterinarian
Do you think keeping monkeys as pets is a bad idea?
As far as I know you are allowed to. I know some carriers who have portable radios or just use their PED to play music. As far as a cell phone goes, I'm pretty sure you can use it as long as it is hands free. I have a route where I walk most of the day and I listen to podcasts on my iPhone. I have one earphone in and leave the other ear free. I think it's inappropriate and a bit unsafe to have both ears covered while delivering on foot or driving. The outside noise is important to hear if a car is coming or a customer that may need your attention. From time to time, there may be a safety talk or notice at work about the use of personal electronic devices but it doesn't seem too strict or maybe just not enforced. I don't like seeing my colleagues have both ears covered while delivering mail, but I'm not a supervisor so I don't address this issue.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Are%20you%20allowed%20to%20listen%20to%20music%20in%20your%20truck%3F%20Say%20for%20a%20cell%20phone&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15017)
My pleasure to answer yours and others questions, Dee! It's easy to respond quickly as I don't get an overwhelming number of questions. I also don't like to have a backlog of emails either. Anyhow, to answer your question the correct thing to do is to not deliver the mail and have it returned to the sender with the endorsement "No Mail Receptacle". I don't come across this situation very often. I sometimes fill in on another route and there is one house with no mailbox. I just rubber band the mail and leave it on their bench by a front door. I think if it was on my postal route I'd request the customer install a mailbox to have mail delivery service.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Thank%20you%20so%20much%20for%20a%20speedy%20answer.%20Thank%20you%20for%20answering%20all%20these%20questions%21%20One%20other%20question%20I%20would%20have%20is%2C%20what%20do%20you%20do%20when%20a%20house%20does%20not%20have%20a%20mailbox%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17363)
Cliff, mail gets delivered if a letter carrier is on vacation. There is usually a replacement letter carrier who will cover the route of the regular letter carrier who is on vacation. If there isn't enough staffing available, the route which the regular carrier is on vacation from my be split between other letter carriers. For this reason your mail should still be delivered but possibly at a very different time than the regular letter carrier does.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Does%20your%20mail%20still%20get%20delivered%20if%20the%20carrier%20is%20on%20vacation%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/17911)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
