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

how many delivery attempts USPS do before return the package to the shipper?

Asked by johnny over 12 years ago

We attempt to deliver the actual parcel or certified or accountable mail (registered, insured) one time and leave a PS Form 3849 if nobody is available to sign for it. Within the next 15 days, we then leave 2 more PS Form 3849s (notice of item attempted to be delivered) before return the item to the shipper. If an addressee signs the PS Form 3849 to authorize delivery and leaves it in the mailbox we will generally deliver the item the next day even if nobody is around to physically accept.

1116 Votes

Can a mailman place a stamp on a letter and mark a big "x" across the stamp and deliver the letter himself or have a Co - worker deliver the letter without it going through the USPS mail system?

Asked by Just asking almost 11 years ago

I am sure this is done sometimes and possibly even without a stamp (which I think is very wrong to do). I sometimes see a card or letter being mailed from one customer on the route to another. I guess I could just cancel the stamp with a pen and deliver the letter directly, but I put the mail into the regular outgoing mail dispatch and have it run through the system. Delivery time is usually 2 days later. I have never heard either way if there is a proper procedure to be followed. If a co-worker gave me a letter to be delivered, I'd likely deliver it without it going through the mail processing system. It rarely comes up though.

1115 Votes

I was just hired as a CCA and training starts in a few weeks. Are there any tips you can give me, i hear there are high turnover rates and im a bit nervous that i will not be able to complete the tasks.

Asked by Peanut almost 13 years ago

I have heard the same thing you have regarding high turnover rate among CCAs. My recommendation is don't pay any attention to anyone who is very down on the job or says "what a mistake you've made coming here". When being trained pay attention to your on the job trainer and ask questions if you have any. When delivering mail, try to be conscientious about delivering it to the proper address as opposed to doing it quickly. Be polite and respectful to your co-workers and postal customers. Have a good attitude and if anyone in management says you aren't working quickly enough say "I'm doing the best I can". Also, when driving a postal vehicle, be very careful, always turn off the engine when leaving your seat, and lock the truck if it will be out of your sight. 

1115 Votes

hey there i will be starting the cca postion soon. any advice?
- how long can it take to become "career" in queens?
- the allowance dose not cover much .
-must i wear strictly uniform or may i buy simular items

Asked by morgan almost 12 years ago

Congratulations on being hired as a CCA. First I will answer your questions and then I may give you some advice.

1) I don't know how long it will take to become a career employee in Queens. I've heard that the mobility and promotions are quicker in urban environments due to turnover and the number of positions, but I have no way of verifying that. The suburban office where I work has 6 CCAs and I think they have all been here for less than 1 year.

2) The uniform allowance isn't too much, but it should cover your basics. After a couple of years, I have had more than enough to wear and use the uniform allowance mostly on footwear (expensive..$100/pair) and warm weather clothing.

3) Technically, you should always be wearing all USPS regulation clothing/uniform once you have passed probation and are given a uniform allowance. Whether or not you actually have to do this will likely depend on your supervisor or postmaster. They seem fairly lax in my office in enforcing the uniform regulations which I think is wrong. I wear regulation clothing head to toe including footwear. The proper footwear is very important because it has to be approved to be slip-resistant. This job may require a lot of walking and you don't want a slip, trip or fall to injure yourself. Having the proper footwear and paying attention to where you are walking is very important.

My advice to you would be as professional as possible in performing your assigned job. Don't get involved in any office politics. Join the NALC. Bring any questions to your shop steward that you may have re: rights as a CCA. Work safely. As a CCA, you may be assigned to different stations on different days, have very few days off, and have an ever-changing work schedule. It's possible you will have a huge amt of hours per week or not many.  If a manager/supervisor gives you vague or unreasonable instructions, it's important to speak up to get clarification and/or tell them you won't be able to finish an assignment in the allotted time. Do not let yourself be bullied by management. They may try to intimidate you, but as long as you show up for work on time, work safely and professionally, things should work out fine. If you like the work and think that making a "career" employee would be good, don't give up on your CCA position no matter how stressful it could be at times. Being a career employee allows you to work a much more consistent schedule and receive paid sick leave, subsidized health insurance, and many other benefits.

 

Good luck!

1114 Votes

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Recently started a business on eBay. One of the orders was marked as DELIVERED on the same day it was shipped, but the final destination is my own city. It's been seven days. What does this status mean? Will the shipment still reach its destination?

Asked by Freddy G almost 13 years ago

I don't know why there would be a "delivered" scan on a package that was shipped the same day as the status you are referencing. That status usually means that the package was delivered. If the destination city is the same as the sending city, 7 Days seems like way too Long. Inside a city is usually the next day or 2. I don't know if your package will arrive at its destination but hope it will. You may call 1 800 ASK USPS with the tracking # to see if there is any more info/suggestions. 

1114 Votes

My son works at convienence store standing and walking 12 hours a day can you please tell me what kind of shoes you wear. thankyou donna

Asked by donna over 12 years ago

I wear uniform issue letter carrier shoes. The brand I usually wear is New Balance and have a special non-slip surface. The USPS provides us with a yearly allowance to put towards uniforms and footwear.

1113 Votes

I had an issue that I believe may have been a scam. I ordered something and the person says that the USPS used an international express form instead of USA and that the package is sitting in US customs waiting to be sent to "sender" not "addressee" ?

Asked by Tammy McClintock about 12 years ago

I don't understand the question. I don't know about the different forms which are required for shipments which come from other countries. Do you know if the item was coming from an international source? I don't know why the item in US Customs would be labeled as to be sent to sender. That wouldn't be good as you are the addressee and not the sender. If the sender is just giving you a bunch of excuses and not offering any refund, it could be a scam. I'm sorry that I have no knowledge about the ins and outs of US Customs and shipping of items.

1113 Votes

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