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.
Andy, I am glad to write this blog of my experiences and advice as a letter carrier for the USPS. To answer your questions:1) I'd wear a suit if you have one, or ar least a shirt and tie with nice pants and shoes. Try to be clean cut, ambitious, professional and polite. I don't know how much appearance counts in a USPS interview, but it can't hurt to take the above advice. Be on time and respectful of the interviewer.
2) Becoming a regular from a CCA is usually just a matter of waiting until there is a vacancy in your office or station that remains unassigned to a regular carrier. Then it may take a month or two to become a regular carrier. The time that it takes for a CCA to become a regular carrier depends on the staffing and turnover where you are assigned to work. I can only speak for my PO, but I've seen it take as little as one year and as much as 8 years (that is when we had PTFs (part time flexibles, a precursor to CCAs) to become a regular employee.
3) When you become a regular employee, the hours get much more stable and predictable. You generally work 5 8-hour days per week with set hours. As a CCA, you pretty much work when they want you and for as long as needed per day. There aren't many rights for a CCA with regards to hours except if they are "holding down" a regular assignment for a rte that is temporarily vacant due to illness or vacation. As a regular employee, you can refuse OT if there is enough staffing to cover all of the assignments in a day. The management can mandate carriers to work OT if they are short handed and those who want to work OT already will be working some amt of OT. The rules for this are a little complex so I won't go into it here.
Thanks for your questions and good luck Andy.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Thanks%20for%20your%20helpful%20blog.%20Few%20questions%21%0AI%20have%20a%20interview%20in%20a%20week%20as%20cca1.%0A1%29%20What%20should%20I%20wear%20for%20interview%3F%0A2%29%20How%20soon%20can%20you%20become%20a%20regular%20employee%3F%0A3%29%20Do%20you%20get%20better%20hours%20when%20you%20become%20a%20regular%20employee%3F%20Can%20you%20refuse%20O%2FT%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15000)
I don't know I what you can do to save your job. Does the NALC represent CCAs? I am not sure. If you dismounted yoUR mail truck without turning off the engine, that is often grounds for dismissal. It does seem a bit harsh but I know the USPS is very strict on safety sometimes!
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20am%20a%20CCA%288months%29%26%20have%20been%20sent%20a%20letter%20of%20removal%20from%20driving%20unsafely%28dismounted%20improperly%29.%20This%20was%20my%201st%20offense%20since%20being%20hired.%20Yes%20I%20was%20wrong%20%26%20appologized%20for%20my%20mistake.%20Is%20there%20anyway%20for%20me%20to%20get%20my%20job%20back%20or%20tranfered%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/8978)
You can give a mailman any package that has the postage paid on it either via a computer printed label (such as Click 'N Ship) or a label where the recipient will pay the return postage. In the latter case, the label will clearly say "No Postage Necessary If Mailed Within The United States". Every letter carrier should accept the package no questions asked. The exception to this would be a city letter carrier who may not have a USPS vehicle which they are operating from and are unable to bring the package back to the Post Office. In that case I believe you can go to www.usps.com to schedule a package pickup. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=can%20i%20take%20my%20to%20the%20mailman%20to%20ship%20off%20or%20take%20bato%20that%20specific%20location&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12602)
I can't remember a time that I came across any suspicious letters or packages, or at least not as of late. Not long after 9/11 I think there was anthrax sent through mail or something like that to Washington DC. It made me nervous and I think I had some type of reaction that I may have contracted it and had trouble breathing. It turned out to be all in my head and nothing ever came of it. There probably is drugs sent through the mail or maybe other illegal substances but I have no experience with it fortunately.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=How%20often%20do%20you%20encounter%20%27suspicious%27%20letters%3F%20or%20letters%20that%20you%20think%20may%20contain%20illegal%20substances%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12474)
NHL Team Marketer
Is fighting in hockey good or bad for the game?
Radio program/music director
Do radio stations have to pay royalties to artists to play their songs?
Obstetrician Gynecologist
Has being an OBGYN affected your own beliefs about when "life" begins?
I am sorry but I don't know anything about the rules for transferring that apply to CCAs. I would recommend visiting the www.nalc.org website which may have information or contacting a union representative at your local NALC branch or your shop steward. Good luck in your USPS career.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hello%2C%20I%27m%20a%20CCA%20who%20is%20transferring%20to%20another%20state.%20Can%20my%20current%20Postmaster%20hold%20me%20since%20I%27m%20not%20a%20career%20employee%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11542)
I agree Lili that 0600-2200 is a terribly long day. A normal shift for a regular postal worker is 8 hrs plus :30 lunch. There is often OT available but for most "regular" employees it shouldn't be mandatory. n my office it seems that some of the CCAs (city carrier assistant) have worked as long as 12 hours, but in don't think that is too common. This holiday season seems to have been very heavy with the parcel deliveries which would extend our delivery day. It's possible your mother's office is shorthanded which is why she is working so many hours. During the 4 wks around Christmas, the work/pay rules are suspended which require double time to be paid after 10 hrs of work (8 hours if you are working on your scheduled day off). For this reason, the mgmt isn't as pressured to limit the hours worked, and the truth is that the mail needs to get delivered somehow.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20it%20common%20for%20mail%20carriers%20to%20deliver%20all%20day%20and%20into%20the%20night%3F%20For%20example%2C%20my%20mother%20who%20works%20for%20usps%20recently%20worked%20from%206am%20until%20after%2010pm.%20It%20is%20holiday%20season%20but%20still...that%20is%20a%20horribly%20long%20day%21&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10256)
I wish you well in your career as a CCA, but I certainly understand that a drive from Brooklyn to Glen Head is pretty far. I don't know anything about the transfer process even when you just started your probationary period. I don't think it was possible when I was a PTF (part-time flexible) to put in for a transfer until a certain amount of time had passed since I was hired. I don't know if the process has changed. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20have%20just%20started%20as%20a%20CCA%20for%20Glen%20Head%20long%20island%20but%20I%20live%20in%20Brooklyn%2C%20the%20drive%20is%20too%20long%20for%20me.%20Can%20I%20transfer%20right%20away%20if%20I%20see%20an%20opening%20on%20usps%20website.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11882)
-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
