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

hello, how do u normally drive everyday? on average what do you think every mailman drives?

Asked by mags over 10 years ago

I drive an LLV each day. Our office has 3 types of vehicles. We have Ford Windstars, LLVs, and 2-ton Trucks (which are boxy cargo type looking trucks). The LLVs are the only ones with the steering wheel on the right hand side. I think most mailmen drive the LLVs (Long Life Vehicles), or whatever the newer version of it is called. Our PO doesn't have them yet so I don't know what they are called, but they are similar.

I just checked my mailbox n received a authorization to hold mail form. I did not request this n is signed by an unknown person. what does this mean & how do I fix it?

Asked by Jay over 10 years ago

I am not sure why the authorization to hold mail form would show up in your mailbox unless it was put there by error. Normally we wouldn't deliver a signed form like that until it is time to resume delivery of mail after the hold period which was authorized has expired. Postal Customers use that form (or can complete it at www.usps.gov) to have their mail held at the post office if they will be away for a period of time between 3 and 30 days. At the end of the authorized time period, a letter carrier will either deliver all of the mail that was held at the PO or the postal customer can pick up the mail at the Post Office. If the form you recevied has been completed (or even if not), you may put a post-it note or attach a note to it and leave it in your mailbox explaining to the letter carrier that you don't want your mail held at all and that you didn't authorize it. Another option is to take the card to your local post office that delivers the mail and tell them you don't want your mail held. My guess is that somebody has made an error in delivering the form to you OR something shady is going on, but I think it is more likely the former. Thank you for your inquiry.

If I don't empty my mailbox for a week or two but it is not full, is my postal carrier allowed to post notes on my door demanding I empty it and threatening to send it back?

Asked by jordan over 10 years ago

Jordan, first of all, thank you for writing in to this Q and A board. I don't know the rules as far as sending back mail because you haven't emptied your box for a week or two and your box is not full. If I were the letter carrier, I would just continue to deliver mail until the box is full and then probably return any future mail endorsed "box full" to the senders (or discard the mail if it is unendorsed Standard Class mail.) I don't recall ever coming across this situation in my postal career, but if it came about I'd probably ask my supervisor for direction. It is not in my nature to leave any notes (esp. threatening ones) for the most part.

Hello,
Does the USPS deliver to businesses on Saturday?

Asked by M.R about 10 years ago

Yes they do, as long as the business is open and/or there is somewhere to leave the mail safely like a mailbox. We deliver 6 days a week to anywhere that can receive mail. If a business is closed on Saturday, or any other day during the week, we usually know that ahead of time and just hold the mail until the next delivery day. Thanks for writing. 

How long does it take to get a lost Driver's License returned that has been put in a mailbox?

Asked by Sherry over 10 years ago

I don't know the procedure for lost Driver Licenses to be returned to the rightful owner of the license. I'm not sure if each state has its own procedure for what should be done if a Driver License is found and put in to a blue USPS collection box. In my career I have never come across one or recall delivering one back to the licensee. It is possible that the license could be sent to the State Dept of Motor Vehicles (or whatever their equivalent is called in your state) instead of sent to the recipient. Looking at my own Driver License (NY) I don't see any instructions on what do with it if found. Thanks for writing.

Why should a rural carrier wear a uniform when we don't get a uniform allowance?

Asked by Andrea almost 10 years ago

To my knowledge rural letter carriers aren't required to wear a USPS uniform and I have never seen a RLC wearing one. There are 2 rural routes that are delivered from the office where I work and I've never seen them in anything except everyday clothes a regular manual worker would wear. Your question of why should a rural carrier wear a uniform is one I don't know. I didn't think a rural carrier could even purchase official USPS uniform items except maybe a baseball cap or other headwear. It's true that they don't get a uniform allowance like the city carriers receive. You could contact the NRLCA if you had a question I can't answer hear. They are the union that represents Rural Letter Carriers nationwide.

If I leave an outgoing 1st class letter/envelope in my mailbox is the carrier obligated to take it? My old mail carrier always took it but my new carrier is saying I should schedule it. You can't schedule 1st class mail as best I can tell.

Asked by Cathy about 10 years ago

As far as I know, if a first class envelope is left out for mailing and has sufficient postage on it, it should be taken when the carrier is doing their regular delivery. I am not sure what they mean by scheduling it. That is definitely done for parcels so the USPS knows whether or not to bring a postal vehicle (in case the carrier only delivers via foot.) I hope your new carrier is not just being lazy. I'm sure you have already done this, but please make sure that the outgoing letter(s) are obviously visible to the letter carrier to take. Thanks for writing.