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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1237 Questions

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Last Answer on February 18, 2022

Best Rated

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

Asked by Sherry almost 12 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.

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 almost 12 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.

Do u guys run next week at all cause I have a package being sent out tomorrow and I was wondering if I'm going to get it before the new year

Asked by bre over 11 years ago

Bre, there is an excellent chance you will receive the package before the new year. Our operations are pretty much 24/7 when it comes to moving the mail through our delivery network. This time of year with heavy mail volume I think that most packages will arrive within 1-5 days from where they are shipped. Our service is quite reliable in my opinion. Happy New Year!

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 almost 12 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.

I sent an item in a Priority Mailing envelope, but the label I purchased online via PayPal was for Parcel Select. It was returned to me as "insufficient packaging". Does this mean I have to pay all that postage again? Thanks!

Asked by Charly almost 12 years ago

Do you mean that the marking was "insufficient postage", not "insufficient packaging". If it was "insufficient postage", I'm pretty sure you would just have to pay the difference between the Parcel Select rate and the Priority Mail rate. What I'm not sure about is how you get credit for an already purchased postage label, if that's even possible. If you took this to the PO for some type of resolution, I question whether all of the clerks would know how to adjust the rate properly as the ability, care, and training of the SSAs (sales and service associates) seems to vary widely. Thanks for writing. 

Hey mailman, thank you for this blog! I am going for my interview for CCA. What comes after the interview and how long is the process? I am in NY as well. Thanks

Asked by I cant wait! over 11 years ago

I'm glad you like this blog. It's my pleasure to help where I can and I have a great appreciation for those who do podcasts or other websites just for fun. Their time commitments are impressive given the work it takes to maintain a blog or a website. Since I have no experience with the CCA hiring process, I can't give you any hard facts about how long the process takes. Congratulations on getting an interview. There will likely be a drug test and medical exam if you haven't gone through that process already. I imagine it would only be 1-2 months after that to be notified if you will be hired. There are about 6 CCAs in the office where I work but there is a solid turnover among them. It's not the job for everyone. It's physically demanding, pay for CCAs isn't great ($16.50/hr Apprx) and you aren't always treated that well. I still recommend it if you get hired because long-term it has proven to be a great career for me. I wish you well and have a positive attitude.

Where do you put someones mail if you cant put it in their mailbox? (Or gain access to an apartment building)

Asked by Alpha over 11 years ago

If I can find a safe place nearby like near a garage door or by the front door of the house I would rubber band the mail and put it there. If it is mail addressed to an apt building and I can't gain access I would likely bring it back to the Post Office, notify a supervisor, and likely attempt delivery the next day. Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often on the route where I deliver the mail. It is inconvenient to have to bring the mail back to the PO and try again the next day.