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

If I end my mail hold on a Tuesday (for example) is my mail delivered on that Tuesday or the following day, Wednesday?

Asked by Ken over 10 years ago

Ken, the date you put down as the "end date" on the yellow authorization to Hold Mail card is the date that mail will be resumed. All accumulated mail will also be delivered on that date. Please make sure you have chosen the option for the "end hold" date as opposed to the option where you will pick up any mail that is on hold. If you choose the "pick up" option, no mail should be delivered until you pick up any accumulated mail at the Post Office. The system generally works well unless we forget to pay attention to the "ending date" on the hold which happens occasionally. Thank you for your inquiry.

The USPS advertises starting as a carrier at $21 per hr. But, everything that I've seen suggests that you have to start as a CCA (roughly $15). Is it possible to start out higher. And if so, how?

Asked by Jeremy over 11 years ago

he starting salary for a Transitional Employee was $21/hr, but due to a recent arbitration decision in 2013, new hires are considered CCAs (city carrier assistants) who will usually start at $15/hr, a little bit more if they were previously a TE. Carriers who were TEs and then got changed to CCAs did take a significant pay cut as part of this arbitration decision.

I've read that the avg carrier makes 72k. Is that true? And if so, how often due raises get passed out?

Asked by Jeremy over 11 years ago

I don't think the average carrier makes 72K, but I am glad to discuss what I make and put it in perspective. I haven't worked most of 2013 due to being out with an illness. Much of this illness is covered by paid sick leave so my salary for 2013 isn't too far out of line what most carriers probably make who weren't ill. My pay stub through pay period 26 of 2013 (which should be the last pp of the year) says $65200. To be quite honest that is a good salary for not having worked for more than 1/2 of the year. The highest salary I've ever made was probably in the $70-75K Range and that would include working overtime. Raises are passed out based on a contract which is agreed upon between the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the US Postal Service. They are often passed out 1X per year if you are at top pay. If you are working your way up to the top salary then you would get raises a bit more frequently. In conclusion, there is potentital to make superb salaries if you are willing to work all of the overtime that is asked of you which may mean coming in to work on a day you are usually off or maybe even working on a Sunday. I can't guarantee this, but if you did a little research under "NALC National Agreement 2014" there may be a published pay chart as to what carriers get paid. Thank you for your question.

I have a friend who carries mail in snowy Colorado and wanted to give a gift of things to make the job easier: hand warmers? special lotion? dog biscuits? snack storage? clothing? What do you have before during after to help your day go well? Ideas??

Asked by kimba over 11 years ago

Hand Warmers are a great gift. I just bought my girlfriend an entire box from BJs Wholesale Club in NY. They are single use handwarmers which last maybe 8 hours. Lotions are also good to keep hands moisturized. If at all in doubt about the pending weather I try to bring along as many layers as possible just in case I need extra protection. One of the least comfortable situations to be caught outside in is very cold or very wet weather.

I am in the hiring process for city carrier assistant for brooklyn, queens, and Staten Island and I did the drug test and criminal background check with them right after my interview. Do you know how long I will wait to be hired by them?

Asked by roym almost 12 years ago

Good luck to you. I mean it, not sarcastic. I believe the starting pay is $15/hr. I don't know how long it will Take to be hired by them but I know I wish it was sooner than later. While I don't work in Triboro district which is where you have applied, we need good workers to be hired sooner than later especially with the summer vacation season starting. Once hired, the training process is just a few days and should include driver training. 

How many times per day does the USPS deliver mail?

Asked by Ismael V. about 11 years ago

The USPS delivers mail 1 time per day to each address. The only exceptions are if an Express Mail item has to be delivered by a separate letter carrier because it arrived at the PO after the regular letter carrier has already left to deliver their route or if the regular letter carrier wouldn't be able to make the delivery guarantee time on the Express Mail. In that case another letter carrier would deliver the Express Mail but not regular mail to the address. So the main answer is 1x per day Mon-Sat.

Why did I get a letter with the return address having an X over it?

Asked by rae over 10 years ago

Rae, I don't know why you would receive a letter with an X on the return address. It doesn't really make sense to me. One theory would be that it was mailed and then our automated letter sorting system accidentally read the return address as the destination address. Maybe if a letter carrier saw that they would put an X through the return address so that the only address that could be read by a machinery or person would be your address. This is just a guess on my part. Thanks for writing.