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)
I don't know that the mailbox is technically USPS property. It should only be used for US Mail as far as I know. The mailman probably shouldn't have taken the gift bags if they weren't properly addressed and contatined sufficient postage. Having the flag up does generally signal that somebody has outgoing mail so we know to stop there even if there is no "incoming" mail to that address. I would look at any item that is in a customers mailbox and it is usually quite apparent if it is meant as outgoing mail or not. That being said, I would never recommend that anybody leave anything in a mailbox that isn't associated with US Mail or the USPS. I think in most cases the gift bags would have been left alone in the mailbox, but we have employees among us who aren't that sharp or mayne they were just trying to prove a point that non-mail items should be in the mailbox. I can't comment on why the gift bags disappeared. It is just speculation on my part.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=A%20relative%20thought%20it%20was%20a%20good%20idea%20to%20place%20gift%20bags%20for%20my%20kids%20in%20our%20mailbox%20with%20the%20flag%20up%20figuring%20it%20would%20signal%20to%20us%20that%20there%20was%20something%20in%20there.%20Well%20apparently%20the%20mailman%20took%20them%21%20I%20was%20told%20the%20mailbox%20was%20USPS%20property%21..%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12169)
Sure it's common to run late. It's possible the carrier had another assignment to do before starting their regular route. Also, if staffing is short, a route may be broken up into several sections and a carrier will do that section for overtime which could vary the delivery time greatly. Thanks for the question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Is%20it%20usual%20for%20mail%20carriers%20to%20run%20late%20on%20routes%3F%20My%20mail%20is%20usually%20here%20early%20in%20the%20AM%20but%20has%20not%20yet%20got%20here%20yet.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/8656)
Stand-Up Comedian
What types of crowds are the worst for you to to perform for?
CrossFit Coach
Are Crossfit gyms profitable right out of the gate?
Car Salesman
Are women more likely to get taken advantage of when buying a car?
Tera, I am sorry but I don't know where the package you sent your boyfriend is, though I think you knew that already. If a letter carrier can't figure out which apt. # a piece of mail should go to, they often will have it returned to sender though I realize you left off your address as well. The package was either delivered to the wrong apt number or sent to an office that handles undeliverable mail. I am not sure where that office is or what happens to items sent there.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=So%20I%20sent%20my%20Boyfriend%20a%20care%20package%20and%20I%20forgot%20to%20put%20his%20apartment%20number%20on%20the%20address.%20As%20I%20tracked%20it%2C%20it%20said%20it%20was%20delivered%2C%20yet%20he%20hasn%27t%20received%20it.%20I%20also%20didnt%20put%20a%20reture%20address%20on%20it.%20Where%20do%20you%20think%20it%20could%20be%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11638)
I am not sure what your post office or letter carrier will do if you are unable to provide a large enough receptacle for your daily mail delivery. Since you live in a place with only cluster boxes, it seems you have no choice in the matter. If I were able to get to your actual unit or apt. door, I'd likely leave the mail by the door and maybe ring your doorbell. I don't know the procedure for where you live and from what I hear on this Q and A board and from other msg boards, the delivery procedure is far from uniform in multi-unit dwellings. One option is to rent a PO Box which come in different sizes, but that would require an extra cost and a trip to your Post Office on a regular basis. If you stop in to your local post office and present this question to a delivery supervisor, hopefully they can give you a better answer. Good luck with your home-based business.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20does%20the%20carrier%20or%20post%20office%20do%20if%20my%20home-based%20business%20gets%20too%20much%20mail%20to%20fit%20in%20my%20cluster%20mailbox%20%28on%20a%20regular%20basis%29%3F%20I%20can%20potentially%20see%20getting%20two%20or%20three%20crates%20of%20mail%20daily.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12944)
In most cases, if the error is that minor and the misspelled street doesnt match another street in the same ZIP , the delivery should still reach you. Misspellings occur all the time with mailed items and letters.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20bought%20some%20things%20on%20eBay%20Then%20later%2C%20I%20noticed%20that%20I%20%20made%20a%20small%20mistake%20on%20my%20shipping%20address.%20The%20zip%20codes%2C%20state%2C%20and%20city%20are%20all%20correct%2C%20but%20i%20misspelled%20my%20street%20address%20by%20a%20letter%20off.%20Will%20my%20deliveries%20still%20be%20able%20to%20reach%20me%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10281)
-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
