Ask a Mailman (City Letter Carrier) anything

I'm 32 and have been a city letter carrier for seven years now. I've become very unsatisfied by the job. I just don't want to deal with the bad new england winters and the physical nature of the job anymore. Have you ever felt this way?

Asked by JD over 11 years ago

JD, good job for sticking with it for 7 years so far. There are many people who couldn't handle even one NE winter. I have trouble myself with the very cold weather, plus snow, and ice. The LLVs are horrible with snow in handling especially on any inclines. I have felt the way you have several times, and I have also felt the opposite as well (meaning I love the career). I admit it is difficult at times when you aren't feeling satisfied to stick with this career. Here is my advice, but keep in mind I don't know your personal living/financial situation. Being a city carrier and making apprx $50K+ a year seems to be a decent salary with benefits and union protections. I know it's a physically hard job, but you could apply to transfer to a less harsh area climate wise. My parents have been a big influence on me when I was on the verge of resigning on a few occasions. They said that it won't be easy to find a similar paying job without any special skills. I've also had to seek professional help in the past couple of years which has been worthwhile. This is probably more information then you want to know but as of now I am glad that I didn't go through with the rash decision of quitting the USPS. Have you thought about switching to the clerk craft? Would you rather maybe work inside as a Sales and Service Associate? There are pros and cons to that as well. I do feel bad for anybody who is unhappy with their position, but am hopeful they can stick with it and maybe their feelings will change for the better. I would have a very hard time working too long if I weren't satisfied at the position. Please try to keep your head up and dress appropriately for the weather. Thanks for writing.

782 Votes

If i was to put my mail in the collectors box and lets just say i needed it back cause whatever reason. And the envolope has my name on it, could i have it returned if i go to the mailmen when he is collecting the mail and show valid U.S. form of i.d

Asked by Joseph almost 11 years ago

Regarding your question Joseph, I don't known what the official rule is on this. If I were the letter carrier who was collecting the mail from the blue collection box and you approached me with appropriate ID and the letter was easy to find, I'd return it to you. I can imagine some other carriers not being as accommodating to your request either because they don't want to help you or because we may not technically be allowed to. It's also not always so easy to find the person collecting the mail unless you are watching the mailbox for awhile because letter carrier doesn't always come at the time printed on the collection box schedule label. The time printed on the label is the earliest time of the collection but it could be hours before the mail is actually collected.

781 Votes

Good Morning.
My mail box is a slot in front door. Up until 3 months ago, there was never a problem with delivering my mail there. Now my mailman has told me I have to have my mail box in the back, so that he doesn't have to walk up my steps.

Asked by Matt over 11 years ago

Matt, I am not familar with any real details about where a mailbox has to be with regards to steps. I just know that the box needs to be accessible to the letter carrier. I have never heard anything about steps being an issue. You may call the post office to ask if there is any regulation about the placement of a mailbox or mail slot. If they give you an answer that seems like it is made up, you may ask to see where this regulation is in writing or ask for the number to the regional or area office that oversees your local post office. Without having any more information than what you provided me, I'd say that the request by the mailman is invalid, but I just want to reiterate that I'm no authority on all of the rules on this subject. Thank you for writing.

779 Votes

I know my paycheck is at post office, I need for an emergency, it's Saturday night at 6:10 pm. Is there any possible way to get it before monday?

Asked by kidsrhungry over 11 years ago

I'm sorry but it's unlikely that you would be able to get your paycheck before regular mail delivery on Monday. It is likely that your post office closed and may not have anybody there until early on Monday AM. Even on Monday AM, it's not likely that your mail will be available (or that you'd find anybody willing or allowed to help). I don't know where your post office is so I can't speak to the specifics of your situation. I am just speaking in generalities of what I think would be the situation at most post offices. My question to you is: How do you know your pay check is at the post office? Most post offices deliver whatever mail has arrived on the same day that it arrives. What I mean is that mail that is processed overnight at a regional sorting facility arrives at our local post office by apprx 730AM and then is all sent out for delivery the same day it arrives. Do you have a PO Box where the paycheck would be and your local post office has restricted hours for access (i.e. not a 24 hour lobby).

779 Votes

I live in a complex building made up of many apartments is the mailman supposed to return mail that I put back in the mailbox

Asked by Marshall over 11 years ago

Marhsall, thanks for writing to this Q and A message board. In an apt. building, it is possible the mailman doesn't see the mail left in the mailbox to return because they may assume it is just tenant mail from a previous day not yet picked up by the resident. If you are putting back in the mailbox to be returned to sender, it should be marked accordingly (like "refused" or "person doesn't live here"). Is it possible for you to leave it outside the cluster of mailboxes to be returned? This way they will see it as a piece of mail that was incorrectly delivered or being refused. It is common for residents not to collect their mail each day which is why a mailman my not look at any mail that is remaining in a mailbox when they come to deliver a subsuquent days mail.

779 Votes

What happens after a postman returns to the post office after finishing his route? I gave my postman a package that had a pre-paid shipping label and was wondering when I can expect it to be scanned.

Asked by Mischa over 11 years ago

Mischa, I deleted one of your questions because it came up as a duplicate on this website. When we return from our routes, we put all of the outgoing (collected) mail in a dispatch area usually divided into flat, letters, parcels, priority, metered, stamped, etc. With regards to the prepaid shipping labels which is usually called Parcel Select Return Service I put the item in a separate area and our dispatch clerk knows what to do with it. I don't know when it is scanned at our post office. I would suspect that the package would be scanned at least in 1-2 days. Some packages which are being sent back as a return are transported by a 3rd party company that picks up those packages at our post office. Other packages are transported by the USPS back to the company where the package is being returned. I know when I pick it up from a customer as an outgoing return package I do not scan the item at all. I hope this helps but please keep checking USPS.com to track your package for any scans.

779 Votes

If my address is on the mail that I'm sending to another person shall we say in another country , how does a mailman find that address on that particular letter? Do they have some kind of map or device to help to them?

Asked by Ceejaay over 11 years ago

When you mail a letter it goes through a fairly extensive sorting process until it reaches the destination post office that does the actual delivery of the letter to the addressee. That is the way it works in the US and I imagine it is similar in other countries. Once the letter reaches the final post office, it is then sorted to the route which covers the address. The letter carrier for that route usually will have a map with them or a GPS or smartphone to help them find the address if they aren't familiar with the area. In the post office where I work, many of the streets are delivered by the same letter carriers each day so we know where the mail goes to. It is also helpful and important if the street signs are clear as well as the house/apt #'s are labeled well.

778 Votes

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

I'm 32 and have been a city letter carrier for seven years now. I've become very unsatisfied by the job. I just don't want to deal with the bad new england winters and the physical nature of the job anymore. Have you ever felt this way?

If i was to put my mail in the collectors box and lets just say i needed it back cause whatever reason. And the envolope has my name on it, could i have it returned if i go to the mailmen when he is collecting the mail and show valid U.S. form of i.d

Good Morning.
My mail box is a slot in front door. Up until 3 months ago, there was never a problem with delivering my mail there. Now my mailman has told me I have to have my mail box in the back, so that he doesn't have to walk up my steps.

I know my paycheck is at post office, I need for an emergency, it's Saturday night at 6:10 pm. Is there any possible way to get it before monday?

Also on Jobstr...

I live in a complex building made up of many apartments is the mailman supposed to return mail that I put back in the mailbox

What happens after a postman returns to the post office after finishing his route? I gave my postman a package that had a pre-paid shipping label and was wondering when I can expect it to be scanned.

If my address is on the mail that I'm sending to another person shall we say in another country , how does a mailman find that address on that particular letter? Do they have some kind of map or device to help to them?

Mailman (City Letter Carrier)

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

I'm 32 and have been a city letter carrier for seven years now. I've become very unsatisfied by the job. I just don't want to deal with the bad new england winters and the physical nature of the job anymore. Have you ever felt this way?

If i was to put my mail in the collectors box and lets just say i needed it back cause whatever reason. And the envolope has my name on it, could i have it returned if i go to the mailmen when he is collecting the mail and show valid U.S. form of i.d

Good Morning.My mail box is a slot in front door. Up until 3 months ago, there was never a problem with delivering my mail there. Now my mailman has told me I have to have my mail box in the back, so that he doesn't have to walk up my steps.

I know my paycheck is at post office, I need for an emergency, it's Saturday night at 6:10 pm. Is there any possible way to get it before monday?

Also on Jobstr...

I live in a complex building made up of many apartments is the mailman supposed to return mail that I put back in the mailbox

What happens after a postman returns to the post office after finishing his route? I gave my postman a package that had a pre-paid shipping label and was wondering when I can expect it to be scanned.

If my address is on the mail that I'm sending to another person shall we say in another country , how does a mailman find that address on that particular letter? Do they have some kind of map or device to help to them?

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Good Morning.
My mail box is a slot in front door. Up until 3 months ago, there was never a problem with delivering my mail there. Now my mailman has told me I have to have my mail box in the back, so that he doesn't have to walk up my steps.