You may be wondering if it's a good idea for you to become a USPS mail carrier (or, perhaps, another position). Given the current upheavals caused by President Trump, the new Postmaster General, Louis Dejoy, and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it's uncertain what the future of the USPS will be. In addition, the mail volume has dropped a lot since March 2020 and the new rules from the PMG are putting pressure on USPS employees, especially those who actually deliver the mail. According to long-term carriers I've asked, the situation for carriers had already gotten a lot worse long before Dejoy arrived, but he was a political appointment by Trump in exchange, it seems, for the large sum of money he donated to Trump's campaign.

Does Dejoy have what it takes? He has a reputation for dealing with money shortages by cutting jobs from the bottom end. His early decisions affecting carriers seems not to have been based on input from them OR the unions (in fact, a high-ranking member of the local NALC informed me that Dejoy didn't consult the unions at all before making those rule changes), which doesn't seem to bode well for employees. Just considering that one new rule states that carriers are given a specific, unvariable amount of time to get all their mail sorted and into their LLVs (trucks), and have to leave behind anything they didn't sort, it seems that customers, who have already been complaining for years, are going to be even more unhappy.

The pandemic is also a wildcard at this time. When will it end, if ever? Will there be further shutdowns that affect people sending and receiving mail? Carriers are at less risk of getting SARS-CoV-2 because they don't actually have a lot of interaction with people, but clerks are constantly interacting, so it can pass from clerks to carriers.

My daughter has been waiting for a month for a package from a friend of hers. But, I can't do much more than speculate. I have had mail to and from me go missing. I have seen a lot of messages online from customers who complain about just about any aspect of the business that you can think of, while others are quite happy. I'm somewhere in the middle.

Is Being a Carrier the Right Career for Me?

Here are some things that may help you decide if the life of a postal carrier is for you. I was a City Carrier Assistant (CCA) from 3/16/20 to 7/30/20, after which I had to resign because of health issues (my body couldn't adapt to the high summer temperatures). It also involved my Postmaster's opinion that I was a threat to myself and others, after which he refused to give me any hours at all and tried to have me fired on false charges. In essence, it was a forced resignation, but I had intended to switch to being a clerk as soon as I could find such a position. My experience has soured me to the USPS for the time being.

If you have serious problems with handling the weather, have phobias regarding animals or insects you'd encounter while delivering, or have life-threatening allergies (e.g. bee stings), you will need to take extra precautions. Also, serious physical handicaps may make it extremely challenging for you to deliver mail. If, for example, you walk with the aid of crutches, you won't be able to use them for your job as you need both arms; if you use a wheelchair, it might be easier except you won't be able to go up and down stairs, reach mailboxes that are out of reach, and you'll have trouble with snow and ice.

Me in my USPS carrier uniform
The author in his uniform, most of which I got at the union hall because it takes months before you get your yearly uniform allowance, and it's not enough to fully equip you, at the start of OJI (on-the-job instruction).

Note: As a new carrier, you'll either be a city (CCA) or rural carrier assistant(RCA), which means you are not a career employee and can be sent where you are needed. You're basically a glorified temp in some regards, and have to cover routes for whoever is off.

Basic Daily Routine

Place your personal items in your locker (if they've finally given you one).
Clock in with your electronic "badge" (timecard) (aka EBR card) on office time.
- If you don't have one, you'll have to fill out a timecard (form 1260).
Sort your letters, flats and small packages at the "case."
- This is a large sorting cabinet with your route labeled in order from the bottom-left corner to the top-right corner.
Get all your big packages once the clerks have finished sorting the shipment(s). During the end-of-year holidays, that can mean multiple trips in your Long-Life Vehicle (LLV: the ubiquitous USPS truck) just for packages, plus the rest of the mail.
"Pull down" everything from the case into the trays for letters and flats, in order, using as many trays as are needed, and being careful not to load them too fully so they can be stacked.
Flats tray:
Letter trays and bins
- The above, #3-5, are typically NOT done by new CCAs until they are judged to be skilled and knowledgeable enough, which can take months.
Load everything into carts (seen in the case photo: orange plastic and white canvas types).
Scan the hot case for redistributed mail (usually mis-sorted by the machines at the National Distribution Centers).
With your timecard, switch to route time ("depart to route"). If you don't have an EBR card yet, you can't do this, and so you'll note only your start, lunch break and end times (certain other situations may sometimes apply). Also scan the barcode for the same with your scanner.
Wheel the carts out to your LLV.
Check your vehicle for any signs of trouble (27-point Expanded Vehicle Safety Check). This may be done at the start of your morning, instead.
Load your truck.
- Your scanner can show you, via the "Load Truck" feature, which part (1-6) of your route each package goes to, and can even show you the exact order that you'll deliver the packages (unless your route has been altered and the computer hasn't been updated), however you are discouraged from using this tool unless you don't know the route. Why? Because it takes (according to the USPS) too much time to load your truck using the scanner, and it definitely takes even more if you organize it by the sequence numbers, which includes writing them on each package.
Drive safely and defensively.
Deliver any high-priority express packages before starting your route.
Drive or walk to the starting point of your route. If you are walking, you are expected to walk on the lawn (not someone's garden) unless a customer has put in a request to not walk on their lawn.
If there is one, scan the Managed Service Point (MSP) - a barcode sticker is usually found on certain mailboxes, and this system is used to help customers know approximately where you are (not really effective, because there aren't very many MSPs on a route).
Deliver letters, flats (e.g. oversized, flat items like magazines, envelopes, (post)cards, regular envelopes with too much in them, A3/A4 envelopes), and packages to the customers on your route. Anything small enough must go into the mailbox.
- If you have any accountable mail...
  - If it has a tracking number: scan it;
  - If it requires delivery directly to the customer (e.g. blue insured, regular domestic, certified, signature required, COD, postage due, restricted, adult restricted, priority mail express): ring the bell (knock on the door since the pandemic started) and attempt delivery as per rules. Most types require that you scan a barcode and leave a notice of attempted delivery if no one answers.
Hold undeliverable mail in the same hand as the mail to be delivered but behind it, or put it in your satchel.
Avoid hazards, such as uneven walkways, fences, ice, dogs and other animals, stinging insects, thorny plants, unseen holes in the lawn.
Be constantly mindful of the time and how long it takes to complete each part of your route. Speedy, accurate and secure delivery is the priority, while being safe.
If customers have questions or want to talk, be professional and nice but fast. There is no real time for socializing due to the time constraints.
Retrieve "outgoing/fresh" mail from customer's mailbox. Repeat above 5 steps until you return to your LLV or PO.
Sort all the undeliverables:
- Place any junk mail in your UBBM bin (a normal, plastic USPS bin).
- Any mail that is not for your route is put in your "throwback" bin (a normal, plastic USPS bin or tray) or, if you have it, the sorting throwback bin (a shorter, cardboard bin with dividers for different types of undeliverables) in your LLV.
- Place held, forwarded and undelivered packages where convenient.
Take your appointed, paid 15-minute (only) breaks at the correct time. You get one for each 4 hours you work.
If you work 5 hours or more, take a 30-minute (only), unpaid lunch.
- It will automatically be deducted from your pay.
- If you don't take a lunch, you'll need to tell your supervisor, but I highly recommend it, as well as your fifteen-minute breaks!
Around 3 PM, call the office to let your supervisor know where you are and how long you will need to finish your route.
- This allows them the option to ask other carriers to go help you deliver your route, which often happens if you're new, there were delays, the weather is bad, you have trouble keeping to the time limit, etc.
If you are nearing the deadline for when you should be done (usually 8 or 10 hours after you started), you need to contact your supervisor to see if overtime (1.5x pay) or penalty time (2x pay) is authorized.
Once you are done with your route, return to the Post Office.
Park near the door(s) for loading and unloading LLVs.
Take your outgoing mail inside and scan the "return to office" barcode as well as use your EBR card to change your status to office time.
Put outgoing mail in the correct gaylords, carts or bins.
- Any packages, flats and letters with tracking barcodes should have been scanned beforehand.
Move leftover and undeliverable mail, bins and your equipment from your LLV into a cart.
Move your LLV to its assigned parking spot.
Take everything inside.
- This may be done immediately, especially in bad weather, if your PO doesn't have a proper roof for the LLV dock).
Put all the undeliverable junk mail (they hate that term) aka marketing mail in the PARS/UBBM bin, usually located at each case.
- This includes mail from non-profits and most things marked "presorted standard."
- The only exception is if the mail is marked with a phrase like "forwarding service requested," which is had for an additional fee.
Put all forwarded items, after consulting the route's forward list, into the forwarded mail trays/bins.
Put all the mis-sorted (in the wrong order for the route), mis-sequenced (for a different route) and mis-delivered (for another PO anywhere in the US and its territories) mail in the appropriate slots in the throwback case.
Put all the first-class and similar undeliverable mail in the appropriate parts of the throwback case.
Put all "holds" and "left notice" mail in the respective carts.
Return bins for mail to their respective locations, along with any mail that should be reattempted the next day, at your case.
Ask your supervisor if there is any mail for which a scan result was not returned, and answer his/her questions if there are.
Clock out.

Route Delivery Types

There are lots of terms at the USPS, and they aren't always the same at every PO. For example, undeliverable marketing mail is usually called UBBM (Undeliverable Bulk Business Mail aka junk mail), but sometimes CFS or CMU. The same is true of route delivery types.

Although uncommon, 'walk-outs' (where you literally walk from your post office to your route) do exist.
Foot delivery: drive to parking location (preferably under a tree during the heat of summer), dismount and walk.
- "loop" (around a neighborhood)
- "deadhead" (walk one way, deliver the other, because one side has no mailboxes)
Mounted/curbline/curbside: driving from one mailbox to the next
Park and loop: drive to a parking point, dismount, deliver to the neighborhood (loops and deadheads)
Dismount/hops: get out, go to mailbox, which could be on the other side of the walkway, or inside a building, then return to your LLV.

Most routes are a combination of the above, while some will be more on foot and others more mounted. It's actual kind of rare to find a route that is 100% one type. Delivering to businesses, apartment and condominium buildings can be nice because of AC, heating and relief from the weather, unless it's in a bad neighborhood or smells bad.

Hazards & Challenges

I enjoyed being a mail carrier, except the pressure to deliver within a specific timeframe, but there are definitely negatives that you should consider.

Orientation takes 2 weeks and is boring and full of information, some of which you won't need because it's done for multiple job types (e.g. clerk, RCA, CCA).
- It is not performed by professionals trained for that job but by USPS employees who've taken a training course. My trainer was a soon-to-retire USPS truck driver.
- There were times when we were expected to sign documents that were not filled out, or were completed based on future expectations. I don't like signing a document like that because of the risk of abuse and fraud, so I registered a complaint with the training manager who thanked me for the input and said he'd address it.
- You will be sent to your assigned PO for one day to "shadow" an experienced City Carrier Assistant (CCA, non-career) or a City Carrier (career). You probably won't get to do anything but watch. You may have to walk a lot.
- You will be sent to the nearest LLV training center for a one-day course in how to drive in a right-side vehicle, primarily through actual practice since you will have received several pages of information in orientation.
Training (Academy) is 4 days and is also boring and the trainer will be as above. The trainer may skip required materials for one reason or another.
- My trainer told us many anecdotes about his experiences, some of which were quite funny while others probably frightened some people. He also swore all of the time and made comments that would offend some people.
You are then assigned to an experienced CCA (who is called your OJI or on-the-job instructor) for 4-5 days of OJT (training). You will be driving an LLV, in most cases,
- This person, along with your union steward - if you join - are your go-to people when you need help.
- You are not required to join the union. Some people swear by them, others don't like them. Mine helped me settle my grievance when I had to leave the USPS because I kept dehydrating too quickly while delivering mail.
Dogs
Unmarked buildings and streets
Unfamiliarity with the area you're delivering to
Concealed, out-of-the-way or inconspicuously placed mailboxes
Route segments where there is nowhere to park your LLV that protects it from the weather, especially the heat
Holes in the lawn
Low-lying items that might cause you to trip
Damage to joints, sometimes requiring surgery
Trips, sprains & falls
Sun burn & skin cancer
Long overall walking (the route I trained on had about 14 miles of walking).
Long-term problems with painful conditions as a result
Sharp edges on mailboxes, fences, and other objects
Weather that affects yours and/or your vehicle's performance (e.g. heat, cold, humidity, rain, sleet, hail, snow, tornado)
Backstabbing people
Supervisors who don't do what they say they will, or don't want to fill out reports
Customers who don't understand how challenging it is to do the job, which is most everyone
Overthinking your job
The time constraints that are placed on you
The pressure to get your work done in the time given
Not taking short-cuts to meet the time constraints, such as following the rules about your LLV.
Abbreviations, variant names and form numbers
Memorizing your route
Although each route should have a route book at the case, some don't and some post offices are not good about maintaining them if they DO exist. I worked multiple routes where there was no map for the route.
For new carriers (CCA and RCA), frequently switching routes which can make memorization a challenge
With the exception of the Promasters, you will be driving an LLV, which were made in the 1980s and early 1990s, so they are old and have problems, including poor braking (no ABS), tires may not have good treads, the speedometer is usually inaccurate, the gas gauge may be wrong, etc. and, rarely, LLVs catch fire because of a design flaw.
LLVs are not air-conditioned, and have only one small fan mounted on the left side, so they are at least 10 degrees warmer than the outside and can exceed 125F, even if the temperature isn't that bad outside.
The risk of dehydration, whether driving or walking, is very real, but it is harder to detect while driving, and can lead to problems like confusion, stumbling, feeling faint, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, poor muscle control, and muscle cramps; this is heat exhaustion, and visible signs include cool, pale, clammy skin and a rapid, weak pulse. Heat stroke, which is advanced dehydration, causes a throbbing headache, body temperature over 103F, nausea, vomiting, and losing consciousness, and visible signs include no sweating, hot to touch and red, hot, dry skin, and a rapid, strong pulse.
The risk of trench foot, frostbite and other weather-induced conditions.
Collisions (other vehicles, mailboxes and other stationary objects, people)
Some mailboxes may be difficult to open or close, or may be damaged. Some have sharp corners that you can cut yourself on or you may slam your finger in a complex's clusterbox.
Robbery/Mugging
Theft from your vehicle when you're not in it
Pickpockets and snatchers
Extortionists and corruptors (who will seek to bribe you to engage in illegal activities, such as the delivery of packages containing prohibited materials) - the USPS Postal Inspectors are constantly on the look-out for criminals and carriers who help them.
High-risk areas
Mail and package stealers (aka porch thieves)
For non-career employees, there are few benefits.
You must apply for non-career healthcare benefits within the first 60 days, starting from the "enter on duty date" listed on the "Notification of Personnel Action" letter you'll receive after being accepted.
Depending on the size of the PO you're in, and how fast people quit and retire, it may take about 1-2 years before you're given career status as a City Carrier.
- I'm told that Rural Carrier Assistants, who have different rules (they don't necessarily have to wear a USPS uniform and may have to drive their own vehicle instead of an LLV, etc.), often wait several years before becoming career RCs.
Hostile workers, supervisors and managers.
Inappropriate speech and behavior in the workplace.
Surveillance of what you do via remote observation (scanner GPS pings) and MSP scans, as well as real-time surveillance by supervisors, driver safety inspectors, Postal Inspectors (Postal Police), etc.
Complaints from customers because of real or perceived errors, including customers who will lie about you.
3-6 month probationary period (90 days worked)
Political and religious talk is not allowed.
Internal culture of some POs is in direct violation of the rules, such as the work environment, inappropriate comments and behavior, abusive management, safety violations, etc. This is not universal, however, but it is apparently more of a problem in some POs than others.
Charitable fundraising is not allowed, except for the approved USPS charity drives. Not even Girl Scout cookies!
In most cases, giving gifts to other employees, especially if you have a working relationship with them, and receiving gifts from employees and customers is not allowed.
Although safety and security are important, you will need to lift heavy trays, bins and packages out of large mail carts without being able to use correct lifting procedures.
Working Amazon/UPS Sundays is mandatory for non-career employees, especially those who are new, so expect to work every Sunday until you have enough seniority.
Your schedule is primarily dependent on mail volume, holidays, seniority, and carriers who are out on leave (sick, vacation, etc.). Under normal circumstances, non-career carriers have been known to have to work every day for months. Because of the pandemic, this is not happening a lot.
New carriers may or may not be allowed to case mail. At some POs, you start doing this during probation, but other POs only allow you to do it when you know a route well. If you are not allowed to case mail, then you will start later in the morning than experienced carriers. (I admit, this is a benefit for some - some carrier hate casing.)

Benefits

Competitive benefits package from the government once you become a career employee, including health, life and dental, and a pension. Minimum time before you can retire is 5+ years. CCAs, RCAs and other new employees may be able to get federal healthcare (not the same as offered to career employees) at a decent price, but you must apply for it within 60 days of their hire date (not the date they started orientation, training, OJT or work).
Cumulative annual leave
Giving time for certain religious activities is required. If, for example, you go to temple every Saturday and can provide proof of this, you will be given time off each Saturday to do this, but must then report to the PO after a reasonable amount of time if you're scheduled to work that day.
Salaries start at about $15/hr and go up from there. For carriers, as of April 2020, CCAs earned $17.29.
Salaries increase regularly.
You earn overtime (1.5xpay/hr) on any day in which you go over 8 hours, and any week in which you go over 40 hours.
You earn penalty/double time (2xpay/hr) on any day in which you exceed 10 hours, and any week in which you go over 56 hours.
- But there is no penalty pay for the December holiday rush (basically, all of December, but the exact dates are agreed upon with the unions), which is when you work the most hours.
- Overtime is sometimes allowed but you should talk to your supervisor.
- Penalty time is only possible with permission from management.
Working Amazon/UPS Sundays is mandatory for non-career employees, especially those who are new, so this can be a way to earn extra money.
You can sign up for some overtime, lots of overtime, or maximum overtime as a career employee. Those who sign up get the first chance to accept OT, and then non-career employees, from the least seniority to the most, get the option to accept it.
I was told that the best non-management positions for salary are as machinists and mechanics, but the hours can be odd and you may have to work outside in bad weather.
Raise after probation is finished. I received a $.50 raise.
Gifts from customers.
- Some carriers will, if asked in confidence, report receiving hundreds or even thousands of dollars in gifts and cash.
- However, most gifts are illegal because of their value. I believe the limit on gifts is $40/year. If you are found to be accepting gifts that violate the very strict rules, the Postal Inspectors can file charges against you.
As a Federal employee, any attacks on you are prosecuted as Federal crimes.
Your management team SHOULD block addresses where there is a threat of danger from customers and/or animals.
Career carriers are guaranteed 8 hours a day. If they cannot give you 8 hours, you can take annual leave or leave without pay, otherwise they must provide you with work to meet that minimum.
Yearly uniform allowance
- awarded to non-career employees after they finish their probationary period;
- It can take a long time to actually get this;
- not enough to get everything you need;
- given each year; and
- any left over at the end of each year is taken back.
The majority of the people at the POs that I interacted with were either friendly or gave help when requested. Although I'd heard stories about lazy or nasty people, I didn't see this where I worked.

What Post Office Should I Apply for?

I would definitely look at small towns and AOs (associate offices) first, because large towns and cities generally have rough and even criminally dangerous areas, as well as each large area having multiple POs.

In addition, cities have multiple POs that are all considered to be one for the purpose of where you'll work. For example, there are over 20 POs for Cincinnati, and you can be sent to ANY of them. AOs on the other hand tend to mean that you'll be working out of one PO, but might sometimes get sent to other nearby POs.

An advantage of large areas is that you'll probably get promoted to career faster. The smaller the place, the less often there is room to move up.

Note: Small villages and towns may not be able to offer full-time hours, so you may often be sent to larger POs to help them. This means you might have to travel up to an hour at your own expense, unless they send you in a USPS vehicle, which isn't common. For example, I worked out of the Milford, Ohio, office, but I was often sent to Loveland and Batavia, and even went to Amelia and New Richmond.

I hope that this has helped you make a decision about a career as a mail carrier. It's definitely not easy in some ways, but in others it is.

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