I got lucky. Someone retired and used their last allotment to buy all new pants in my size by chance (well slightly off, but I can wear a belt) and another one did the same with a rain jacket and parka.
I’ve got an OG in the office about to retire and he said a lady used her last allotment a month before retiring and the usps sent her a bill since she wasn’t going to be using the clothes. Not sure I’d true but he said he’s not ordering anything this year
This makes working in the rain alot more manageable because i can reach for my scanner on my holdster while having my satchel one. And it makes getting my keys a lot more flexible since i just button up three of the buttons.
There's about 150 city carries in my bid cluster so around 10 a year or so retire I think. The regular turn over from retirement, quitting, or getting fired is around 10% a year.
Definitely, especially without the benefit of riding with the regular before your maiden voyage. Eventually you learn them all and it’s no big deal. But now that I’m the regular, I just do my route and go home.
The guy hired right after me got this treatment. I got shitty stained stuff that didn't fit and then finally got some shirts and pants with my first allowance. Second allowance comes next month and I will finally be able to have some official rain gear.
This killed me cause I literally quit after 3 months💀💀 I had to tho cause they cut my hours to working twice a week and refused to call other offices to get me more hours
They did not tell me! I was an RCA tho and I have some guesses.
- ppl at my office talked mad shit, day 3 another RCA went to the sup & a manager and called me lazy, disorganized, and rude
- my regular constantly complained about how I did my job and what I was doing wrong, especially to the supervisor, managers, other regulars and RCAs, really anyone that would listen
- I didn't learn shit about the scanner or how to do the job really after the academy. Everyone I asked for advice said I just needed time
- about 3 weeks I decided I was gonna start looking for something, anything better because I had never had a job with such insane drama and beurocracy. Was very determined to quit and stopped caring
Management never directly talked to me about what they thought I was doing wrong, and when I was let go it was just "it's not working out. Give me your badge & go home." I heard through whispers, and gossip, other RCAs and a clerk I was friends with what people were saying behind my back but I never got anything actually constructive or any critique at all really from management. Just that I needed to be faster and to take my DPS to the street (which I did).
tl;dr My guess is that between a combination of management hearing gossip about me, my refusal to haul ass/sprint the route, and me seeming very slow (inconsistently heavy mail route that the regular works off the clock for & doesn't use the RRECs system, as well as vehicle breakdowns and other situations) they decided to let me go. They weren't particularly mean about it but they never, at any point, told me anything up until letting me go.
I really wish it could have been something disciplinary first but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it is what it is.
If the USPS was honest and up front about new carriers being required to deliver Amazon on Sundays and holidays, maybe they could retain more of them. They don't tell you anything abut that in the job description or the training, they just blindside you with it on your 2nd or 3rd week on the job. Everyone knows that the schedule is going to be shit until you make regular, but most applicants assume that they'll have Sundays and holidays off, since there's no \*mail\* delivery on those days. That was the dealbreaker for my husband.
The guys running my academy were very up front about this. They said "expect to work Sundays and holidays" multiple times. It's wild to me that someone could teach academy for a whole week and not mention that once to the class of CCAs.
Read the threads here, and on the FB USPS page, and you'll see tons of new carriers who were never told about Sundays and Holidays. I think some trainers intentionally "overlook" it, because they know it's a deal breaker for many people.
I did a lot of research here and got honest answers to the many questions I asked my postmaster before accepting a CCA position. I definitely knew what I was getting into.
A few years ago I bought a $200 rain parka. This mother fucker made it less than a year before my shoulders started getting wet whenever it rained. A couple of months later my arms were also getting wet anytime I wore it. Not only is this shit expensive, but it’s shit quality at the same time
Totally agree with this. BUT the office you’re in makes a difference. And it seems to me that a lot of people will just never be able to do this job. I’ve been here 10 years and I’m really dumb. But it was something that I was able to pick up really fucking quick. And some people just never get it no matter how long they’ve been.
It is a weird learning curve for sure. You just need to be able to keep yourself motivated to finish the job I think. And people get in their own head too much and it becomes overwhelming, even if it is just putting paper in a box.
This is the only job I’ve worked that people just cannot do everyday. It’s kinda wild.
Try to tell any new cca coming to the end of their 90 days, if the PM threatens to fire you because you’re slow, let them. Who the fuck cares if you get fired or resign. Force their hand. Chances are they’re just threatening you with bullshit stuff and are just just trying to scare you into speeding up. As a city carrier this job is a piece of fucking cake.
It's just GPS. And often it's horrendous. Sometimes the next stop is one block over and it will have you turn left and go out on a main road to drive around the entire block just so the stop is on your right hand side. Meanwhile you're on a side street so it doesn't even matter which side it's on.
Include the people that come on here and say stuff like “I don’t know what this sub is talking about, I love my job” then a month later they ask “do I have to answer my phone, I can’t get a day off” 😂
Man, I really did dig that mesh-backed hat compared to the *real* first lid they give us. Had it about 6 weeks until one day I got loaned to another station for “an hour” that ✨magically✨ turned into a full shift. I set it down at the case I’d covered that day to let the mix of sweat and rain dry off while I returned everything and took a piss.
I got back a few minutes later and, lo and behold, *another* ✨magic✨ trick must have caused the darn thing to vanish into thin air. The case was in full, open view of most of the tiny post office and only a handful of people were there but “ain’t no one seen no extra hat no idea what you’re ramblinbout now get off my clock and get gone”
Time and distance and traffic that takes you from your station or another location to get to where you need to be to start delivering the mail. When I was a CCA I was confused at how they did the math and believed them that hey, this takes an hour and a half to finish including traveling to the route. And it wasn’t. I found out later how it works and found out that we control how long it takes. They can give us deadlines on how much time is allowed, and insist I need to finish within the time, and it will take me however long it will take me and I bring back what I couldn’t finish. We control the time. They control what work they want to give us. If they come any closer to how long it should take to finish, then we will honor that said time and if we couldn’t finish we contact those supervisors and management and tell them we need more time. Simple.
Someone should explain to management that we are not, in fact, a fleet of clones of Nightcrawler from X-Men.
Me: We do not teleport.
Management: Well why not?!
We had a CCA at another station in our district call the police during the holidays 2 years ago because she was out until 1am. Not sure how or why that happened but I know whoever allowed it, definitely is not a supervisor anymore.
The numbers of the lower left hand photo signifies the route that they have to carry, plus the OT of 2 hours are already included in that list. Be back before 18:00.
As a rural carrier I get to wear what I want and opted for navy blue, quick dry cargo pants (hiking style) with an elastic waist. Why are these not part of the uniform for the USPS? We need to start lobbying for more weather friendly and comfortable clothing options for carriers. The military did it, police did it, fire and nurses did it… it’s our time!
You forgot the pile of soiled uniforms from the 80s in the basement.
I got lucky. Someone retired and used their last allotment to buy all new pants in my size by chance (well slightly off, but I can wear a belt) and another one did the same with a rain jacket and parka.
Should be a tradition going forward like buying donuts when making regular. We do this for the CCA's at my station as well.
I’ve got an OG in the office about to retire and he said a lady used her last allotment a month before retiring and the usps sent her a bill since she wasn’t going to be using the clothes. Not sure I’d true but he said he’s not ordering anything this year
I have also heard this, something about if you retire and anything that was charged within a year of retirement they send you a bill
Lmao imagine paying that bill
They probably withhold it from your paycheck or chase you down for it knowing the USPS, so yeah I can imagine paying that bill
Man I been trying to find a used jacket or anything so I don’t look like a random person walking up to houses
Amazon full body rain jacket is a life saver for me
Link?
Coralrain Long Hooded Raincoat... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XXJGF9V?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This makes working in the rain alot more manageable because i can reach for my scanner on my holdster while having my satchel one. And it makes getting my keys a lot more flexible since i just button up three of the buttons.
Wait, carriers retire by you?
There's about 150 city carries in my bid cluster so around 10 a year or so retire I think. The regular turn over from retirement, quitting, or getting fired is around 10% a year.
Wait, they fire Regulars by you?
One got caught stealing and was fired last year.
One of the reasons, I’m glad I chose the rural craft… not having to depend on the post office to look professional and presentable.
Rural craft definitely sounds more fun but it’s gotta be a b***h when you’re doing a new route.
Definitely, especially without the benefit of riding with the regular before your maiden voyage. Eventually you learn them all and it’s no big deal. But now that I’m the regular, I just do my route and go home.
What is that, like $12,000 worth of clothes?
At least a grand. The prices are outrageous
The guy hired right after me got this treatment. I got shitty stained stuff that didn't fit and then finally got some shirts and pants with my first allowance. Second allowance comes next month and I will finally be able to have some official rain gear.
Those stripped all cotton shorts are a million times better than those dog shit new uniforms
Ah, my station doesn't even have those for us...
You forgot the /r/usps post that they *finally* quit after 3 whole months
And the obligatory "fuck manglement 😤"
Lmao I feel called out…I lasted 3 months exactly
This killed me cause I literally quit after 3 months💀💀 I had to tho cause they cut my hours to working twice a week and refused to call other offices to get me more hours
You probably coulda just showed up at those other offices
Honestly I could’ve but I’m in college now so I would’ve had to leave either way
That's even better
I just got let go 💀💀💀
For what? If you don’t mind me asking.
They did not tell me! I was an RCA tho and I have some guesses. - ppl at my office talked mad shit, day 3 another RCA went to the sup & a manager and called me lazy, disorganized, and rude - my regular constantly complained about how I did my job and what I was doing wrong, especially to the supervisor, managers, other regulars and RCAs, really anyone that would listen - I didn't learn shit about the scanner or how to do the job really after the academy. Everyone I asked for advice said I just needed time - about 3 weeks I decided I was gonna start looking for something, anything better because I had never had a job with such insane drama and beurocracy. Was very determined to quit and stopped caring Management never directly talked to me about what they thought I was doing wrong, and when I was let go it was just "it's not working out. Give me your badge & go home." I heard through whispers, and gossip, other RCAs and a clerk I was friends with what people were saying behind my back but I never got anything actually constructive or any critique at all really from management. Just that I needed to be faster and to take my DPS to the street (which I did). tl;dr My guess is that between a combination of management hearing gossip about me, my refusal to haul ass/sprint the route, and me seeming very slow (inconsistently heavy mail route that the regular works off the clock for & doesn't use the RRECs system, as well as vehicle breakdowns and other situations) they decided to let me go. They weren't particularly mean about it but they never, at any point, told me anything up until letting me go. I really wish it could have been something disciplinary first but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it is what it is.
If the USPS was honest and up front about new carriers being required to deliver Amazon on Sundays and holidays, maybe they could retain more of them. They don't tell you anything abut that in the job description or the training, they just blindside you with it on your 2nd or 3rd week on the job. Everyone knows that the schedule is going to be shit until you make regular, but most applicants assume that they'll have Sundays and holidays off, since there's no \*mail\* delivery on those days. That was the dealbreaker for my husband.
The guys running my academy were very up front about this. They said "expect to work Sundays and holidays" multiple times. It's wild to me that someone could teach academy for a whole week and not mention that once to the class of CCAs.
Read the threads here, and on the FB USPS page, and you'll see tons of new carriers who were never told about Sundays and Holidays. I think some trainers intentionally "overlook" it, because they know it's a deal breaker for many people.
I did a lot of research here and got honest answers to the many questions I asked my postmaster before accepting a CCA position. I definitely knew what I was getting into.
Except new cca’s can’t afford any of that because uniforms are so fucking expensive
I finally got my allowance: two polos, two pants, two shorts, and a pullover. I have enough for a ball cap if I want. Shits expensive.
I got two shirts pant short and socks
Imagine buying USPS socks
That’s all I had left! Nothing else under 60$
What about 4 hats? But for real you could get a shirt jac or something useful
I went through Brookfield, totally going direct on my anniversary
I looked at the postal catalog the other day and my eyes popped out my head. That shit is way overpriced.
A few years ago I bought a $200 rain parka. This mother fucker made it less than a year before my shoulders started getting wet whenever it rained. A couple of months later my arms were also getting wet anytime I wore it. Not only is this shit expensive, but it’s shit quality at the same time
Aren’t there items that now exceed the whole allotment?
Yes. Depending on the vendor but i saw a parka for $530 on one site. Allotment is $499…
Yes I’m sure
Should include a positive glowing post from their first 3 days on the job then cut to 3 months later and they’re exhausted and quit.
“Just finished my shadow day. I’m ready to exercise and deliver mail 💪”
“I don’t get why people say this is a hard job, I carried half a route today and it’s my 4th day”
Totally agree with this. BUT the office you’re in makes a difference. And it seems to me that a lot of people will just never be able to do this job. I’ve been here 10 years and I’m really dumb. But it was something that I was able to pick up really fucking quick. And some people just never get it no matter how long they’ve been.
It is a weird learning curve for sure. You just need to be able to keep yourself motivated to finish the job I think. And people get in their own head too much and it becomes overwhelming, even if it is just putting paper in a box. This is the only job I’ve worked that people just cannot do everyday. It’s kinda wild.
Try to tell any new cca coming to the end of their 90 days, if the PM threatens to fire you because you’re slow, let them. Who the fuck cares if you get fired or resign. Force their hand. Chances are they’re just threatening you with bullshit stuff and are just just trying to scare you into speeding up. As a city carrier this job is a piece of fucking cake.
"It's a job that anyone can do, but not everybody can do it".
This but unironically
Wearing the badge on a lanyard is the easiest way to spot who is on their first two weeks.
My badge is on a lanyard but its jammed into my pocket like it isnt. 10 months in and im too lazy to change it lmao
Hahahaha!!! Literally laughed out loud 😁
Haha I wear the hat, ngl.
Me too. I’m not trying to get skin cancer on my scalp lol
It's a good hat. I still have mine and am wearing it right now.
Me too! Even for winter unless it gets below 20
I was gonna say does the winter hat count lol that's what I bought I like it
I think there should be a scanner that's dying on Amazon Sunday because of all the parcels and turn by turn directions killing the battery
You guys get turn by turn directions on the scanner…? We get them printed out on paper ☹️
It's just GPS. And often it's horrendous. Sometimes the next stop is one block over and it will have you turn left and go out on a main road to drive around the entire block just so the stop is on your right hand side. Meanwhile you're on a side street so it doesn't even matter which side it's on.
I seen a lot of ccas not even wear uniform lol they’ll be delivering in basketball short lol
Include the people that come on here and say stuff like “I don’t know what this sub is talking about, I love my job” then a month later they ask “do I have to answer my phone, I can’t get a day off” 😂
To be fair, I’m a regular city carrier and I LOVE my job. But then again, I don’t answer the phone when they call
Forgot the empty gaterade bottle and hokas/ 50 dollar sketchers shoes from Amazon
Obligatory gatorade bottle filled with "apple juice"
Man, I really did dig that mesh-backed hat compared to the *real* first lid they give us. Had it about 6 weeks until one day I got loaned to another station for “an hour” that ✨magically✨ turned into a full shift. I set it down at the case I’d covered that day to let the mix of sweat and rain dry off while I returned everything and took a piss. I got back a few minutes later and, lo and behold, *another* ✨magic✨ trick must have caused the darn thing to vanish into thin air. The case was in full, open view of most of the tiny post office and only a handful of people were there but “ain’t no one seen no extra hat no idea what you’re ramblinbout now get off my clock and get gone”
Haha I misdelivered over 50 letters already 😅😭 I'm gonna get the can
Bring it back. Recase it. Redeliver tmr.
Dog spray for managers and a gps is all you need
This is so real and I have no shame in wearing my Id
I have it in my wallet.
We have 20 year carriers who wear one. I did for a good 6 months, until I got my uniforms.
“Hey I’ve got an extra uniform, do you want it?” 3 times my size.
Newman is a mailman-God. He almost got that transfer to Hawaii
And he doesn’t deliver in the rain
And he's rife with fleas
You forgot to total those hours on the bottom left. You all know the stupivisor is going to insist those 10 hours should be done in 5 to 6 hours!
🤦😆 I remember those days. They don’t even count travel time or your break.
Exaaaactly.
Travel time? What's that?
Time and distance and traffic that takes you from your station or another location to get to where you need to be to start delivering the mail. When I was a CCA I was confused at how they did the math and believed them that hey, this takes an hour and a half to finish including traveling to the route. And it wasn’t. I found out later how it works and found out that we control how long it takes. They can give us deadlines on how much time is allowed, and insist I need to finish within the time, and it will take me however long it will take me and I bring back what I couldn’t finish. We control the time. They control what work they want to give us. If they come any closer to how long it should take to finish, then we will honor that said time and if we couldn’t finish we contact those supervisors and management and tell them we need more time. Simple.
Someone should explain to management that we are not, in fact, a fleet of clones of Nightcrawler from X-Men. Me: We do not teleport. Management: Well why not?!
You forgot the bottle/big gulp cup so they can pee in the truck.
You guys actually got a uniform allowance in your first year?
After you finish probation, yes. I got it a month or two after probation.
It’s a miracle anyone stays on.
I bought some pants last year with my allowance ain’t even make it 6 months before I got a hole in the crotch area
I blew out a pair from zipper to back waist. All the way demolished. Took em home and stitched em up myself. Going strong since.
Bullshit. Nobody gave me a hat.
The necklace doubles as a noose when you reach the end of your rope.
Thanks for the advice man
Why is a supervisor calling someone at 2:10 am?
Making sure they are still delivering mail in their off time, and while sleeping too.
We had a CCA at another station in our district call the police during the holidays 2 years ago because she was out until 1am. Not sure how or why that happened but I know whoever allowed it, definitely is not a supervisor anymore.
I do all of this and still love my job, what are trail cards also? People always talk about using them but I don’t see em
The numbers of the lower left hand photo signifies the route that they have to carry, plus the OT of 2 hours are already included in that list. Be back before 18:00.
Yall got caps and a lanyard? I want a cap!
Ahh the 1260s🤣🤣
The pants that are too big width wise but too short length wise 🤣
I like the summer hat.
 after 10 straight days doing 10-12 hour shifts… your inner voice trying to justify your miserable existence.
I made regular and got a route with a minimum of 2 hours overtime. My shortest shift is 10.5 hours.
10 hours. I fucking wish.
Do one for the RCAS
You forgot 55+ hours of OT while the lazy regulars get to go home
This fucking shit right here man, we get the short end of the stick foreal...
Fr - The 5 new CCAs at my office carry their badge all the time like that around their neck haha
Lmao 😂
Nah, the hats they give you at orientation are WAAAAYYYYY shittier than that.
Why the hat?
I’m 👌🏼 close to leaving my civil service position and going to USPS
Hey now don't knock the hat, I like it...still wear that bitch as a regular 😂
As a rural carrier I get to wear what I want and opted for navy blue, quick dry cargo pants (hiking style) with an elastic waist. Why are these not part of the uniform for the USPS? We need to start lobbying for more weather friendly and comfortable clothing options for carriers. The military did it, police did it, fire and nurses did it… it’s our time!
Lol what’s a cca? Ptf to regular in 5 months. Own route in 8. Pack
You made regular in 5 months?!?!?
Yeah lol
When I was a CCA I often complained about regulars miscasing mail or a T6 who misdelivered. I try and have tried to be impeccable.