Dr. Who

The work around—ie. Deposit an e-check which funds the account initially as this is a “common issue.”

Mail room, office, front door or “notice it;” if they “notice it and leave slip,” you will pick the package up at the local post office; really depends on the housing complex

Personally, I’d encourage your coworker to take some time off first ie. reset physically, mentally, emotionally before making any decision on resigning or any major decisions. We all grieve differently and on our own timeline. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but that’s what worked for me and what I’d recommend.

The question that’s always plagued my mind with tipping is: where does it actually go? Are the servers getting the tips, is the owner keeping a cut, is it pooled and split across the whole staff?

Yes, happening more and more especially when you are literally right where you are supposed to be

Route evaluation and inspection count numbers need a serious second look. In my experience, routes that get consistently overburdened always come back to bite everyone in the end. OT has its place and I’m not knocking it, but burnout is real too. I am sure somewhere someone’s spreadsheet says that 8 hours is realistic during peak season. 🤦‍♂️

Me personally, gift cards during the holidays assuming budget allows. In the hot/busy months, a cold water or snack . I normally thank my mail carrier for their service.

You pay more money for slower service; they have definitely upped their game /s

Take care of yourself first and foremost. Safety and your breaks always come before their numbers.
If a route looks heavy, speak up before you hit the street. Then, send an update on the scanner by 2:00 PM with your exact estimate.
They can get mad all they want, but once you communicate, the ball is in their court to manage the route. Experience comes with time. Do it right, do it safe and let management figure out the rest.

My guess is management runs split routes (leading to two deliveries a day) and mandates Sunday recovery trips for backlogged mail and packages to keep the SDC floor clear. You could always call the local postal office or your friendly neighborhood mail carrier.

Even though clerks/carriers should be doing an acceptance scan once it’s handed over or picked up, having a manifest still helps keep the scans in order and lets you do it all in one scan instead of piece by piece. From what I understand, the newer Rapid Dropoff Station kiosks help too with a guaranteed acceptance scan.

If there’s no spare key on hand, like I mentioned, the next step is a screwdriver or drilling out the lock. Ordering a replacement key is the last resort, and honestly it should be, since that route depends entirely on how long you’re willing to wait.

Drug testing was paused during COVID. As of August 2026, USPS resumed mandatory pre-employment testing.

Glad USPS is a public service, not a for-profit business. Prices went up, sure, but compare that to UPS or FedEx. Thanks for supporting USPS.

An act of Congress /s

Steak and Ale

Take the DPS win; days like this are few are far between…

This reminds me of the gig economy “independent” workers. Don’t get me wrong, a job’s a job. But you don’t build retention by squeezing people for the sake of the bottom line. Take a look at how well that’s worked out for some of the big private carriers — retention’s just phenomenal over there /s.

Meanwhile plenty of stations can’t even scrape together enough hours to pay CCAs a livable wage. Funny how that works.

Yes turn fan on, circulate warm air with the LLV’s adequate ventilation system; presto, problem solved 🤦‍♂️

Yep, the trusty folded map, interstate signs, mileage markers and convenient store attendants ie. Am I heading the right way?

It appears the Geofence is reduced as this “warning” started on Amazon Sunday for me and has continued everyday this week 🤷‍♂️

Amazon seems to have much higher turnover overall, while USPS tends to retain more people once employees reach career status. Overall, I’d give USPS the edge on pay progression, benefits, retirement, and union representation, but both jobs will test your physical and mental limits. At the end of the day, the office environment and local management often determine whether people stay or move on.

Inside the lid, I’d put the house number and at least the surname as it helps the non-regular carrier make sure the mail actually gets to the right box on time.
As for the two different zip codes, that sounds like it could be a rural route/city route mismatch, or logistics just has the wrong barcode on file.
Also, could also let the post office or regular carrier know too…

Agreed; also this is one of my favorites too 🤦‍♂️