Postal Service Mail Carrier Career

Job Description: Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.


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Postal Service Mail Carrier Career

What Postal Service Mail Carriers do:

  • Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations.
  • Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered.
  • Report any unusual circumstances concerning mail delivery, including the condition of street letter boxes.
  • Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt.
  • Provide customers with change of address cards and other forms.
  • Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office.
  • Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes.
  • Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks.
  • Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork.
  • Answer customers' questions about postal services and regulations.
  • Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence.
  • Return incorrectly addressed mail to senders.
  • Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes.
  • Record address changes and redirect mail for those addresses.
  • Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes.
  • Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail.
  • Maintain accurate records of deliveries.
  • Travel to post offices to pick up the mail for routes or pick up mail from postal relay boxes.
  • Complete forms that notify publishers of address changes.
  • Register, certify, and insure parcels and letters.
  • Sell stamps and money orders.
  • Enter change of address orders into computers that process forwarding address stickers.

What work activities are most important?

Importance Activities

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Holland Code Chart for a Postal Service Mail Carrier