A day in the life of a mail carrier

There's an interesting article about a day in the life of a typical mail carrier to be found on the Bossierpress.com (Bossier Press-Tribune, Louisiana) website.

It features Mike Rose, who has been with the local post office for 11 years. According to the article, Mike spends about two hours on average sorting mail everyday, and then loads the mail in his truck to be delivered to Bossier Parish residents in Louisiana.

The article points out that, "While Rose’s route is one of the more pleasant routes to work, mail carriers have to earn their chance to work the preferred areas."

Rose said new employees cover walking routes while they fulfill their duties as a part-time, flexible employee. First-time carriers usually begin in the older neighborhoods where carriers are required to walk because mailboxes are posted on the home and not at the curb.

"Once an employee has proven to be a valuable asset, they then become a full-time worker. If an employee retires, their job is posted for others to “bid” on," Rose said. “And the person that gets [the job] is the one that’s been there the longest,” Rose said.

“It has nothing to do with qualifications or whether you are faster than someone else; it’s all about seniority.”

To see the entire article, click here.

• To learn more about carrier stamps and local posts, click here.