Working at USPS thoughts?

[Guitarman01]

With the uncertainty of FedEx, I noticed USPS hiring for direct career positions as courier. I used to always see this is a non-career position that may lead to a career position. First time I have seen this on indeed, not that I have been looking too hard for awhile at them. Pay starts at 24.50 with I'm sure guaranteed increases with the union. I think average salary is 70k with 20 year employees in six figures. This all probably factors in mandatory overtime, with some even working on Sundays, but hey there's a whole lot of extra federal holidays.
Thoughts?
It's starting to seem like a big step up from FedEx these days. I'll still be delivering mostly envelopes lol, minus the Amazon crap.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

With the uncertainty of FedEx, I noticed USPS hiring for direct career positions as courier. I used to always see this is a non-career position that may lead to a career position. First time I have seen this on indeed, not that I have been looking too hard for awhile at them. Pay starts at 24.50 with I'm sure guaranteed increases with the union. I think average salary is 70k with 20 year employees in six figures. This all probably factors in mandatory overtime, with some even working on Sundays, but hey there's a whole lot of extra federal holidays.
Thoughts?
It's starting to seem like a big step up from FedEx these days.

Obviously I cannot tell you about my experience working at USPS because I do not work there
But I can't tell you most of the carriers do not last that long

They're all put on his casuals and many of them have to work 12 or 13 days in a row before they get a day off


No wonder they can't get any help

 

[rod]

USPS has their share of labor problems also. They can't get anyone to work for them around here for some reason.

 

[Just A UPS Guy]

With the uncertainty of FedEx, I noticed USPS hiring for direct career positions as courier. I used to always see this is a non-career position that may lead to a career position. First time I have seen this on indeed, not that I have been looking too hard for awhile at them. Pay starts at 24.50 with I'm sure guaranteed increases with the union. I think average salary is 70k with 20 year employees in six figures. This all probably factors in mandatory overtime, with some even working on Sundays, but hey there's a whole lot of extra federal holidays.
Thoughts?
It's starting to seem like a big step up from FedEx these days. I'll still be delivering mostly envelopes lol, minus the Amazon crap.

It takes like 12 years to top out there and the rolling schedule would piss me off. I don't know a single mail carrier that likes working there.

 

[rod]

They are so short handed here that we only get mail maybe 3 days a week. Sometimes not until 8 or 9 at night.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

They are so short handed here that we only get mail maybe 3 days a week. Sometimes not until 8 or 9 at night.

It's a really big problem

I've had many of my business customers complaining today was getting shut off notice from utilities because they never received their check

 

[Lates]

I’ve talked to postal employees around me. They get paid based on their route if it says it should take 9 hours that is what you get paid even if it takes 10 or more. You are hourly until you get a regular route. Most of the ones I talked to enjoy it the majority of the time.

 

[59 Dano]

The only USPS employees I've ever known who liked the job are ones who eventually moved out of carrier positions. To hear them tell it, imagine the most inefficient and convoluted government bureaucracy you can think of, and it's worse than that. Everyone there is in agreement on that, regardless of position.

 

[AB831]

Don’t do it

 

[chris45]

I worked there before FedEx, FedEx is a heaven sent wonderland compared to that show lol

If you can become a career rural courier using their vehicles then it's a lot better, they don't even acknowledge you you are just doing your own thing. otherwise that place

 

[Serf]

The foot couriers in the city I work in all like it. I think it’s a matter of preparing yourself to get up and go. Understanding that FedEx is going to change drastically in the next few years.

 

[badpal]

I have talked with many mailmen over the years and i think really they more miserable than us at UPS.

 

[badpal]

I worked there before FedEx, FedEx is a heaven sent wonderland compared to that show lol

If you can become a career rural courier using their vehicles then it's a lot better, they don't even acknowledge you you are just doing your own thing. otherwise that place

And the rural gig aint what is was 40 years ago. Alot of that now is on a contractor like deal without any benefits.

 

[Mutineer]

With the uncertainty of FedEx, I noticed USPS hiring for direct career positions as courier. I used to always see this is a non-career position that may lead to a career position. First time I have seen this on indeed, not that I have been looking too hard for awhile at them. Pay starts at 24.50 with I'm sure guaranteed increases with the union. I think average salary is 70k with 20 year employees in six figures. This all probably factors in mandatory overtime, with some even working on Sundays, but hey there's a whole lot of extra federal holidays.
Thoughts?
It's starting to seem like a big step up from FedEx these days. I'll still be delivering mostly envelopes lol, minus the Amazon crap.

I had an uncle who was a career mailman from the 50's to the 80's. It isn't my uncle's USPS anymore.

My experience at the USPS in '15 was equal parts surreal and toxic.

Your Union brothers and sisters will cheerfully push you in front of a bus. The Union is a joke and will not have your back.

Identity politics are at the forefront, and that is a very significant factor in what your experience will be.

The USPS is always looking for workers and crying "labor shortage" because they treat their mail carriers like garbage and are always firing people over nonsense.

If you have no other prospects, give it a try. But I think your best bet is to abandon the courier occupation altogether and get a credential or certificate in something, anything not at all related to shipping.

 

[Just A UPS Guy]

No one ever used thr term "going fedex-al" when shooting up a building. Just saying.

 

[Artee]

We had two guys leave our RT and go drive truck for them. 1 guy because he is retired and just looking to keep busy. The other guy is doing it for 5 years until he retires and just so he can buy back some of his military years and add it to his postal retirement. They both say the place is a complete cluster. Equipment is crap along with the people. Its a horrible place to be even compared to Express.

 

[yadig]

We had two guys leave our RT and go drive truck for them. 1 guy because he is retired and just looking to keep busy. The other guy is doing it for 5 years until he retires and just so he can buy back some of his military years and add it to his postal retirement. They both say the place is a complete cluster. Equipment is crap along with the people. Its a horrible place to be even compared to Express.

Give express time

 

[AB831]

We had two guys leave our RT and go drive truck for them. 1 guy because he is retired and just looking to keep busy. The other guy is doing it for 5 years until he retires and just so he can buy back some of his military years and add it to his postal retirement. They both say the place is a complete cluster. Equipment is crap along with the people. It’s a horrible place to be even compared to Express.

One time, I had to deliver bags of Lord knows what to their distribution center in SE DC. The building was the size of an NFL stadium, so I had no clue where I was going, and instead of helping me find the point of delivery, they were total s and berated me for not knowing what I was doing and for going “the wrong way” through their building. I ended up coding up the package as customer refusal and just leaving.

 

[Guitarman01]

Well if our station stayed intact and step raises were a guarantee, I would choose to stay at FedEx between the two. Unfortunately both of those thoughts might become more unlikely than not. There's also a pretty big pay gap already including benefits when comparing the two companies. Even If given the option to take ground and express combined in a bread truck, a rural rte at USPS might be the better option. That might be what I applied for. Honestly they would have to increase the pay for me to justify losing the sprinters with a much greater work load. It sounds like they might be going the opposite route.
If that's the case anything else would make more sense, especially not waiting for something to happen. Also like someone mentioned, probably a pretty good idea to have skills, outside of the one that only leads to other driving jobs.

 

[Mutineer]

Well if our station stayed intact and step raises were a guarantee, I would choose to stay at FedEx between the two. Unfortunately both of those thoughts might become more unlikely than not. There's also a pretty big pay gap already including benefits when comparing the two companies. Even If given the option to take ground and express combined in a bread truck, a rural rte at USPS might be the better option. That might be what I applied for. Honestly they would have to increase the pay for me to justify losing the sprinters with a much greater work load. It sounds like they might be going the opposite route.
If that's the case anything else would make more sense, especially not waiting for something to happen. Also like someone mentioned, probably a pretty good idea to have skills, outside of the one that only leads to other driving jobs.

Knowing what I know now, I would've approached it differently.

Assume the persona of an effeminate, power-bottom homosexual. This will grant you the status of having Identity Royalty. Nobody will mess with you out of fear of being accused of being a homophobe.

The immediate threat to getting fired isn't management. The threat comes from your fellow Union brothers and sisters you rub elbows with. At a small PO, everyone will notice "the new guy." Pick a large PO as there will be other "new guys" to take some attention and heat off of you.

Rural Route workers seem to be in a different realm than CCA's. It appeared they had far less interaction with the rest of us. It is my assessment that the fewer coworkers you have to interact with, the better.