USPS Letter Carrier Job Description
The letter carrier is a figure that generations of Americans have grown up with. We count on them to deliver everything from monthly bills to special-occasion cards and important packages. But letter carriers today do a lot more than you may think. Understanding their job descriptions could give you new respect for your neighborhood letter carrier.
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Delivery
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Mail delivery is the most visible duty of a USPS letter carrier. Letter carriers are trained to sort and deliver mail to residences and businesses along specific routes. They may do this on foot or in a vehicle, or a combination of the two. In addition to delivering mail, letter carriers also deliver packages of all sizes. When someone is not home to receive a package, a letter carrier typically leaves a note telling the recipient that the package could not be delivered and explaining when and where it can be picked up.
Sales
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Letter carriers often have duties in post offices aside from their mail delivery duties. These can include selling stamps and money orders. They may also take payment from customers for parcels and letters that are being registered, certified or insured. They may also sign for cash-on-delivery parcels at the post office, and turn in money or receipts collected along mail routes.
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Sorting
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Before mail is loaded onto delivery vehicles, it must be sorted so that it goes on the right route and can be delivered on time. Letter carriers are often involved in the sorting of mail at post offices and in sorting it for easier delivery along a route.
Customer Service
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Letter carriers are trained to answer customers' questions both along their routes and at the post office. Additionally, they return mail and parcels that have been incorrectly addressed to their senders, so they can correct any errors and send the mail on its way again. Completing forms that notify mailers of changes in address, holding mail for customers who are on vacation or otherwise away from home, and providing customers with change of address forms are also part of the job.
Qualifications
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A letter carrier must be in adequate physical shape to perform the job, which requires long periods on his feet, lifting heavy objects and walking. Additionally, they must be able to operate a motor vehicle, and preferably have a good knowledge of the areas where they are assigned routes. Additionally, job candidates must take and pass a special entrance exam.
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References
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