I just moved in the area and noticed that there is no "white" US Postal Jeep, but regular vehicle with flashing yellow light on top of their vehicle. I was standing next to my mailbox and there's a postal driver, sitting on the right side of the car with his left hand on the steering wheel (driver's side). How in the world can he drive like that? Are they rural carrier? Hired by US Postal? I wonder why there aren't any white US Postal Jeep like in downtown Clayton?
City carriers drive official vehicles and rural carriers drive their own. I don't know how they drive on the wrong side of the vehicle either, but somehow they do it... and I don't recall ever hearing of an accident involving a rural postal carrier.
Last time I checked, the rural carriers were allowed over twice the standard mileage deduction by the IRS. As I recall it, back then us regular schmo's got 34 cents, RCAs got 67. I guess having that yellow light on top is a magic decoding device for law enforcement to not interrupt the driver. I can imagine the response I would get from a LEO if I was operating my car the way they do. And, although I haven't heard of any accidents resulting from this particular way of driving, you can bet that if one of these drivers ever hits someone of something, that they'll be cited and sued over it.
My mom is a postal carrier and believe it or not (i didn't til I saw hers for the first) there are vehicles that the driver seat is the passenger side. Hers is a white jeep and it is as stated before rural drivers can drive any vehicle that they are able to drive from passenger side and safety. I know at first before she got the jeep she drives now she said it was not a easy tact learning to drive on the wrong side of a vehicle. LOL
Do rural carriers work for US Postal or what? Do they get good pay? I bet the hours are worst to work with.
I have heard that they are on contract and make a lot less than U.S. Postal Service employees, but I don't know if that is true. I guess that would be a good reason to give them a better rate for vehicle use.
I applied for a rural driver job. I didn't get it because my Camry would not allow for me to drive from the right seat (The center console was too big). However, had I got the job, I would have been working for the USPS. The pay was ok (but not what I get as a programmer), and you got expenses for the gas and maintenance.
yeah, our mail carrier has a white suburu sportage or something and its european so its got the right-side driver position and such. pretty cool =D i like that setup alot more than simply leaning out the window and driving with your toes.
Probably just something you just get used to. Lots of folks are left foot brakers anyway so they need only to learn to press the gas with their foot and steer from the front passenger seat. I'd bet it would be quite a trick if you had a manual tranny though.
I saw our rural mail carrier recently. It's strange because back to where I used to live (out of state), we get SAME carrier everyday. Now here, we've been seeing different mail carrier everyday. I wonder why? That would be hard for someone who is new and try to remember the driving direction! :shock: I also heard that anyone who applied for it and get it will NOT get any benefits until 2 to 6 years later. YIKE! :shock:
Princess~ Rural Carriers are Postal Employees..on a contract as well so the pay is a little different. Most everything is delivered by a rural carrier around here because it's technically "outside the city limits". They have to pass a test and then a driving test to get the job. Cars are sold that have the right-side equipment specifically for the USPS. What you're probably seeing is subs delivering your mail. That means the route is too large for the regular rural carrier to get done in the time allotted. Chances are it'll be cut in the next year and you'll start seeing the same person most days, with a sub once and awhile. The reason "benefits" don't start for so long for rural carriers is that they start out as subs and have to wait for a route to come open to bid on. Once they're "full-time", the benefits start. Frogger
Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to confuse! Every year the rural routes are "counted". The spvsr rides along, the stops are counted, timed, etc etc etc. This includes time in the office as well, amt of mail recd, etc etc. Then it's put into a formula to see how "long" the route is. Generally, if it's over 8 hrs part of it is taken off and given to a shorter route in the same area or is left on it's own as an auxilliary (sp?) route. That means a route that isn't 8 hrs. In Postal lingo, this is called "cutting the route". Hope that helps! Frogger
