Was Offered Career Rural Carrier Position at USPS

[!Retired!]

A little insight is always good to help make that adult decision lol. I've done that numerous times in my life. I was talking to express guys before I even took the job. It's similar here. Researching what you might be getting into doesn't seem like a bad play to me.

Then you should be talking to USPS workers, not FedEx/UPS employees.

 

[FedexCares]

I know a couple people that work for the USPS. Expect to work 6-7 days a week with a day off here and there at their discretion. The guy I know works 6 days a week and his day off changes every week, he works almost all weekends though.

I doubt you will have a set schedule and this could change daily. If you don’t mind long hours and working weekends it shouldn’t be too bad.

As far as benefits go I have no idea how good those are over there but the USPS has been cutting a lot of those in the last decade like everywhere else. Whatever you choose, good luck.

 

[Cheesypurpletees]

I know I brought this up before, I applied because it sounded a little more unique and rarer from the job postings you normally see for the post office (most are non-career positions). Ive read people can be stuck there as RCAs? or non-career fill-ins for years.
I have not talked to one person lol. I dont even have a contact to ask any questions. A few emails, my resume, assessment test, and a license check and they offered me the position.
I have 3 days to accept it. No waffling or much time to think like I like to do.
Starts at 24.49 an hour, I think tops out at 36 in 13 years?
At least you are guaranteed raises and have a union, granted prob not nearly as good as teamsters.
lots of federal holidays, I think as career position you dont have to work overtime if you dont want to? idk.
Not sure how good fed insurance and retirement is. I think they have a pension, plus a 401k. I believe the Fedex 401k is better with the match.
Not sure if ill be driving one of the old ass livs? or something newer with ac like I see on alot of rural routes.

Anyways, I have it pretty good at Fedex, prob one of the better rtes. I like most of the people I work with, Managers are good.
Im pretty sure the people wont be as cool at the post office, but idk.
Obviously so much uncertainty at Fedex, id be upset if I turned this down only to get laid off down the line.
Even if not, I do think the sprinters will be leaving and the workload increased with the merge (if I still have a job), while pay will remain the same or less even? with sporadic step raises.
If I had confidence that FedEx would do the right thing and offer more competitive, consistent pay to go along with the merge, I would maybe turn down the Post Office, but just like most of you, I dont think I do.

Can be hard jumping out of that comfort zone, Thoughts?
3 Friggin days lol.

Take the job and tell FedEx to kick rocks. Raj is only looking to screw his hourly employees at every corner

 

[FedupExpress]

Take the job and tell FedEx to kick rocks. Raj is only looking to screw his hourly employees at every corner

FedEx could disappear any second, post office ain't going nowhere.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Chat up your own mail carrier and any others you see. Tell them your situation and ask specific questions.

 

[Guitarman01]

Yeah nope. That's that. Even though it's considered a career position I was still just going to be a fill in driver for 3 different routes and probably sat, Amazon Sunday and basically on call.

She said she could keep me busy initially with staffing issues, but after that couldn't guarantee me 40 hrs. She said I could also sign up with other stations. I would also have to drive my own vehicle at their station. Just way too many variables and having a mortgage it seemed risky.

I did talk to a carrier I see on my rural rte that's been at USPS for 30 years, so I guess that means my rte at FedEx isn't that bad. But yeah, she said expect 1 day and Amazon Sundays per week. Who can live on that? That's worse than riding it out part time at UPS.
For Mail handlers indoors it's the same, you start as just a fill in.
They only call it a career because now they offer benefits for some positions probably to try to keep people from quitting or thinking they were going to be full time, like I was.

At least it was an easy decision to turn down, even if laid off at FedEx, I won't be looking at USPS as an option in the future.

 

[Mutineer]

Yeah nope. That's that. Even though it's considered a career position I was still just going to be a fill in driver for 3 different routes and probably sat, Amazon Sunday and basically on call.

She said she could keep me busy initially with staffing issues, but after that couldn't guarantee me 40 hrs. She said I could also sign up with other stations. I would also have to drive my own vehicle at their station. Just way too many variables and having a mortgage it seemed risky.

I did talk to a carrier I see on my rural rte that's been at USPS for 30 years, so I guess that means my rte at FedEx isn't that bad. But yeah, she said expect 1 day and Amazon Sundays per week. Who can live on that? That's worse than riding it out part time at UPS.
For Mail handlers indoors it's the same, you start as just a fill in.
They only call it a career because now they offer benefits for some positions probably to try to keep people from quitting or thinking they were going to be full time, like I was.

At least it was an easy decision to turn down, even if laid off at FedEx, I won't be looking at USPS as an option in the future.

I've ranted on this forum before about my surreal and toxic USPS employment experience.

When awful employers blame and regurgitate the so-called "labor shortage" narrative, you know that they're absolutely full of !

 

[Commercial Inside Release]

Always remember...
From the late 80s through the 90s, postal workers perfected the workplace mass shootings... Giving us the phrase "going postal."

Try to avoid places that drive employees to the brink.

 

[Guitarman01]

@48meeting lol this Guy. I have a fan apparently.
#disagree

 

[bacha29]

Yeah nope. That's that. Even though it's considered a career position I was still just going to be a fill in driver for 3 different routes and probably sat, Amazon Sunday and basically on call.

She said she could keep me busy initially with staffing issues, but after that couldn't guarantee me 40 hrs. She said I could also sign up with other stations. I would also have to drive my own vehicle at their station. Just way too many variables and having a mortgage it seemed risky.

I did talk to a carrier I see on my rural rte that's been at USPS for 30 years, so I guess that means my rte at FedEx isn't that bad. But yeah, she said expect 1 day and Amazon Sundays per week. Who can live on that? That's worse than riding it out part time at UPS.
For Mail handlers indoors it's the same, you start as just a fill in.
They only call it a career because now they offer benefits for some positions probably to try to keep people from quitting or thinking they were going to be full time, like I was.

At least it was an easy decision to turn down, even if laid off at FedEx, I won't be looking at USPS as an option in the future.

One common trait you see with employers today. Either they grossly embellish and or flat out lie in their description of their job openings.

They don't need to do this but for some reason they believe they must.

I would recommend that you leave the transportation industry altogether but where else could you go to and not find yourself being lied to in the same manner?

 

[Guitarman01]

One common trait you see with employers today. Either they grossly embellish and or flat out lie in their description of their job openings.

They don't need to do this but for some reason they believe they must.

I would recommend that you leave the transportation industry altogether but where else could you go to and not find yourself being lied to in the same manner?

I hear you on that. Driving seems risky in more ways than one until I'm 60 something. It already feels like a grind. The initial charm of something new has worn off and now I sort of feel like a robot day in and day out. I see it with other people too. I do like the sense of freedom and being on your own though. I see my boss for 5 mins, work on the belt for an hr, then solo the rest of the day. Time does fly.

Outside of skilled labor, I think a person looks at the strength of the company and where they are headed.
Awhile back I also turned down a union job at Holland part of yrc freight because they seemed shaky and this was years ago. Glad I did that. Past FedEx I am done driving, I don't even want to look at a forklift lol.

 

[BoxDriver]

I do like the sense of freedom and being on your own though. I see my boss for 5 mins, work on the belt for an hr, then solo the rest of the day. Time does fly.

I hate to say it, but you pretty much just described my experience of working for several Ground contractors for many years.

 

[UnionStrong]

I hate to say it, but you pretty much just described my experience of working for several Ground contractors for many years.

While getting paid crumbs

 

[BoxDriver]

The first few years were pretty low, but after that I always made a bit more than if I had switched to Express. Not a huge amount more, but just enough to keep me there. That plus seeing how Express screwed you guys for years on raises made me stay at Ground. I didn’t need the health insurance. I guess I did miss out on the small amount of 401k match, but I do my own retirement investing. I did also miss out on a little more PTO, but my trade off was being able to schedule my time off pretty much whenever I wanted (outside of peak) without having to do the whole bidding process or whatever you guys call it. I was inside the Express building doing the Ground pickup every day. I know the grass wasn’t greener on the other side for me at least.

 

[UnionStrong]

The first few years were pretty low, but after that I always made a bit more than if I had switched to Express. Not a huge amount more, but just enough to keep me there. That plus seeing how Express screwed you guys for years on raises made me stay at Ground. I didn’t need the health insurance. I guess I did miss out on the small amount of 401k match, but I do my own retirement investing. I did also miss out on a little more PTO, but my trade off was being able to schedule my time off pretty much whenever I wanted (outside of peak) without having to do the whole bidding process or whatever you guys call it. I was inside the Express building doing the Ground pickup every day. I know the grass wasn’t greener on the other side for me at least.

To each his own, I guess. If it works for you, who am I to question it?

 

[bacha29]

The first few years were pretty low, but after that I always made a bit more than if I had switched to Express. Not a huge amount more, but just enough to keep me there. That plus seeing how Express screwed you guys for years on raises made me stay at Ground. I didn’t need the health insurance. I guess I did miss out on the small amount of 401k match, but I do my own retirement investing. I did also miss out on a little more PTO, but my trade off was being able to schedule my time off pretty much whenever I wanted (outside of peak) without having to do the whole bidding process or whatever you guys call it. I was inside the Express building doing the Ground pickup every day. I know the grass wasn’t greener on the other side for me at least.

Dragging around that stolen motor freight all day is why the job is a joint killer. Therefore it still comes back to the question of how long you can withstand the physical beating and what will become of you when you can no longer do so.