Do letter carriers still wear uniforms?

[Brian Elfert]

Twice in recent months I ran into my letter carrier because he pulled down my long driveway to drop off a package when I was outside. In both cases was wearing a random t-shirt and shorts that was most definitely not a uniform. I thought letter carriers wear uniforms? Has this changed? I am pretty sure he is a USPS employee since he was driving a USPS vehicle. I certainly don't live in a rural area.

[David Bassett]

In our area, I wouldn't say uniforms because that implies all the same. Our regular guy, the usual substitute, and the not infrequent random subs all wear USPS logo clothing but not a full uniform and not really the same either. In our local post office the counter workers are the same. Once I noticed a guy without uniform shadowing our carrier and then saw him again the next day on his own still without any logos. I think I've seen him since with logo apparel, so I assume a new hire not gearing up before the first day.

PS same deal with UPS, FedEx, and Amazon carriers. Usually in logo clothing, but not always.

[Brian Elfert]

This guy was not wearing anything with the USPS logo on it. I have been to a retail Post Office in the past week and the counter clerks still wear uniforms.

Letter carriers used to always wear those dark gray pants sometimes with a thin stripe down the legs. Jackets and winter clothing were always a dark blue.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

It is probably a contractor that they use when they have overflow or unscheduled absences.

[Brian Tymchak]

Our regular carrier does not wear any uniform or logo clothing. Hasn't for quite sometime.

[Steve Eure]

Ours haven't for over 30 years. They use their own vehicles also. All are rural carriers, but even those in the small Post Office's around here do not.

[glenn bradley]

Another memory the millennials will have to do without; too bad.

[Gary Ragatz]

They all wear uniforms around here - light blue shirts and dark blue slacks or shorts. I think there's a logo on the shirts, but I wouldn't swear to it. All drive USPS vehicles.

[Brian Elfert]

Ours haven't for over 30 years. They use their own vehicles also. All are rural carriers, but even those in the small Post Office's around here do not.

Rural carriers are contractors, not employees, so they don't wear uniforms.

[Jim Becker]

Rural carriers are contractors, not employees, so they don't wear uniforms.

I was just going to say that...it depends if they are USPS folks or contractors. But even here where our rural delivery is UPSP employees and the regular folks in the white USPS trucks wear the uniform (shirts at least), sometimes substitute folks are more casually dressed. But we only actually see them if they have to bring a package up to the house. My regular driver even sneaks a cigar on his route...and gets away with it. :)

[Bryan Lisowski]

Our guys wear uniforms with logo, drive the truck and walk to each house. Our main guy always looks really nice, the replacements are sloppy looking in their uniforms.

[Mel Fulks]

I think the wanted posters are the bigger loss. As a kid I was always watching for the crooks in the A&P grocery. Never saw any of them. I decided they must be shopping at Colonial Store....as they had Green Stamps!

[Bill Dufour]

I do think it is odd to see the surgeon general wearing a military uniform. I think that started up in the 1990's. Reminds me of a banana republic dictator wearing a uniform that he did not earn.
Bil lD

https://about.usps.com/manuals/elm/html/elmc9_012.htm

[Curt Harms]

Our regular carrier does not wear any uniform or logo clothing. Hasn't for quite sometime.

Same here even though they're driving USPS vehicles.

[Curt Harms]

I do think it is odd to see the surgeon general wearing a military uniform. I think that started up in the 1990's. Reminds me of a banana republic dictator wearing a uniform that he did not earn.
Bil lD

https://about.usps.com/manuals/elm/html/elmc9_012.htm

Interesting bit about the Surgeon General's office. They do appear to hold legitimate military rank.


The surgeon general is a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the eight uniformed services of the United States, and by law holds the rank of vice admiral.[3] Officers of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are classified as non-combatants, but can be subjected to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Geneva Conventions when designated by the commander-in-chief as a military force or if they are detailed or assigned to work with the armed forces. Officer members of these services wear uniforms that are similar to those worn by the United States Navy, except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia are unique. Officers in the U.S. Public Health Service wear unique devices that are similar to U.S. Navy staff corps officers (e.g., Navy Medical Service Corps, Supply Corps, etc.).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgeon_General_of_the_United_States

[Bill Dufour]

If Proposition 22 passes in california it is going to claim uber, lyft, doordash drivers are independent contractors. It was sponsored by those companies who have been claiming all along that they have no employees so they do not have to provide, insurance, retirement or back ground checks.
If that law passes it would be easy to claim all drivers in california are independent contractors who can drive and wear whatever they feel like. This would include USPS, UPS, bus drivers? etc.
It is a obvious special interest law but it will have far reaching unforeseen consequences. Any job that is dispatched by phone app would be exempt. I suppose any job that you call in to get your weekly schedule(fast food) would also be classified as independent contracting.
Bill D

[Rod Sheridan]

My carrier (Canada Post) does, I live in a city.........Rod.

[mike stenson]

Interesting bit about the Surgeon General's office. They do appear to hold legitimate military rank.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgeon_General_of_the_United_States

They also are routinely assigned to armed services, and wear that services uniform (with the USPHS rank and insignia) while doing so. Also, the youngest millennial is ~25 now.

[Jim Becker]

If Proposition 22 passes in california it is going to claim uber, lyft, doordash drivers are independent contractors. It was sponsored by those companies who have been claiming all along that they have no employees so they do not have to provide, insurance, retirement or back ground checks.
If that law passes it would be easy to claim all drivers in california are independent contractors who can drive and wear whatever they feel like. This would include USPS, UPS, bus drivers? etc.
It is a obvious special interest law but it will have far reaching unforeseen consequences. Any job that is dispatched by phone app would be exempt. I suppose any job that you call in to get your weekly schedule(fast food) would also be classified as independent contracting.
Bill D

The examples you use at first are folks who drive their own vehicles to deliver the services off the organizations' platforms they participate in. USPS, UPS, etc., are not like that outside of some contractors they use in rural areas or for temporary contractors used for holiday overflow deliveries. USPS, UPS, etc., drivers use company vehicles and are employees. I do not believe there is risk if your proposition passes for being an "independent contractor" becoming universal across the board. I'm also not going to express support or non-support of this because I haven't really studied it at all. There are clearly good arguments for both positions.

[Bill McNiel]

Here in the Burbs our guy is in full uniform and USPS small truck. His name is Ceasar and he is totally old school / fantastic, he constantly goes off the street route to hand deliver packages, etc that don't fit in the mailbox.

[Jason Roehl]

What I think I’ve observed here is that the regular USPS route employees wear the uniforms, be it a walking route in the older parts of the city, or on the non-rural driven routes. However, they seem to also have extra drivers for delivering packages who drive the USPS trucks, but they don’t wear the uniforms. We’ve often been visited more than once on the same day—once for the mail that goes in our box, and another time for delivery of a package. Rural route drivers still drive their own vehicles and wear whatever, as far as I know.

[John K Jordan]

Rural carriers are contractors, not employees, so they don't wear uniforms.

I'll ask my neighbor. She was a rural carrier for years until she retired and wore no uniform. But she has a pension - do contractors receive postal service pensions?

[Stan Calow]

We're having a lot of mailbox thievery here in my suburban area. So someone opening a mailbox not in a USPS uniform is going to find trouble sooner or later.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have lived here 19 years and none of the rural carriers we've had has worn a uniform, or driven a USPS vehicle, they just get a flashing light for the roof and a sign in the back window that says US Mail Carrier or something to that effect. I don't recall what they wore when I used to live in Maine, my mind is not what it used to be, nor has it ever really been.

[Bill Dufour]

There is a joke in there somewhere about memory being you live in Orwell. Something about a memory hole?
Bill D.

[mike stenson]

I have lived here 19 years and none of the rural carriers we've had has worn a uniform, or driven a USPS vehicle, they just get a flashing light for the roof and a sign in the back window that says US Mail Carrier or something to that effect. I don't recall what they wore when I used to live in Maine, my mind is not what it used to be, nor has it ever really been.

That's how it was in N Wi in the 70s and 80s too.. and they were certainly postal employees...

[Brian Elfert]

We're having a lot of mailbox thievery here in my suburban area. So someone opening a mailbox not in a USPS uniform is going to find trouble sooner or later.

My letter carrier drives an official USPS vehicle so I can't imagine something thinking he isn't a legitimate carrier even without a uniform. He only gets out of the truck if a package won't fit in the mailbox. I find it hard to imagine a thief would go to the trouble of stealing a postal vehicle in order to steal mail.

[Jim Becker]

Where I grew up in NE PA, the carriers were contractors in their own vehicles...many of them sourced right-drive Jeeps if they could get them or used a bench seat, sat in the middle and drive with their left hand and left foot. :)

[John K Jordan]

Where I grew up in NE PA, the carriers were contractors in their own vehicles...many of them sourced right-drive Jeeps if they could get them or used a bench seat, sat in the middle and drive with their left hand and left foot. :)

A neighbor here modified a car for his wife, a rural carrier, to have duplicate steering wheel and foot pedals on the right side. Then he started modifying cars for other carriers - I think he did about a dozen!

JKJ

[Bill Dufour]

The examples you use at first are folks who drive their own vehicles to deliver the services off the organizations' platforms they participate in. USPS, UPS, etc., are not like that outside of some contractors they use in rural areas or for temporary contractors used for holiday overflow deliveries. USPS, UPS, etc., drivers use company vehicles and are employees. I do not believe there is risk if your proposition passes for being an "independent contractor" becoming universal across the board. I'm also not going to express support or non-support of this because I haven't really studied it at all. There are clearly good arguments for both positions.


This defenatly one of those propositions that will end up in court for years. Unintended consequences and all that. One big kicker seldom mentioned is if it passes it will take a 7/8 vote to remove it. Good luck getting 7/8 of people to agree on anything.
Bil lD

[Zachary Hoyt]

There is a joke in there somewhere about memory being you live in Orwell. Something about a memory hole?
Bill D.
I'm sure you're right, but I think I have missed it somehow. I read 1984 and Animal Farm but it's been a while and I've forgotten most of the details. One of the signs at the edge of the village has either naturally aged or been vandalized so that the R has faded out and it reads O WELL. It's not a bad motto, all in all.

[Jim Becker]

A neighbor here modified a car for his wife, a rural carrier, to have duplicate steering wheel and foot pedals on the right side. Then he started modifying cars for other carriers - I think he did about a dozen!

JKJ

That's how the driver's ed cars "back in the day" were configured. I don't know if that's done these days much.

[John K Jordan]

That's how the driver's ed cars "back in the day" were configured. I don't know if that's done these days much.

A school drivers ed instructor told me a student was on a blind curve when a car came the other way half in their lane. The girl screamed and let go of the wheel to cover her eyes with her arms. The car didn’t have dual controls but the instructor was able to grab the wheel and steer off the road. This was in the late ’60s in western PA so even back then at least some cars were not configured for dual controls.

I’ve taught a bunch of kids to drive and we do many parking lot sessions before I allow them to drive in traffic!

JKJ