UPS/Fed-Ex

[Seravieve]

If the package is too big to fit in the mailbox the carrier is required to leave a note for pickup at the PO.

I'd have to disagree with that statement, and your follow up reply as well. I work for an online business, and we ship 35-75 dvds a day via USPS. We also receive packages from USPS, as well as UPS and FedEx. USPS carrier leaves all packages on the porch at work. We schedule daily pick ups and she leaves us extra totes, and puts any packages inside of them. It's been this way for 4 years. The only time we get an orange notice is if the package is Signature Required or Insured. The same goes for my mail carrier at home. They always leave packages on the ledge next to our mailbox when we're not home.

Our UPS drivers, home and work, are both awesome. UPS at work has been the same guy, Ron, for 4 years. He comes almost every day. He always brings it to the door, and if its a lot and we're not home, he'll leave it in the garage (knows the code). He's always willing to take UPS packages too.. even when I've packed up three 40 lb boxes. He takes them no problem. UPS driver at my house is great as well. He'll put all the packages between our door and screen door if possible, or he'll cover them with the rug. And when its raining, he ALWAYS puts them in a huge plastic bag.

We don't deal too much with FedEx but in the past, they used to just toss stuff over the railing and leave it laying wherever it landed. Never rang the doorbell either. Recently, they've been much better... always on the doorstep with a ring.

[Lady's Human]

I hate to disagree with you, however, the disciplinary issues within the USPS are monumental. This is an organization which on one day issues a letter of warning to a carrier for walking across a lawn where there is a dog, and a day later in the same office issues a letter of warning to a carrier out of the same office for NOT walking across a lawn and wasting time.

The carrier at your place of business operates under a different set off rules than a residential delivery. Carriers picking up at a business certainly have to pickup and make deliveries IN the place of business.

A carrier making a residential delivery is not allowed to pull into a driveway, make a left turn into a street unless authorized by a supervisor, leave their vehicle to make a delivery unless authorized by a supervisor, talk to a customer while making a delivery, and many other little rules which carriers routinely break. It's fine, nothing is said, until the carrier upsets management, than all the little rules they break (and have to break) while doing their duties come to the top.

If the carrier is on a walk route the rules are slightly different, but not substantially so.

[Seravieve]

I do not work at a business address, it's residential. She pulls in the driveway, leaves her car and leaves packages on the porch. Must have different rules, depending on the location.

Technically, theyre not supposed to accept a label with a past due date, but they take ours ALL the time. Guess they like the $$$$ we bring in.

[Lady's Human]

If the carrier ever upsets management, all those little violations will be used against them without hesitation.

I have a craft member at the moment with a possible letter of warning for parking incorrectly.........they pulled into a parking space in the employee parking lot instead of backing in. Officially they tell employees to back into the parking space instead of pulling in, as backing out of a parking space is an unsafe act.

[Grace]

A carrier making a residential delivery is not allowed to pull into a driveway, make a left turn into a street unless authorized by a supervisor, leave their vehicle to make a delivery unless authorized by a supervisor, talk to a customer while making a delivery, and many other little rules which carriers routinely break. It's fine, nothing is said, until the carrier upsets management, than all the little rules they break (and have to break) while doing their duties come to the top.

Exactly how does a supervisor know if a carrier pulls into a driveway or any of the other no-nos you have listed? I've never seen anyone following our carrier, and s/he has pulled into our driveway, and others on the street, innumerable times over the past 20 years.

[Lady's Human]

The supervisors are supposed to do route audits, ride alongs, and shadow the carriers periodically.

They are pushing to get GPS trackers in the vehicles so they don't have to do that anymore.

[Grace]

Do these restrictions apply to all carriers? Ours is a rural route; the carrier delivers in a car. The mailboxes are at the head of the street - one half mile from our house. When there is a package too big to put in the box - and we have the big boxes - the carrier drives down the street, into the driveway, beeping the horn. If we are home, we go out to get the package; otherwise the carrier gets out of the car, and puts the package on our front porch. Is that against the rules?

[Lady's Human]

Yep. The carrier should leave a note in the box for pickup at the PO.