Hauling mail for a USPS contractor

Yes they call it health and welfare pay.but when I did it was along time ago after 40 hours you lose that and go back to your base pay.It was a pretty good job those 70 90 k jobs on here this guys are talking about usally will take you awhile to work up the board to get that depends who your working for and how many different runs they have.

 

Numbers are set but when I did it I was allways able to beat the hours you still get paid for what the hours said it should take .Two things tho I did it over 10 years ago and I didn't do a layover run like your doing.are you going to run out of Greensboro

 

Just an FYI, the contractor company has to pay a specific wage per their contract with the USPS, they can not go below that number - it used to be $22 an hour but now I heard it was close to $27. IF They didn't pay it, they could lose their contract.

BUT I also heard that they are allowing sub-contracting companies to get in on it, allowing the contracted company to outsource the work within limits and they don't check the wages for those outside contractors.

 

Sounds like you're more on the OTR side. I don't get a chance to talk them as much as I do with the local HCR drivers. If you're looking for more information, try checking out this thread on contract carriers....

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/us-mail-contractors.82471/

 

I've ran mail before with the HCR contracts. There's a lot to know before you go into it.

First off, you're paid hourly for how long it takes to drive your trip. But not how long it takes YOU to drive it, but how long it takes some guy in a 4 wheeler to drive it at 3AM. That means that if a trip is timed for 5 hours, but you hit traffic and it takes you 6, you're only paid for 5. Your entire trip, from when you leave the first dock until you get back home is planned by the minute. Your 10 hours off starts at this exact time that you should be parked, and it ends in exactly 10 hours from that time, and you better be back on the road.

The pay depends on benefits. When I did it, the pay was $24.85, but none of us had insurance or anything, that was just in the contract. You might be getting benefits for your pay, not sure. I know I see ads once in a while saying $19/hr, which is about what my pay was before the benefit pay. And also, there's no overtime. If you're making $19/hr as your base pay, and then being paid $23 for your benefit agreement, that last 5 hours every week is only paying you $19/hr.

Now there's a tradeoff... When you're pulling a trailer that says US Mail, that's seen as a federal truck. It's harder to get put out of service. If you're following the laws on the road but your brake lights don't work, there's more of a chance of the cop letting it go because DOT is NOT going to shut down the mail. USPS bullies that trailer back on the road, but it still needs to be a working trailer or you're paying the ticket if the cop decides he wants to stop you. Who owns the trailer matters a lot. Company owned trailers have to be kept up to the same standards as every other trailer. USPS trailers, well, the federal government owns them. It's a tough job when you get a trailer with flat tires, and a nail sticking out of one. Because you not running means a ton of mail doesn't get delivered. Legally you can refuse to take that trailer, but you can't. And if you won't, they'll find someone else who will. And your pressure gauge is wrong. Their transportation manager pushed on the tire with his thumb and he knows it's not flat.

But once you do it, it's the greatest driving job you've ever had. If you quit, you'll end up wanting to do it again when you have to deal with all the BS of regular freight. If I ever go back to trucking, it'll be to run mail.

 

Good luck to you.running mail not a bad job only complaint I had is why I quit were benefits or insurance was to expensive.like I sad earlier hours were set but I allways beat the hours.hope it works for you.