I'm a tractor-trailer operator for the United States Postal Service. If you have any questions, I can answer them
Posted by Jermaphobe456@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 107 comments
I see a lot of searches about the job position trucking for the post office but not a lot of recent threads & questions with answers how it's like, just thought I would contribute any knowledge I've gained working here with anyone interested. If you have a question I'll answer to the best of my ability.
EggplantInfamous6244@reddit
Hey I have a question. I applied for a TTO position and the status went to Pre Hire List today. I’ll ask them below:
- I keep hearing that there’s an interview right?
- I don’t quite have a year’s worth of experience, but I have a certificate from a CDL school. I’ve also done regional OTR by myself for a month before I quit and some local CDL A at a few different companies over the course of 2 years. Not consecutively. Do you think USPS would be a little lenient with me?
-I’ve already passed USPS’s background check/fingerprint. I accepted a career city career position. My start date was told to be mid June. (They were able to move my start date for family reasons - nothing bad). Would having my BG check/fingerprint done give me an advantage? The TTO position posted a few days ago.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
There is an interview
Consecutive experience may not matter, long as you have two cumulative experience should be good
Having it done beforehand may mean you get to skip having to do it again
EggplantInfamous6244@reddit
Okay cool. I got a random call yesterday and it was from USPS asking if I could interview right then. I did. 7 questions. I answered to the best of my ability.
What happens after this? How long did it take you to hear something back after your interview? I know the time for each process else is different.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
I'm not surprised but I am simultaneously that the hub you applied for opted for a phone interview.
I applied on May 25, 2025, got a call for an in-person interview on July 3, 2025. Interviewed the following July 5, 2025. I waited 3 1/2 weeks before I got a job offer email on July 29, 2025.
Once you get the offer email, the process begins to snow ball. You have authorize in-depth background checks and fill out any info they ask from you in the purpose of fulfilling that check. You have to do finger print scanning on their time, not yours. You have a bit more lee-way with scheduling the drug test. The faster you get all of this done, the sooner your orientation date is scheduled.
If you get in, Welcome to Postal Land.
EggplantInfamous6244@reddit
Oh damn. I applied May 7th and got a call on May 14th. I’ve already completed my background and fingerprints so maybe that factored in. My status last week was ‘pre-hire list” and now it’s been on “pre screening” since Monday.
Th3_Gh0st_0f_Y0u@reddit
Home daily? Regional? Otr?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Home daily, 5 days a week, 6 days during December
Quirky_Skill_9437@reddit
What time do you clock in & out? How long are the routes?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
I work Tour 3, afternoon shift. I do 8 and skate. Most miles I've run in a single day was around 160
GiantEnemaCrab@reddit
How many hours per day? Wha t is the hourly rate and do you get overtime?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
8 hours a day. If you want OT you can ask and they usually give it to you.
Start out $33.43/hour, OT after 8, DT after 10, paid biweekly, automatic raise every 33 weeks. Top pay is low/mid 40s
Quirky_Skill_9437@reddit
What CDL class do you need for TTO and MVO, class A or B?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Class A for TTO, Class B for MVO
Pam_P00vey@reddit
The question I have yet to see is, are these 8hr, 10hr, or 12hr average shifts?
I also saw you mention slip seating, so do new hires get stuck on the non desirable shifts until certain criteria are met?
Do they have internal dash cams?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
8, you usually can go looking for OT and they'll give it to you. Sometimes they'll hold you for mandatory OT
New hires are typically thrown onto tour 1 aka night shift. We operate on tours
Tour 1 - Night shift
Tour 2 - Day shift
Tour 3 - Afternoon/Evening shift.
I got lucky and was placed in Tour 3 I usually start at 3pm or 4pm, after 6PM we get an extra $1.25 on our hourly,
Freightshaker000@reddit
I am the only driver on Tour 3; they'll never get me off this route. :)
BarracudaOk354@reddit
Why do you like the mid day shift that 3am to 11:30
Freightshaker000@reddit
My tour 3 is 1500-2330. I'm the only driver on the tour, no management, I like working at night, and I have alot of back and arthritis issues so I appreciate a slow start in the morning.
Pam_P00vey@reddit
Wow! The job sounds amazing (except night shift, for me, personally, anyways 😄)
Thank you! I will keep checking the website for availability. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and desire to help a fellow trucker out find a better piece of the pie!
Anonymous8630@reddit
I know this is post is a couple months old. Does USPS have the AI dash cams? And what are the checkrides like if any?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
No AI dash cams yet
Terrible-Baseball481@reddit
Is this CDL A?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Yes, the post office employs CDL A and CDL B positions, CDL A positions are called Tractor-Trailer Operator (TTO), and CDL B positions are called Motor Vehicle Operator (MVO)
Wrench365@reddit
Can I apply for a TTO as a new CDL A holder with no prior driving experience? I would be willing to move just about anywhere. Thanks!
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Two years minimum
Wrench365@reddit
Ok thank you!
Pam_P00vey@reddit
What is the assessment test like?
I have just completed my application 🤞🏻
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Just a basic questionnaire IIRC, not hard to pass at all if your record is all good
Pam_P00vey@reddit
Wow! That was eeeeeeeasy! I was expecting personality questions like what would you do in "this" situation. Guess, I worked too many call centres!
Thank you so very much for helping a fellow trucker out!!!
big_browncow@reddit
What is the pension like?
Trucker_2022@reddit
The goof who interviewed me told me 'if you hustle you can get 40 if not you can make 24 hours per week which are guaranteed, he said if you get on the bad side for whatever reason they can send you home after 4 hours' AND for the first three to four years you get the night shift which starts at 3 am then after a one year at 2 am then 1 am. There was a guy who was there for 5 years, he started at 12 am but he told me it was all about hustling to get to the post offiice to scan the bar code to be on time so a lot of drivers took pics and scanned those to make it look like they were on time, lots of shady sh*t casual racism against one and all, day shift is normal 40 hour schedule after 10 years. Oh yeah ptf vs ftr bs, which is 'part time flex' full time regular bla bla I said fk off and left. lol
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
You're right about the four hours deal, PTFs are guaranteed a minimum 4 hours of work a day where as FTR are guaranteed 8.
Though at my station they treat all of us the same with hours, if I get done 5 hours in they expect me to sit & hang out for the remainder of my scheduled 8 hours even though I am PTF, I still get my full 40 hours if not 50 - 60 when it's busy
Exotic_Bathroom5382@reddit
I was a mailman for the post office and then got fired for not showing up due to health problems. I’ve been better since I no longer have to trip on tree roots and deal with the stress from management. Do you pickup/deliver to local stations or is it more like a dc to dc position? The only drivers I ever met were the ones that came to our station to bring the mail or pick up the outgoing at night.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
I do both!
Exotic_Bathroom5382@reddit
Interesting. Do you have to physically load/unload the gurneys and cages from the trailer? How the hell do you maneuver a tractor trailer in some of these stations? I worked in South Florida at 4 different stations on the beach and none of our lots were friendly enough to accommodate the trucks they drove let alone a tractor trailer.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
I do load & unload mail at the local offices, but the DC's unload & load me
I ask that question to myself every time I go to a new post office, some of these places require perfect manuevering getting into
north_coast_nomad@reddit
since its USPS does the job count towards military retirement points? can i bring my dogs?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
It does not, & sadly I don't know any loopholes to bring my dog to work either
north_coast_nomad@reddit
damn. welp appreciate the feedback anyways
truckinfarmer379@reddit
Are the trucks governed? I thought they were, but I was running 70 the other day and got my doors blown off by one of y’all’s bobtails
Same-Warning-6886@reddit
They probably aren’t but they are hourly workers so they tend to not haul ass
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
u/truckinfarmer379
Postal branded trucks have no speed limiter, 90% of the Ryder trucks are limited to 65, but we've been getting new Ryder trucks for the past two months that have no speed limiter. Most Ryders are also so underpowered they wont crawl on their own in reverse without throttle input
Freightshaker000@reddit
My Prostar daycab will easily break 70. Not sure what it's governed to.
Same-Warning-6886@reddit
Yall can get away with murder too from what I’ve heard, shoot I worked for the county n the deputies would just smile n wave whenever we ran thru one of their speed traps going 40 over 😂😂
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
We as postal/government employees are excluded from a lot if not most of the DOT's jurisdiction. Postal branded trucks never have to stop at weigh stations & they know the leased trucks we use to pull our trailers, they let our leased trucks roll through un-bothered 95% of the time.
I was given a paper to hand to any law enforcement or DOT Officer that basically warns them to not delay the mail & if they have questions they can contact the post office's legal team.
It's almost impossible to get fired here once you're out of your 90 day probation & have the union protection. Drivers have started fist fights with each other on the dock & still kept their job here.
It's no exaggeration or joke that I've seen leased trucks from us go through weigh stations that would have put the truck & driver OOS 100 times over but get let go because of that paper & our affiliation with the post office. (A lot of drivers here get it in their head that the truck assigned to their route is THEIR truck & wont put it OOS for any repairs or maintenance unless absolutely necessary. We are slip seaters in automatic trucks, not peterbilt 379's)
Delicious-Bet-2694@reddit
Say what, USPS be hauling ass everytime I see them no matter where
Freightshaker000@reddit
As another USPS Tractor Trailer Operator, this is the easiest job I've ever had, even after having to load/unload my own trailer.
Pam_P00vey@reddit
You didn't answer my question on internal dash cams😵💫
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
I forgot, I was rushing out the door to get to work ahead of this snow storm
Postal trucks have no cameras by union contract, & the Ryder leased trucks we use are only allowed to have forward facing cameras, not many of the Ryders we use have them though
Pam_P00vey@reddit
Thank you for answering! I pray for your safety! I am in the Toledo Ohio area, so the snow came on an ideal day, imo.
You're champion & may God's armor keep you safe!
UOLZEPHYR@reddit
Did they stop hiring? Apps been sitting there for almost a month or more
FrYoungtrad@reddit
I asked this question to a po manager. They are significantly cutting down on cdl jobs in this area (nh.) They made it sound like it was for the whole country though.
UOLZEPHYR@reddit
Defo seems this way, Like I said I applied about 2 months ago and havent heard anything back
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Good question, unfortunately I don't have a good answer
A lot of stuff goes on here is goofy
RectumRavager69@reddit
How does one go about getting this position?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
You need to check their career website periodically for a job listing that says Tractor-Trailer Operator (pay attention if it says seasonal or full time career w/benefits) in your area, create an account with them & apply for the position, fill out everything they ask you & consent to background checks. It takes time to get vetted & get in, but fillimg out and submitting the application is the hardest step.
I applied on May 25th & got a call to schedule an interview on July 3rd then another three weeks to find out if I got the offer or got turned down.
Accepting the offer, you have to then go drug test & get your finger prints scanned, finger prints you have to do on their time - not yours. If you don't do the finger prints in time they will rescind the offer., they give you a little lee-way to schedule & complete your drug test.
About a week & a half or so later & i get my start date for September 6th. You can tell them when you want to start, I chose that date because I had the option to do 2 last weeks with my employer at the time
Bossedup-@reddit
How soon did they have you fingerprint? Days? Weeks? And how long do they give you before they rescind? I assume it’d be hard for an OTR guy to operate around USPS schedule for prints. Especially if there’s no notice.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Three days from the email/call notifying you that you need to fingerprint
SucculentFugu@reddit
Besides a clean CDL and physical
1.How much experience is required?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
2 years required, but can always shoot your shot
I was never asked for anything regarding my diploma so I assume No
Just a copy of the certificate
SucculentFugu@reddit
Appreciate it
CapitanPino@reddit
What is the pay progression like? I would love to work for them
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Start out $33.43/hour, OT after 8, DT after 10, paid biweekly, automatic raide every 33 weeks. Top pay is low/mid 40s
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
You get much it? I’m assuming full Bennie’s and time off?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
You can go looking for it and they usually will give it to you
MentalOil359@reddit
I’ve been thinking about applying to USPS if they ever have TTO openings in my area. I’ve been looking for the past two years, but they never seem to be hiring here.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
When you see an opening come up jump on it like white on rice
Megmiha@reddit
What kind of time off do they offer?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Home daily, 5 days a week, 6 days during December
Megmiha@reddit
Right I saw that, thank you for the reply. I guess what I’m really asking is what is the vacation time off look like?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
For first three years you get 2 weeks vacation and after three it goes up to 3 week, 4 weeks after 15 years. You start accruing this vacation time from your start date, 2 hours every 20 hours worked, 4 hours every pay period once you get an assigned route.
Megmiha@reddit
Thanks for the reply. That seems about average?
IBringTheHeat2@reddit
So does every state have a big hub where the majority of drivers are at and you’ll meet drivers 4-5 hours away to swap trailers? Ive also never seen any USPS at the railyards either. Im a UPS driver so i wonder if it’s similar to us.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
We have multiple hubs in every state.
We don't do trailer swaps, we deliver the mail to specific hubs and then they process it there and send it further where it needs to go. The farthest we drive for our hub is 3 hours/200 miles out
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
Do they use veterans weighted scores for hiring truck drivers?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Veterans have a higher chance of being hired, yes
creamedporn@reddit
How many hours do you work a day on average?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
8, you usually can go looking for OT and they'll give it to you. Sometimes they'll hold you for mandatory OT
(OT pay after 8 hours, DT pay after 10 hours)
creamedporn@reddit
And is it all drop and hook?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
A lot of it is/can be. We load/unload our trailers when we are picking up/dropping off mail at the local post offices.
Deliveries and pickups at other post office warehouses and customers are all drop/hook or live unload
creamedporn@reddit
Awesome. Thanks for the info.
SkintagK@reddit
Do you need to stop at weigh station's. I've heard your not required to?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
When you are driving a postal branded truck you can blow on by & they wont come after you. If you're driving one of the Ryder leased trucks the post office uses they prefer you to roll through in case but DOT almost never bothers us
MrStrype@reddit
How much of a raise do you get after every 30 days? Also, How is your medical benefits?
Do I have to have a clean driving record? I have a 20 over in Shoshoni WY a few months back. Other than that it's clean.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Start out $33.43/hour, OT after 8, DT after 10, paid biweekly, automatic raise every 33 weeks. Top pay is low/mid 40s
IndividualWave5692@reddit
I'm a driver and a Teamster. If I was to come drive for USPS are there any areas where the drivers are Teamsters?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
As far as I am aware, no unfortunately. The only two unions I'm aware of associated with the post office are APWU & NALC
Knexcluther@reddit
How's a work week? Do you get regular times off?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
5 days a week, 2 days off. During December you will work 6 days a week, least until you get your own assigned route which will take a while
Minimum-Jacket-705@reddit
I wish I had a question but the USPS is so irrelevant that I can’t think of anything to ask.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your contribution
RuneScape420Homie@reddit
I love yall. Ty for what you do. My mom sends me letters a lot and it’s really nice.
NotSid@reddit
How much experience do you need to apply at USPS?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Need at least 2 years, only thing lost is your time if you apply with less experience & don't get the job.
Flowing_North@reddit
Why do I see trailers that just say U.S. MAIL on them? Are the subbed out by you guys? They don't have gov tags so I assume it's not a postal vehicle.
Wicell@reddit
There are contracted carriers that haul U.S. MAIL for the USPS. They're marked like that for safety and accountability. It let's people know they are hauling Federal property (mail is property of the USPS while it is being transported).
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Contractor, all that is basically them trying to advertise & gloat, & probably make the DOT leave their shitty equipment alone
TruckerMillz@reddit
How's the pay?
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Start out $33.43/hour, OT after 8, DT after 10, paid biweekly, automatic raide every 33 weeks
Ozdriver@reddit
Not employment related, but I’ve got some parts being sent by USPS from Coopersburg Kenworth near Allentown in Pennsylvania to Melbourne Australia and tracking shows it’s stopped in Breinigsville just a few miles away. Do you guys park up in the bad weather you’re having or are you encouraged to go at any cost? Looking at the weather it’s a shocker.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
We have a saying - the mail has to run.
We absolutely can refuse if we feel it's a safety issue, they're gonna whine & bitch but ultimately throw your load onto the next guy who will take the run
Bigbadsmurf@reddit
I just stopped to say I have absolutely no questions.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your contribution
llkey2@reddit
Are contracted or work for usps?
Pretty sure I’ve seen trailers hauled by a contractor.
I could e wrong
ThreeQuartersSerious@reddit
I'm also interested to know if OP is internal, and if so, if he's signed onto the USPS Union or if it's a non-union USPS position.
I think a few of the Contract Carriers ended their contracts recently, such as 10Roads; would be interested to know if those routes are handled by USPS itself.
Jermaphobe456@reddit (OP)
u/llkey2
I an employed for & drive directly for the post office, & i am in a union, APWU, & am in a career position so I had full benefits day one
Post office will let some contractors pull our older trailers, but the new trailers we have that have the eagle emblem on the side, those all are only pulled by us postal employees. We have more drivers than we do postal branded trucks so post office makes up the difference by getting leased trucks from Ryder
llkey2@reddit
That’s what I’m seeing then.
Thanks!