USPS Driver Salary: How Much Money Do They Earn?

United States Postal Service (USPS) is in charge of delivering mail to both people and businesses across the US. You must have heard about UPS and FedEx, right? Well, there were introduced in recent years. Meanwhile, the USPS dates back to the early years of the US’s history.

USPS hires different types of workers, which include postal service clerks, mail sorters, mail carriers, etc. Currently, USPS has employed more than 335,540 across various US states, and the average salary differs for each position. The postal service pays its postal workers based on the union-negotiated pay scale, considering overtime and Sunday premium pay.

Are you aspiring to join USPS as a truck driver? Then knowing the median USPS driver salary and the minimal requirements to become one is important.

This article has covered everything you must know about mail couriers and their work in brief. Now, let’s get started.

What are the Responsibilities of a USPS Truck Driver?

The roles and responsibilities of a USPS truck driver are:

• Deliver packages to businesses or residences within a designated location
• Before loading the packages into the truck, you must inspect the packages for damage and defects before loading them into the truck
• Read maps and other written materials to determine accurate delivery locations
• Operate the vehicle with a lift gate or ramp system to load and unload packages
• Communicate with dispatchers about the delivery status and any problems with deliveries
• Maintain accurate records of package deliveries made during each shift
• Perform the necessary maintenance on the truck, including tire rotations, oil changes, and brake adjustments
• Follow safety procedures while driving to ensure the truck’s safe operation
• Place the packages into storage areas located in businesses or residences

How Much Does a USPS Driver Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average USPS truck driver’s salary, or, in general, the mail carrier’s is $ 54,370 per year. On an hourly basis, the mail delivery driver’s average salary is $ 26.14. The lowest salary of USPS driver wages is $8.41 per hour.

The postal service offers a salary based on education, experience, skills, and location, and you can find more salary information on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

As a United States Postal Service mail delivery driver, the most common you will encounter is finding the short and quickest route to deliver the packages.

To fix this problem, we suggest you a smart way to plan and optimize the route planning and scheduling work. Sign up for the delivery route mapping software, enter the address details and let the software take care of your route optimization and give you the best one.

How to Become a USPS Driver?

To become a USPS driver or a mail carrier, you must take the below-given steps:

1. Get a GED or high school diploma

To become a mail carrier, you must get a General Equivalency Diploma(GED) or a high school diploma.

Though the minimum age requirement for this position is 18 years of age or above, even a 16- or 17-old graduate is still considered eligible for this position.

2. Must meet the job requirement

Some minimum requirements you must meet to become a mail courier are:

Physical standards

Mail carrier job entails carrying heavy packages and delivering them to different houses. So, one must comfortably walk, knee, bend or push; in short, be physically fit. And, must lift at least 50 pounds regularly.

Some mail carriers working in cities may have to walk 10 miles daily. So, these physical standards must be met to become a mail carrier.

Driving record

Though you will be walking and carrying the mail packages, you must know to drive the vehicle to the location first and then only carry out the delivery work. So, you must have a clean driving record for five years in any US state where you received your driver’s license.

Drug screening

You must pass the drug test to ensure you don’t use any illegal substances.

Criminal background checks

The postal service is a federal job. Therefore, you must pass a criminal background check to become a mail carrier.

Medical assessment

You must pass a physical assessment that determines you are healthy and can perform the physical work required as a mail carrier.

3. Pass the postal exam

The postal exam is also known as the 473 postal exam, which has four parts:

• Forms completion tests your efficiency in filling out forms.
• Address cross-comparison to test your ability to check and type an array of addresses.
• Memory and coding to determine your memorization abilities.
• Personal characteristics and experience to test your physical and mental ability.

Though some exam parts can be done online at home, you must schedule a testing appointment at an approved site to complete other parts. Each exam portion requires an hour to complete.

4. Complete the interviewing process

You get eligible for the interview if you have successfully cleared the above levels with a high score.

Note: Even after scoring high marks, if you aren’t invited to complete an interview, you can still apply to the mail carrier position for up to six years.

5. Get additional training

After getting placed as a mail carrier, you must take additional training to earn promotions in the organization.

Also check: Walmart spark delivery driver pay

Utilize Upper to Sort Out Your Route Planning Issues Once and for All

Did you know that Americans commuting to and from urban cities spend 42 hours in traffic annually?

Then imagine the scenario of mail couriers who must be on the road all day delivering mail packages. If they fail to get the best route to deliver the goods, they will be stuck on the roads.

This is why USPS truck drivers must invest in the best route optimization software, such as Upper Route Planner.

Some amazing features of this robust software are:

Manage multiple-stop deliveries

In general, managing multiple-stop deliveries is hectic and time-consuming. But not anymore, because you can cut the hassles using Upper’s multi-stop route planner. This feature gives you the shortest route plan to easily complete all stops.

Reduce fuel costs

Since you can quickly reach customers by route optimization, fuel consumption is reduced.  Using this software, you can simply save your gas bill by 40% by optimizing the delivery routes.

Proof of delivery

As a mail carrier, you must inform the customers about the delivery. By using Upper, you can schedule your daily deliveries, deliver them on time, and get digital proof of delivery of products to the customers.

Join a 7 days free trial to try the route planning and optimization features on Upper.

Conclusion

The US postal service hires people for different roles, from mechanics to fix the delivery vehicles to corporate staff dealing with the business’s finance, marketing, and strategy side.

Compared to the other roles, the mail carrier physically delivering the mail to people and businesses is considered best. Also, as a driver, you can plan routes in minutes and get control of your routes easily using Upper Route Planner software.

Overall, postal service employees make a decent income. However, according to Statista, since 2019, the market size of postal services in the US has experienced a declining trend due to the reduced need for letter or mail services due to digitalization.