What is a rural carrier associate?
Quick Answer
Rural carrier associates fill in for regular rural mail carriers who need time off due to illness, emergency or vacation. RCAs deliver U.S. mail to suburban and rural homes and businesses. There is little supervision, as an RCA spends most of the day on his route, interacting with customers.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
An RCA is responsible for sorting, receiving and loading the mail in his vehicle for distribution on an established route. The RCA picks up mail from homes, sells postal supplies and maintains security for the mail in his possession. At the end of the day, the RCA returns collected mail, paperwork and any money received to the post office.
Although an RCA has a lot of freedom, there is no guarantee of work from week-to-week. An RCA provides his own vehicle, for which the Postal Service compensates him on a mileage basis. An RCA must take a test before being hired, which gives him a fast track to a permanent rural carrier position. He may bid for a permanent position following 1 year of service as an associate.
An applicant for an RCA position must be at least 18 years old, or 16 if he has a high school diploma. The applicants must also submit to a drug screening, have a safe driving record and submit to a criminal background check.
Learn more about Postal ServicesRelated Questions
-
Q:
What are the USPS rules regarding marking mail "return to sender"?
A: Recipients are advised to mark unwanted mail as "refused" and return it unopened to the U.S. Postal Service within a reasonable amount of time. Following t... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How long does it take to get mail from Hong Kong to the United States?
A: Overseas air mail from Hong Kong has a transit time of between three to 17 working days to get to the United States. The time is subject to conditions duri... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is an average mail delivery time?
A: The average delivery time for First Class mail in the United States is one to three business days. The United States Post Office ships First Class mail Mon... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How long does it take for a letter to come from another state?
A: Delivery time for first-class mail in the United States is typically 1-3 business days. First-class mail is the quickest and most economical way to send le... Full Answer >Filed Under:
