You are a body of production- nothing more.
6-7 years, on average, until you become a "career employee" and obtain full-time hours, benefits, and begin to accrue a pension.
Extremely under-qualified Supervisors and Post Master's. They were given their roles by time served and who they knew...most do not have prior managerial experience, and it shows.
After 90 days, you will be given a route, with only a 1 day a week guarantee; it will have an evaluated time, so anything above that you are not paid for. For example; in season (November/December), the mail has a very heavy volume. If your route is evaluated at 8 hours and it takes you 10 or 11 to complete it (and many times it will), you only paid for 8. There is a rumor in every office that the Postal Service will hold mail back each year in order to keep the evaluated times low.
Dogs- I love them- but not when they chase me while I'm delivering a package.
Weather: summers are stifling in the truck- you have an electric fan. If it's raining, you will be wet as the window remains down. If you have outside cluster boxes, you will be standing in the rain until you finish your boxes.
Physical: the position is a physical one, make no mistake. Standing, while twisting and turning to put hundreds of letters in their corresponding slots, takes a toll on your back.
Salary: they have decreased the salary for mail carries from 19.45 to 15.56. The union seems to be losing their bargaining power as the USPS is bleeding financially.