Hauling US Mail?

[Clutchgrinder]

I have a interview Tues. for a Mail contractor(Eagle Express Lines) & currently I have a pretty good job but Im always looking to improve & all I see is mail hauler jobs for 18+ a hour & people saying its the easiest work.Whats the catch or is there one & what do I consider when thinking about hauling mail?

[dieselpower]

I also drive for a mail contractor. First thing is HOW much an hour and how many hours. Some contractors try to pay you less hours than the contract requires meaning if it is a 10 hr run they want you to do it in 9. Second asked them if they have whats called fringe benefits and if so are the drivers FORCED to take it and it is VERY VERY EXPENSIVE. This is a decent job but with the Post Office claiming to be losing billions of dollars they are cutting the number of runs. You may have a run tomorrow but if the p.o. see that they can combine a run they will do it without hesitating and you may be layed off without adequate notice and this has happened. We had 3 trucks on our run and the p.o. saw where the could do it with 2 trucks guess what one truck was removed and a driver lost his job. Some contractors like to say they can give you job security No they cannot. When contractors renew their contracts it is spelled out in the contract that the p.o. can terminate the contract at the p.o. convenience I know for sure because our contract says it. My run used to be 9 hours and the contractor wants us to do it in 8 now. He claims the p.o. is tighting their belts so he has to do the same. Our trucks used to be ungoverned but now we are at 68 and I still use the same amount of full that I did ungoverned, truck doesn't have any pulling power. Those are just some things to consider when applying with these contractors. Please beware that there are some VERY SLEEZY CONTRACTORS out here so don't be amused if they hire you to do a 10 hr run and ask you to do it in 9 or under.

[Double R]

Eagle DOES NOT provide health benefits.

Other then that, I worked with a driver from Eagle(now he works for the US Postal Service hauling mail). The no benefits was his only complaint. Other then that, he had nothing but good to say about them.

[Phreddo]

"what's the catch?"
do everything they tell you, by the numbers, and run -on time.- not early or late.
I haul mail, but i only have 1 run, and I'm getting real bored with it. I can't even mix it up if I want to, gotta keep right on schedule.

[jonp]

I have a friend thats been doing it for several years now. I think he works for Beam Bros but don't quote me on that. He picks up in Springfield, Ma and takes it to a stop below Carlisle, switches trailers and heads back. Nights only. He loves it.

[Phreddo]

the pay scale is determined by where the route originates. something to take into consideration. say, in michigan, the pay seems around $20.50/hr. however, there's one route that originates in memphis, so even though the guy basically works out of the same MI terminal, he's getting paid $18.and change.