I’m a letter carrier who delivers mail by bicycle throughout downtown St. Petersburg, FL. My job is unique — St. Petersburg is one of only three remaining cities in the country where carriers use bicycles for mail delivery.
I carry both mail and packages, but because I ride a bike, I don’t deliver parcels that weigh more than 2 pounds or are larger than a shoebox.
I’m one of more than a dozen letter carriers who deliver by bike. We were recently featured in Northeast Journal, a local publication that highlighted St. Petersburg’s bicycle deliveries.
I start my mornings the same way LLV drivers do, by sorting the mail for my route and loading my delivery “vehicle.” I place my mail, usually enough for one-and-a-half hours’ worth of deliveries, in my bike’s basket and start pedaling.
When I’ve delivered that first load of mail, I collect more mailpieces from relay boxes that parcel drivers load with additional mail, and continue my route.
The contribution I make to the Postal Service is that I leave a smaller carbon footprint. I help the organization save thousands of dollars in fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.
There are several personal benefits, too. I get plenty of exercise by riding my bike six miles a day. It’s a great stress reliever and there’s a greater sense of freedom.
I joined USPS 24 years ago as a letter carrier in Tampa after serving six years in the Air Force. I transferred to St. Petersburg two years later after spotting a letter carrier at a relay box and asking him about the job.
I tell new carriers that delivering by bicycle can be challenging, but very rewarding. I love my job and my route. I met my fiancee, Vicki Weber, at work. She’s also a St. Petersburg letter carrier and we both have downtown bike routes.
When we’re not pedaling for the Postal Service, we like to ride bikes for fun, and also enjoy taking our boat out on the water.
“On the job,” a series on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.