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I spent two weeks delivering for Uber Eats and made $4.40 per hour

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383 points imartin2k | 4 comments | 13 May 17 10:08 UTC | HN request time: 0.667s | source
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losteverything ◴[13 May 17 13:39 UTC] No.14330902[source]▶
As a comparison, $17.40 is what a rural carrier starts with the us postal service. [1]

After a strike in the '70s postal workers could bargain. This has led to stable, unglorified, mid pay jobs. The bargaining was and is key.

Now, if you sign up as a City carrier you can (with luck) become "regular" in 90 days. You will get 23 paid days off, eligible for federal pool health insurance (quite good 2m pool) where you pay 25% premium, never work Sundays, guaranteed 40 hours work a week, no email, stress, home by 5pm.

[1] https://wp1-ext.usps.gov/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_unreg_...

Choose state and "delivery"

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1. dghughes ◴[13 May 17 13:53 UTC] No.14330968[source]▶
I was looking at the job board here in Canada and saw a rural postal delivery job. It said it paid $15,000 but $7,500 of that was for vehicle expenses. You need your own vehicle with a plug able to plug in the post office light for the roof.

I can't see how this would appeal to anyone or how it is even legal. If you worked an eight hour day that's only $3.60 per hour.

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2. losteverything ◴[13 May 17 14:16 UTC] No.14331085[source]▶
Rural in usa does not necessarily mean "rural" all rural routes i know use postal trucks. They dont have any businessess and share an office with business routes
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3. Naritai ◴[13 May 17 14:42 UTC] No.14331215[source]▶
The most logical conclusion is that Canada Post doesn't think it'll take anywhere near 8 hours to finish the daily route.
4. gumby ◴[13 May 17 19:34 UTC] No.14332588[source]▶
A lot of RFD and there rural delivery is done by local folks with a magnetic sticker on the side of the car that says postal service. In my experience it's all mothers with no other job who can pick up some extra cash while the kids are at school.

Which doesn't contradict your statement that "all rural routes i know use postal trucks", just says that conditions are different in different areas.

FWIW , where my vacation house is, the postman also delivers Amazon packages and wears no uniform while at home in Palo Alto the postman, Fedex etc all have uniforms.