A rural carrier associate or RCA as they are more popularly known as are, primarily hired to deliver mail in non-urban areas.
These individuals may be hired on a part-time or full-time basis depending on the type of position that is open.
A rural carrier associate needs to be exceptionally aware of the rural areas surrounding an urban setting – or rural areas in general.
To work as a rural carrier associate, you need to possess a high school diploma or a GED equivalent at the very least.
In addition to this, your reading and conversation skills need to be exceptional as a major part of your work will be to understand illegible writing on envelopes, so that you can deliver them to the right addresses.
Mostly, a rural carrier associate is provided with a vehicle – van or truck – to make deliveries, and it is important for him or her to be able to drive and maintain the assigned vehicle.
If you have worked in a courier/carrier capacity earlier, you stand a great chance of being chosen to work as a rural carrier associate.
Some RCA jobs are also entry-level, which means that you will be trained on the job.
Here is a list of job duties particular to this position:
Job Description for Rural Carrier Associate Resume
• Sort and bundle incoming mail, placing special focus on target areas.
• Ensure that mail such as parcels, packages, and letters are properly bundled according to their type and delivery location.
• Place all bundled mail in different sacks and load them onto the assigned delivery vehicle.
• Ascertain that work orders for all assigned mail are obtained from the supervisor.
• Map appropriate routes using both the GPS and standard maps, ensuring that the shortest and safest routes are determined.
• Drive assigned delivery vehicles to different delivery destinations in a time-efficient manner.
• Verify addresses on work orders and parcels/packages/envelopes with actual addresses.
• Hand over mail to customers by first verifying their identities and ensuring that any needed signatures are obtained.
• Deliver COD (cash on delivery) parcels, obtain signatures on receipts and ensure that the right amount of payments is made.
• Relay all delivery information to the postal station and communicate any problems such as route problems in rural areas to the supervisor.
• Ensure that the assigned vehicle remains in good repair and that minor maintenance and repair work is timely performed.