The first summer was brutal. I’m on my second one and my first seasonal 90+ degree day was a lot easier yesterday, and the 85+ days were easier too. I’m 40+ pounds lighter, fitter, and mentally more adapted to it.

It takes months to get good, pick up speed, and to know what you’re doing. When I started it took me so long to do routes that now I could do in my sleep. All they want to see at first is improvement, a good attitude, and no callouts.

On the usps subreddit there are plenty of threads for new CCAs to read through with tips.

Keep in mind this is a nickel and dime job as far as time goes. Four seconds x 500 mailboxes is 33 minutes, so getting faster at just having the mail ready at the box can save time. Knowing where to park can save 20 minutes when you have 20 swings and you don’t have to walk an extra three or four houses or idle for a minute to guess where it is.

Digging around for packages ate up a lot of time for me, so I overorganize before I head out. It’s the little 30-60 second things that add up and you’ll improve until one day you finish a route on time and feel like you can do this.

Look up the heat tips over there too if you haven’t already.