Gas Prices Taking A Toll On Rural Mail Carriers

Monday, May 21st 2007, 4:37 pm

By: News On 6

Gas prices are making things rough on rural letter carriers. Unlike in the city, letter carriers that handle the rural routes have to supply their own vehicle. Some deliveries you can do without. But most people in the country would probably say that mail isn't one of them. The News On 6â€™s Steve Berg reports rural letter carriers say they're feeling the gas crunch more than most.

The old saying goes; neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night will stop the postal carrier. You'll notice it doesn't say anything about gas prices.

"It's hard to run every day,â€ said postal carrier Scott Moore. â€œIt costs a lot to fill this tank up every day."

Moore covers more than 50 miles a day on his route near Catoosa. In just one year, he's put 40,000 miles on the odometer of his Honda. And so he says any gas increase quickly adds up.

"I'm going through about $20 each day. And it's going up every day,â€ said Moore.

He says some carriers have even longer routes, with even less fuel-efficient cars. He says he can't do much better than his Honda.

"This is about it, because you've got to have something big enough to haul the mail," Moore said.

Right now, he says they get about 49 cents per mile from the Postal Service. But he says adjustments are only made every 3 months, and a lot can happen to prices during that time.

"They'll bring the amount per mile up later on, but right now, we're kind of footing the bill. Post office is doing the best they can right now," Moore said.

He says there's a shortage of carriers right now, and he believes it could have something to do with gas prices.

"It's kind of hard to hire carriers right now, especially when you have to supply your own car," he said.

He says he's spending about $500 a month on gas, and there's the maintenance on his car too.

Watch the video: Postal Carriers Feeling The Pain At The Pump