Battle Ground Mail Carriers Get New Wheels

Battle Ground, WA — Coming to a neighborhood near you this spring: The U.S. Postal Service’s Long Life Vehicles (LLV) delivery vehicles. These LLVs will replace most of the personal vehicles previously used by rural letter carriers to deliver mail in the Battle Ground area. The benefits of these new vehicles include the facts they are easily recognized; provide increased capacity & improved security, and offer good fuel economy & lower overall maintenance costs.

Battle Ground Postmaster Mavis Hafer said the introduction of these new delivery vehicles provides an opportunity to remind customers to check the condition of their mailboxes as they do their other spring cleaning. Neat, attractive, well-maintained mailboxes contribute to the overall appearance of the community and to the security of your mail. Here are some helpful housekeeping tips for your mailbox:

If there are shrubs or trees that might obscure or block the approach or access to your mailbox, please take the time to trim them back for your safety and the safety of your letter carrier.
If your mailbox is mounted on a pole or post, check its stability and make sure it is properly anchored. The bottom of the mailbox should be at a vertical height of between 3 1/2 to 4 feet from the road surface.
Your mailbox identifies your address, not only for the letter carrier but for the police, the fire department, emergency workers, other service providers and visitors to your home. We recommend that you put your address number on both sides of the mailbox, and that the numerals and letters be at least one-inch tall.
Check the mailbox’s door and hinges. Make sure the door closes properly to keep your mail in and the wind and rain out.
Do you see any sharp edges or nails sticking out from your mailbox? Protect your hands and those of your letter carrier by filing off dangerous points. Also sand and repaint or replace your mailbox if it’s rusty – you don’t want to have to get a tetanus shot, and neither does your letter carrier.

The Postal Service requires “USPS Approved” curbside mailboxes whenever a mailbox is newly installed or replaced. You can find them at most hardware stores. You may use a customer-built curbside box if the Postmaster gives prior approval and if the mailbox generally conforms to the same specifications as approved manufactured mailboxes. Please contact your local Post Office before erecting a custom-built mailbox!

If you have questions or want more information about mailboxes, call 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777), go online to www.usps.com, or visit the Battle Ground Post Office!

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.