BAKERSFIELD, CA - Believe it or not, the holidays are just a couple of months away and for the Postal Service, that means big business. With increased volume, USPS needs to employ, hire and train 40,000 new employees, including more than 500 in the district. We are opening our driving training facility for media to get a behind-the-scenes look at how we are training a few of our carriers so they can serve the local community.

What:

Opportunity for a reporter to fulfill their childhood dream of being a letter carrier by learning how to drive a right-hand vehicle, how to protect themselves against dog attacks, and delivering mail in our simulated mail course.

Who:

Driver Safety Instructor Jeff Harrington
Letter Carrier Emma Castruita
USPS Spokesperson Jamie Wright

When:

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Where:

Please RSVP by emailing me for the location by Tuesday, October 5.

Background:

In 2020, the Postal Service delivered 1.1 billion packages during the holiday season – a record. After that challenging surge in volume, USPS immediately went to work to improve infrastructure including package sortation equipment, facilities, and technology to expand capacity, improve operating efficiency and provide real-time visibility.

The Bakersfield training facility has trained nearly 300 new employees so far this year and their work isn’t done. We still have just under 100 openings that we are trying to fill in Bakersfield. Nationwide we are hiring more than 40,000. www.usps.com/careers. Check back every week for new positions.

Reporters can strap a satchel on and run through our simulated course, including getting behind a right-hand drive vehicle and completing a few driving exercises.

Please RSVP in advance by emailing me back to get entry instructions and clearance. Please, no open-toed shoes. Face masks required.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

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