VALLEJO, CA — On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. Vallejo Letter Carrier Julius Gonzales will clock in for the very last time after 46 years of Federal Service, 43 years of which were served with the U.S. Postal Service.

Gonzales started his postal career in 1979 as a mailhandler at the San Francisco Bulk Mail Center in Richmond, before transferring only a few months later to the Vallejo Post Office as a carrier where he served the remainder of his career.

Gonzales chose to work for the postal service because of the great benefits available for himself and his family including health insurance and retirement.

His appointed rounds have been marked by many achievements including his status as a Million Mile Driver. As a Million Mile Driver award recipient Gonzales has driven a million miles without even a fender-bender after logging more than a million miles delivering the mail. He has driven the equivalent of 40 times around the globe, all without leaving the city limits.

Gonzales has also witnessed a lot of changes to the postal service during his career, like the introduction of new high processing machinery. Improvements that he states have made the Postal Service move much more efficiently.

Gonzales stated one of his most memorable moments was early in his career; “I remember going to the Richmond Post Office to start my driver’s training. I was sitting outside waiting for the trainer. He came out and asked ‘why are you sitting outside? You’re one of us.’”

He states that he will miss his colleagues the most in his retirement.

Gonzales is looking forward to working on his home improvement projects and starting to plan trips for the near future.

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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