Receiving personal mail while away from home

by Cheryl
(Bensenville, Illinois)

What is the best way to either get mail while on the road or hold mail until returning?

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Mar 08, 2012
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On truckers receiving personal mail
by: Vicki Simons

Hello, Cheryl,

My husband Mike and I have been in and out of trucking since the early 1990s. Twice during that time, we packed up and put into storage everything we owned that we did not have in the truck or our personal car. Sometimes it would be weeks before we could check on our mail. So we had to do some heavy considering before selecting a mail service.

One disadvantage of having a Post Office (P.O.) box is that you cannot receive packages from FedEx, UPS or any of the other courier services. You can receive mail sent only through the postal service.

Another disadvantage is that some businesses may refuse to send packages to a P.O. box. They want a street address.

A third disadvantage is that in order to pick up any packages that won't fit in your box, you have to physically be at the Post Office during their working hours.

Mike and I have had our service with what used to be MailBoxes, Etc., now The UPS Store, for years (in two different time periods). Not only does a patron get a real street address, but you can receive packages from any courier service.

Plus, when you have a valid email address on file, they will send you an email when a package arrives (which is very handy when you're expecting one).
For more on this, please see their website.

In order to get a package that is larger than your box, you still have to make a pick-up when they're open, but they have longer hours than the Post Office does on weekdays and Saturdays.

I seem to recall talking with the owner of our local store years ago about checking mail during "off-hours" and his willingness to make a special trip to the store just to get it for me. That may have been only a local courtesy, but it doesn't hurt to ask if this is your situation. Keep the store's phone number in your cell phone in case you need to call.

Another nice thing about service with The UPS Store is that you have 24-hour access to mail that fits in your box. The store we use has a number-coded entry system. Tap in the numbers in the order they are required, push a button and lift the latch. Poof! You're in.

Finally, you can get emails when your box rental is about to expire -- starting about a month in advance -- so that you're never caught off guard. You can determine the time frame of those available that best suits you. The longest rental period is the one that is least expensive when calculated on a per-month rate.

We cover more about making the transition to being a professional truck driver (trucker) on
this page of our site.

I hope this helps. I wish you safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.

Best regards,
Vicki Simons

http://www.truck-drivers-money-saving-tips.com/

Mar 07, 2012
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Receiving mail
by: Billy

The only way I know of is to get a P.O. box where you can get your mail whenever you come in. You can also get a box at the UPS store (check your local phone book) it is the same as a PO Box but you can receive packages from UPS, Fex Ex they will not deliver to PO Boxes

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