Mail carriers find job security, social satisfaction with their work

Both Bryce Shanklin and Sherry Bowland are dog people, so the old trope about dogs having it out for the mail carrier does not necessarily apply.

The pair work at the United States Postal Service Brentwood Carrier Annex, Shanklin full-time and Bowland as a rural carrier assistant.

In fact, seeing the animals is Bowland’s favorite part of the job. She started the position in September 2023, searching for job security when her previous workplace started implementing layoffs. As it turns out, working for the United States Postal Service can provide just that.

Bowland does not have an assigned route, but fills in for various carriers, or covers a route that doesn’t have a full-time employee assigned to it.