what is a cluster mailbox?
A cluster mailbox, or cluster mailbox unit (cbu), is a form of centralized, communal mail delivery team.
These types of mailboxes are freestanding and pedestal mounted. they contain 8, 12, 13 or 16 individually closed mailboxes and parcel compartments.
Cluster mailbox installations can be customized, and a number of modified options are available to match any community’s decor.
Whether it was located in subdivisions, streets, neighborhoods, or apartment buildings or complexes, you’ve probably been through several group mailboxes in your day.
The most popular form of any style of “clustered” mailboxes is the usa. uu. USPS Approved Cluster Box Unit.
5 things to know about clustered mailboxes before they show up in your community
#1: how they work
the way clustered mailboxes work is that the postman will have a master key.
that key opens all crates or you will be able to access all crates at once by opening the entire front or back of the crates in the group.
each individual mailbox owner will get their own key for their own mailbox and can access their mail at any time.
#2: security & security
Don’t worry about this new mail team that can be installed near you: clustered mailboxes are secure!
If you’re worried about the security of switching to a cluster mailbox, don’t.
Your mail will be just as secure in a group mailbox as it would be in a mailbox on your own sidewalk or front porch.
In fact, the use of a clustered mailbox can be considered more secure than residential mailboxes, as the residential curbside pedestal mailbox option does not have a lock and therefore it is much more vulnerable to thieves and vandals.
Because the individual mailboxes in group mailboxes are always locked, it’s also a more secure option than depositing your mail at a front door via a residential wall-mount mailbox.
Overall, this is a good option to protect your mail from identity theft.
#3: the ease of receiving packages and sending mail
so getting your mail seems easy enough… but what about the larger packages? and how are you supposed to send the mail?
You’ll probably be pleased to know that they’re all equally quick and painless!
how to receive a larger packet
You’ll still be able to receive larger packages in your mailbox or group mailbox, even ones that won’t fit in your small individual mailbox.
These mailboxes include a package box large enough to accommodate most packages.
If you receive a package that is too large for your individual mailbox, the carrier will leave a package key in your individual mailbox.
the key will allow you to open the parcel compartment and retrieve your parcel.
After removing your items from the parcel compartment, leave the key in the compartment for the postman to retrieve when you return. when you close the parcel compartment door, it will be locked automatically.
In other cases, once you insert the key into the parcel compartment and turn it, you will not be able to remove the key and it will remain there until the postman comes back for it.
how to send outgoing mail
As easily as receiving mail in your cluster mailbox, you can also send your stuff.
For outgoing mail, there may be a special slot or compartment in the regular mailbox.
some group mailboxes will have a place for your outgoing letters to go in your individual mailbox.
plus, you can always send outgoing mail by dropping it off at any public mailbox, sending it from your place of work, or dropping it off at your local post office.
#4: use in winter weather
the usps recommends removing snow and ice from the mailbox in inclement weather. (This can include any mailbox, no matter where it is located or what its shape is.)
One of the benefits of a cluster mailbox is that you share the responsibility of keeping it clear during the winter.
Although you can use a shovel and a bag of salt to clear a path to your clustered mailbox, many clustered mailbox users say they never have to deal with this task, however, since the area it is usually already cleared by foot traffic or other mailbox users by the time they arrive.
Although many clustered mailbox users never have any problems with ice on their locks, on the rare occasion that you do have an ice problem that makes a lock difficult to open, a can of antifreeze can solve it quickly.
#5 – Why will we see more clustered mailboxes in the future?
usps is under pressure to cut costs wherever possible.
Because of this, they now require builders and developers to purchase and install clustered mailboxes.
By delivering mail to these kiosks instead of door-to-door or individual street boxes, the Postal Service is saving money by reducing gas costs and wear and tear on USPS vehicles.
In addition, because carriers can ship to more mailboxes when individual mailboxes are in such groups, USPS is also cutting costs by saving on carrier wages.
At about $30 billion a year, according to the USPS, mail delivery is the largest fixed cost facing the service.
So, while door-to-door delivery costs about $353 a year per address, and curbside delivery costs about $224, group mailboxes are much cheaper.
cluster boxes reduce the cost, coming to about $160 per address per year.
Do you have a cluster mailbox in your neighborhood or near your home? Tell us about your experiences sending and receiving mail and/or packages with this system in the comments!
If you’ve lived in places with mail systems other than clustered mailboxes, let us know which one you prefer!