BRYAN, Texas -- The Texas heat is unavoidable, especially when your profession requires you work outside all day.
Jay Bates has served as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS) for 10 years. Working six days a week and close to 300 days out of the year, the job can be demanding.
"You get wore out as the day goes on delivering mail," said Bates. "You have to make sure you keep drinking water so you don't get dehydrated out here."
Mail carriers in Bryan, Texas deliver nearly half-million pieces of mail every week, according to a USPS spokesman. Before they hit the streets, carriers must load and organize their truck's load, including packages letters and flats.
"Our job is very important to the community," said Bates.
They perform their work duties with little relief from the heat.
The Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) driven by carriers are not equipped with air conditioning. The windows and a vent are the only sources of ventilation in the trucks, with the exception of a fan.
"Inside the truck, it's just so sultry and hot," said Bates.
The Postal Service began using the LLVs in 1987, and continued to order them through 1994. In a statement, USPS stated, " the Long Life Vehicles were not designed to provide air conditioning in 1987-1994, and are not equipped to add air conditioning today."
According to Bates, temperatures inside the truck can reach up to 120 degrees during the summer. For security reasons, carriers are required to lockup the truck if they are not within 25 feet of it.
"Most mail carriers rather walk in the summertime because it's cooler you have a breeze blowing," said Bates.
In addition to mother nature providing a bit of relief, carriers also stay cool by drinking plenty of fluids and freezing bottles of water and towels.
"By the end of the day all you want to do is get home, sit down, cool off and make sure you sit in air conditioning for a little while," said Bates.
When asked about heat-related incidents, the USPS released the following statement:
"The Postal Service does not release these specific numbers, but it is accurate to say that heat-related incidents are minimal. We make every effort to continuously communicate the importance of prevention with our letter carriers and other postal employees who work in the heat of summer. This includes reminding them of the importance of hydration, taking frequent short breaks to cool off, and knowing the signs of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke."