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Sandra VanDenburg
June 10, 2024
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Getting Mail While on the Road

When people start to think about road life or being a nomad, a few questions always arise. One of those questions is, “How do I get mail while I am on the road?”

We asked that question on our BCM Forum and Facebook BCM Community Page and compiled the answers from real-life road warriors. 

General Delivery at the USPS  

If you go to the “Main Post Office” where you are, you can ask them if they do general delivery. If they do, give the address to that post office to your sender, and then go back and pick up your package in a few days. Just go to the counter and tell them you are here to pick up general delivery and give them your name. Be sure to bring your I.D. as they may ask for it.

Mail Service and Forwarding Systems

  1. Escapees RV Club
  • Here is what the owner of BCM says about this service. “I use the Escapees Mail system in Livingston, TX.  All of our business mail and some personal mail goes there.  When they receive it, they scan the cover of the envelope and alert me that I have an image to review.  I log in and view the cover image.  From that image, I can choose for them to open it, scan the contents, mail it to my sister's house, who processes the mail, or destroy it.  It costs a bit if we choose to have it scanned (I forgot how much now).  Then, they alert me that the contents are ready to review, and I log in to view the scanned copy.  Then I can have the contents mailed to my sister's house to deal with, or we can choose to have it discarded.

    They ship all mail to my sister's house on the 1st and 15th of each month. Alternatively, most people ship it wherever they want when traveling.

    This system ensures that no matter where I am, I receive an email within a day or two of all my mail as it arrives, and I can decide how to process it.  It does require a yearly membership in Escapees, which I maintain anyway, and a bank account number on file for necessary fund withdrawals. This reliable service provides a sense of security, knowing that my mail is handled efficiently and promptly.

    I also have a mailbox in Anaheim, CA, which piles up when I am not there. I call them every few months to have them ship it to an address I plan to be at for at least a week so I can receive it and go through it there. 
  1. MyRVMail.com
  2. AnytimeMailbox.com
  3. America’s Mailbox
  4. The UPS Store
  5. “The UPS Store will receive your mail for you, and you can call them to have it shipped to any address you would like upon request. If you use a store in a small town, you can usually get a little more helpful service (like taking a look for a specific item you are waiting for.) You don't even need to go to or be at the location to set it up, and UPS stores are a physical address, not a P.O. box, which may be helpful because certain items may not ship to a P.O. box.” – Gary Gaisler

Virtual Mailbox Services

There are many companies offering this service, but here are a few that our followers have mentioned. 

  1. TravelingMailbox.com
  2. USGlobalMail.com
    • I use a mail forwarding/receiving service in Houston. They scan the outside of every envelope and the shipping label on packages. They will scan the contents of envelopes and forward everything in my box anywhere in the world. – Jen Helbig
  3. PostScanMail.com

How To Set Up Mail Forwarding for Virtual Mailbox Services

For your virtual mail service to receive mail on your behalf, you must fill out USPS Form #1583 and have it notarized. If you are signing up for Earth Class Mail, you can activate your account online for free and have the form notarized electronically. But if you're not using Earth Class Mail, you must get the form notarized in person.

Asking Family or Friends to Monitor your Mail

Some individuals simply ask a trusted friend or family member if they can use their address or set up a P.O. box that the friend or family then checks and moderates to the recipient what the mail is and if it is trash or if it needs to be forwarded elsewhere or just held on to. 

Amazon

Thankfully, Amazon has made it easier for us travelers, and they have been installing drop lockers nationwide. Simply Google “Amazon Locker near me”, or when purchasing on Amazon, you can search for the nearest location while in checkout. Other than that option, many of us know where we will be heading next and contact a family member of a friend asking if we can have a few things delivered to their address in anticipation of a future visit. They usually are happy to help. 

RV Parks and Truck Stops

If you are parked in an RV park, it is customary for them to forward your mail and deliver your packages there. You can even have it forwarded to a Truck Stop. Just notify them and tell them when you plan to be there.

Article written by Sandra VanDenburg
Sandra, who was born and raised in Sacramento, California, has always felt a strong desire to explore. Along with her husband and their two children, aged seventeen and five, they have been traveling across America in their 1995 Thomas Saf-T-Liner (The Enterprise).Recently, their daughter joined the United States Air Force and is undergoing training to work on F-15s, leaving two adults, a young boy, a cat, and a dog aboard the enterprise.In September 2019, Sandra began working at Bus Conversion Magazine as an Administrative Assistant and Sales Representative, getting stories from Bus Nuts from all over the world. This family of wanderers has no plans of slowing down anytime soon, as they have been bitten by the travel bug and are eager to explore more.

You can follow the @Buslivin adventure on FacebookInstagram and YouTube.

You can also contact Sandra via email: Sandra@BusConversionMagazine.com

Click HERE to read other articles by this Author
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