A Providence Love Story: UPS - Postal Service Merger

A Providence Love Story: UPS - Postal Service Merger

There has been a major merger between two carrier services in Providence.

And it is not of the business kind. 

It is a love story between the United States Postal Service and UPS - Brown meets red, white, and blue.

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North Providence native Jessica Martin, a carrier with USPS, and UPS driver Cory Thibault, originally of West Warwick, began crossing paths on their routes on the East Side. 

A lot. 

What began as simple hellos and small talk soon turned into something more, and on October 26, after three years of dating, the two got engaged at Colt State Park. 

Naturally, in typical Rhode Island fashion, it was one of the worst-kept secrets on the streets. 

“There are a bunch of East Side residents who think it’s just adorable,” laughed Thibault. “Over the years, I’d stop at Jess’ truck and say hi…and then people started to put it together.”

This week, GoLocal spoke with Martin and Thibault about the merger - and their recent acquisition, a chocolate lab named “Choco.”

 

Meeting on the Job

For Martin, joining USPS came after working a number of jobs, including as a bartender when she decided to make the switch. 

“I didn’t want two jobs; I wanted one job with health benefits and a stable income,” said Martin about joining the Postal Service. “I applied and got hired in 2014.”

“November 29th is my ‘ten-year stamp,’” laughed Martin. “We don’t actually get anything until at least twenty years.” 

Martin started on several different assignments before ending up on the East Side eight years ago. 

And running into Thibault on his route. 

“I always just thought he was such a nice guy,” she said. “It was so nice meeting someone like that.”

For a while, it was just small talk, said Martin, as they were both dating other people.

Until they weren’t. 

And did Thibault think he would meet his future wife on the job?

“Not…really,” he laughed. “But you do always have that thought, like, who am I going to run into doing this? It just so happened we knew each other for a good five years, and now we've been together for three.”

“It was always just smile and wave, until one day I saw her at the side of the road, and I don’t know, I started poking around and asking questions,” said Thibault. 

And Thibault remembers exactly where he was when went to “shoot his shot.” 

“I asked her to a friend’s Halloween party in 2021,” he said. “I remember exactly where we were standing on Humboldt Avenue…right in front of 45 Humboldt."

“I said you know what, I’m just going to ask her if she wanted to go to my friend’s party. If you think about it, it’s kind of a stretch…you’re meeting my friends all at once,” said Thibault. 

And the rest is mail and package delivery history. 

 

Dog, Proposal, and “Mail Baby” 

After a few years of dating, the two moved into their own place together, and adopted a chocolate lab.

And when Thibault’s father Andre, a photographer, suggested a photo shoot in Colt State Park in Bristol last month, Martin said she had an inkling something might be coming. 

“He kept on saying he wanted a specific shot,” laughed Martin of her future father-in-law, of the location on a path framed with fall foliage.  “He said OK, now I want you to stand in front of Cory with your back to him, and turn around.”

“He told me to practice a couple of times; so when I did it again one time, I didn’t even see Cory on his knee, I was so focused on the camera and getting a good shot,” said Martin.  “And I saw the ring, and that’s how he got me.”

Now, the two are thinking about a fall wedding a couple of years out, to enjoy time as a couple being engaged. 

And yes, everyone keeps asking if they have a child, will it follow in their footsteps?

“Oh my god, everyone keeps saying that,” said Martin.  “People keep saying if we have a baby, it’s going to be a FedEx baby.”