The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is making some significant changes to its delivery schedule in an effort to cut billions from its annual operational costs. Unfortunately, this may result in slower delivery times for certain customers.
How the USPS Plans to Alter Mail Delivery Times
On August 22, the USPS released a statement detailing their plans to enhance mail processing and transportation across the country. This pre-filing conference aims to discuss these proposed improvements. While many customers, especially those residing within 50 miles of major processing facilities, may experience faster delivery times, others, particularly those in rural areas, might not be as fortunate.
The statement read, “Depending on location, time, and distance, the expected time to deliver will increase for some ZIP code pairs.” However, the exact number of affected ZIP codes remains unclear.
- Customers within 50 miles of major processing facilities may see improved delivery times.
- Rural customers are likely to experience increased delivery times.
- The exact number of affected ZIP codes has not been specified.
However, they said that mail delivery from some rural areas could take an additional 12 to 24 hours, but it would still fall within the two to five day timeframe. In some instances, mail that would have previously taken three days to arrive at its destination may take four days instead.
According to the USPS fact sheet regarding the proposed changes to the postal network, it would have no impact on 75 percent of first-class mail. No plans will be executed until following the November election and peak season, which is Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
Postal Service Reforms to Save $3 Billion in Operational Costs
Pending changes to the Postal Service promise significant cost savings, potentially reducing operational expenses by around $3 billion.
Enhancing Service Reliability and Cost Efficiency
“As we integrate our transportation, processing, and delivery network to logically sequence the flow of mail and packages by deploying improved operating practices in our redesigned facilities network, we expect to improve service reliability, reduce cost, and grow our business,” stated Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.