Guaranteed Maybe

Consumers may be confused by what the Postal Service says about the delivery service they should expect. As shown on the USPS Website, Priority Mail Express “provides next-day to 2-day delivery service,” Priority Mail offers “delivery in 1-3 business days,” and USPS Ground Advantage advertises “expected delivery in 2-5 business days.” At the recent House committee hearing, PMG Louis DeJoy…

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OIG Audit Finds Substantial Impact from LTO

One of the more controversial changes being implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy as part of his 10-Year Plan is the elimination of afternoon collection trips from outlying post offices to processing centers. The “Local Transportation Optimization” initiative (most recently rebranded as “Regional Transportation Optimization”) was introduced in October 2023 in the service area of the Richmond (VA) regional processing…

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Privatization – Analysis

As American politics veers again next year, one of the favored ideas that will re-emerge – as part of the broad push for “government efficiency” – will be the privatization of government services, replacing what the federal government does with the same or reduced services supplied by private sector companies. The USPS Likely to be on the list of potential…

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“Turnaround Mail” – Analysis

For reasons perhaps known only to the operational brain trust dutifully serving Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and his 10-Year Plan, the redesign of the postal processing network seems to have all originating mail flowing into the 60 or so regional processing and distribution centers from which it will go to other RPDCs or back through local processing centers for distribution…

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Update on PRC and BoG Appointments

The five members of the Postal Regulatory Commission and the nine governors of the Postal Service are all appointed by the president and seated only after Senate confirmation.  On each panel, a partisan majority cannot exceed one seat, which makes for interesting choices when a president must fill vacancies with a nominee from the other party.  Also, both commissioners and…

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USPS Reports $9.5 Billion Loss for Fiscal 2024

At the November 14 meeting of its Board of Governors, the Postal Service reported a loss of $9.5 billion for its 2024 fiscal year (October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024).  That amount is $3 billion larger than the loss reported for fiscal 2023, far different from the projected $1.7 billion surplus anticipated in Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-Year Plan.…

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Your Experience Will Vary – Commentary

It should finally be clear to all: the presumption that what the Postal Service considers standards for service in any way relates to the service that the average person will experience is completely wrong. As illustrated in its recent filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission, the USPS now segments its calculation of service into three pieces: from the sender to…

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USPS Pushing Away Shipping Partners

Although the Postal Service has always offered package services, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is fixated on transforming the agency from one focused on paper mail into one built around the package business.  Accordingly, the new delivery vehicles on order are bigger – to hold more boxes – and the facilities in the USPS processing and delivery network are getting more…

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Futile Opposition – Commentary

Few Americans may be interested, and fewer may be observing closely, but those who are will soon see how an autocrat gets to do what he wants. To comply with statute, and allay Congressional critics – who won’t do anything anyway – the Postal Service is going through the process of seeking an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission…

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The “Strategy is Working,” Really? – Commentary

Everyone felt a bit of relief on September 20 when the Postal Service announced it wouldn’t be raising rates next January.  In the official quote included in the announcement, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stated that “Our strategies are working, and projected inflation is declining,” and that, as a result, eliminating the January increase was possible. While the elimination of the…

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