The U. S. Postal Service is laying out a 10 year plan that would increase revenue but slow to some first class mail delivery. The 123 day standard for first class mail letters would increase to 1 to 5 days, but USPS says 61% of first class mail would stay at the current standards. The plan proposes more truck deliveries and less airplane deliveries. It would also cut hours at some retail locations, the postmaster general says. Without this plan, the company would need a government bailout.
Advertisement
US Postal Service to slow down some mail delivery starting Friday
Updated: 4:30 PM EDT Sep 29, 2021
Americans across the country could start seeing slowdowns in mail delivery across the country as early as Friday when the United States Postal Service implements its new service standards.The new changes, which include longer first-class mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours, are part of embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the agency that he unveiled earlier this year.According to USPS spokeswoman Kim Frum, most first-class Mail (61%) and periodicals (93%) will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece first-class mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days.However, the Postal Service will be increasing the transit time for mail traveling longer distances, which will lead to slower mail delivery in some cases.”These changes would position us to leverage more cost-effective means to transport First-Class packages via ground rather than using costly air transportation, which is also less reliable due to weather, flight traffic, availability constraints, competition for space, and the added hand-offs involved,” Frum said. In March, DeJoy, a Trump administration holdover, told reporters in a news briefing that the plan “takes a holistic view of the organization and is meant to elevate our business, competitiveness, and our ability to meet the needs of the nation.”Lawmakers and some USPS board members have criticized the plan, and many Democrats have called for DeJoy’s ouster.
Americans across the country could start seeing slowdowns in mail delivery across the country as early as Friday when the United States Postal Service implements its new service standards.
The new changes, which include longer first-class mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours, are part of embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the agency that he unveiled earlier this year.
Advertisement
According to USPS spokeswoman Kim Frum, most first-class Mail (61%) and periodicals (93%) will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece first-class mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days.
However, the Postal Service will be increasing the transit time for mail traveling longer distances, which will lead to slower mail delivery in some cases.
“These changes would position us to leverage more cost-effective means to transport First-Class packages via ground rather than using costly air transportation, which is also less reliable due to weather, flight traffic, availability constraints, competition for space, and the added hand-offs involved,” Frum said.
In March, DeJoy, a Trump administration holdover, told reporters in a news briefing that the plan “takes a holistic view of the organization and is meant to elevate our business, competitiveness, and our ability to meet the needs of the nation.”
Lawmakers and some USPS board members have criticized the plan, and many Democrats have called for DeJoy’s ouster.
