AMERICANS will have to wait even longer for their mail following the USPS’s announcement regarding significant mail delivery changes.
The changes are planned to roll out in two phases, with the first going into effect on April 1 and the second happening on July 1.
Some USPS changes include adjustments to first-class mail, restructuring the path mail and packages take, and switching from three-digit regional add-on zipcodes to five-digit add-on zip codes.
Recipients of First-Class mail, periodicals, and packages will be hit the hardest by the agency’s latest changes.
While most first-class mail customers won’t notice any changes to their delivery time, some may not get their mail until a day or two later.
The Postal Service said these changes are part of a larger ten-year plan called “Delivering for America,” which is estimated to save the USPS $36 billion.
To date, the USPS has saved $1.8 billion in annual transportation costs and $2.3 billion by eliminating unnecessary facilities.
The government agency has generated a revenue of $3.5 billion even while battling a significant decline in mail volume.
“The Postal Service has been historically burdened by service standard regulations and onerous business rules that have not been appropriately adjusted to account for volume and mail mix changes, forcing costly and ineffective operations,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a statement.
“By implementing the new standards and the operational initiatives to which they are aligned, we will be better able to achieve the goals of our modernization plans and create a high-performing, financially sustainable organization, which is necessary to achieve the statutory policies and objectives established for the Postal Service by law.”
Although the majority of citizens won’t notice the changes, anyone impacted by severe delays will be notified.
The USPS told The U.S. Sun that the changes “will enhance our service reliability nationwide and support long-term sustainability for the Postal Service.”
MAJOR DELAYS
The changes follow a massive wave of criticism against the postal service for weekslong delayed packages.
A community in Texas recently went one whole month without the mail being delivered to their cluster mailboxes.
A sign mysteriously appeared in the mailboxes, instructing community members to pick up their mail from the post office due to “vandalism.”
The new collection point was over half an hour from the community, making it an extremely inconvenient spot for recipients to travel to.
Clifton Thomas, one resident of the Meadow Park community near San Antonio, Texas, had four packages deemed “undeliverable,” with no alternative pickup options provided.
Thomas said the situation was “very aggravating,” and many people have been unable to collect important bills from the mail.
“We thought it maybe would be corrected over time and here we are still in the same situation, no mail, no packages, anything,” Thomas said.
USPS changes
The changes will go into effect on April 1
- 75% of First-Class Mail will retain its current service standards.
- 14% of First-Class Mail will see an improvement in delivery times.
- 11% of First-Class Mail will experience slightly longer delivery times.
- Zipcodes will be changed to use a five-digit regional add-on
- Drivers can leave the facilities earlier to deliver mail
Thomas said when you show up to the post office to collect your mail, there’s still problems.
“There’s lines out the door, you have to sit there and wait.”
The USPS apologized for any inconvenience and said it’s working to resolve the issue.
“We apologize to our valued customers for any inconvenience that may have been caused and appreciate their patience as we work to successfully resolve this matter.”
