from Keka Araujo

26 August 2024

In July, the post office also increased prices for “Forever” stamps and other services.

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The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced a virtual pre-conference meeting to discuss key plans to improve the efficiency of mail processing and mail transportation while saving costs for the federal government.

On August 22, the ministry published a statement on the proposed changes. The improvements will correspond with proposed refinements to existing standards for postal and parcel delivery services.

During the virtual conference, the USPS will gather public feedback before officially seeking an opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Postmaster General Louis DeJoy emphasized that the postal service wants to integrate its transportation, processing and delivery networks to improve reliability, reduce costs and grow its business.

“Despite the many improvements we have made since the release of the Delivering for America plan, our service requirements, the infrastructure of our facilities, our business rules, and our operating practices continue to reflect a Postal Service that was designed for three decades ago,” said Postmaster General DeJoy.

“However, since 1997, we have seen an 80 percent decline in first-class individual shipment volume, a significant expansion of delivery locations, an increase in the percentage of shipments discounted through workshare programs and growth in our parcel business. Our 10-year Delivering for America plan is transforming our network to better meet today’s market demands.”

DeJoy concluded his statement by saying, “This modernized, integrated network, designed for more consistent, logically ordered movement of mail and packages, combined with changes to our service standards, will enable us to operate more efficiently and reliably, grow our business and give us a chance at a viable future.”

Key proposals include changing from 3-digit to 5-digit ZIP code standards, adjusting pickup and delivery times between post offices and processing facilities, and maintaining current service standards for First Class Mail while optimizing delivery times for other classes of mail. These changes are expected to save the Postal Service approximately $3 billion annually.

In addition to the financial benefits, the initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions by reducing the number of truck trips required. The Postal Service would implement the proposed changes to service standards no sooner than 90 days after submitting a request for an advisory opinion to the Commission (which would occur after the pre-conference meeting), meaning the proposed service standards would not be implemented until the following calendar year. Therefore, these proposed changes will not impact election mail for the upcoming election or our preparation for the 2024 peak season.

For the upcoming election, the Postal Service will again apply our long-standing practices to ensure the proper processing and timely delivery of election mail. As a result, the organization will take extraordinary measures beyond its normal operations across the country prior to Election Day. The USPS will finalize its decision after receiving the PRC’s opinion and considering public feedback from the virtual conference.

In July, the post office also increased prices for “Forever” stamps and other services.