The U.S. Postal Service continues struggling to deliver mail on time, with delivery times for first-class letters slipping by 5% over the past two years, according to a new internal review.
The report by the USPS Inspector General found that delivery times are slowing even though the service has repeatedly given itself more time to deliver that mail. The postal service has struggled for years to meet its goals, in part because its leaders have said Congress micromanages how the it operates.
But in a time when Amazon customers can track their packages second-by-second, the inspector general warned that continued mail delays may prompt postal customers to seek alternatives, further exacerbating the financial challenges. The IG report also noted that the postal service needs to do a better job stopping its bulk-mailing clients from sending too-thick mailers that clog up automated sorting machines.
The postal service in 2021 launched a 10-year transformation dubbed “Delivering for America” aimed at cutting costs and giving more attention to package delivery, which can be more profitable.
“…it appears the Postal Service’s network will be in a transitional state for an undetermined number of years,” the IG report concluded. “Despite massive network changes aimed at cutting costs and improving service, along with various price increases to support DFA, service levels remain inconsistent and financial stability has not yet been achieved.”
