INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s congressional delegation is launching an investigation into the troubled United States Postal Service (USPS) hub in Indianapolis.
The hub has been at the center of months of complaints about lost or delayed packages that have left customers long on frustrations and short on solutions.
Every member of the Indiana delegation signed onto a letter written by Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-Indiana), which reads:
“We write today to express serious concerns about the mail and package delivery delays in Indiana, particularly those linked to the Indianapolis distribution hub. The Indiana Congressional delegation has received dozens of calls over the past week from Hoosiers who have experienced significant disruptions in their mail service. These interruptions have continued to skyrocket in recent days, as local news stations are also highlighting the pain constituents are facing with these delays.
These delays have had real consequences for individuals and businesses alike. Constituents have reported late deliveries of medications, critical financial documents, and essential business shipments. This is primarily reflected in the issues found with the USPS Regional Processing Center on the east side of Indianapolis. Constituents consistently have packages “stuck in transit” unmoving from the processing center for days to weeks. Additionally in other parts of the state, we have heard of issues with mail being routed through Louisville, Kentucky, instead of the Evansville, Indiana, hub due to restructuring. This additional and further removed step prevents communities from accessing their mail system.
These delays and restructuring issues ripple out to rural communities in Indiana. The delegation has heard of multiple post offices shuttering, or limiting services, requiring rural residents to drive longer distances for daily services. For rural communities that rely heavily on the Postal Service, these issues are particularly disruptive.
Given the importance of USPS in ensuring timely and reliable mail service, we request a detailed explanation of the causes of these delays and the specific steps the Postal Service is taking to address them.
Additionally, we request that USPS update the Indiana Congressional delegation on the immediate changes at the Indianapolis facility to reduce package wait times, as well as a long-term strategy to ensure Hoosiers have reliable access to these essential services.”