One of the most enjoyable and fulfilling parts of my job is our annual National Postal Customer Council Week. Each year, U.S. Postal Service leadership travels the country to meet directly with this network of shipping and mailing supply chain professionals.
For 2025, we built off our very successful National Postal Forum and its theme of Leading Forward. Once again, this broad collective of mailers, marketers, printers and more proved that they remain critical to shaping USPS into a 21st-century shipping powerhouse.
Founded in the early 1960s as a way for the organization to connect with and educate small- and medium-size mailers and shippers, Postal Customer Councils, or PCCs, have evolved into a collaborative of more than 95 groups across the United States that are helping shape USPS products and operations.
Thanks to PCCs, USPS has a finger on the pulse of mailing and shipping industry trends and a direct line to the innovators that are continually changing the sector at the grassroots level. In return, this core industry group, through regular local and regional meetings, gains early access to product pilots and promotions and has a direct dialogue with USPS leadership.
PCCs have proven to be a powerful forum for discussing problems and finding workable solutions. There is nothing better for me than seeing competing business leaders work together for shared goals. They genuinely want each other to succeed. This spirit of collaboration is what makes the mailing and shipping industry great, and drives me and my team to do more to help them reach their goals.
That’s why PCC Week is so important.
Building on their local meetings and connections with regional USPS leaders, PCC members every year gather to meet USPS officers and leaders to hear firsthand what’s going on within the organization, learn about our strategic outlook and understand how great products like USPS Ground Advantage® and Priority Mail® Next Day can make their businesses more efficient and effective, all at a price that sets them up for success.
This year was also the first opportunity for many in this community to hear from Postmaster General David Steiner. And his message for PCC Week was unequivocal in its support for the network, noting that PCC members “help us fulfill our mission of service to the nation, and we are deeply committed to sustaining our partnership.”
The warm response to the postmaster general’s address was heartening.
While Postal Service-driven aspects typically take up a morning, many PCCs use this get-together as their marquee annual event. There are typically fun and games, sometimes sponsors and occasionally a sunset happy hour, but at its heart, this is an opportunity for PCC members to network and share ideas.
It’s also a refreshing respite for USPS leaders, who get the chance to hear what the frontline action is like. PCC Week is a manifestation of our commitment to collaboration, and it’s one that works tremendously well.
PCCs and their members are valuable assets to USPS and are central to helping us understand the needs and aspirations of the country’s mailing and shipping industry. They are also a unique support mechanism for this vital economic driver and PCC members regularly reach out to each other for operational insights and help.
I would urge any mail service provider or associated business that has not joined a PCC to consider the many benefits of joining a local or regional group. There are many resources to help you learn more, including our PCC page and PCC locator map. I also talked about PCCs in-depth with the hosts of Mailin’ It!, the USPS podcast, and my team and I are always available to answer questions at pcc@usps.gov, too.
As USPS continues to modernize, PCCs and PCC Week will continue to help us be better informed, more inspired and ready to push forward with ideas that help all of us grow. If you’re not already part of this transformative network, don’t delay! Connect with your local PCC today to shape the future of mailing and shipping.
Lindsey Taylor
Director Industry Engagement & Outreach
