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Nearly 50 long-haul trucking contractors that moved mail for the Postal Service had safety records so poor that another arm of the federal government, the Transportation Department, put them on probation, DOT data shows.
Particularly common among the postal contractors were violations of DOT rules meant to guard against fatigue by limiting how many hours truckers can drive. About 39% of trucking companies that hauled U.S. mail busted those limits and related rules at a rate DOT says raises red flags, compared with 13% of for-hire trucking firms that were inspected during the time period, a Journal analysis of DOT scoring data covering 2021 and 2022 found.
USPS tolerated the violations, and according to industry representatives, set unrealistic expectations for speedy deliveries that at times led the truckers to skirt the rules. The Journal identified dozens of cross-country trips listed in postal contracts with deadlines that would require drivers to stay on the road longer than allowed, unless companies cut into their profits by using multiple drivers.