Specifically, USPS has broached key partners to discuss which facility access points are used by shipping consolidators to enter volume into its network, and the negotiated rate discounts tied to that process, several experts told Supply Chain Dive.
The Postal Service wants consolidators to drop off packages further upstream in its network, rather than drop off volume at destination delivery units, which are the last stop in the agency’s network before packages and mail reach their final address.
Consolidators are already familiar with introducing volume at earlier points in the Postal Service’s network, but they often push to inject further downstream delivery units instead to gain more control over their customers’ shipments and unlock greater discounts.