Here are 10 fun facts about the Postal Service, courtesy of usps.com’s Postal Facts section.
1. The Postal Service’s reach can’t be beat. USPS is the only organization in the nation that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to regularly deliver to every residential and business address in the nation.
2. It’s a bargain. A letter can be sent across the United States — from Honolulu, HI, to Bangor, ME, say — for just 58 cents.
3. It collaborates with competitors. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver hundreds of millions of their ground packages, and USPS pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation.
4. It boasts the nation’s largest retail network. With 31,000 outlets, USPS has the largest retail network in the nation — bigger than Starbucks, McDonald’s or Walmart.
5. It’s eco-conscious. There is an entire department devoted to reducing the Postal Service’s carbon footprint in ways large and small. One recent move is the adoption of next-generation delivery vehicles, which will substantially increase the fuel efficiency of the USPS fleet.
6. It’s filled with everyday heroes. Postal workers regularly go above and beyond the call of duty to protect their customers, including older and disabled customers through the Carrier Alert Program. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2020, the Postal Service recognized 186 heroic employees.
7. It supports communities nationwide. Among its initiatives: educating customers on consumer protection, delivering holiday magic to those in need and helping with Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest one-day food drive.
8. Bad handwriting is no match for its code crackers. The Remote Encoding Center in Salt Lake City gets the mail that automated sorters can’t decipher. The center’s 1,000 workers translate chicken scratch in about 3.5 seconds, on average.
9. It hires and supports veterans. Nearly 73,000 veterans are employed by the Postal Service, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
10. It handles the lion’s share of the world’s mail. Almost half (49 percent) of the world’s mail volume is processed and delivered by USPS.