The Postal Service is primed to deliver exceptional service during this year’s holiday rush, the organization’s executives said this week.
“Thanks to the substantial progress we have made under the Delivering for America plan, we are ready and confident to handle the holiday surge,” said Dr. Joshua Colin, the organization’s chief retail and delivery officer. “Our ability to move packages and mail throughout our network has never been stronger. USPS continues to be the most affordable and reliable way to ship packages and mail this holiday season and year-round.”
Colin and Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer, spoke during a Nov. 25 briefing with the news media, where they noted the Postal Service has maintained strong service performance while working to transform its network. Because of the ongoing implementation of the Delivering for America strategic plan, 98 percent of the nation’s population currently receives their mail and packages in fewer than three days.
They also described the organization’s investments ahead of the peak delivery season, which include:
• Using 83 revitalized sorting and delivery centers: In alignment with the Delivering for America plan, USPS is revamping its network of nearly 19,000 delivery units, which are the final stop for mail and packages before they are delivered by mail carriers.
• Implementing 506 new package sorting machines: These new machines are strategic investments in the local community’s postal infrastructure, allowing USPS workers to sort and process packages of all sizes more quickly and reliably.
Since the previous peak season, 158 new sorting machines have been installed across the nation. This is part of the organization’s $40 billion investment in new technology and facilities under the Delivering for America plan.
• Increasing daily package processing capacity to approximately 60 million: The higher capacity allows for packages to move through the postal network faster and eliminates the need for the leasing of temporary annexes.
• Moving more than 95 percent of volume via more reliable ground transportation: USPS has adapted its transportation and logistics processes to handle the high mail and package volumes expected during the peak holiday season.
The Postal Service continues to move mail and package volume from expensive air transportation to its redesigned ground transportation network. Currently, almost 95 percent of First-Class Mail and more than 95 percent of packages are moved through the improved ground transportation system.
• Hiring 7,500 seasonal employees: Because of its experienced and stable workforce, USPS anticipates the need to hire fewer seasonal employees than in past years.
• Delivering with the new next-generation delivery vehicles: This holiday season will mark the first use of these battery electric vehicles, which will be on roads and routes in select communities this winter.
Additionally, there will be more than 27,000 new vehicles on the road, including more than 500 battery-electric vehicles.
In addition to these investments, USPS is simplifying the process and reducing customers’ cost to ship packages this holiday season.
The organization now offers USPS Ground Advantage, which provides a simple, reliable and more affordable way to ship packages in 2-5 business days across the contiguous United States.
Additionally, during peak season, Priority Mail offers a price that is on average 35 percent lower than similar competitor services.
“The United States Postal Service’s portfolio of shipping products make holiday shipping easy,” said Monteith. “Both USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Priority Mail are priced lower than competitors, meaning customers can save more this holiday season — so ship early and enjoy your holiday season.”
