Thursday, October 17, 2024
Postal Service ready to deliver for the holidays
Delivering for America plan investments fuel seasonal preparedness
USPS is ready to deliver exceptional service during the 2024 holiday rush, thanks to the substantial progress the organization has made under the Delivering for America plan — a $40 billion investment aimed at revitalizing the national postal network.
Throughout 2024, USPS has worked toward the objectives of the 10-year plan.
By harnessing the power of network modernization, an upgraded delivery fleet and the successful launch of the USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect services, the organization is building a reenergized, nationwide integrated mail and package network.
This logical, efficient, cost-effective and reliable network will ensure dependable and affordable service throughout the holiday season. As a result, USPS is ideally suited to handle the increased volume of mail and packages typical of the season, demonstrating its commitment to providing reliable, high-quality service to all customers.
“The Postal Service’s historic transformation — made possible by our Delivering for America plan — has allowed us to realize more package processing capacity than ever before,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “Our operational, transportation and delivery processes have never been more finely tuned, and I am fully confident in our ability to once again handle the peak holiday season surge. We are strongly positioned to deliver exceptional, affordable service to the American people during the holidays and beyond.”
The Postal Service’s accomplishments and areas of progress ahead of the holidays include:
• Increasing daily package processing capacity to approximately 60 million: Since 2020, the Postal Service has nearly tripled its daily package processing capacity, allowing for packages to move through the postal network faster and USPS to lease temporary annexes to handle increases in holiday volume.
• Hiring fewer seasonal staff: With a stabilized workforce and improved operating processes, the Postal Service plans to hire 7,500 seasonal workers, compared with 10,000 last year.
• Revamping the postal delivery and processing network: The organization has dedicated nearly $17.3 billion from the Delivering for America plan’s $40 billion self-funded investment budget to drive the transformation of the postal network. This commitment is fueling the ongoing development of a modernized, efficient and technologically advanced postal network.
• Enhancing the postal delivery fleet: USPS is significantly upgrading the fleet with the addition of 106,000 new, more reliable vehicles. This includes 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility while ensuring reliable service.
• Offering new shipping services: The successful implementation of USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect has led to a notable increase in shipping volumes. These initiatives have not only expanded the Postal Service’s capacity but also improved its efficiency, ensuring a seamless shipping experience for customers.
USPS has also prioritized morning parcel delivery, enhanced scanning technology and extended retail and pick-up delivery hours at popular Post Office locations, while continuing to offer the lowest postage rates in the industrialized world.
The Postal Service has tips on preparing shipments — including recommended mailing and shipping dates, packaging guidelines, ordering free shipping supplies and information on local Post Office location hours — at usps.com.
Financial ruin, mysterious death
‘Mailin’ It!’ talks with a retired inspector about a romance scam
In its latest episode, the “Mailin’ It!” podcast talks with Natalie Reda, a retired postal inspector.
Reda discusses the case of Laura Kowal, a 57-year-old woman from Illinois who was scammed out of $1.5 million through an online relationship, which may have played a part in her mysterious death.
The 31-minute episode is available on Link and other postal websites, as well as most podcast platforms.
Atlantic Area, IA-NE-SD District on top in scanning
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.31 percent during the week ending Oct. 11, down 0.05 percent from one week earlier.
The data was collected Oct. 16.
Atlantic led the four areas with a rating of 97.67 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 96.78 percent rating.
Among the 50 districts, Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota, part of Central Area, ranked first with a 98.39 percent rating, while Ohio 1, also part of Central Area, ranked last with a 92.73 percent rating.
Scanning data allows customers to track their mail and packages, which helps USPS deliver excellent service, boost loyalty and drive revenue.
To see the latest data, go to the Informed Visibility website and select “Customer Experience,” followed by “DES 2 Scan Performance.” Postal Service employees must request Informed Visibility access through eAccess.