USPS Slowdown Plan Starts: Here Are The Changes

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 01 October 2021, 02:10 pm

USPS will start its slowdown plan today, which means that sending packages and mail across the United States through the US Postal Service will be slower and pricier than before.

USPS Starts Slowdown

During the first three months of this year, 20% of first-class mail was delivered late. Now, its 160 million users will experience more obstacles, according to CNET.

Starting Oct. 1, USPS is implementing a new service standard for its first-class packages. The delivery time for first-class mails and packages will increase 30% so some letters, magazine subscriptions, parcels that travel to longer distances would take up to five days before it arrives, instead of the usual three days.

Also, aside from the price increase implemented in August, the cost to ship a package or mail for the upcoming holiday season will increase starting Oct. 3, according to CBS News.

The changes are part of a 10-year Delivering for America plan introduced by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in an attempt to overhaul USPS and try to solve its debt.

Also Read: Archivist Finally Recovers Lost USPS Package Containing $10,000 Worth Of SNES Games

Aside from longer delivery time and increased rates, the plan has created some controversy and reduced post office hours.

Every hour, around 17 million mail and packages are processed and delivered by the agency, a part of which are packages from retail stores and online shopping sites like Amazon.

However, there has been a huge decline in first-class mail like bills, cards, and letters because Americans are now relying more on emails and electronic payments.

With the increasing demand for e-commerce, USPS is finding it difficult to match the fast delivery options given by its competitors like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon.

So what does this change mean for the public? Since the delivery period is longer, it could delay invitations, cards, checks, ballots, or tax credit payments.

Cost-Cutting Plan

USPS has stated that it's been struggling to meet the high standards set by the customers, and it's been financially struggling for a couple of years now, according to NPR.

The pandemic added it the agency's problems. Staff shortages, together with a sudden increase in online purchases and the influx of the election ballots, had pushed DeJoy to make some difficult decisions.

The agency plans to reduce the cost of delivery by using fewer airplanes to ship mail. The agency will be using more trucks, hence the longer delivery time.

According to USPS, ground transportation is more reliable as it can work no matter the weather condition.

USPS has also announced that it has already chosen the manufacturer of its electric vehicles that will be available soon.

The 10-year plan of USPS also includes a contract to modernize the delivery vehicle fleet, and the agency plans to get new trucks in 2023.

There are also investments set aside for equipment and infrastructure to help transport the volume of packages efficiently, and the facilities will also be upgraded.

For first-class mail, 39% of it will be delivered in three to five days, while 61% of it will still be delivered in a day or two.

For first-class package service, 32% of packages will be delivered in four to five days, while 68% will be delivered in two to three days. Periodicals, on the other hand, will be delivered in five days.