I'm guessing USPS wants out of the parcel business

[tomplum]

I've seen several rant threads on USPS and the lack of rural delivery, here, there on Amazon etc. There was some directive about delivering 1/4 or 1/2 mile down a private road was at the postal carrier's option. Happen to run into my carrier at the end of the road today. Nice guy really. Always good for a visit, would 9 times out of 10 bring that package to my home 1/2 mile to my landing to foot. Said today that he could no longer deliver packages to my house due to them now enforcing a directive about backing up on private property, which he felt he needed to do on my property to safely exit. Also, they apparently don't want them to go down 1 lane private roads which may have a blind spot. Which is paved nicely and has turn outs I could point out. I asked about his grand kids, complimented him on dropping some pounds and bid him a good day.

Then comes my tracking info from Amazon via the cheery email with the smiley face. Shipped via USPS. Amazon can be a good source for those of us who need special things who don't live on top of a store who would have to order them anyways. I've written Amazon and requested them not to ship USPS before. I told them they could send their choice Ontrac, Fed Ex, UPS as they will actually deliver packages. Had stuff I needed on by a certain day ago that didn't get delivered 2 weeks ago. I wrote them again and got some nice lip service.

An excerpt:"I do understand being a prime member you expect quality service and It must not happen at all. The first thing which I have done in your case is that I've forwarded this concern to our shipping department- I know they'll want to hear about your experience. We're aware that our choice of delivery services reflects on our business as a whole, and we appreciate your feedback.
Further, We will definitely minimize the use of USPS for your future order. I'd request to please wait a little longer, before requesting replace or refund. Otherwise, you might have to return a package. Please wait by Sunday, July 30, 2017.
I understand that waiting for the additional days can be frustrating, so as an apology for this, I would like to offer you one of the following two compensations, Please choose one of these and we will apply it on your account:
1. 1 month Prime extension.
2. $10.00 promotional credit"

My reply to them after receiving the last tracking:

I see once again that Amazon has chosen to send my order USPS. In talking to my regular postal route driver today ,(who I happen to catch at the mail box at the end of the road) he said that they are now forbidden to back up their vehicle on a postal customers property and will no longer deliver parcels to my home- or anyone else's home. So Amazon, if the USPS doesn't want to deliver parcels- then why would you ship via them? Seems like a bad business decision to me. Looks like you have to figure out how to get your package from the post office. Best of luck. Tom

So it's a rant. But if we all let companies like Amazon pay to return their packages that USPS won't deliver to us rural folks, they may get the picture. If there would be someone to write , I would. If I was a CEO of shipping company who had managers telling delivery people not to deliver, I would like to know. I even requested our local postmaster get back with us regarding us installing a parcel box with no response. End of rant.

 

[RNeumann]

I have Amazon Prime and have requested UPS/Fedex only. The only time I get USPS is when it's from a seller who doesn't offer "prime" shipping/service. With those I end up driving to the post office since I don't have USPS service at my house.

In the winter I place a large trash can with a t post through the handle at the bottom of my driveway for deliveries. None of the delivery services (UPS, Fedex etc) will drive on private driveways in my area in the winter- snow and ice prevents it.

It may be time to buy/make/build a package storage at the bottom of your driveway. Consider yourself fortunate to have had door step service all this time!

 

[TractorGuy]

So far my USPS driver will still drop at my gate. I have had to complain a couple of times about them cramming something in my mailbox that wouldn't fit without forcing. I think it was a substitute driver on both occasions.

 

[CalG]

USPS is my friend

I stay away from the others if I can, but they too are good.
I live up a steep hill and the FedEx and UPS trucks are heavy and chew up the road. (just had to run the box blade a few passes today)

I can rationalize the need to any organization to cut their insurance costs. Losses and documented accidents are hard to dispute. So maybe it's not the USPS but rather the US situation on health care and "damages litigation". Just a perspective!

 

[ultrarunner]

I would think the post office vehicles would be the easiest of the bunch on small roads...

The UPS trucks keep getting bigger and have to backup several time to turn around when cars are parked on the street.

My best work around so far is to have what I can shipped to work... lots of deliveries during the day at the Hospital...

One observations... 25 years ago the Hospital would get several tubs of mail each day... now it is about 1/3 of one tub... maybe 80% less mail in my estimation.

As for packages the private carriers bring the most followed by FedEx...

 

[jfh28]

actually amazon and ebay are what is keeping usps in business.......no one mails letters anymore so first class mail is almost non-existent and the junk mail .......which use to be a major earner for them......is way down.......so without the packages there would be no more usps........it really comes down to the individual driver as to the service you get.......especially rural where they use their own vehicles and I don't think they are actual employees.........Jack

 

[japody]

actually amazon and ebay are what is keeping usps in business.......no one mails letters anymore so first class mail is almost non-existent and the junk mail .......which use to be a major earner for them......is way down.......so without the packages there would be no more usps........it really comes down to the individual driver as to the service you get.......especially rural where they use their own vehicles and I don't think they are actual employees.........Jack

Rural carriers ARE actual postal employees. They operate under a contract which pays them for the mileage of their route. This mileage is only measured once per year during a period called mail count. If they did not have a delivery for you during that count period, that mileage was not included. If that is the case, they would be reluctant to deliver to your door. They are also only required to go 1/4 mile max down driveways. And yes, the USPS does frown on vehicles backing up. You can also fill out a form, PS 4232, Rural Customer Delivery Instructions, which tells your carrier what to do with your mail. In my case, I have instructed the carrier to never leave packages if they don't fit in the box. Good luck.

 

[finn1]

I look at it differently: If I want city services, I should move to the city.

We have a p.o. Box, by choice. If I want to get the mail or packages shipped by USPS, I pick them up at the post office.

UPS delivers to my house, but if I had a half mile drive, I wouldn't expect other customers to subsidize that driveway.

 

[dragoneggs]

One observations... 25 years ago the Hospital would get several tubs of mail each day... now it is about 1/3 of one tub... maybe 80% less mail in my estimation.

Tells the story there... USPS is slowly dying like land lines and for good reason... not keeping up with technology. Government never will. Let the private sector handle all of the mail I say. I wonder how many USPS employees there are now compared the good ole days? If the mail volume is down 80% and the USPS didn't shrink accordingly, something is not right. Decided to look it up...

https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/employees-since-1926.pdf

Looks like we are back to '67 levels.

 

[comancheflight]

Several years ago, during the winter they also wouldn't drive down our 1/4 mile drive so they would leave them in the subdivision against our mail box. They were handguns, rifles and shotguns...lol, fortunately they were all shipped from distributors in plain wrapped boxes and we had honest neighbors...