Is the postal slowdown affecting you?

[oosik]

"Postal slowdown" - heard it first, here on TBN.

 

[k0ua]

"Postal slowdown" - heard it first, here on TBN.

Yup....

 

[Mat4644]

Postal slowdown as in a gradual multi-year decline issue. Haven't seen a recent covid issue as it's been happening for an extended period. Biggest current issue is they are struggling to handle the Final Mile delivery's of the private companies.

 

[rekees4300]

Is the postal slowdown affecting me? Answer, NO. I didn't know there was one.

Same here.

Me 3.

"Postal slowdown" - heard it first, here on TBN.

Yup....

Me 6.

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Postmaster General to pause all operational reforms until after the election.

Exclusive: U.S. Postmaster General to pause all operational reforms after outcry - Reuters

 

[Diggin It]

My town has >200 people; yet if I wanted to mail somebody a birthday card, it would travel 500 miles before they got it. That's efficient?

Take an envelope from the IN box, put in the box going to the sorting center.


Take an envelope from the IN box, put in the box for the route carrier that handles the local address of delivery.



How much difference in time/cost is there?

 

[Doofy]

In my humble opinion, the USPS is still the best deal in the country. Not perfect but has been darn dependable during my 69 years on this earth. I sincerely hope they survive.

 

[dragoneggs]

I guess I am more inclined to support 'use tax' vs. everyone paying federal incomes tax for a postal service that that still requires a stamp (tax). Folks in rural areas should pay more for this service IMO. Just like folks in urban places paying tolls on certain roads/bridges. Property taxes are a function of services provided (water/sewer, etc.).

We moved out to the 'country' and pay for our own water and disposal (well/septic). As such I don't expect to pay for others. All a function of your population density and public/personal needs for the system/service that works for local community. A federal mail system just doesn't make sense anymore.

Obviously there has to be a happy medium at any point in time, but if there are more efficient/faster/cheaper ways to communicate asynchronously, then bring them on.

 

[deserteagle71]

Trouble is, these companies can pick and choose where they deliver while the USPS is obligated to deliver to every U.S. address.

Maybe where YOU live the USPS delivers to every U.S. address. Not around here!

In rural Nevada the USPS has set up banks of mailboxes every few miles - little tiny boxes at that - where I and my neighbors go to pick up what mail will fit in that tiny box. When I say tiny, I'm talking about a box that is only about 2" high. If there is an envelope in that box I have to hope I can slide it out the front of the box with the flat of my hand because it is impossible to make a fist inside the box. I'm one of the lucky ones - the bank of mailboxes is just over a quarter of a mile from my house. Some of my neighbors have to drive quite a ways.

So here's how this works - I'm pretty hot about this right now because I've been going round and round with an outfit this morning that shipped an oil line for my old John Deere via USPS after promising me they would ship UPS or Fed Ex, both of which would have delivered the box to my ranch and put the package (about 4' long) on my porch. Because they shipped the oil line USPS, I will get a slip in my mailbox telling me I have to drive to town (one hour) to pick up the package at the post office. That just added $$$ to the price of the oil line, not to mention my time to drive to town!

I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania. There, 6 days a week the postman would deliver directly to our farm. Post office employees don't get off pavement here in Nevada and they sure don't deliver to individual farms/ranches.

 

[Doofy]

My mail is delivered 6 days a week and if packages are to large for my mailbox, she brings them to the door. Her route is 200 miles round trip thru some fairly rough country. Rain, Wind, Snow and Sunshine, we get mail. Haven't had a UPS or FedEx delivery in several months.

 

[japody]

Yet that town only has 5763 people... and it's the county seat. How much local mail can they get? My town has >200 people; yet if I wanted to mail somebody a birthday card, it would travel 500 miles before they got it. That's efficient?

Efficient? Yes. I won't go through the numbers but it is. The Postal network is extremely complicated. Most people would be amazed at the level of sophistication of the sorting machinery involved. The numbers have been crunched and their processes tuned to draw out every savings it can. If not, they wouldn't do it. Prior to the current Covid situation, their on time performance was +95%. How many other companies perform at his level? Now I know there will be detractors arguing this, but as with everything in life, nothing is perfect.

 

[MossRoad]

Sometimes our mail doesn't come until after 7:00pm!

We have a large main post office and 3 medium size sub offices. It used to be you put a letter in your box, your mail carrier would pick it up, take it to the closest sub office, it would get sent directly to the nearest sub office if it was staying in town, or it would get sent downtown if it was going out of town. So, next day service for anything in town, 3 day service to almost anywhere else in the country.

Now, if I want to send a letter to the next door neighbor, it goes to the sub office, to the main office, to Ft. Wayne 100 miles away, back to main office, back to sub office and then to neighbor. 5 day minimum, usually longer. Pathetic.

 

[dragoneggs]

My mail is delivered 6 days a week and if packages are to large for my mailbox, she brings them to the door. Her route is 200 miles round trip thru some fairly rough country. Rain, Wind, Snow and Sunshine, we get mail. Haven't had a UPS or FedEx delivery in several months.

I'm sure the USPS service varies greatly by region, including down to the local post offices. I can't say I'm impressed with our local service. We have contracted carriers in private vehicles and they definitely do not go 'out of their way' to provide anything more than the minimal service. Sloppy too. We more than we should... have to swap mail with our neighbors.

I don't enjoy knocking the USPS but there is a distinct difference in attitude between the delivery folk compared to UPS or FEDEX. I wonder why? I think most know.

 

[tallyho8]

I'm sure the USPS service varies greatly by region, including down to the local post offices. I can't say I'm impressed with our local service. We have contracted carriers in private vehicles and they definitely do not go 'out of their way' to provide anything more than the minimal service. Sloppy too. We more than we should... have to swap mail with our neighbors.

I don't enjoy knocking the USPS but there is a distinct difference in attitude between the delivery folk compared to UPS or FEDEX. I wonder why? I think most know.

I agree. Most do know. But in this day and age you are forbidden to state it.

 

[Diggin It]

Tin foil hat time ......

Perhaps they do the long route for local mail so it can be scanned through the x-ray and other contraband detector systems?

 

[CobyRupert]

It’s been pointed out that USPS stands for United States Postal Service.
It’s a SERVICE. WE pay for a service. It’s not a business. We should expect it to turn a profit as much as we do the military.

 

[MossRoad]

Tin foil hat time ......

Perhaps they do the long route for local mail so it can be scanned through the x-ray and other contraband detector systems?

We had all that equipment in our local main branch. I've been in that building in the back many times, as my father was the lead architect when it was built back in the 70s. He took me in there a few times while it was being built. And a few years later he'd take us Boy Scouts on tours in there. Year later, when I was working in I.T. at the local newspaper, I had to go in there several times to talk with the post master regarding mail delivery of the paper to people that requested it, how their systems would take data from our systems to generate the mailing list, as well as the weights and numbers of the product each night. It was quit the interesting place. :thumbsup:

 

[dragoneggs]

It’s been pointed out that USPS stands for United States Postal Service.
It’s a SERVICE. WE pay for a service. It’s not a business. We should expect it to turn a profit as much as we do the military.

Can't agree more. We pay for a service and (at least I do) expect to get what we pay for. Though the analogy is quite weak if trying to equate the military and serving.

The USPS doesn't have to turn a profit. Private carriers generally do.

 

[deserteagle71]

Sloppy too. We more than we should... have to swap mail with our neighbors.

Ha! Me too! Couldn't even begin to remember how many times I've received other people's mail in my box; good thing I know all my neighbors and we get along well so we just exchange.

 

[Doofy]

We have small snafus on occasion. Latest was for 3 containers of disinfecting wipes from Amazon. First problem, coming from China and didn't notice until to late to cancel. 3 or 4 weeks later they are delivered to our local Post Office and then say "Out for Delivery". We wait, no wipes. Alexa chimes in and says " Your Package has been Delivered"! Okay? It wasn't delivered here, it was delivered to someone 50 miles away at another small Post Office. Of course, no one returned the package. Notified Amazon and had our money refunded. I cannot understand the dishonesty of some people.

 

[grsthegreat]

Then again ups screws up also. We got someones glider rocker ordered thru bed bath beyond. Shipping label addressed to a house in vermont. I live in idaho. It was delivered to me with my 2 boxes i ordered. I took it to local bed bath beyond and left it with them.