Rant on shipping

[1Mech]

I think he was nominated by the president. I remember the controversy.

The Postal Board of Governors selects the PMG, not the President. I do recall, Dejoy and Trump were on good terms however.

 

[Jstpssng]

I repaired those sorting machines at the Postal Processing & Distribution Center in Tulsa for 30 years, retired now. The machines which DeJoy removed were excess letter sorting machines. With first class and other letter type mail being down in volume, they no longer needed as many. When I started in 1994, we had five AFCS (Advanced Facer Canceling System) machines which ran pretty much constantly from around 4:00 until they were done around 10:00 pm longer during Christmas and on April 15th. When I retired last year, we had three machines, (newer, faster machines) which would start around 6:00 and run until they were done around 10:00, many times sooner. Often during the run, they would run out of mail and sit idle.
The big push now is toward package sorting. They are adding machines for that purpose. They run all night, finishing up around 5 or 6 in the morning, leaving a small maintenance window before firing up again in the early afternoon, sometimes sooner.
As far as why DeJoy was hired, it was to improve the service and make it self sustaining once again. We had too many PMGs who liked the status quo. He tried to shake things up, but, just as with Trump, he ran into many road blocks by Congress and others, including the unions, who didn't seem to want anything changed, even if it meant improved results!
My wife and I ship quite a few parcels out, mostly using USPS and have few complaints or late deliveries. I will also use UPS or FedEx if the price is right. I do not however use DHL, they are the slowest it seems!

None of that negates his long term goals of privatizing the USPS, which is incentive for him to run it into the ground.

 

[jyoutz]

None of that negates his long term goals of privatizing the USPS, which is incentive for him to run it into the ground.

The postal service is mentioned in the constitution as an essential government service and its not intended to make a profit. It’s to provide services to all citizens.

 

[BravoXray]

Before they removed the sorting machines from the South Bend, IN post office, I could mail a letter or check and it was delivered the next day. Since the moved the sorting to Fort Wayne, IN, it takes two or three days. I can't imagine hauling all that mail ~90 miles both ways is saving them any money.
They also tried to close the post office in another local small town, but the fierce opposition from residents and intervention of a couple of congresscritters kept it open, so far.

 

[Oaktree]

Before the removed the sorting machines from the South Bend, IN post office, I could mail a letter or check and it was delivered the next day. Since the moved the sorting to Fort Wayne, IN, it takes two or three days. I can't imagine hauling all that mail ~90 miles both ways is saving them any money.
They also tried to close the post office in another local small town, but the fierce opposition from residents and intervention of a couple of congresscritters kept it open, so far.

Wasn't that the basis of FedEx's existence, the fact that all packages went thru one sorting hub made for a more efficient operation? I don't know if they still do it that way, but ISTM that each post office doing their own sorting would be woefully inefficient.
The post office that serves my town does have a slot at the office for mail for that zip code only and another one for everywhere else, so at least some sorting is still being done at the local level.

 

[LouNY]

Wasn't that the basis of FedEx's existence, the fact that all packages went thru one sorting hub made for a more efficient operation? I don't know if they still do it that way, but ISTM that each post office doing their own sorting would be woefully inefficient.
The post office that serves my town does have a slot at the office for mail for that zip code only and another one for everywhere else, so at least some sorting is still being done at the local level.

Several years ago our local post office had two slots for mail local and not. They would hand sort the local and send the rest out to the Albany hub to be sorted and sent out.
Then they stopped doing the local sort but left the slots as they had been but it all went to Albany to be sorted so what used to be next day or the day after went to being 3 days at best often 5 days.

 

[thepumpguysc]

That’s what I tell my customers, either send your ballpark estimate WITH your pump or it’ll take 5 business days for your pmt to reach me. If it’s less, I’ll refund the difference (yes, it does happen) and if it’s more, I won’t hold your pump hostage..

I don’t care if a letter is coming from a mile away, it still takes 5 days to reach me..
I had left my CC at the PO once.. it’s 8 miles away and I’m in there at least once a week..
They MAILED IT TO ME AND IT TOOK 8.!! YES 8 days to reach me.!!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Today I have three packages in limbo. The longest lost, is 20 days since last scan in Indianapolis. USPS doesn’t want to settle a claim, because they know it’s there, somewhere… meanwhile I can’t close up a motor without a couple seals

 

[ultrarunner]

Amazing how the Pony Express could guarantee delivery 165 years ago

 

[newbury]

Personally, I think he was hired to run USPS into the ground so it could be nationalized, and the mandates to deliver to every address could be removed. It seemed like a pretty clear goal of his during his appointment hearings.

It was well documented that his purpose was to run it into the ground and get it privatized.
It's one of the primary methods of political control. Shut off the easy forms of communications.