Some mail and small package deliveries going across the country, or to Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico may be delayed as the U.S. Postal Service is making changes to its express shipping starting October 1st. The main reason for this, the USPS says, is they haven’t been able to hit its promised delivery targets for years, and with these changes it makes those targets more attainable, cost-effective, and realistic.
According to Transport Topics, the new standards, which are a part of the USPS’ Delivering for America Strategic Plan that unveiled earlier this year, will increase “time in transit” windows for up to two days, holding up mail with longer delivery routes. These changes are set to delay first-class mail and periodicals. First-class mail letters are unable to be no more than 3.5 oz., and first-class mail envelopes and parcels must not be more than 13 oz., if it exceeds the requirements it will be charged at the next higher price and mail piece category, according to USPS.
USPS says that the updates “will improve service reliability and predictability and are a necessary step towards achieving their goal of consistently meeting 95% service performance.” According to a USPS press release, about 61% of first-class mail and 93% of periodical delivery times will remain unaltered, and mail sent locally shouldn’t be impacted either, reported by Transport Topics. In the it mentioned how the USPS’ attempt to live up to the standards currently has produced an over-reliance on air travel, which is more expensive than ground transportation.
The USPS press release also stated that the Post Services’ ultimate goal with this Delivering for America Strategic Plan is to meet/exceed at least 95% of the time its company delivery standards across all product classes of the time, while improving how efficient and precise their operations can and should be, and lastly, help ensure affordable postage rates. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, contact our team today!
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