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.