USPS? getting delivery ever other day?

[KennyG]

We've had articles in the paper warning that the Postal Service, along with so many other entities, is having staffing shortages due to people out sick right now. So when I get a bill I pay it immediately, knowing it may take some time to get to its destination. Just got a letter from Houston, Texas that took 16 days...and that's First Class Mail. Normal delivery would be ~ 4 days.

That's why I almost never mail a check. I do electronic transfer from the bank website or pay by phone.

 

[PILOON]

In my case its the local bank has shut down since Thurs B4 New Years with only 1 ATM operating.
Thought there was a law concerning consecutive days of closure.
(This is in Canada)

 

[bdhsfz6]

We average 3 mail deliveries per week, roughly every other day. Our mail carrier says it's due to staffing issues and heavy volume.

How the he** are they going to deliver 500 million masks and covid test kits???

 

[LittleBill21]

We average 3 mail deliveries per week, roughly every other day. Our mail carrier says it's due to staffing issues and heavy volume.

How the he** are they going to deliver 500 million masks and covid test kits???

apparently they are hiring 7k of workers. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[jmc]

I am an isolated address well beyond the everyone else on my route. I told the driver that nothing comes by mail that won't wait a few days, and if the roads are bad, don't bother to deliver it that day. He said he has to, in case I have any outgoing mail for him to pick up.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

We've had articles in the paper warning that the Postal Service, along with so many other entities, is having staffing shortages due to people out sick right now. So when I get a bill I pay it immediately, knowing it may take some time to get to its destination. Just got a letter from Houston, Texas that took 16 days...and that's First Class Mail. Normal delivery would be ~ 4 days.

Just my opinion, Staffing shortage is mainly due to a bureaucracy that has rigid policies.
It takes at least 90 days to hire a new postal employee ( wether they are temps or are permanent ). This needs to change to help make the USPS more efficient. If you had a current need for extra labor would you wait 90 days to hire?

We send approxiamtely 50 packages a month to customers and have never had one lost. Sometimes as we follow the tracking of where the package is going, it makes you wonder what the hell they are doing. For example we had a package Shipped from WA state) that went to Hawaii in order to make it to West Virginia.

In general the USPS is doing at great job given the circumstances. Some of the local USPS employees are working 14 hours on Mondays or after holiday weekends just to keep up with the flow of the mail.

Yes, I agree there are staffing shortages due to people being out sick. But the USPS employees are working harder than most would give them credit for. My local post office is doing very good even though they are down 2 employees and delivering mail past 6:00pm most days.

 

[PILOON]

Can't comment on USPS but Can post seems to be coping fairly well.

Perhaps I'm lucky but our Postie is very much like everybody's best friend.
She knows all her clients by name and often goes out of her way,
She even signs for me on certified mail (they have a form for that).
LOL, she also delivers fresh eggs etc as her side line.
More like a nice friendly neighbor type,

Here due to Covid they do 2 shifts to minimize possible social contact. Seems to work OK but means often late deliveries when they get late shift.

 

[Oaktree]

Just my opinion, Staffing shortage is mainly due to a bureaucracy that has rigid policies.
It takes at least 90 days to hire a new postal employee ( wether they are temps or are permanent ). This needs to change to help make the USPS more efficient. If you had a current need for extra labor would you wait 90 days to hire?

In general the USPS is doing at great job given the circumstances. Some of the local USPS employees are working 14 hours on Mondays or after holiday weekends just to keep up with the flow of the mail.

Yes, I agree there are staffing shortages due to people being out sick. But the USPS employees are working harder than most would give them credit for. My local post office is doing very good even though they are down 2 employees and delivering mail past 6:00pm most days.

I agree. Maybe things are different in some other parts of the country, but compared to, say 30 years ago the USPS is a well-oiled machine. Yes, there are occasional screw-ups, but all things considered they do a very good job. I wonder if some people just like to complain.

Keep in mind that many, even most of the USPS's challenges are the direct result of a mixture of neglect and micro-management on the part of congress.

 

[etpm]

This may seem political but is not. Years ago the Republicans forced the USPS to fund retirees medical benefits 75 years into the future in a way no private company does. This funding is a very large financial burden to the USPS. It can only be changed by an act of Congress. But if we did so we would be breaking the promise we made, as a country, to the USPS workers. My opinion is if we did this it would be shameful. Another fact: Nowhere in the world is mail delivery as cheap and widespread as our USPS. Also, and this is another important fact, our Post Office is in the Constitution. See this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Clause
I am proud of our Post Office, the United States Post Office. It allows anybody, no matter how remote, to communicate with anybody else, again no matter how remote, for less than a buck. And before Louis DeJoy it would only take a few days coast to coast.
I live in a rural area and I see postal workers working late into the night to get all mail delivered. Much of the time we don't get our mail until after 8 PM. Most of the people delivering mail in rural areas do not get the same benefits as full time workers.
Louis DeJoy made changes that significantly slowed mail delivery. These changes are a matter of record, as are the delays that are a result of these changes.
The USPS is considered to be a semi-private company. It DOES NOT receive any direct taxpayer funding. See this link that explains funding: How is the U.S. Postal Service governed and funded?
My opinion is that this is terrible. The USPS is a vital part of our government and is vital to the citizens of the USA. We should step up to the plate and keep this vital service healthy. It serves each and every one of us, no matter how we feel about and how we express our political views. The USPS is vital to Free Speech.
In my post above I stated facts and opinion and identified my opinions as my opinions. Please be aware that I am not representing my opinion as fact, even though I believe in what I say. Furthermore, I preceded anything that was my opinion with the statement that it was my opinion. The statements that were presented as facts are, to the best of my knowledge, facts.
Eric

 

[KennyG]

apparently they are hiring 7k of workers. I was thinking the same thing.

Good luck on that. Locally, the post office has been advertising for applicants for the last year. The same with the "infrastructure" funding. If we're going to fix a bunch of bridges, roads, etc, who is going to do it? Construction workers are in short supply.