On Friday, the US Postal Service will be making service changes that will affect the delivery time of some premium mail and magazines.
The move is part of the agency’s 10-year plan to improve service and achieve financial sustainability.
Here’s how the changes can affect your emails:
Which emails are affected?
The hardest hit are first class travel routes and regular mail over 930 miles. According to the USPS, 61% of premium mail and 93% of magazines are unaffected. Premium mail consists of postcards, letters, envelopes, and other lightweight packages. The periodical mail consists of magazines, newspapers and other publications.
How are delivery times influenced?
Currently, the delivery standard for first class and periodic mail within the US is within 3 days. With the service changes, the delivery time is up to 5 days, depending on how far away the postal destination is.
It takes two days to deliver to a destination less than 140 miles from the origin of the mail. For mail between 140 and 930 miles, delivery takes three days. Mail between 931 miles and 1,907 miles will be delivered in four days and mail over 1,908 miles will be delivered in five days.
Why are the delivery times changing?
According to the USPS 10-year plan, the three-day service goals for premium mail have not been met in eight years. USPS said this was due to “both unattainable standards of service and a lack of operational precision”.
Over-reliance on air travel, which can be inconsistent and more expensive than ground transportation, has impacted delivery times, the USPS said. The new delivery standards will be more dependent on land transport.
According to the USPS, these changes will meet or exceed delivery standards 95% of the time.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy unveiled the largest rollback of private postal services in a generation as part of his 10-year plan for the US Postal Service, including longer first-class delivery windows, reduced post times, and higher postage rates. Tuesday’s announcement was part of DeJoy’s strategic vision for the agency.
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