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By Nick Mordowanec
Staff Writer
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New standards being implemented by the United States Postal Service (USPS) could impact many Americans with slower delivery times.
USPS serves about 169 million Americans with mail and shipping, making it the largest post office worldwide.
When asked for comment, a USPS spokesperson referred Newsweek to past press releases containing information about upcoming changes.
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Why It Matters
Changes are coming in multiple phases beginning Tuesday, April 1, as part of the ongoing "Delivering for America" 10-year plan that USPS said has led to $2.2 billion in annual transportation cost reductions and a 50 million hour decrease for workers, or $2.5 billion in annual savings.
"As with mail, most competitive shipping products will retain the same service standard, some packages will have a faster standard, and some will have a slightly slower standard," USPS said in a fact sheet. "The current service standard day range for USPS Ground Advantage of 2-5 days is staying the same. All packages will benefit from more reliable service."
What To Know
USPS will officially alter service standards for first-class mail, periodicals, marketing mail, and package services that are estimated to save at minimum $36 billion over the next decade through reductions in transportation, mail and package processing, and real estate costs.
About 75 percent of First-Class Mail will keep its current service standards, according to USPS, and 14 percent will see an improvement in delivery times. Some individuals could experience slower times; however, USPS has stated that delivery times won't exceed the current five-day service standard for First-Class Mail.
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The changes now include a new map feature for people to potentially alter their expectations for receiving mail. The map is based on five-digit ZIP code pairs rather than current three-digit pairs, which USPS says "will be updated as needed to communicate any new information."
Individuals can visit the USPS website and type in their respective ZIP codes, which will place a pin on where seven different options of mail delivery will be sent from. The colored map then shows how long it will take for certain mail to be sent to different portions of the country.
The USPS delivery map is available here.
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A 10007 ZIP code in New York City, for example, currently shows two-day delivery to the entire Northeastern United States, parts of the Midwest, and some regions of the South and West. Mail sent to other parts of the country would take an extra day to arrive.
For rural Americans concerned about delivery times, USPS claims the overall changes will be to their benefit.
"Even customers who may experience a service downgrade for mail they are sending will benefit from the increased efficiencies that will be gained, particularly for mail they are receiving (including checks and medicines)," USPS said.
What People Are Saying
Former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy: "The Postal Service has been historically burdened by service standard regulations and onerous business rules that have not been appropriately adjusted to account for volume and mail mix changes, forcing costly and ineffective operations.
"By implementing the new standards and the operational initiatives to which they are aligned, we will be better able to achieve the goals of our modernization plans and create a high-performing, financially sustainable organization, which is necessary to achieve the statutory policies and objectives established for the Postal Service by law."
What Happens Next
The first phase begins April 1, and the second begins July 1, 2025.
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