Post Office May Cut Weekly Mail Delivery Days

WASHINGTON — Massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday, in asking lawmakers to lift the requirement that the agency deliver mail six days a week. If the change happens, that doesn't necessarily mean an end to Saturday mail delivery. Previous post office studies have looked at the possibility of skipping some other day when mail flow is light, such as Tuesday.

Faced with dwindling mail volume and rising costs, the post office was $2.8 billion in the red last year. "If current trends continue, we could experience a net loss of $6 billion or more this fiscal year," Postmaster General John E. Potter said in testimony for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.

Total mail volume was 202 billion items last year, over 9 billion less than the year before, the largest single volume drop in history.

And, despite annual rate increases, Potter said 2009 could be the first year since 1946 that the actual amount of money collected by the post office declines.

"It is possible that the cost of six-day delivery may simply prove to be unaffordable," Potter said. "I reluctantly request that Congress remove the annual appropriation bill rider, first added in 1983, that requires the Postal Service to deliver mail six days each week."

"The ability to suspend delivery on the lightest delivery days, for example, could save dollars in both our delivery and our processing and distribution networks. I do not make this request lightly, but I am forced to consider every option given the severity of our challenge," Potter said.

That doesn't mean it would happen right away, he noted, adding that the agency is working to cut costs and any final decision on changing delivery would have to be made by the postal governing board.

If it did become necessary to go to five-day delivery, Potter said, "we would do this by suspending delivery on the lightest volume days."

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The Postal Service raised the issue of cutting back on days of service last fall in a study it issued. At that time the agency said the six-day rule should be eliminated, giving the post office, "the flexibility to meet future needs for delivery frequency.

A study done by George Mason University last year for the independent Postal Regulatory Commission estimated that going from six-day to five-day delivery would save the post office more than $1.9 billion annually, while a Postal Service study estimated the saving at $3.5 billion.

The next postal rate increase is scheduled for May, with the amount to be announced next month. Under current rules that would be limited to the amount of the increase in last year's consumer price index, 3.8 percent. That would round to a 2-cent increase in the current 42-cent first class rate.

The agency could request a larger increase because of the special circumstances, but Potter believes that would be counterproductive by causing mail volume to fall even more.

Dan G. Blair, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, noted in his testimony that cutting service could also carry the risk of loss of mail volume. He suggested Congress review both delivery and restrictions it imposed on the closing of small and rural post offices.

The post office's problem is twofold, Potter explained.

"A revolution in the way people communicate has structurally changed the way America uses the mail," with a shift from first-class letters to the Internet for personal communications, billings, payments, statements and business correspondence.

To some extent that was made up for my growth in standard mail _ largely advertising _ but the economic meltdown has resulted in a drop there also.

Potter also asked that Congress ease the requirement that it make advance payments into a fund to cover future health benefits for retirees. Last year the post office was required to put $5.6 billion into the fund.

"We are in uncharted waters," Potter said. "But we do know that mail volume and revenue _ and with them the health of the mail system _ are dependent on the length and depth of the current economic recession."

He proposed easing the retirement pre-funding for eight years, while promising that the agency will cover the premiums for retirement health insurance.

At the same hearing the General Accounting Office agreed that the post office is facing an urgent need for help to preserve its financial strength. But the GAO suggested easing the pre-funding requirement for only two years, with Congress to determine the need for more relief later.

Potter noted that the agency has cut costs by $1 billion per year since 2002, reduced its work force by 120,000, halted construction of new facilities except in emergencies, frozen executive salaries and is in the process of reducing its headquarters work force by 15 percent.

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On the Net:

U.S. Postal Service: http://www.usps.com

Comments

[DRaymond]

In some respects five day delivery makes sense in that a single route can be handled by a single person all the time. Imagine the juggling you have to do in order to have six day delivery with a staff working five days a week.

[keefer]

Maybe the Post office is an archaic institution. Almost all of my bills come via email or ebills, people write e-mails (I don't write letters at all ) . About the only thing that comes in the mail anymore is junk mail and it goes straight into the recycle bin, this is a waste of paper and advertisers money . Give the poor Saps working for the Post Office Saturdays off at least and maybe its time to reevaluate the need for the USPS.

[harriettubman]

I still send bills thru snail mail. I don't trust the ebanks; too many hackers out there. Howerver, I go directly to the post office because the mail lady I have is worthless.

[harriettubman]

Very achaic and talk to anyone and let them tell you about the poor management skills of their managers. I don't condone any violence but hearing some postal friends tell stories you realize why some of the postal incidents happened years ago. Poor, poor, leaders.

[lookinon]

My next door neighbor went to work for the post office around 1990. He wanted to do a good job and was working hard to get ahead. His boss told him to slow down. He told me they wanted to increase the number of employers so that they could become bigger. He said it was a big joke and that he could have done three times the amount of work he did but thay would not let him.

[evolution1223]

My mail man just barely delivers the mail 4-5 times a week anyway. And he almost refuses to deliver packages. He just puts the note in the box for me to come pick it up at the PO, and there's almost always someone at home. He's lazy and apathetic. And we've gotten mail as late as 9:00pm. I've had express mail (overnight) take 3 days to be delivered to me, again because mail man is so lazy. And signature confirmation packages just left in the middle of my porch with no sign off. I haven't seen any Saturday mail in 2 months.

So why not just make it official?

[harriettubman]

And when you call the local post office to complain they have the nastiest attitudes. We had so many problems with our mail that my father-in-law told his local postmaster (in another state) about it and they told me who and where to write for some satisfaction.

[DesertFlame]

We have had the same PO Box for over 8 years. We mostly use it to receive payments from our clients. At least twice a year someone at the Post Office decides we shouldn't get our mail and has it returned to sender. The kicker is that we still get mail in our box for the person who had it over 8 years ago.

[jeffp26]

Why not just close the post office and let UPS and Fedex deliver the mail?

That way all those nasty life-time employees would be out of work, and things would be more efficient.

Plus we won't have to give a bailout to UPS or Fedex.

I know I joke often here, but I am deadly serious.

[Gasparilla]

UPS and Fedex are both more expensive for sending packages.

[harriettubman]

I'll bet they would lower those prices if they got the nation's business!!!

[RightWingMarine]

While the Constitution does grant the Fed Govt the authority to create post offices and post roads I believe it is unAmerican to prohibit private enterprise from direct door-to-door competition.

The post office is showing itself to be more and more obsolete as it is. In the article above it even acknowledges that the majority of their revenue comes from junk mail that is so unpopular the govt also has to maintain a do not mail list. In short we are paying taxdollars to keep track of which Americans don't want junk mail while also supporting a govt entity that brings us the mail we don't want.

[Quinton Cartwright]

Honestly, we have Fedex and UPS so if you need something to get somewhere fast there are other ways. This is sad for postal workers, but not that bad for America. In my view they could cut it to every other day if things get bad enough.

[harriettubman]

Fedex damages packages. I'm tired of mailing frames that end up shattered by the time they're delivered.

[solarian]

don't care my problem package delivery leave note come to post office and thats when home try knocking

[RTIII]

I hope you all realize this is a lie; they were trying to plan this since at least last summer, before there was any "crisis."

They claim the issue is the internet is taking away their jobs - literally, I'm not kidding you!
.

[Samalabear]

My biggest fear with this that I often depend on Saturday delivery for my work. The service I get my work from had decided to stop using FedEx because of costs and go back to Priority, which is a nightmare because it can't be tracked. I guess we will all have to adjust in some way.

[YesWeCanada]

From his pic the Postmaster General should cut out the donuts, also. You bettha.

[sisterdebmac]

At the office building where I work, our mail carrier has already ended Saturday delivery all on his very own. For the last two weeks (and a few scattered times before), he has simply not delievred our Saturday mail at all. So on Monday we have two giant bundles to drag out of our box. Sometimes, it ends up being so much stuff that he just leaves it on the floor of the mail room with our suite number on it. This time of year we get tons of new catalogs from our vendors. It's kind of overwhelming. And now our lazy carrier is making it even harder.

[Gasparilla]

Uh, it sounds like he's leaving mail. What are you dragging out of the box otherwise?

[smarish]

I'm just surprised that they ever delivered mail on Saturday. What could be so important that it has to arrive at your doorstep on Saturday instead of Monday? Many people aren't even home or don't bother to check mail on weekends. It's always been a total waste of time and money to deliver on weekends.

[claylandg]

One lesss day of mail is fine to me ,like alot of people here are saying up the amount of money junk mail cost

[Eric8869]

If they want to save money I wish they would explain why my mailman spends 4 1/2 hours doing the mail at my building. Yes it's a highrise but the mail is already sorted by the time he gets here. He spends FOUR AND HALF HOURS to put it in the mailboxes!!!!!!!!! WTF????????

[YesWeCanada]

I bet he's putting it in other places. heehee

[Susan Bruther]

They are entitled to lunch breaks, but 4 1/2 hours seems excessive.