On Friday, October 16, 2015, the United States Postal Service announced its intention to increase shipping rates, effective January 17, 2016. The average cost for shipping would rise by 9.5% or approximately $5.50 per shipment. Priority Mail rates would increase by 9.8%, with prices ranging from $6.80 to $18.75, depending on box size. Rates for…
DetailsThe provision of banking and similar financial services is not a new concept for the USPS. Postal savings accounts were available in US post offices from 1910 until 1967, and the US Postal Service still provides money orders. Postal banking is one of many non-postal services that have been suggested recently as a means of…
DetailsOn Wednesday, October 14, the day after the Democratic Presidential debate, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) spoke to the American Postal Workers Union All Craft Conference. Senator Sanders is a supporter of the Postal Service. Addressing the Conference, he talked about the need to preserve mail delivery standards and change the existing legal mandate for the…
DetailsIf you could save a lot of money by changing the way you were planning to make a sizeable, expensive purchase, would you? At age 21+, the current fleet of USPS Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) is aging out of service. Out of the total 212,000 postal vehicles on the road, the Postal Service plans to…
DetailsThe Postal Service is upgrading its fleet of vehicles with the purchase of 9,113 Ram ProMaster cargo vans. The 2016 model has more room for packages in its cargo area and is well-suited for snowy and slick road conditions. The Ram ProMaster is not a replacement for the over 21 year-old Long Life Vehicles (LLV),…
DetailsParagraph #5 “Other Provisions” in the USPS lease (on page 2 of the lease form dated February 2004) states: The following additional provisions, modifications, riders, layouts, and/or forms were agreed upon prior to execution and made a part thereof: 1) Utilities Services & Equipment Rider, 2) Maintenance Rider – Landlord Responsibility, 3) Maintenance Rider UST…
DetailsIdeally, companies sending household bills to customers would like to eliminate the mailman and rely instead solely on the Internet. That’s not happening fast enough for billers, though. So, companies that send transactional mail –household bills – to their customers are taking the first steps to prepare consumers for a paperless future. One way for…
DetailsAs more people use smart phones for browsing the Internet and shopping by phone or tablet, businesses find the need for a mobile strategy to complement the company website. In 2009, the Postal Service developed USPS Mobile. This app let customers find a nearby post office, schedule a pick-up, put their mail on hold, track…
DetailsRepresentatives Sam Graves (MO-6) and Gerald Connolly (VA-11) have referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform House Resolution 12 entitled “Empower the United States Postal Service to Thrive in the 21st Century.” This resolution urges the USPS to take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of six day mail delivery service.…
DetailsDuring the 2015 annual AUSPL Conference in Reno, NV, Dennis Pottenger and I gave a presentation entitled “Unraveling the Mysteries of the USPS Lease Agreement.” As members of AUSPL’s Board of Directors with many years of experience dealing with postal leases, we shared with attendees our experiences and insights. We hope the presentation was informative…
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