Deliveries from the United States Postal Service are about to take longer to get to your mailbox.
The USPS has finalized a plan to intentionally slow down some of its mail deliveries starting on October 1.
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The plan lengthens expected delivery times of some first-class mail and periodicals from the existing one- to three-day service to one to five days, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register. Package deliveries, including those of prescription medications and food, are not affected by the changes.
The notice says current standards require the Postal Service to rely heavily on air transportation, which is less reliable than surface transportation and costs more due to "weather delays, network congestion, and air traffic control ground stops." By adjusting its delivery times, the USPS could move a greater volume of mail by surface transportation, "thereby achieving a better balance of on-time reliability and cost effectiveness."
In general, the delays will affect mail that has to go long distance. The Postal Service expects that 61% of first-class mail deliveries will remain unaffected, and that 70% of first-class mail will continue to have a service standard of three days or less.
For those customers who need faster delivery than would be provided under the new service standards for their letters, Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail would continue to be available.
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The Postal Service said the changes "will both reduce cost and improve service reliability, with minimal impact on delivery speed, particularly in light of recent actual performance."
The USPS has been plagued with poor delivery performance in some cities since the pandemic hit, faced with staffing shortages at the same time more packages than ever are being shipped.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy acknowledged the plan during a board of governors meeting on Friday, saying although the changes may be "uncomfortable," the USPS is committed to delivering to "every address in the nation, six days a week, and strives for financial sustainability."
The change is part of the Postal Service's Delivering for America 10-year strategic plan to achieve service excellence and financial sustainability, which was announced in March.
The Postal Service also plans to raise the price of a first-class stamp, from 55 to 58 cents. The increase is set to take effect August 29.
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