Despite what you may have heard, the Internet isn’t making the world’s largest postal system irrelevant. First class mail has declined, but online shopping and e-commerce are causing an explosion in package volume.
Americans are using the U.S. Postal Service to receive medicine, goods ordered online, local newspapers, catalogues, bills and newsletters. A recent Gallup Poll found that Americans rate the Postal Service highest among 13 government agencies. Nothing new there – the USPS routinely ranks at the top of such surveys.
But many people were surprised to learn that young people gave the Postal Service the highest rating: 81 percent of 18-29 year olds gave the USPS “excellent or good” marks. Commentators have convinced many people that the future of the Postal Service is bleak because young people consider it irrelevant, but this poll shows the opposite is true.
Is mail dead? Not at all.
A recent study by the USPS Office of Inspector General reports on a host of innovative uses of the mail, including mail that connects with mobile devices; mail that embeds electronic components; and dimensional mail, which transforms mail pieces by using non-traditional ink, material or design.
Did You Know?
- If it were a private-sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 43rd in the Fortune 500, with revenue of $67.8 billion in fiscal year 2014.
- In 2014, the USPS delivered more than 155 billion pieces of mail to 153.9 million addresses.
- In the first month of fiscal year 2015, letter volume increased by 7 percent and package volume increased by nearly 14 percent over the previous year.
- The Postal Service processed 34.4 million changes of ad- dress in 2014 and forwarded mail at no cost to customers.
- How much did all this cost taxpayers? Zero. That’s right, the U.S. Postal Service is self-supporting; its revenue is generated by the sale of postage and services.
The Way Forward
But the Postal Service must change. To thrive in the digital age, when people expect to receive information and deliveries quickly, the Postal Service must enhance and expand service.
This can take many forms:
New services:
- Postal banking and/or expanded financial services, which would address an urgent social need and bring new revenue to the Postal Service, is an example.
- Licensing and notary services;
- Access to high-speed Internet service.
- Longer hours at neighborhood post offices;
- More staff at retail outlets to shorten lines.
- Restore overnight delivery of first-class mail and periodicals.
The U.S. Postal Service belongs to the American people. Let’s do whatever it takes to ensure that it remains a vibrant, public Postal Service for generations to come!
Can’t UPS and FedEx Do It? It’s not even close.
The U.S. Postal Service is required by law to go everywhere and serve everyone. FedEx, UPS and other private couriers are not – and they don’t!
In fact, the Postal Service delivers an average of 2.2 million packages for FedEx every day – approximately 30% of FedEx’s total U.S. ground volume. UPS doesn’t reveal the amount of business that it does with the Postal Service, but every indication is that it is substantial.
Why? Because FedEx and UPS are in business to make money for their shareholders – and delivering urgent mail and packages to many areas simply isn’t profitable.
A December 2014 test by Consumer Reports shatters the myth that FedEx and UPS offer better service than the U.S. Postal Service – even in the locations they serve.
The Postal Service outscored its two private-sector competitors in convenience and reliability and was cheapest 92 percent of the time for next-day and second-day delivery.
The Postal Service isn’t in business to make a profit. Its purpose is to serve the American people.