Carpe Covid, USPS, Carpe Covid !

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Let's consider the delivery side of the US postal system:

- Letter Carriers will be called-up for reserve duty, and

- Letter Carriers will be called-up for National Guard duty, and

- Letter Carriers who are retired military are subject to being called-up for active service, and

- Letter Carriers will be calling-in sick, and

- Letter Carriers will be caring for loved ones / family members, and

- Letter Carriers will be quarantined for one reason or another, and ...

This systemic labor shortage can be met in a number of ways.

One way would be to hire temp workers, shovel-out the over-time, etc.

Another would be to cut the number of hours required to deliver the mail:

- Letter Carrier schedules change to 3x 12-hour days each week, and

- Odd-numbered zip codes get delivery on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and

- Even-numbered zip codes get delivery on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Carpe Covid, USPS, Carpe Covid !

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

With businesses shutting down, it is easy to see a real drop in mail volume (and revenue) for the postal service. This would be the time to curtail Saturday delivery and then leave it that way, yet retain Saturday window hours.

I can see package volume going way up.

I'm already getting noticeably less junk mail than usual.

Don't know what's by you, but we have a separate morning USPS package delivery that is not by the regular on his route.

Moreover, Amazon is building-out their last mile capability, and clever wags have suggested that WalMart buy FedEx, so I think that the USPS Parcel Party is winding-down.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I have a rural carrier. Other than Amazon we receive a lot of parcels via USPS and my wife is ensuring that volume increases.

Getting mostly junk mail last 2 weeks. I have felt for last several years that USPS should be delivering Monday, Wednesday and Friday and keep PO windows open full time. Tuesday mail is almost non-existent in my neck of the woods anyway (outside DC). Let's face it - in the electronic age the mail is not long for this world.

Rich

While I suggested a few posts back that perhaps Saturday mail could be curtailed, I talked to my carrier today. As someone who has the perspective of delivering to hundreds of boxes every day, he indicates in recent weeks they are totally swamped with package deliveries - at nearly the levels of Thanksgiving to Christmas.

I'll go for trained dogs delivering the mail. Parrots at the counters.

Interesting conversation with your carrier John Becker. Perhaps people are staying home and ordering more items online with the current situation.

I live rural. One hour from Post Office. My life is being brought to me in packages by Amazon and ebay and USPS, FedX and UPS through the Post Office. Mon.-Fri.
Big amount of banking in the form of money orders goes through the Post Office.

Now that I am working from home everyday, I can add an observation.

Previously, our carrier drove through the neighborhood area first delivering the packages, then went to the cluster boxes and delivered the normal mail.

Now, she focuses on the cluster boxes only and a separate vehicle drives through only delivering packages.

My guess is the package volume has increased to the point they split the deliveries by type.

Amazon is likely focusing on a low cost delivery model. Walmart using FedEx is not likely to be low cost solution due to labor contracts.

A sample from Australia with parcel sale numbers increasing. Mailing times are slowing a little but our postie is flat out. So the slowing looks like it is from an increase in mailing items not covid19 at this point.

From last 9am Saturday to 9am Monday we sold just under $10,000 worth of sales.

Have never, never sold anything even close too this high sale result before.

Mostly it is from stamp sales but plant sales are ready to follow. Have lots of stock. Had to shut down my stamp sales and have saved it for another needy time. No need to sell any more our renovations are now paid for. It has been a long hard 18 months.

Great point!

Except ... what contracts?

UPS workers are represented by the Teamsters.

FDX workers ... not so much.

Moreover, remember the adage: The House Always Wins.

Buying FDX would give WalMart a delivery operation already profitably underwritten by its other customers ... with WMT as Customer #1, that would be customers #2, #3, #4, et al.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I do agree the FedEx solution saves time and would like to see a competitor to Amazon.

Imagine getting mail via Uber Mail style where you had ask for delivery and pay a tip!