Dodge Caliber Forum banner

How important is the US Postal Service to you

  • Very - I can't Live without it

    Votes: 5 20.8%
  • Somewhat - I do have other options (online, UPS, etc.)

    Votes: 11 45.8%
  • Slightly - I mostly use other options (online, UPS, etc.)

    Votes: 5 20.8%
  • Not at all - I never use the USPS

    Votes: 3 12.5%

The Post Office

17K views 133 replies 10 participants last post by  DKazoroski 
#1 · (Edited)
As I'm sure you have all been reading, the US Postal Service is in dire straits and must make radical changes in order to stay alive.

I'm interested in hearing your responses to this situation.
 
#2 ·
My Dad was a mailman for 43 years. So here's my take. Saturday delivery has always been stupid and a big waste of money. While our post office has dug itself a hole that only us taxpayer will ever get it out of, UPS and FedEx make money hand over fist. As usual, private enterprise operates at a profit, while the government run [anything] flounders and relies on taxpayers to makeup for the losses.
 
#3 ·
The reality of Saturday delivery is that it interferes with my life. If I am expecting something important it could show up when we're not around for the weekend and sit outside for two days.

If there were no Saturday mail - I would have a lot more peace of mind by not worrying if something is going to show up when I'm not home for a couple of days.

So at least for me - no Saturday mail would make my life easier.
 
#4 ·
Universal service obligation loads against the USPS. Universal should mean go everywhere not the same standard. Seems obvious that a letter can go sameday in the same city but need 3 to Hawaii or Alaska.
Ours are closing branches, and letting go of services provided commercially.
UPS/Fedex have taken a lot of the revenue by making it easy for businesses to use them.
 
#7 ·
The Internet was supposed to be the saviour of home delivery due to the online shopping.

Did not turn out that way for those that are run as Government departments and just do not respond to customer needs.

Instead they have been followers and imitated the carriers more complicated pricing structure led by USPS. It is so complicated now to work out postage that online printing does not make up for it. You may as well just FedEx.
 
#8 ·
To add insult to injury:

Now that the post office is in "dire straits", a few of the outfits I do online business with have announced that they will begin charging "online transaction convenience fees" for some of the business I conduct with them. Fees range from $2.00 per transaction up to $3.00 for up to 4 transactions per month - over the 4 limit - $1.00 per additional transaction.

A 42 cent stamp sounds awful good to me now!
 
#11 ·
I agree about the forever stamps. Unfortunately, I ran out of them earlier this year. I send a lot of greeting cards and birthday cards out and pay almost all of my mother's bills via the post office. It doesn't take me long to run through a hundred stamps.
 
#12 ·
This poll has been up for a while and the results (albeit small) show that a few of us are very dependent on the post office, most of us still use the USPS for some of our business, and a few don't use it at all.

All in all, this means that the post office must continue operating in some way or another.

Funny thing - recently, there were many "dire" predictions about the post office, now nothing seems to be in the news.
Anybody hear anything new on the post office's "situation"?
 
#13 ·
Would it be safe to say that the creation of private carriers are the reason why USPS is going under?

Prop1 brings up a point without realizing it I think, because yes we pay for postal service through tax money. But us paying for the service by mailing and sending thru USPS is what is suppose to help/limit the amount of tax dollars used to keep it a float. But if we aren't cycling money back into the program, then how can we make sure it stays alive? That's where the tax money comes into play.

At least I believe so lol
 
#14 ·
Yes - the private carriers have taken a lot of the package business away from the USPS, Online communications and business transactions have taken away an even bigger chunk.

I think the major problem is that the post office is a 19th century institution trying to operate in the 21st century.
The Postmaster General has proposed some solutions that should be implemented (end Saturday standard delivery, reduce the number of local branches, major changes to pension and healthcare plans)
I don't believe that the government provides any funding for the USPS, but they sure can tell the USPS what to do.
I think the USPS needs to be free to make it's own business decisions without government interference.
 
#16 ·
Well our neighborhood's problem is back, it was gone for a while.

I get some of my neighbors' mail, they get some of mine, we all get mail addressed to unknown persons from other nearby zip codes.

The P.O. is never going to get it right!!
 
#17 ·
A single penny increase ?
The USPS has the lowest postage prices in the western world and the largest delivery area.
Ours always gets subsidy and pricing could be going over $1 for first class letter.
 
#18 ·
That's the problem with a government controlled economy.
The Post Office is supposed to be a "private enterprise" but the government dictates everything it does.
It's long past time for the government to get it's grubby paws off the Post Office and allow it to manage it's own affairs and make it's own decisions.
 
#19 · (Edited)
#20 ·
I have an interesting book about the freight tunnels in Chicago entitled "Forty Feet Below"
The rail service is long gone, but some of the tunnels are still in use for power and communications cables.
The railroad was a 2 foot gauge line that used small 250VDC mine locomotives and custom built freight cars.
 
#21 ·
Actually, in the US, a lot of mail and related business travels by rail - but you wouldn't know it. No more RPO's or storage mail cars or "Mail Trains", just "sealed" containers traveling in the normal traffic stream.
Actually, UPS is one of the largest rail freight customers in the US. The USPS isn't far behind.
 
#24 ·
It seems as if the Federal Government has started to look more seriously at the issues faced by the USPS:


  • The Postal Service would receive a refund of nearly $7 billion it has overpaid into the Federal Employee Retirement System.
  • The agency would be required to use part of the refund to set up a buyout program to reduce staff by 100,000.
  • Agency payments of about $5.5 billion into an account to fund future retiree health benefits would be reduced by spreading out the payment schedule, a major headache that rolled the agency into the current crisis.
  • The postmaster general could negotiate with unions on a possible alternate health care system that would cost less.
  • Saturday mail delivery would continue for two years but eventually drop to five days a week delivery.
 
#27 ·
Royal Mail profit up to £67m Monday 21 November 2011

The Royal Mail reported increased half-year profits of £67 million today, but revealed a further slump in the number of letters being posted.

Profit for the six months to September was up from £22 million in the same period a year ago, but was entirely due to revenue from GLS European parcels and the Post Office business.

The delivery arm of the Royal Mail lost £41 million - down from £55 million a year ago - with the daily postbag falling by 6% to 59 million items, the lowest for around 20 years.

The number of employees has been cut by 5,000 in the past year, including 2,000 managers, reducing the Royal Mail's workforce to 163,000, about 50,000 less than a decade ago.

GLS made a profit of £58 million, and Post Office Limited made £55 million, with the group's financial performance and cash flow showing improvements.

Chief executive Moya Greene said "painful changes" remained to be made to secure the group's future, including increased automation and more mail centre closures.

"Our financial performance at the group level in the first half of our financial year, including our cash flow, shows some improvement on the same period a year ago.

"The necessary measures we implemented earlier in the year - increasing our prices and tight cost control - are a key part of our strategy to return Royal Mail to sustained financial viability. They are beginning to deliver results. But we have a great deal to do.

"We are halfway through our financial year and are operating within a difficult and challenging business environment. The economic downturn is proving to be prolonged and, like many other predominantly UK and European-based companies, our trading conditions are challenging.

"Our focus therefore remains on returning to sustained financial viability. We will continue to reduce our costs wherever possible without compromising the six-days-a-week service.

"We look forward to working with Ofcom to secure a new regulatory approach as the need to do so is pressing. Furthermore, it will be essential for Royal Mail that the European Commission approves the Government's state aid application to relieve the company of its historic pension liability and allow restructuring of the Royal Mail balance sheet."

Ms Greene said she was "moderately pleased" with the financial results, but she maintained there was still a "great deal" to do to return the Royal Mail to sustained financial viability.

Around 20 million fewer letters are being posted every day than five years ago, taking the daily postbag to its lowest total in 20 years, although there has been an increase in packets and parcels being posted, largely as a result of the internet.

The number of mail-processing centres has reduced by 10 to 59 in recent years and the trend will continue, said Ms Greene.

On the Government's plans to privatise the Royal Mail, Ms Greene said the business will not be able to interest investors until the "blocks" of regulation, state aid and modernisation are removed.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: "Better performance and improved profits is welcome news for Royal Mail and its staff, but the industry still faces major challenges to secure its future.

"We want this success to be shared with postal workers in the form of higher pay and a commitment to job security, with an extension to Royal Mail's commitment to completing modernisation with no compulsory redundancies.

"The modernisation programme has brought major change, including voluntary job losses, new machinery and equipment and changes to workplaces.

"Royal Mail workers know what's going on in terms of competition and change in the industry and the crucial thing is to reward and motivate postal workers. Any redundancies must be voluntary, not forced, and the postal service must be protected.

"Without that it doesn't matter what you do. The progress so far proves this can be successfully achieved under public ownership and clearly shows the importance of keeping the group of businesses - letters, Post Office, Parcelforce and GLS - integrated. Breaking this business up would be a disaster for UKpostal services."
 
#28 ·
Yep - The USPS is going to need to do the same.

Mail volume is constantly shrinking and will never increase again.
The USPS needs to resize itself to meet today's realities and tomorrow's projections.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top