United States Postal Service to Implement Changes on April 1

A few weeks ago, I sent out a dress that a gal purchased from me on Poshmark through the US Postal Service. I noticed a few days ago that I never received the funds for it so looked up the tracking number. Sure enough, it’s stuck in Indianapolis. Through a quick Google search, I found out I wasn’t the only one who has had issues with the Indianapolis post office in the past month.

Apparently, it’s an ongoing issue.

Through my search, I also found out that the USPS is also implementing significant changes to its First-Class Mail service, which will take place starting April 1, 2025.

What’s Changing?

These changes are part of the Delivering for America plan, a 10-year strategy that addresses current mail trends and works to solve financial challenges. For over ten years, the USPS has consistently lost money due to the rise of electronic communications – coming in at a $100 billion loss since 2007 due to the decreased volume of first-class mail. At the same time, they’ve seen a surge in packages due to online commerce, and the agency has faced challenges trying to balance this shift in demand.

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Delivering for America will be split into two phases and will affect first-class mail, periodicals, marketing mail, and package services. The first phase will begin on April 1 and the second on July 1. According to an article by Newsweek, 14% of first-class mail will be upgraded to a faster standard, while 11% will be downgraded to a lower standard. All first-class mail will still be delivered within the 1-5 business day range and 75% of mail will remain unaffected. They will also be adding a new five-digit regional add-on to replace the current three-digit add-on. Finally, postal workers will be able to leave earlier and travel greater distances.

The changes will enhance service reliability nationwide while maintaining the existing five-day service standard day range for first-class mail, whereas the day ranges for end-to-end marketing mail, periodicals and package services will be shortened. -USPS

Delivering for America is projected to save an estimated $36 billion over the next 10 years.

 The USPS Does Not Rely on Tax Dollars but Has Consistently Lost Money

According to a release from the USPS,

The Postal Service has been historically burdened by service standard regulations and onerous business rules that have not been appropriately adjusted to account for volume and mail mix changes, forcing costly and ineffective operations,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “For decades – and most specifically during the last three years – Congress has actively resisted operational solutions and meaningful change. By implementing the new standards and the operational initiatives to which they are aligned, we will be better able to achieve the goals of our modernization plans and create a high-performing, financially sustainable organization, which is necessary to achieve the statutory policies and objectives established for the Postal Service by law.

The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment that receives no tax dollars for operating expenses. It relies solely on postage sales, products, and services to fund operations.

Skeptics Are Pushing Back

The USPS aims to make first-class mail quicker and more efficient, especially in rural communities, although some are skeptical. In August, when the plan was unveiled, Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, voiced his concerns. “Any effort to degrade service while raising prices is a recipe for a death spiral at the Postal Service. This is the second time Postmaster General DeJoy has proposed lower service standards. He might as well announce a return to delivering mail by horse and buggy.”

For now, I’m just hoping my package makes it out of Indianapolis.