Don’t ship with USPS!

[68BabyBlue]

Agree, but the object is affordable delivery for the country. You'd scream if they charged you what it really cost. I hated paying 150 dollars for my work boot, they never made me a dime, but my job did. The cost of doing business. Social Security isn't a money maker either, but lord knows no one wants that one to stop. It's like doing business, you take the good with the bad.....Ulli

UPS knows their costs, cuts their deal with the union, prices accordingly, and stays in business. YRC tried to get by charging less than their true cost of operation in an attempt to maintain market share, and couldn't survive. Customers have pricing advantages until the supplier goes under.

 

[guy gadbois]

Let me chime in here for a minute.... [disclaimer - I do NOT work for the Post Office or UPS... but know a couple of people who are USPS employees, one a bit up the daisy chain , so he knows of which he speaks] The Post Office actually does not lose money; they pretty much break even and even make a small amount occasionally. Where all this 'losing billions' stuff comes from is accounting and political tricks - the Post Office is required to fund 'liabilities' , i.e. retirements, insurance and such 75 years in advance on paper. SEVENTY FIVE YEARS. So, on paper, they list liabilities for people who havent been born yet... WHY would they do that? Your government requires it. Your government also uses the USPS as a 'slush fund' and uses that money for pet projects/things that would never be approved in normal circumstances. So, as always, the problems come down to politicians and accountants.
All that junk mail and credit card apps are mailed at regular postal rates; yes the junk mail gets a 'bulk mail' discount, but so do other businesses that aren't 'junk'.
USPS does an incredible job given the volume they handle imnsho. Are there problems? Yes. Those major issues are in certain places tho and not across the board. For example - if you live west of the Mississippi and ANYTHING comes from a back east location that requires it to pass thru Memphis, fuggedaboutit...The Memphis hub is known world wide as a huge hole where things disappear and you letter or parcel may never make it. In fact, if the parcel is interesting/expensive/perishable, there is a statistically significant possibility that it not only will not make it to your house, but will quickly be deposited in a handlers residence... You can figure out why thats the case yourself, and yes, politics and the unions keep anything from being done about it...
For me, its only USPS or UPS - they are both consistently good. FedEx or DHL? Might as well go without as far as Im concerned...

 

[padam]

Agree, but the object is affordable delivery for the country. You'd scream if they charged you what it really cost. I hated paying 150 dollars for my work boot, they never made me a dime, but my job did. The cost of doing business. Social Security isn't a money maker either, but lord knows no one wants that one to stop. It's like doing business, you take the good with the bad.....Ulli

We all need work boots, but we don’t expect the government to sell them to us at a loss.

 

[Hey-O]

Let me chime in here for a minute.... [disclaimer - I do NOT work for the Post Office or UPS... but know a couple of people who are USPS employees, one a bit up the daisy chain , so he knows of which he speaks] The Post Office actually does not lose money; they pretty much break even and even make a small amount occasionally. Where all this 'losing billions' stuff comes from is accounting and political tricks - the Post Office is required to fund 'liabilities' , i.e. retirements, insurance and such 75 years in advance on paper. SEVENTY FIVE YEARS. So, on paper, they list liabilities for people who havent been born yet... WHY would they do that? Your government requires it. Your government also uses the USPS as a 'slush fund' and uses that money for pet projects/things that would never be approved in normal circumstances. So, as always, the problems come down to politicians and accountants.
All that junk mail and credit card apps are mailed at regular postal rates; yes the junk mail gets a 'bulk mail' discount, but so do other businesses that aren't 'junk'.
USPS does an incredible job given the volume they handle imnsho. Are there problems? Yes. Those major issues are in certain places tho and not across the board. For example - if you live west of the Mississippi and ANYTHING comes from a back east location that requires it to pass thru Memphis, fuggedaboutit...The Memphis hub is known world wide as a huge hole where things disappear and you letter or parcel may never make it. In fact, if the parcel is interesting/expensive/perishable, there is a statistically significant possibility that it not only will not make it to your house, but will quickly be deposited in a handlers residence... You can figure out why thats the case yourself, and yes, politics and the unions keep anything from being done about it...
For me, its only USPS or UPS - they are both consistently good. FedEx or DHL? Might as well go without as far as Im concerned...

Well said!! 75 years out on a pension is a ton, I've heard that before, years ago!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Budnicks]

Take a look at post # 53

That's the old system, federal & govt. unions bureaucracy
not the new DOGE system, after Jan 2025
(if the 2 very smart people selected by Pres. Elect., will do anything with USPS)
soon to be all over Fed. Govt. ran depts., going to be changed
&
The USPS doesn't actually lose money, they pay golden parachute union benefits,
that makes the buss. model, look, a whole lot worse than it fiscally financially is...
'Unions are the worst, in the system' & the most expensive part too, Labor...

I'm pretty fortunate, we don't have real big issues, except when it snows
They don't know the US Mail's mantra,
That the mail goes thru & to be delivered
come sunshine/heat, the cold or depth of night, thru sleet rain or snow, the mail always goes
(or something like that , it used to be)

Crazy because they have a really nice facility here plenty of employees
& all union employees & all very well paid, but;
No matter what, there's a human element in all of it...

(here we only have like 54,000+ population total, in the whole 'huge damn county',
& only like 32,000+ addresses, but it is rural & mountainous, in most areas, the houses
are spread pretty far apart, &/or long or steep driveways, for *package deliveries,
that don't fit in the mailbox, at the street or hwy)

I do cut them a lil' bit of slack...

will be interesting to see if the new department of government efficiency will straighten any of this b.s. out or make it worse

I hope so

 

[Budnicks]

Never is a strong word. I try to never receive Fedex packages at work since they can’t find my address even though it’s a mile from their hub.

I use USPS all the time to receive the bills I can’t change to electronic, and all those great unsolicited credit card applications, election flyers, and offers to buy my house.

Yep it's amazing all the junk mail, bulk rate mail & election mail/flyers etc.
all seem to be delivered, regularly
Albeit, I can't complain to much here...

 

[Budnicks]

Let me chime in here for a minute.... [disclaimer - I do NOT work for the Post Office or UPS... but know a couple of people who are USPS employees, one a bit up the daisy chain , so he knows of which he speaks] The Post Office actually does not lose money; they pretty much break even and even make a small amount occasionally. Where all this 'losing billions' stuff comes from is accounting and political tricks - the Post Office is required to fund 'liabilities' , i.e. retirements, insurance and such 75 years in advance on paper. SEVENTY FIVE YEARS. So, on paper, they list liabilities for people who havent been born yet... WHY would they do that? Your government requires it. Your government also uses the USPS as a 'slush fund' and uses that money for pet projects/things that would never be approved in normal circumstances. So, as always, the problems come down to politicians and accountants.
All that junk mail and credit card apps are mailed at regular postal rates; yes the junk mail gets a 'bulk mail' discount, but so do other businesses that aren't 'junk'.
USPS does an incredible job given the volume they handle imnsho. Are there problems? Yes. Those major issues are in certain places tho and not across the board. For example - if you live west of the Mississippi and ANYTHING comes from a back east location that requires it to pass thru Memphis, fuggedaboutit...The Memphis hub is known world wide as a huge hole where things disappear and you letter or parcel may never make it. In fact, if the parcel is interesting/expensive/perishable, there is a statistically significant possibility that it not only will not make it to your house, but will quickly be deposited in a handlers residence... You can figure out why thats the case yourself, and yes, politics and the unions keep anything from being done about it...
For me, its only USPS or UPS - they are both consistently good. FedEx or DHL? Might as well go without as far as Im concerned...

Bingo !! & well said/explained too...

 

[EARLY B]

They're the only company that will always be here. They may not always be the very best, but we need a delivery system that isn't run by money for the people. The mail is a necessity and shipping in general is through the roof. It's not a business, per say, it's a staple. The Postal Service processes and delivers an average of 318 million mail pieces daily.

They could cut that in 1/2 if they stopped the junk mail and the land fills would benifit too!