Heads up: USPS is a giant mess right now. Don't expect to get a package delivered on time through normal delivery
Ordered something on Dec 1.
On Dec 7, it arrived at the final location before the mailman delivers it.
It's now the 10th and the status is "In Transit, Arriving Late"
Did a bit of research, here's what I found:
They're operating with about 50% of their staff right now
Expect to wait about a week for your package to continue on to its destination
If you want to read more about this mess, check out: https://www.reddit.com/r/usps_complaints/
If you need a package delivered, and you can afford it, go for some form of expedited delivery (and try to avoid USPS altogether). It's no guarantee, but it sure as hell beats risking your package not arriving on time.
RabbiPuttitout 10 points (+10|-0) 4.3 hours ago
It's almost as though hiring a bunch of lazy thieving niggers has consequences.
Doesn't help, for sure.
There are 3 things that are causing this mess. The two are obvious, covid and holidays. The third I'm reading about:
Louis DeJoy mandated no more overtime hours, and stringent scheduling. IE if you're a carrier, they give you a specific time that you must leave by. So if the delivery truck is five minutes late, too bad. They stack that delivery and push it to the next day. Now, the next day, assuming the truck is on time, that carrier has two days worth of mail to deliver, but absolutely cannot take overtime to do it.
That's happening everywhere, at every level, for months. Christmas comes, and it turns into a waking nightmare.
They don't fix it because DeJoy actively wants the USPS to be sold off to private entities.
Correct, overtime hours have been restricted. Postmasters with OT hours on their books are put on a list. Postmasters who continue will be relieved of their station. postmasters who delay the mail, same thing.
Second, their are two sections of the USPS - "City" and "Rural." City carriers wear uniforms, rural do not. City carriers punch a clock. Rural carriers get paid based on "estimated" route times. These times are set, no matter how many hours you work, the route pays the same per day. Rural carrier only get OT when they work an extra day - Sunday Amazon, or a 6th day a week.
Saturday starts the "guaranteed overtime period" for rural carriers. They will no longer be paid solely on their assessed route times, but will get paid by the hour.
UPS has told some very large retail units that they are full, and will take no new contracts or refuse to pickup and deliver packages. This is putting a strain on USPS package loads.
They stack that delivery and push it to the next day. Now, the next day, assuming the truck is on time, that carrier has two days worth of mail to deliver, but absolutely cannot take overtime to do it.
Ehhh, to a point. First class and Standard go when they get sorted. Flats and catalogs generally aren;t dated, and actually make it easier to throw the mail. packages are really the only thing that you wait for a truck on. many offices are running their carriers in a "double run" - they come in and deliver the days packages in the AM while they wait for sorting to get the FC, Standard, and flats out to the routes. Then, they go deliver the route normally, but without all the get out and drop package at door stops along the way.
edit: The term is "evaluated route", not "estimated route."
Package delivery is 30% higher than last year, and UPS and Fed Ex have cut off deliver services to a very large number of retailers. These retailers are utilizing USPS this season where in a normal year they would utilize UPS or FedEx.
https://voat .co/v/whatever/4154456
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