US Postal Service

[LindaH]

Ordered some dates from a small burg north of Yuma...we normally drive up there to buy, but what with COVID, we've been ordering.

The address where we have stuff sent while we're down here is a Winterhaven address.  So the package goes from Bard, CA to Winterhaven, CA.  From there it goes to San Bernadino and then El Centro -- before ending up right back at the Winterhaven post office where it is then delivered!

[pjstough]

43 minutes ago, LindaH said:

Ordered some dates from a small burg north of Yuma...we normally drive up there to buy, but what with COVID, we've been ordering.

The address where we have stuff sent while we're down here is a Winterhaven address.  So the package goes from Bard, CA to Winterhaven, CA.  From there it goes to San Bernadino and then El Centro -- before ending up right back at the Winterhaven post office where it is then delivered!

I would say you are getting your money's worth out of the postage you are paying.

[bigjim]

7 hours ago, Kirk W said:

You gave a very good explanation of how that works. 

Yes, I agree.

I have "flat" running slow from Livingston.  I am very friendly with the local post office. Very easy in this case.  When I checked today the lady postmaster happened not to be busy for a few minutes and she jokingly talked about her piles of packages she is backlogged. That is very unusual at this post office. But you can only do so much with limited manpower.

[sheldons65]

My Escapees mail pouch was accepted by USPS on December 23 according to tracking. No updates since. Thanks for the info on Finding My Mail. I submitted a help request to USPS. 

Information here is helpful in knowing it's not just my package. 

[sheldons65]

Had my new mail pouch sent out yesterday and it's already showing in route on the tracking. My package sent by Escapees on December 23rd is still showing:

December 23, 2020 at 4:37 pm, Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending, LIVINGSTON, TX 77351 

Anyone else with similar issues? 

Not at all blaming Escapees. That package sadly has some important documents. 

[ms60ocb]

2016 my Polk County Absentee Ballot supposedly made it to Livingston 77351 but never made it to Livingston 77399. Location still unknown so that being said , the Mail Eating Monster must be still alive in the swamps.

This past Dec, Priority Mail getting through Chicago (and I'm sure other large cities) could take a week moving from one sorting center to another each day.

I'm told it is the lack of drivers showing for work, Covid-19 family issues.

Clay in NW Illinois

[Barbaraok]

1 hour ago, sheldons65 said:

 

December 23, 2020 at 4:37 pm, Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending, LIVINGSTON, TX 77351 

 

That says that while the USPS got the notice that it would be in the shipment picked up, it was never scanned AT the receiving center.  Have you called Escapees and asked them to see if they can shake things up.

[packnrat]

i have had more than my share of "delays".

but today i received a package that was not set to arrive till monday. ordered on the 11th here by the 13th am. from austin, texas to a small town in northern ca.

so sometimes it does work.

[Velos]

My intention in starting this thread was to find some solutions to help the USPS. It is easy to complain and commiserate but without action it never changes. Unfortunately the USPS's problems have become are so ingrained over the years that it will probably never recover as highlighted in the US GAO report below:

"U.S. GAO - Key Issues: U.S. Postal Service's Financial Viability ... As stated in GAO's 2019 High-Risk update, USPS faces financial challenges that include the following: Poor financial situation: USPS's overall financial condition is deteriorating and unsustainable. USPS has lost $69 billion over the past 11 fiscal years—including $3.9 billion in fiscal year 2018."

Granted sometimes the USPS does work as advertised but it is not dependable on a consistent basis and is ham-stringed by so much regulation the prognosis is grim. Most of us prefer to do business with companies that can provide a quality product or service that is reliable. 

Several here suggested I use FedEx, I want to THANK YOU for the suggestions.  I am happy to say I have used FedEx twice to receive my Escapee Mail and once to send since my USPS mail went missing in December in my original post.

I would suggest everyone here that has had delayed or missing mail try other services than the USPS for your Escapee Mail. FEDEx is my new carrier of choice but there are others that Escapees mail works with, you don't have to use the USPS.

[ARGO]

How about this? PRIVATIZE it, fire everybody & let them re-apply for their jobs. At least then you'd be able to fire a slug without 50 reams of justification. 

[Velos]

I request my mail forwarding via email each month.  Much easier to change my email template to FedEx from Priority Mail than try and privatize the USPS with over 600K employees.

It does make you think though: when FedEx according to this article   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedEx   has the same amount of employees as the USPS???

The Postal Service employs more than 600,000 workers nationwide, making it among the largest employers in some states. Postal Service Employment by State

[sheldons65]

Yes and the nice lady Escapees suggested I contact the post office. I did put in an online request with USPS as described earlier a few days ago. 

The wonderful thing is my mail pouch arrived today. The delay didn't cause me issues. I'm just happy to get it finally and that it wasn't lost. 

The tracking steps jumped from acceptance pending to delivered. I'd also figured out how to have it send me updates on the package via text. That was a joyous text message "delivered". 

Holidays, covid, the human factor. I'm just thankful it arrived.  

[Danandfreda]

We just had something delivered that was sent from escapees to usps on dec 14. Got it probably on the 10 th of January. We have lost a title in the mail. Now we have them hold it and maybe once a month send it fed ex. Cost a little more but sure we will get it now

[pjstough]

11 hours ago, Danandfreda said:

We just had something delivered that was sent from escapees to usps on dec 14. Got it probably on the 10 th of January. We have lost a title in the mail. Now we have them hold it and maybe once a month send it fed ex. Cost a little more but sure we will get it now

I belong to a rural carriers page on FB, it is a wonder as much mail got delivered as did. The stories the carriers post on there are horrendous.  Carriers carrying more than one route in  a day.  Carriers going from an average of 70 parcels a day to a day of having 670. Carriers required to stay and work after their route is finished for another 6 to 8 hours to sort parcels for the next day.
A huge failure of management, at what level I dont know.

[bigjim]

Dajoy?

[jcussen]

According to the IRS, my $600 check was mailed 10 days ago?  Seems the USPS is using a lot of contract labor. Last year, filled on line hold my mail and filled in two of the yellow forms for hold my mail, one to the local post office and one to my carrier. Guess what, had a big pile mail on my porch when I got back. 

[ms60ocb]

It seems the US Mail Service is some what back to normal. The last two weeks my priority mail has left Livingston on Tuesday to arrive on Friday. Tracking through Chicago is less than 24 hours compared to 5 days just 4 weeks ago. I did receive a First Class Christmas card from the Eastern MD in five weeks but a granddaughter'S Christmas Card also from Eastern MD is over 6 weeks in travel to destination. Must be a few trailers to sort yet.

Local service is Great, no matter wind, rain, ice, snow and Covid-19.

Clay

[Dutch_12078]

Yep, two packages we priority mailed Dec 11th in upstate NY arrived at their destinations in Michigan and Virginia last week.

[bigjim]

On 1/14/2021 at 10:52 PM, jcussen said:

Guess what, had a big pile mail on my porch when I got back. 

Unless that is another thing that changed since I worked for them that is on your carrier.  You may have a regular carrier which -usually- makes things go better but you could have a sub that is a regular carrier that is not assigned a specific route.

[jcussen]

1 hour ago, bigjim said:

Unless that is another thing that changed since I worked for them that is on your carrier.  You may have a regular carrier which -usually- makes things go better but you could have a sub that is a regular carrier that is not assigned a specific route.

You are right, appears I am getting two or 3 different carriers every week. Is there not some sort of "hold mail"  at the local post office that determines which mail should be held or should be delivered? Seems like a poor system if the sub does not get the same instructions as the regular carrier.  Plus the fact that any normal carrier should say to him or her self, there is a weeks worth of mail sitting out here in the open, so maybe I should check into it. I have since put a slot in my front door so at least I will get the mail when I return home.

Edited January 29, 2021 by jcussen

[Dutch_12078]

I'm told most holds and forwards are managed at the sorting centers these days rather than the end point PO. The carriers receive trays of mail presorted in route order.

[pjstough]

On 1/13/2021 at 12:10 PM, ARGO said:

How about this? PRIVATIZE it, fire everybody & let them re-apply for their jobs. At least then you'd be able to fire a slug without 50 reams of justification. 

So you are saying get rid of the unions?  How would that help?

[pjstough]

1 hour ago, Dutch_12078 said:

I'm told most holds and forwards are managed at the sorting centers these days rather than the end point PO. The carriers receive trays of mail presorted in route order.

I believe that if you put your mail on "hold" it is only good for 30 days.  If you put in a forward, you non forwardable mail is handled in the appropriate fashion. It should not be put in a mailbox.

 

[Dutch_12078]

12 minutes ago, pjstough said:

I believe that if you put your mail on "hold" it is only good for 30 days.  If you put in a forward, you non forwardable mail is handled in the appropriate fashion. It should not be put in a mailbox.

 

That's my understanding as well...

[Barbaraok]

Our delivery came out on Wednesday and was delivered TO OUR DOOR this afternoon!   It got to Phoenix this morning, so I expected it tomorrow, but wow, right to the door!