Can Category A Infectious Substance Be Shipped By Us Postal Service

Expect for the U.S. Mail service to undergo a vast makeover in coming years. The quasi-public establishment is adjusting its operations in light of falling post deliveries and tape crimson ink, equally electronic media and other delivery options proceed to eat into its business. Coming changes are necessary to reverse heavy losses — $xx billion over the past four years.

This year, USPS is expected to lose an additional $10 billion.

Click the navigation arrow below to see five ways your service will change.

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Fewer Post Offices, More Kiosks

AP Photo/Orlin Wagner

Upwardly to 3,500 post offices and about 300 processing plants will close their doors by 2014. First to shut: locations with expiring leases or overly burdensome maintenance bug. Many of these are in rural areas. Meanwhile, the viability of as many as 16,000 post offices — roughly half the nation's total — is under review as part of the USPS' cost-cut measures.

The postal service plans to replace shuttered offices with kiosks in nearby grocery stores, shopping centers and other loftier-traffic locations. Mail Office counters, for instance, can already be plant in almost all of Part Depot's approximately one,000 stores nationwide.

Though closings are inevitable, they will be lamented. "Whatsoever extensive closing of small, rural post offices and the associated withdrawal from serving rural America fosters an image of an organization in retreat from its mission," notes Mark Stiff, president of the National League of Postmasters. "Despite its 'quick gear up' appeal, it paves the path for both the mail service and the communities that lose their mail offices to slowly dry upwards and fade away," he says.

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Goodbye to Your Sabbatum Mail Delivery

Although Congress must ultimately determine, the Postal service says it could save $3.1 billion annually past doing away with the sixth delivery day. Mail offices would still remain open on Saturdays. Moreover, Express Mail would continue to exist delivered seven days a week, and large postal distribution centers would stay open up to process incoming mail service over the weekend.

Retailers that depend on straight mail advertising tin can await to accept the biggest hit with the loss of weekend commitment, since they'll no longer exist able to rely on flyers landing in consumers' mailboxes on Sat mornings. The move is sure to bulldoze even more businesses that rely heavily on direct post to shift to online promotions.

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The Fantabulous Postage Stays at 44 cents

Here'southward some good news: Later several gradual increases over the years, USPS has no plan to raise the toll of the ubiquitous start-class stamp in the foreseeable time to come. As of Apr 17, nonetheless, Splendid Post costs 20 cents per ounce afterward the outset ounce. The midyear increment falls in line with changes the postal service is allowed to make for inflation. Looking ahead, the agency volition seek to gain more command over its pricing models -- and that will pb to more than frequent increases in the toll of stamps.

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Partnering With Competitors

Closer partnerships with private delivery services are likewise in the works. One such partnership with United Parcel Service (UPS) already allows customers to return UPS-delivered packages via postal mailboxes or past dropping them off at a local mail office.

UPS representatives will pick up the packages from post offices and render them to senders using UPS resources. The program expands UPS' reach and makes greater utilise of the postal service facilities.

A partnership with eBay over the next five years will boost the postal service's part in delivering packages for the online sales visitor. USPS already does nearly $700 1000000 in business concern with eBay and the new organization is expected to double that. The mail will besides offer direct mail marketing programs for small businesses that sell through eBay.

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More than Autonomy. More than Flexibility?

Over time, the mail will work to gain more control over its ain business operations.

One reason the agency has lost ground to private-sector competition in contempo years — UPS, FedEx and DHL — is because it doesn't have the same flexibility to modify its business concern programme. USPS must receive congressional approval to increase prices, brand changes to its delivery schedule or shut a mail office simply considering it is non producing a profit.

"The mail is consistently inhibited, if not outright prevented, in whatever effort to systematically reduce the number of mail service offices…to reflect the realities of today'due south mail volumes," says Arthur Sackler of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service. "Nosotros have an urgent financial situation which much be addressed; one way is to loosen the USPS' power to arrange, while still taking into account the concerns of its customers — both commercial and the mailing public."