No Saturday Mail Delivery Inches Closer

Many of our clients are extensively involved in mailing, and we would like to keep you up-to-date on an issue about which you have expressed considerable concern.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has now taken its case for eliminating Saturday mail delivery to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). This is the first step in the review process required by law any time a nationwide change in postal service is proposed.

According to a report recently issued by the USPS, they are facing unprecedented volume declines and a projected $238 billion shortfall during the next decade. It cites five-day delivery as one of the fundamental changes that will help the USPS better respond to changing customer needs and reduce its deficit.

Technological and social changes have altered the way Americans communicate, and electronic media have replaced the letter as the primary means of business and social communication. Revenue from First-Class Mail—the Postal Service’s longtime bread-and-butter product—continues to decline as the use of electronic message delivery increases.

Last year mail volume plummeted by 25.6 billion pieces—a nearly 13 percent fall—resulting in a USPS revenue drop of nearly $7 billion. The trends contributing to these declines are expected to continue.

Postmaster General John E. Potter says the change will help rebalance postal operations with the needs of today’s customers and will save more than $3 billion a year, including reductions in carbon emissions and energy use.

Potter emphasizes that the proposal dealt only with Saturday street delivery and that postal offices will be open on Saturdays, access to PO Boxes would continue, Express Mail would be delivered seven days a week and incoming mail would continue to be processed.

PRC Chairperson Ruth Y. Goldway is inviting public comment on the proposed change. You can share your views at the Commission website by clicking the “Contact PRC” tab at the top. You can also (somewhat ironically) write them at: Postal Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations, 901 New York Ave NW, Ste 200, Washington, DC 20268-0001.

The USPS plans to implement five-day delivery in fiscal year 2011, however, even if the PRC goes along with the change, the U.S. Congress could enact legislation requiring continuation of six-day mail delivery.