USPS Moves Into Second Phase of Service Changes

July marks the start of USPS’s next stage of service standard revisions nationwide, according to a release.

On July 1, the agency started expanding the reach of its service standard bands to “increase the reach of two-, three- and four-day service standards for First-Class Mail and USPS Ground Advantage,” according to the release.

USPS will also widen the radius of turnaround volume for regional deliveries from processing and distribution centers as part of the second phase. “Turnaround volume of single-piece First-Class Mail and USPS Ground Advantage will receive a two- or three-day service standard,” the release states.

The service changes, part of the Delivering for America plan, are intended to improve operations and save an estimated $36 billion over the next decade, USPS stated.

The first phase, which kicked off April 1, involved updating the zip code system from three digits to five, among other changes.

USPS estimated that 75% of first-class mail will not be impacted by the service standard changes. For mail that is affected, 14% is predicted to move faster, while 11% is expected to move slower.