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The new head of USPS (United States Postal Service) has made some important operational changes. It also includes slowed mail delivery in an effort to cut costs. The new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is a major donor to President Donald Trump. He took over the mail service in June and has since enacted massive changes to help the USPS financial situation. These changes include mail delivery being delayed by one day or more to reduce costs and late trips will also no longer be authorized. So, if a postal distribution center is running late, they will keep the mail for the next day. Formerly the mail carriers were trained to never leave behind mail and to make multiple trips if essential.

The recent changes would eliminate overtime opportunities for hundreds of thousands of postal workers across the US besides increasing mail delays. The Washington Post reported that the memo was released on Monday with a title, The New PMG’s expectations, and plan. The newspaper said that changes are happening because mail deliveries declined in the last decade due to competitors like UPS, FedEx, and other rivals. Declining mail deliveries created deep revenue losses. The coronavirus pandemic further exacerbated the situation, and the memo stated the service had to make an operational pivot in order to maintain health and stability for the coming years.

It is noteworthy that experts have also warned these changes could push customers away from using the service, further exacerbating revenue losses. The company was also considering increasing packaging prices to boost revenue, but this move could encourage competitors to lower their prices. Reports of the agency allowing delayed service have come during debates about mail-in voting for the November election. Democrats have called for mail-in voting to be an option across the United States. Democratic Representative Bill Pascrell said, “Trump and his cronies are openly seeking to destroy the post office during the worst public health crisis in a century”.