USPS

[paindonthurt_]

A thread was started the other day and got me to thinking abt the USPS again.

How much mail does a mail person deliver daily? 1200 pieces? 2000?

I did a very small amount of research but I’m thinking 1500 pieces is a reasonable guess.

$0.30/piece?
1500 x 0.3 = 450
Let’s say the mail man gets $300/day or $75k/ year

5 drivers x 150/day x 5 days x 50 weeks is $187,500/year

Expenses?
Utilities 1500/month?
Miscellaneous $500
Insurance $500
At most - $4000/ month right?
That leaves $140k to pay someone and money left over.

Why can’t they make it?

 

[dorndawg]

You are mostly calculating "last mile" costs (with some utilities etc built in) -but think about what all has to happen to a piece of mail dropped off in say NYC before it gets in the truck to be delivered to somebody's house in LA.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

Well each of those mailmen will also receive insurance and retirement. Plus fuel for the thousands of miles a week each car drives. Plus the people that work in the post office that distribute the mail. Plus the person or two that works the counter. Plus O&M on vehicles. Plus the extra driver that has to be available for sick days and vacation. Plus probably 100+ expenses that we haven’t discussed. And that’s before we even consider the costs of running a post office in a very rural area, but they have to have one because it’s an essential service.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

From the US Postal Service web site, they process and deliver 472.1 million mail pieces per day and they have 75000 letter carriers. That comes out to 6,295 mail pieces per carrier per day.

Link: Here.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

****... 15,000 a day more likely. I get 10 things a day. If you live in a rural area you may not be targeted by EDDM (every door direct mail) campaigns. In bigger metro areas, you get all kinds of crap every day.

The post office is not profitable because it is run by government. I seriously have a very hard time thinking of a well run government organization. Maybe the National Parks?

I would love to see a cost analysis of what snail mail would cost if UPS, FedEx, and Amazon were allowed to bid on territories of mail delivery. They are already coming to everyone's house anyway, why not bring me a letter from the water company.

I mean we have private companies providing electricity, phone service, cable, trash, even sewage in some cases... Water might be tough... But I promise you, we would all figure it out without the post office.

Everytime I have something critical to send. I go to FedEx anyway.

 

[dorndawg]

From the US Postal Service web site, they process and deliver 472.1 million mail pieces per day and they have 75000 letter carriers. That comes out to 6,295 mail pieces per carrier per day.

Link: Here.

Mail carriers aren't delivering all or probably even most of those 472M pieces. Lots of mail goes to PO Boxes, and businesses/orgs that get a ton of daily mail have special delivery setups.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

The carriers certainly aren't delivering all of them. I'm sure there are folks who have PO Boxes. But I've not used a PO Box since I was a grad student at MSU.

Mail sent to and from universities would be one big example of your special delivery setup example.

 

[dorndawg]

Right most individuals don't. But think about how much mail, say, a Fortune 500 company sends/receives every day. Or a large non-profit like St Jude.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

True. I'm sure they push that average up a lot.

 

[missouridawg]

Where did you get $0.30 per piece? A stamp costs 55 cents, but don't forget that the USPS deals in packages too, which will take the average way, way up. Interesting exercise though.

 

[dudehead]

****... 15,000 a day more likely. I get 10 things a day. If you live in a rural area you may not be targeted by EDDM (every door direct mail) campaigns. In bigger metro areas, you get all kinds of crap every day.

The post office is not profitable because it is run by government. I seriously have a very hard time thinking of a well run government organization. Maybe the National Parks?

I would love to see a cost analysis of what snail mail would cost if UPS, FedEx, and Amazon were allowed to bid on territories of mail delivery. They are already coming to everyone's house anyway, why not bring me a letter from the water company.

I mean we have private companies providing electricity, phone service, cable, trash, even sewage in some cases... Water might be tough... But I promise you, we would all figure it out without the post office.

Everytime I have something critical to send. I go to FedEx anyway.

To send a letter to you today from my office by FedEx costs about $25. To send the same letter by USPS, my cost is $.50.

 

[dorndawg]

Where did you get $0.30 per piece? A stamp costs 55 cents, but don't forget that the USPS deals in packages too, which will take the average way, way up. Interesting exercise though.

Bulk rates and non-profit rates. All that mail you get that doesn't have a stamp or like the Pitney-Bowes printed postage are gonna be this. I have no idea if that would pull the average down to 30 cents.

https://savepostage.com/bulkmail101/presort.html

 

[SheltonChoked]

A thread was started the other day and got me to thinking abt the USPS again.

How much mail does a mail person deliver daily? 1200 pieces? 2000?

I did a very small amount of research but I’m thinking 1500 pieces is a reasonable guess.




$0.30/piece?
1500 x 0.3 = 450
Let’s say the mail man gets $300/day or $75k/ year

5 drivers x 150/day x 5 days x 50 weeks is $187,500/year

Expenses?
Utilities 1500/month?
Miscellaneous $500
Insurance $500
At most - $4000/ month right?
That leaves $140k to pay someone and money left over.

Why can’t they make it?

Your math is way off.

 

[mstateglfr]

A thread was started the other day and got me to thinking abt the USPS again.

How much mail does a mail person deliver daily? 1200 pieces? 2000?

I did a very small amount of research but I’m thinking 1500 pieces is a reasonable guess.

$0.30/piece?
1500 x 0.3 = 450
Let’s say the mail man gets $300/day or $75k/ year

5 drivers x 150/day x 5 days x 50 weeks is $187,500/year

Expenses?
Utilities 1500/month?
Miscellaneous $500
Insurance $500
At most - $4000/ month right?
That leaves $140k to pay someone and money left over.

Why can’t they make it?

Summary of the info above-

Made up numbers x more made up numbers / numbers that are...made up = a result that isnt close to accurate, but will still be used to argue a point.

 

[The Fatboy]

I work in this area as a 3rd party print and mail service. We get discounts on postage so we dont pay the full rate. Its between .389 and .44 each for first class. Standard and postcards is like .22 or so. We don't do a lot of standard mail because most mail like bills must go first class.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

To send a letter to you today from my office by FedEx costs about $25. To send the same letter by USPS, my cost is $.50.

You are comparing FedEx over night or 2nd day vs USPS snail mail that has up to 8 days. Let's be more fair and compare FedEx Standard 3 day at $10.00 or so to the $7.50 USPS priority mail of up to 3 days as well. USPS is also about $2.00 cheaper on overnight.

Now let's consider the statement. If I have something CRITICAL to send it's going FedEx. We send the kids letters to Santa via USPS.

If you want to try to compare the reliability of USPS to FedEx you are pissing into the wind. I bet I spent 40+ hours on hold with the IRS last fall because the USPS never delivered a critical envelope. At least once a week I get my neighbor's mail. Once a month it's a guy 2 streets down.

The Amazon and pizza guys get the wrong address once in a while too. Not UPS or FedEx. They scan the **** on the truck at the mailbox before the even head up to the house... I catch a temp or new guy every once in a while stop at my mailbox, fiddle around and then pull two houses up to make the correct delivery.

 

[FQDawg]

The Amazon and pizza guys get the wrong address once in a while too. Not UPS or FedEx.

You're lucky. I've had UPS misdeliver no fewer than four packages in the last six months. Thankfully each time it's been to someone, somewhere else in my neighborhood and a post on NextDoor asking if anyone has seen it sorts it out.

 

[BiscuitEater]

To send a letter to you today from my office by FedEx costs about $25. To send the same letter by USPS, my cost is $.50.

Think you totally missed the part where he said .."Everytime I have something critical to send. I go to FedEx anyway." If you spend $.50 to send something "critical" via USPS, you're way more trusting than me.

Do you send cash $$ through the mail, too?

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

FYI

Germany, Japan and the UK have all privatized their postal services.

Germany's Deutsche Post actually bought out DHL about 20 years ago.

 

[paindonthurt_]

Yes there is a lot less cost in delivering to a P.O. Box vs a home.

So 6295 pieces a day per carrier is abt $1800 in revenue per day per carrier. $450k/year in revenue per carrier.

 

[RocketDawg]

I googled "mail carrier salaries" and it averages just over $30,000. The range was something like $15K to $85K. Alabama (and therefore probalby Mississippi) was under the national average. Presumably they get mileage if they use their own vehicles, and many, maybe most, rural carriers do.

So yeah, they'll get retirement, but not a lot.

 

[paindonthurt_]

So tell me which numbers are way off?

I felt like $0.30/piece was low.
I felt like 1500 pieces a day was low. Seems someone has confirmed it was VERY LOW.

Secret: high volume and higher individual cost makes my math WAY THE F off in a better direction for me.

 

[dudehead]

Think you totally missed the part where he said .."Everytime I have something critical to send. I go to FedEx anyway." If you spend $.50 to send something "critical" via USPS, you're way more trusting than me.

Do you send cash $$ through the mail, too?

No, usually wire money.

 

[garddog]

starting pay in Mississippi for a rural route sub is around 17.00 an hour. The regular guys make more, about 18.50 starting out. Not sure on clerks.

 

[KeyserSoze1999]

Don't worry your little head about those mail-in ballots.***

View attachment 17271View attachment 17272

 

[fishwater99]

The annual retirement and insurance costs for those who are no longer working is huge. Also all of the non postal carrier staff must be paid for too.

 

[dudehead]

If you want to try to compare the reliability of USPS to FedEx you are pissing into the wind. I bet I spent 40+ hours on hold with the IRS last fall because the USPS never delivered a critical envelope.

I suggest you spend a buck or two and send your returns, correspondence, etc, to the IRS certified by USPS and you’ll never have to worry about timely receipt of your IRS return, correspondence, etc. because your mail receipts are prima facie evidence of a timely filing.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I suggest you spend a buck or two and send your returns, correspondence, etc, to the IRS certified by USPS and you’ll never have to worry about timely receipt of your IRS return, correspondence, etc. because your mail receipts are prima facie evidence of a timely filing.

It wasn't something I sent. The good old IRS sent me an approval letter in August and by September I hadn't received it. I had to call about 20 times... If you don't know, after about 80 minutes on hold the IRS will tell you to try back later. If we could privatize those idiots at the IRS, I would be all for that as well.... Nother topic.

My problem is the same ******* that drives in my yard to deliver my neighbors mail to my house is also a civil servant that would basically have to commit murder to get fired. Our whole neighborhood has complained. Doesn't matter. Have you not ever been standing in line at the post office for half an hour on your lunch break and the old hag closes the window right before you get there? The UPS store will stay after hours if you call ahead...

In 2020 I can't think of a single thing that needs to be mailed via first class stamps. Anything important enough to justify hand delivery (as an FYI I had my wife go to the UPS store to sign and notarize a power of attorney that I will scan and upload securely tomorrow for free), us important enough to pay a few bucks extra and have a professional deliver it... Anything else can be emailed.

I have had plenty of good mail carriers over the years, but equally as many bad ones that don't give a 17 about anything because they have zero accountability. I have to say every UPS or FedEx delivery person has been great. If they are not, they will lose that job... Even the union guys at UPS act accountable.

 

[RocketDawg]

Right most individuals don't. But think about how much mail, say, a Fortune 500 company sends/receives every day. Or a large non-profit like St Jude.

Non-profits, like St Jude's, get a super low rate for their letters. Something like 9 cents. I'm OK with that.