Click on the links below to read the latest news covering
Postal News, USPS,
and direct marketing hot topics.
US 3/10/10—
Here are seven misconceptions about the Postal Service’s long-range action plan gleaned from news accounts, conversations, and the Postal Service’s own presentation.
US 3/9/10—
PMG John Potter announces the appointment of Janet Klug to serve on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC). Klug will join the committee in April.
US 3/8/10—
Today, the USPS® and the USPIS® join with federal, state, and local government agencies and consumer protection organizations to
announce the 12th annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 7-13.
US 3/5/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® did something for the first time last year, and it was so successful, they’re planning to do it again: launch a summer sale. The 2010 Summer Sale is scheduled to run July 1 through Sept. 30.
US 3/4/10—
Instead of agreeing to a cut in Saturday service,
Congress and the PRC are more likely to free the agency from a government-mandated requirement—a significant cost-cutting measure.
US 3/3/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® is at a tipping point due to the combined effects of the economic recession, increased use of electronic communications, and its obligations to prepay Retiree Health Benefits.
US 3/2/10—
Postmaster General John E. Potter today outlined an aggressive plan of cost cutting, increased productivity, and an array of legislative and regulatory changes necessary to maintain a viable USPS®.
US 3/1/10—
USPS® finances marked steady improvement on a month-by-month basis in its first fiscal quarter.
These improvements allowed it to earn a small operating profit in Dec. and a smaller-than-forecast loss for the quarter.
US 2/26/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® is installing Flats Sequencing System machines at a rapid pace, but is still overhauling the schedule for future installations.
US 2/25/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® is expanding its partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce to support the newly established National Export Initiative (NEI).
US 2/24/10—
Postmaster General Potter will host a conference to address the future of the U.S. Postal Service® and to announce new business model on March 2, from 9am-12pm in Washington D.C.
US 2/23/10—
The Jan./Feb. MailPro is now available. You’ll find informative articles on the transition of bulk mail centers (BMC), to network distribution centers (NDC), return addressing, streamlined postage statements, and more.
US 2/22/10—
The Postal Service® released final “droop” regulations this week that give small newspapers a break, but are otherwise full of problems for mailers of catalogs, magazines, and other flat mail.
US 2/19/10—
Under its revised plan to cut mail delivery to five days a week, the US Postal Service® would eliminate delivery to street addresses and some processing on Saturday, but it would not close post offices.
US 2/18/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® says local mail delivery is 90 percent back to normal after this month's back-to-back snowstorms in the Washington D.C. area.
The twin storms made many area streets inaccessible.
US 2/17/10—
If you have not yet attended a Plant Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) webinar, the DMM Advisory is offering the chance to take part in one this Friday, Feb. 19, beginning at 12:30 p.m. (EST).
US 2/16/10—
The Public Representative performed a service for postal stakeholders in their estimates of the required rate increases to return the Postal Service to break even by 2011.
US 2/15/10—
The ailing U.S. Postal Service® will experience a net loss in fiscal 2011 similar to that of 2010, according to agency estimates in President Obama's budget.
US 2/12/10—
Valassis, one of the nation’s leading media and marketing services companies and a partner with USPS® in the “Have You Seen Me” program to recover missing children, says shoppers saved nearly $3.5 billion with coupons last year.
US 2/11/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® says it will resume service to most of the D.C. area today. Ten percent of people in the D.C. area haven't received mail since the weekend.
US 2/10/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® ended the first quarter of this fiscal year (Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009) with a net loss of $297 million, while posting continued high scores in quarterly delivery performance.
US 2/9/10—
The public meeting of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service® scheduled for Feb. 9, 2010 has been canceled, due to transportation issues related to severe winter weather in the Washington, DC, area.
US 2/8/10—
This April, more than 4,000 mailing industry professionals will attend the National Postal Forum (NPF) and gain cutting-edge strategies and techniques for helping their organizations thrive in today’s marketplace.
US 2/5/10—
President Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget proposal requires the continuation of six-day delivery by the Postal Service®. The administration will work with postal unions to keep the Postal Service strong for years to come.
US 2/4/10—
The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service® will meet Feb. 9 at Postal Service headquarters. The public is welcome to observe the Board’s open session, scheduled to begin at 1:30pm.
US 2/3/10—
The Postal Service’s Initial Management Inquiry Process (IMIP) is a six-step process that helps managers resolve harassment problems and ensure employees have a harassment-free work environment.
US 2/2/10—
When UPS partnered with the Postal Service® to offer Parcel Return Service (PRS), it recognized the strength of the USPS® network and the efficient service it provides to every address, every day.
US 2/1/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® has filed an update with the PRC indicating that 162 offices remain under review for possible consolidation under the station and branch consolidation initiative.
US 1/29/10—
More than six months ago, published reports warned about a problem with Intelligent Mail® barcodes.
Today, the Postal Service® is addressing and correcting the problem.
US 1/28/10—
Because a viable postal sector is critical to any nation’s economic stability,
U.S. Postal Inspectors are being sent to Haiti to help prepare for the restoration of mail service to the earthquake-ravaged country.
US 1/27/10—
The Postal Service® is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of the USPS® Domestic Mail Manual
to reflect changes in the processing of hard-copy postage statements.
US 1/26/10—
A report showing the USPS® overpaid its CSRS obligation by $75 billion has been released. If the federal government righted this payment, these funds could potentially save the Postal Service® from fiscal insolvency.
US 1/25/10—
The Chinese Post Office currently has 20 executives touring the US, trying to figure out how to grow direct mail industry here. They are interested in the US direct mail industry, because it is one of the most vibrant industries in the world.
US 1/22/10—
Parcel Magazine releases rate analysis for the top three shipping companies: U.S. Postal Service®, USS, Fed Ex. No matter which carrier you are using, you’ll need clear visibility into your package distribution pattern.
US 1/21/10—
This report provides an overview of the U.S. Postal Service’s financial condition, recent legislation to alleviate the USPS’s financial challenges, and possible issues for the 111th Congress.
US 1/20/10—
A study just released by the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) shows that the current system of funding the Postal Service’s Civil Service Retirement System pension responsibility is inequitable.
US 1/19/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® salutes the Lunar New Year with a commemorative 12-stamp souvenir sheet. All 40 million 44-cent first-class stamps are available nationwide or online at www.usps.com/store.
US 1/18/10—
The U.S. Postal Service® has placed a temporary hold on all mail destined to the nation of Haiti. Mail addressed to Haiti is continuing to be accepted, and will be held until transportation arrangements become available.
US 1/15/10—
The PRC has ordered the Postal Service® to terminate two non-postal services
and issued guidelines for the sale of licensed CDs and DVDs by the Postal Service®.
US 1/14/10—
It took seven months to hit the 1 billion mark, but only four more weeks to hit 3 billion.
That’s the number of Intelligent Mail® Full Service mail pieces processed by the USPS® since the program’s implementation last May.
US 1/13/10—
USPS® consolidation is coming in several forms.
Besides the operational changes at the processing plants, retail stations and branches are being examined.
US 1/12/10—
If it had implemented a five-day-per-week delivery schedule years ago, the U.S. Postal Service® would have saved more than $2 billion during the its 2008 fiscal year.
US 1/11/10—
The Postal Service® proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the USPS®, DMM® to clarify that a proposed new standard to allow for the mailing of replica or inert explosive devices be sent by Registered Mail™ only.
US 1/8/10—
UPS plans to cut 1,800 jobs, saying profits exceeded their forecast.
The cuts underscore UPS’s efforts to defend market share which generates about two-thirds of revenue and has posted declining volume for seven straight quarters.
US 1/7/10—
The US Postal Service® ended the calendar year with 599,655 career employees, a drop of 57,118, or 8.7% from the same period last year.
US 1/6/10—
The PRC has asked the Postal Service® and others parties to comment on whether the Annual Compliance Report
shows that postal rates and fees comply with the pricing requirements and objectives.
US 1/5/10—
Apple® Computer’s App Store
online store now offers a new free U.S. Postal Service®
application for iPhone® and iPod
touch® mobile digital devices.
US 1/4/10—
New prices for Priority Mail®; Express Mail®; Global Express Guaranteed; Express Mail® International; Priority Mail® International; Parcel Select® and Parcel Return Service, are effective today, Jan. 4, 2010.
US 12/30/09—
Move Update assessment charges for automation and presort First-Class Mail® and all Standard Mail® mailings effective January 4, 2010. Here is a background summary and descriptions of the changes and procedures.
US 12/29/09—
The US Postal Service® posted a net loss of $255 million for the month of November, bringing the fiscal year to date loss to $476 million after the first two months of FY 2010.
US 12/28/09—
Although we often take it for granted, the Post Office™ is a government agency that works. For 44 cents, you can send a letter anywhere in the continental U.S. within three business days.
US 12/23/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® says it will lose more than $3 billion this year and $8 billion next year. Can anything be done to save it?
Bill Radke gets the views of LA Times business columnist David Lazarus.
US 12/22/09—
The demise of direct mail has been predicted for a decade now.
But as individual sectors of the economy are beginning to emerge from recession, advertising trends show that direct mail is far from obsolete.
US 12/21/09—
The U.S. Postal Service®
would become the guinea pig for testing 20,000 electric vehicles under House legislation introduced Dec. 17. If approved, the bill would help the Postal Service green its large mail delivery fleet.
US 12/18/09—
Customers searching for reliable overnight delivery of holiday gifts can look to Express Mail® from the USPS® to get it under the tree in time. The last recommended day for mailing holiday gifts by Express Mail® is Dec. 23.
US 12/17/09—
President Barack Obama has appointed Postal Service™ Board of Governors member Alan C. Kessler of Philadelphia to a second term that will expire Dec. 8, 2015.
US 12/16/09—
Post Offices will be open on Christmas Eve, December 24, and New Year’s Eve, December 31; however, many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at 12:00 noon.
US 12/15/09—
Purolator USA, a Canada Post subsidiary, is slowly expanding its domestic United States business
as a complement to its cross-border business.
US 12/14/09—
Today marks the Postal Service’s busiest mailing day of the year with more than 830 million pieces of mail entering the system.
This represents an increase of more than 40 percent in the average daily volume of 583 million pieces of mail.
US 12/11/09—
One hundred and nine commercial mailers can’t be wrong.
That’s the number of mostly high-volume mailers who helped the U.S. Postal Service® deliver one billion pieces of mail using Full Service Intelligent Mail®.
US 12/10/09—
Arriving just in time for the holidays,
the U.S. Postal Service® has added a special Priority Mail Flat Rate Gift Envelope to its lineup of flat-rate mailing products.
US 12/9/09—
Calling it “absolutely the wrong way” to pay for healthcare reform,
APWU President William Burrus was among leaders of federal and postal unions objecting to the Senate bill’s proposed excise tax on many insurance plans.
US 12/8/09—
FedEx Corp. said its fiscal second- quarter profit exceeded its forecast as international and ground shipments rose, bolstering economists’ assessments that a global recovery is under way.
US 12/7/09—
This holiday season the U.S. Postal Service® is reminding customers to take the hustle and bustle out of holiday shipping by using the online Post Office™.
US 12/4/09—
FedEx Corp. will raise shipping rates for its Ground and Home Delivery units by an average of 4.9 percent in 2010 — 1 percent lower than the hike this year. All of the rate increases will go into effect on Jan. 4.
US 12/3/09—
The Postal Service®
has a goal to cut petroleum usage by 2 percent annually through 2015, compared with a 2005 baseline. Yet petroleum consumption increased 4 percent between 2005 and 2008.
US 12/2/09—
What do the U.S. Postal Service®, the Muppets, and Santa Claus have in common? Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night will keep them from delivering dreams this holiday season.
US 12/1/09—
The following Postal Service® report, “Assessment of the U.S. Postal Service® Future Business Model,” represents just one aspect of that consultation process, and serves as a starting point for an ongoing discussion.
US 11/30/09—
USPS® aims to protect privacy of needy Letters to Santa writers, after an incident last year in which a registered sex offender obtained the address of a child. Charities scramble to adjust.
US 11/25/09—
Ruth Goldway, PRC Chairman, talks about the future of the U.S. Postal Service® in this C-Span video, as it considers cutting service days.
US 11/24/09—
Every year, some tax-refund checks mailed out by the government are returned by the U.S. Postal Service®
due to what the IRS refers to as "mailing address errors."
US 11/23/09—
UPS has issued its 2010 rate change information. Visit the UPS Web site starting December 18, 2009 to download the 2010 UPS Rate and Service Guide.
US 11/20/09—
The U.S. Postal Service®
today updated the list of retail stations and branches that remain under review for possible consolidation, with only 241 offices still under review.
US 11/19/09—
In its first-ever sustainability report, the USPS® showed a decrease in total energy use of 9 percent from 2005 to 2008. The agency is also increasing opportunities for the public to recycle junk mail and other paper.
US 11/18/09—
PMG John Potter used the open session of the Nov. 13 USPS® Board of Governors meeting to press again for structural reform of the agency, by reducing the number of delivery days from six to five per week.
US 11/17/09—
The USPS® today filed its 2009 fiscal year-end financial results, showing a net loss of $3.8 billion for the year
— despite cost-cutting efforts resulting in $6 billion in cost savings and a $4 billion reduction.
US 11/16/09—
Do you pass the droop test? The droop test measures the flexibility of catalogs.
The USPS® extended the deadline for the deflections standard implementation from September 8, 2009 to January 4, 2010.
US 11/12/09—
The USPS® has announced its 2010 parcel rate shipping prices to take effect Jan. 4, coinciding with rate changes made by FedEx and UPS. The overall average price increase will be 3.3% for Priority Mail®.
US 11/11/09—
How would you make over the U.S. Postal Service®?
With bankruptcy looming, the USPS®
needs a major fix. Inc. 500 CEOs describe how they would approach the problem.
US 11/10/09—
The USPS® refurbished existing mail-processing equipment to perform new tasks for only $60,000 per unit, thereby saving them (and the American postal customer) close to $70 million.
US 11/9/09—
Submitting Postage Statements between Nov. 15 and Nov. 29, 2009:
On Nov. 15, the Postal Service® will deploy software to support Full-Service prices. These new prices will apply starting Nov. 29.
US 11/6/09—
The union’s challenge to PMG Potter to set the wages of mail-processing employees, at an amount that is less than the worksharing discounts major mailers enjoy ,has generated some interesting responses.
US 11/5/09—
The Postal Service® has announced the 2010 Shipping Services prices will take effect January 4, 2010.
A complete listing of 2010 prices is available at http://pe.usps.com under the “Jan. 4, 2010 Price Change” button.
US 11/4/09—
Resident officers met with DPG Pat Donahoe on Oct. 28, along with representatives from NAPUS and the LEAGUE of Postmasters, concerning several issues that had been raised in prior meetings with the Postal Service®.
US 11/3/09—
InformationWeek interviews CIO and senior VP Ross Philo, as he explains how IT is being applied within the Postal Service® to manage costs, improve operations, and deliver new services.
US 10/30/09—
Facing declining mail volume, workforce cuts through employee buyouts, and the possible closure of hundreds of Post Offices™,
the U.S. Postal Service® has a new "get well" remedy: greeting cards.
US 10/29/09—
To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages to domestic destinations by Dec 25, it is suggested to mail no later than Dec. 21 for First Class Mail® and Priority Mail®, and Dec. 23 for Express Mail®.
US 10/28/09—
Despite the U.S. Postal Service's persistent financial distress,
Congress appears unlikely this year to approve the postmaster general's cost-cutting proposal to eliminate Saturday mail delivery.
US 10/27/09—
The USPS® is working out details for a Winter Sale, similar to the Summer Sale incentive that was implemented earlier this year.
The likelihood that the incentive will be approved is at 75 percent.
US 10/26/09—
The Mailers Council, the nation’s largest coalition of mailers and mailing associations, has published a new white paper that warns of USPS®
insolvency without significant new legislative reform.
US 10/23/09—
The Postal Service® will assess a penalty of 7 cent a piece for every piece in a Standard Mail® mailing that is not compliant with the Move Update requirements beginning on January 4, 2010.
US 10/22/09—
The stop-gap legislation signed on Sept. 30 reduced the U.S. Postal Service’s $5.4 billion health-care retiree payment for fiscal 2009 to $1.4 billion. That’s a big help, but the USPS®
needs permanent change.
US 10/21/09—
About 18,000 U.S. Postal Service® employees are expected to take $15,000 buyouts to leave their jobs this year—far less than the 30,000 originally projected by the agency.
US 10/20/09—
The USPS® plans to consolidate and close 65 Stamp Distribution Offices (SDO’s) and the five Accountable Paper Depositories (APD’s). The network will now consolidate into six Stamp Distribution Centers (SDC’s).
US 10/19/09—
Postmaster General Jack Potter tried to restore mailers' confidence in the U.S. Postal Service®
by announcing a price freeze for most postal rates in 2010.
US 10/16/09—
The DMM Advisory says the Postal Service®
will not increase prices for market dominant products in calendar year 2010. This includes First-Class Mail®, Standard Mail®, periodicals, single-piece Parcel Post®.
US 10/15/09—
Next Thursday, the president for the Association of Postal Commerce will tell
the business people in the audience that it’s time they tell Congress what they need and what they’ll pay for from the Postal Service®.
US 10/14/09—
League of Postmasters President Charley Mapa writes a letter to his members asking that they refuse to participate in the US Postal Service’s Voice of the Employee survey.
US 10/13/09—
FedEx Express has unveiled the industry's first onboard automatic fire-suppression system (FSS), elevating the level of safety during international, over-water flights.
US 10/12/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® announces 371 retail stations and branches remain under consideration for possible consolidation.
They focus on facilities in relatively close proximity to one another.
US 10/9/09—
Postmaster General Jack Potter has been telling mailers’ groups in recent days that he does not plan to raise postal rates next year. Potter is telling mailers that any increase in 2010 would be “very small.”
US 10/8/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® today launched its annual conservation campaign, with postal officials calling on the mailing industry to “go green” at an event recognizing October as National Energy Awareness Month.
US 10/7/09—
FedEx is opening up its SmartPost delivery deal with the U.S. Postal Service® to smaller retailers. Previously, the program was only open to high-volume retailers that shipped several hundred packages a day.
US 10/6/09—
Mailer groups doubt that last week’s decision to give the U.S. Postal Service® $4 billion worth of temporary fiscal relief
was enough to solve its massive financial problems.
US 10/5/09—
Approximately 5,000 full-time Postal Service™ employees eligible for retirement ended their Postal careers last week, accepting $15,000 buyout offers as part of a cost-cutting move.
US 10/2/09—
In an emotional closing to his speech at the union’s All-Craft Conference Sept. 30,
APWU President William Burrus announced that he would not seek re-election in November 2010.
US 10/1/09—
The Postal Service® has published unaudited financial results for the month of August showing a net loss of $721 million for the month, resulting in a fiscal year to date loss of $6.3 billion with one month left to report.
US 9/30/09—
UPS is piloting a first-to-market service called UPS Direct to Door, delivering premium offers and samples from some of the nation's most sought-after brands and retailers to recipients of UPS residential shipments.
US 9/29/09—
There’ll be no more Saturday delivery of mail, come 2011 or so. The USPS® is serious about cutting back to a Monday to Friday schedule; a plan that can save the cash-strapped agency at least $3 billion a year.
US 9/28/09—
A House-Senate panel included the provisions of H.R. 22 in a stopgap funding bill
that would keep the federal government afloat for a month after the new fiscal year starts, which is this week.
US 9/25/09—
A House-Senate panel has approved legislation to keep the government from closing down when the new budget year starts next week. A $4 billion bookkeeping maneuver has been employed to keep the Postal Service® afloat.
US 9/24/09—
Beginning on Monday,
U.P.S. will experiment in five major markets with a service it calls Direct to Door, giving advertisers and retailers a chance to provide offers and product samples to U.P.S. customers.
US 9/23/09—
Post Master General John Potter will speak at a National Press Club luncheon on October 8, 2009 to discuss the Postal Service's future, including its environmental footprint.
US 9/22/09—
FedEx Corp. will increase shipping rates for FedEx Express by an average of 5.9 percent for U.S. domestic and U.S. export services, effective January 4, 2010. Additional changes will be announced later this year.
US 9/21/09—
The PRC has completed its review of the First-Class Mail® Incentive Program. The incentive program starts October 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2009.
US 9/18/09—
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
There is now growing evidence that we have passed the bottom in two of the Postal Service's key businesses: delivering advertising and parcels.
US 9/17/09—
In his annual state of the business address to the mailing industry, Postmaster General John E. Potter outlined a roadmap for recovery
and reaffirmed the Postal Service’s focus on adapting to changing customer needs.
US 9/16/09—
By a 388-32 vote this afternoon, the House of Representatives approved a substitute version of HR 22, the “United States Postal Service® Financial Relief Act of 2009.”
US 9/15/09—
The union has updated a document that offers explanations of the Aug. 24, 2009, Memorandum of Understanding
offering incentives to USPS® employees who retire or separate in the coming months.
US 9/14/09—
The House of Representatives is expected to vote soon, as early as Tuesday, Sept. 15, on legislation that would provide the USPS® with short-term relief from severe financial difficulties.
US 9/11/09—
FedEx will begin to leverage Parcel Return Service (PRS) by allowing its customers to return items, originally shipped by FedEx, to participating retailers using the Postal Service for drop off, pickup, and sortation.
US 9/10/09—
The USPS® fiscal year closes Sept. 30, which is when a $5.4 billion health-care retiree payment comes due. If the pending legislation is not passed, USPS probably can’t make this payment. What happens then?
US 9/9/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® has provided lots of information about the Flats Sequencing System,
but has not answered some basic questions that have been kicking around for a couple of years.
US 9/8/09—
The DMM Advisory has posted their September update. Changes have been made to the Intelligent Mail® Barcode Requirements for Qualified Business Reply Mail and Permit Reply Mail.
US 9/4/09—
The Postal Service™ has updated the Guides and Specifications in preparation for PostalOne!® release 22 on November 15 to support the Intelligent Mail® Full-Service pricing incentives effective on November 29.
US 9/3/09—
The Postal Service® has narrowed the number of offices facing possible closure to 413. Currently the post office has about 37,000 retail outlets across the country and PMG Potter wants to keep as many open as possible.
US 9/2/09—
Unaudited financial statements files with the PRC report the U.S. Postal Service® lost an additional $865 million in July. That’s better than the $1.3 billion loss reported in June, but brings the total net loss to $5.6 billion.
US 9/1/09—
The Mailers Technical Advisory Committee and the U.S. Postal Service® are asking direct mailers to take an online survey expressing their opinion about the USPS’ plan to move to five-day delivery and processing.
US 8/31/09—
Qualifying customers for the First-Class Mailing Incentive Program can receive a 20 percent credit on presorted and automation First-Class Mail® cards, letters, and/or flats volume exceeding their established threshold.
US 8/28/09—
FedEx Express and the U.S. Postal Service® have announced a new agreement for domestic air transportation of mail through 2013. About $8 billion dollars in revenue is expected over the life of the seven-year contract.
US 8/27/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® took a small step toward intelligent downsizing yesterday with a buy-out package for up to 30,000 employees, but it needs to do two more things -- quickly:
US 8/26/09—
The Postal Service® is offering $15,000 buyouts to employees in an effort to cut costs at a time when the Post Office™ is being buffeted by the recession and the popularity of e-mail and electronic bill payment.
US 8/25/09—
Effective September 8th, 2009, the USPS® is set to update the requirements for booklet tabbing. If you mail out these types of mailers, it’s crucial you know what these changes are.
US 8/24/09—
To cope with declining volumes of catalogs and periodicals,
the U.S. Postal Service® is adding nearly 300 ZIP codes to the list of areas that will be served by the Flats Sequencing System.
US 8/21/09—
The July/August MailPro is now available.
You’ll find informative articles on environmental leadership, new standards for letter-size booklets, U.S. Census Bureau requirements, and Click-N-Ship’s new Bill Me Later option.
US 8/20/09—
APWU President says closing and consolidating post offices based on recession-level volume is short-sighted, and will leave the Postal Service® with long-term damage.
US 8/19/09—
In his latest video, Field Updates, DPMG and COO Pat Donahoe concludes his three-part series on the possibility of moving to a five-day delivery week, which he says is “absolutely necessary.”
US 8/18/09—
Effective January 2010, a Move Update postage assessment will be calculated at acceptance if more than 30 percent of the addresses that should have been updated were not updated.
US 8/17/09—
The new Move Update advisement policy for First-Class Mail® and Standard Mail® has been posted to the RIBBS Web site. The new Move Update policy is effective January 2010.
US 8/14/09—
The Direct Marketing Association originally predicted that direct mail volume would only fall 1 percent this year, but the organization has revised that to as much as 10 percent.
US 8/13/09—
Better communication, not additional incentives, is all the Postal Service® needs to entice more employees to retire early, a union leader says.
US 8/12/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® will offer customers a 20 percent discount off of presort First-Class Mail®. The discounted prices are effective October 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009.
US 8/11/09—
The PRC public forum on workshare methodologies will be broadcast live here at 1pm today. Links will be posted approximately 10 minutes before the broadcast.
US 8/10/09—
It is clear now that there will be legislation within the next year that will change the business model within which the Postal Service® now operates. This raises two critical questions.
US 8/7/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® is seeking permission from Congress to enter new lines of business, hoping to boost revenue at a time when traditional mail volumes are posting double-digit losses.
US 8/6/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® in Crisis: Senate subcommittee hearing at 10am
today.
Watch the hearing here live!
US 8/5/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® lost $2.4 billion during its third quarter and forecasts a $7 billion year-end loss according to figures released today. Mail volume has dropped 12.6 percent so far this year.
US 8/4/09—
Many experts argue that true reform requires the Postal Service® to privatize, which would include opening up the First-Class Mail® business to competition. Privatization has worked in many other countries.
US 8/3/09—
If your mailbox is empty more often these days, you’re not alone: Last year saw the biggest decline in U.S. mail since the Depression.
US 7/31/09—
The DMM Advisory has extended the requirement date for CASS/MASS Cycle M Certification from July 31, 2009 to September 30, 2009.
US 7/30/09—
Lawmakers on Thursday will consider various proposals to restructure the U.S. Postal Service®, just days after government auditors warned that it must quickly address its financial viability.
US 7/29/09—
NALC is aggressively working to support passage of S. 1507, a bill that will provide short-term relief to the Postal Service® by restructuring its payments for future retiree health benefits.
US 7/28/09—
Quick action is expected on a Senate bill that would provide the Postal Service® emergency, short-term financial relief, and the APWU President is urging union members to ask their Senators to support the legislation.
US 7/27/09—
Legislation to provide emergency financial relief to the Postal Service® was introduced in the Senate on Thursday and is expected to be cleared by a Senate panel within days.
US 7/24/09—
Postal officials are spreading the word that they may seek emergency rate increases next year.
Various scenarios have been bandied about, including one that would raise the price of the 44-cent First Class
Mail® stamp to 50 cents and other rates by similar amounts.
US 7/23/09—
UPS today reported an operating profit of $895 million on a 16.7% revenue decline for the second quarter ending June 30. The quarter's results were adversely affected by continuing weakness in global economic activity.
US 7/22/09—
The US Postal Service® has announced a public forum on August 11 at 1 PM to discuss work share discount methodologies in First-Class Mail® and Standard Mail®.
US 7/21/09—
The PRC will hold a pre-hearing conference on July 30 at 9:30am
to hear public views on the US Postal Service's recent proposal to close some of its retail stations and branches.
US 7/20/09—
Postal workers say a congressional plan to fix the budget shortfalls at the USPS® is short sighted
and have asked the White House to broker a better solution.
US 7/17/09—
The major postal unions have requested a meeting with the White House to discuss the Postal Service’s “deepening crisis.” They want the White House to intervene with Congress or they will run out of money this year.
US 7/16/09—
Eligible mailings for the Saturation Mail Volume Incentive Program will now include mailings paid for by pre-canceled stamps, meter imprints, or permit imprints. The deadline for enrollment is August 1, 2009.
US 7/15/09—
In response to the staggering decline in mail volume,
the Postal Service® has implemented significant changes to the postal network, with more to come.
US 7/14/09—
A House committee has thrown the U.S. Postal Service® a lifeline, but it won't be substantial enough to allow the agency to fully escape the financial quicksand pulling it under.
US 7/13/09—
USPS® has informed NALC that it is conducting a study of the impact of switching to five-day delivery and developing an implementation plan.
The study was to be completed in 60 days.
US 7/10/09—
Who doesn’t love a bargain?
Shoppers in the know are heading to their local Post Office™ to enjoy a 75 percent discount on select U.S. Postal Service® merchandise, including matted and framed artwork.
US 7/8/09—
Lawmakers from both parties are resisting the Postal Service’s attempts to end Saturday deliveries and close branches in order to make up its budget shortfall.
US 7/7/09—
Fewer than 2 percent of U.S. Postal Service® employees who were offered a chance at early retirement last month accepted the offer—far less than postal management expected.
US 7/6/09—
The laws of economics say the U.S. Postal Service® needs to reduce the number of Post Offices. But the laws of the United States may say otherwise.
US 6/29/09—
A house panel, by unanimous voice vote, approved a version of the H.R. 22 bill that would permit the USPS® to borrow funds for the next three years from its Retiree Health Benefits Fund to pay current retiree health premiums.
US 6/26/09—
The House unanimously approved a bill that could increase the pensions for hundreds of thousands of federal employees
covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
US 6/25/09—
The US Postal Service® processed 2.8 billion fewer pieces of mail in the month of May than it did in the same time period a year ago. The steepest decline was in advertising mail, down 24 percent.
US 6/24/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® is preparing some price breaks for the money-losing Periodicals class, possibly a revamping of the “ride-along” pricing and regulations.
US 6/23/09—
The PRC has adopted final rules on the treatment of non-public materials provided to the Commission by the USPS® and other parties.
The final rules meet statutory standards.
US 6/22/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® is projecting a loss exceeding $6 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, which puts retiree health benefit contributions in jeopardy unless a bill is passed by the U.S. Congress.
US 6/19/09—
FedEx, the nation's second largest package shipper, lost more money in the last quarter, as consumers and businesses downsized shipments and the company took over $1 billion in one-time charges.
US 6/18/09—
The White House honored the U.S. Postal Service® for environmental stewardship with a 2009 Closing the Circle Award for its national Green Purchasing Program.
US 6/17/09—
The DMA launches the iDirect Leadership Committee to provide thought leadership to the industry regarding data-enriched multichannel marketing.
US 6/16/09—
Amid a dramatic loss of business to email and a severe economic downturn,
the U.S. Postal Service® is reviewing 3,100 outlets nationwide to identify candidates for closure, with 300 closures likely.
US 6/15/09—
Are you prepared for the biggest postal change in years?
Beginning in late November 2009, mailers will be required to switch to full-service Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMB) to qualify for greater U.S. Postal Service® discounts.
US 6/12/09—
The May/June MailPro is now available. You’ll find informative articles on the new Summer Sale and Saturation Mail incentives, a recap of the mailing services price change, and highlights from the National Postal Forum.
US 6/11/09—
Several of this summer’s new stamps provide customers a variety of options—from celebrating good news, to mailing unusual-sized greeting cards and letters to Mexico, and other international locations.
US 6/10/09—
NAPS (National Association of Postal Supervisors) sues the USPS® over the right to represent supervisors and other managerial employees of the Postal Service®.
US 6/9/09—
FedEx Corp. today ranked number one in customer satisfaction in Express Delivery industry and also first among 81 companies. FedEx has ranked number one in the Express Delivery industry for 12 consecutive years.
US 6/8/09—
The Postal Service® issued a new 44-cent U.S. Flag stamp at the NAPEX Stamp Show in McLean, VA last Friday. All 600 million stamps, issued in booklets of 10, are now available nationwide.
US 6/5/09—
The PRC has approved the Summer Sale. Beginning July 1, the sale offers 30 percent off postage for qualifying Standard Mail® letters and flats volumes. Sale expires September 30.
US 6/4/09—
Before Congress can decide what kind of relief the Postal Service® needs, it needs to ask some hard questions: How much of the current decline in mail volume is due to the economic crisis that will eventually end?
US 6/3/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® has honored eight suppliers for superior supply chain performance in 2008. This year’s awards program honors suppliers in five categories.
US 6/2/09—
Diplomats from the U.S. and Cuba met in Washington yesterday to resume talks on legal and illegal migration from Cuba to the U.S.
and discuss the resumption of direct mail service, which hasn’t existed for decades.
US 6/1/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® salutes Bob Hope, AKA 'G.I. Bob' with his image on a First-Class™ stamp on what would have been the entertainer's 106th birthday, May 29.
US 5/29/09—
The US Postal Service® lost an additional $381 million in April, bringing the year to date deficit to $2.7 billion.
At this point last fiscal year, the service’s net loss was just $22 million.
US 5/28/09—
UPS Freight has again enhanced its national network, reducing transit times and offering more direct routing to and from northeast Kansas to more than 70 cities from California to Virginia.
US 5/27/09—
The Postal Service’s decision to suspend a convention leave benefit for the remainder of the current Postmaster pay agreement is tantamount to a breach of faith, if not contract, with the nation’s approximately 27,000 Postmasters.
US 5/26/09—
As part of the New Deal, artists were hired to create paintings and sculptures for about 900 mail centers around the country, thus putting Americans back to work and goosing the economy.
US 5/22/09—
The House postal oversight subcommittee has postponed approval action on HR 22, the emergency legislation to provide financial relief to the Postal Service®.
US 5/21/09—
Here we go again.
At a congressional hearing yesterday the Postal Service® again made a plea for legislation that would allow it to cut mail delivery from six days a week to five.
US 5/20/09—
The DMA is asking all direct marketers affected by the USPS® and mail to contact the PRC and encourage the expeditious endorsement of the proposed USPS “Summer Sale.”
US 5/19/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® has cut 25,000 jobs this year and mail volume will continue to drop into 2010
as it struggles to break even and return to profitability, Postmaster General John E. Potter warned today.
US 5/15/09—
An advance copy of the Federal Register notice of the new mailing standards to support the upcoming Summer Sale is now available.
The sale will provide a 30 percent reduction in postage.
US 5/14/09—
Using the very same tactics it recommends to marketers,
the U.S. Postal Service® has launched a direct-mail promotional and educational campaign touting the advantages of direct mail in a down economy.
US 5/13/09—
Beginning May 19, nationwide print ads featuring Priority Mail® brand awareness will appear in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, along with television and internet advertising that will continue through September.
US 5/12/09—
The U. S. Postal Service® has quietly launched a major new initiative to collect more postage from mail that already has been paid for and delivered. The primary targets of the initiative are business mailers.
US 5/11/09—
The price of a First-Class stamp for mailing a letter—or paying a bill —climbed to 44 cents Monday, though those who planned ahead and stocked up on Forever Stamps™ will still be paying the lower rate.
US 5/8/09—
Shareowners of UPS have elected a Board of Directors for a one-year term and ratified the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company's independent registered public accountants.
US 5/7/09—
Postmaster General Potter writes select members of Congress to inform them of the unprecedented decline in mail volume. The resulting loss of revenue is critically affecting the USPS’s ability to maintain mail service.
US 5/6/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® ended its second quarter (Jan 1 – March 31) with a net loss of $1.9 billion,
as the economic recession and longer-term financial pressures continued to reduce mail volume and revenue.
US 5/5/09—
UPS ranked No. 3 in the Reputation Institute's Reputation Pulse 2009 study of the most reputable companies in the U.S.
The company has been recognized every year since the study began in 2006.
US 5/4/09—
The USPS® Summer Sale will run from July 1 through September 30, 2009. The Summer Sale offer is subject to review by the PRC for up to 45 days following May 1.
US 5/1/09—
Citing $1.4 billion spent last year on sick leave,
the USPS® of Inspector General (OIG) is soliciting comments on what it can do to reduce the number of unscheduled absences among postal employees.
US 4/30/09—
USPS’s CFO has reported that news on the economy is not all bad, including the outlook for mail. As of April, FY 2009's volume should end at about 180 billion mail pieces and the USPS® is on target for that.
US 4/29/09—
Soon Chicago will be the only city in the nation with full 24-hour Postal Service™. New York's main post office plans on closing its overnight windows on May 9.
US 4/28/09—
With the Intelligent Mail® Barcode (IMB) program veering off the tracks,
prominent mailers called for the U.S. Postal Service® to hit the brakes today on the much-delayed program.
US 4/27/09—
The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service® will meet in Washington, DC, at Postal Service Headquarters on May 4-6. The public is welcome to observe the Board’s open session.
US 4/24/09—
Deputy Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, who is also the USPS® chief operating officer, said
a reduction in leased and postal-owned vehicles this year will save approximately $54 million.
US 4/23/09—
Although the Postal Service® Summer Sale has not yet been approved by the Board of Governors, USPS® is informing mailers of what they currently envision as the outline of the plan.
US 4/22/09—
The Postal Service’s year-end goal is to remove 10,000 vehicles from the existing fleet of 220,000, to reduce its inventory of leased and postal-owned vehicles. This will eliminate some $54 million.
US 4/21/09—
Postmaster General John Potter launches a year-long campaign to increase awareness and create results for energy conservation at a “Turning Over a Green Leaf” event.
US 4/20/09—
Negotiations have ended between UPS and European rival DHL over an air cargo contract valued at $1 billion. The deal would have allowed UPS to handle air cargo for the German post office-owned DHL.
US 4/17/09—
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera sent a formal letter of demand to the U.S. Attorney’s office
outlining his intent to file suit against the U.S. Postal Service® for discrimination.
US 4/16/09—
Some direct mailers worry that they won’t be able to react quickly enough to take advantage of the USPS’s offer of a discount for increases in Standard Mail volumes. Discounts are expected to be between 20% and 30%.
US 4/15/09—
Even with the number of procrastinating tax filers declining,
the U.S. Postal Service® gets a thumbs down for not staying open late tonight to accommodate the remaining stragglers.
US 4/14/09—
The DMM Advisory has posted an updated version of Notice 123 Price List on usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm
to reflect the final prices effective on May 11.
US 4/13/09—
The Postal Service® has informed mailers that it will be announcing shortly a summer sale on postage for any increased Standard Mail® volume for many Standard mailers.
DMA has long advocated seasonal pricing.
US 4/10/09—
The USPS® has added to its list of more than 70 environmental awards by accepting a Climate Action Champion Award.
It is one of only two organizations recognized for leadership in advancing climate policy.
US 4/9/09—
The Postal Service® has implemented a new program to develop and incentivize saturation mailers who increase their mail volume.
This program is new and unprecedented.
See the application
requirements here.
US 4/8/09—
The DMM Advisory will publish a final rule this week revising the mailing standards for letter-size booklets mailed at machinable and automation prices. Implementation will be September 8, 2009.
US 4/7/09—
The DMM Advisory has updated their mailing standards with the following changes: Delivery Addresses on Commercial Flat-Size Mail; New Open and Distribute Tray Boxes; Labeling Lists and more.
US 4/6/09—
U.S. PMG John E. Potter and other postal agency CEOs from around the world agree that the industry is facing tough challenges in today‘s economy. But they are also highlighting the positive effects.
US 4/3/09—
In a filing submitted to the PRC,
the USPS® said it will kick off a market test on May 6 to provide service that will resemble a less-than-truckload (LTL) network.
US 4/2/09—
The Mail Moves America coalition today expressed disappointment in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ vote of recommendation yesterday for a resolution calling for the creation of a Do Not Mail program.
US 4/1/09—
Postmaster General John E. Potter took the stage at the NAPS 2009 Legislative Training Seminar yesterday to speak directly to the delegates about the state of the Postal Service®.
US 3/31/09—
Whether taking the leap to sign up for Intelligent Mail® services in May, or planning for the future,
business mailers are sure to find “A Resource Map to Intelligent Mail Documents” a good place to start.
US 3/30/09—
DMM Advisory has filed an amended notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission to postpone the Move Update noncompliance charge for Standard Mail® and to adjust their prices for Confirm service.
US 3/27/09—
Video is now available of Wednesday's House Oversight and Reform sub-committee hearing on USPS® finances, where PMG Potter said the USPS will run out of money this year without help from Congress.
US 3/26/09—
The Postal Service® is in dreadful shape and needs quick help from Congress to continue delivering the mail.
That was the message repeated over and over by a parade of witnesses yesterday before the House subcommittee.
US 3/25/09—
The latest take on the financial health of the Postal Service®
will occur today in Washington, on what to do about the nationwide economic downturn.
US 3/24/09—
With the U.S. Postal Service® headed for its third year with a multibillion-dollar deficit,
PMG John Potter will face tough questioning on Capitol Hill Wednesday to explain the red ink as well as his compensation package.
US 3/23/09—
The US Postal Service® has announced it will be closing six of its 80 district offices, eliminating positions across the country and offering another early retirement opportunity.
US 3/20/09—
The USPS® is seeking parties interested in engaging in a long-term relationship as Supplier and/or alliance partner with the USPS to effectively manage its change-of-address (COA) program.
US 3/19/09—
The APWU has initiated one dispute and appealed another to national arbitration, over whether a contract postal unit may exist in a facility when the Postal Service® has use of the property.
US 3/18/09—
Economic woes are forcing the Post Office™ to delay the release of several new postage stamps scheduled for this year.
The Postal Service lost $2.8 billion last year and is facing even larger losses this year.
US 3/17/09—
The PRC yesterday approved the Postal Service’s market dominant product price adjustments scheduled to take effect next month.
The approval came despite concern about workshare discounts.
US 3/16/09—
New standards for commercial flat-size mail go into effect on March 29, 2009. All mailers must place delivery addresses in the top half of all Periodicals, Standard Mail® , and Package Services flats.
US 3/13/09—
Sen. Jim Webb introduced the bipartisan “Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act,” which would direct
the U.S. Postal Service® to issue the Purple Heart stamp on a permanent basis as a Forever Stamp™.
US 3/12/09—
Meeting critical dates this month will determine whether business mailers will be ready for Intelligent Mail® Full Service by November 2009. Business Mailers should be PostalOne!® compliant by March 31, 2009.
US 3/11/09—
The USPS® invites commercial companies, entrepreneurs, and creative people to tell them about the innovative concepts or business initiatives they believe will help the USPS succeed now and in the future.
US 3/10/09—
In its continuing drive to improve service, UPS Freight announces accelerated transit times for large sections of Wisconsin and Michigan. Transit times have been reduced on some 15,500 lanes over the last 21 months.
US 3/9/09—
USPS® sales team has created the 90/90 Blitz sales campaign where they will spend the next 90 days and 90% of its time with customers to generate as much revenue over the next three months as possible.
US 3/6/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® said it has gained market share in the weakening domestic package shipping market after being allowed to offer competitive pricing for the first time.
US 3/5/09—
The DMM Advisory has updated their mailing standards with the following changes: Express Mail® and Priority Mail® Reshipment Service, Intelligent Mail® Pallet Placards, Detached Address Labels, Labeling Lists.
US 3/4/09—
The Postal Service® yesterday confirmed that the decline in mail volumes and revenue accelerated in January. Total mail volume was down 16.3% for the month, compared with an 11.0% drop for the fiscal year to date.
US 3/3/09—
Images from the U.S. Postal Service® “Greetings From America” stamp series now provide a colorful enhancement to the site’s My Passport feature.
US 3/2/09—
For the second time in three years,
the U.S. Postal Service® will study the consolidation of its mail-processing operation in Binghamton with a facility in Syracuse.
US 2/27/09—
The DMM Advisory is offering a new series of webinars to answer customers’ questions about Intelligent Mail® services. The webinars will occur every other Friday, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST. The first webinar is March 6.
US 2/26/09—
Postal Service® officials will host an awareness event to celebrate National Consumer Protection Week beginning next Sunday. Officials will offer tips to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.
US 2/25/09—
The USPS® new standards for letter-size booklets and folded self-mailers will include only recommendations for folded self-mailers, rather than requirements.
US 2/24/09—
With a May 11 deadline looming to improve their bulk mailing lists or face fines,
mailers now can receive reports on how well their mail is performing through the US Postal Service®.
US 2/23/09—
The sacrifices of 12 civil rights pioneers were immortalized on postage stamps this past weekend during the NAACP’s annual meeting in New York City.
US 2/20/09—
Mailers may use plant-verified drop shipment (PVDS) during the May 11 price change for new and current prices.
See a full price list here.
US 2/19/09—
The Postal Service® is soliciting medical releases for employees required to partake in the 2nd and 3rd opinion process. Employees are required to release their “specified information” to the USPS® Law Dept.
US 2/18/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® commemorated Miami University’s bicentennial by issuing a First-Class 27-cent postal card with the stamped image depicting MacCracken Hall.
US 2/17/09—
USPS® just launched its “new and improved” Postal History website, featuring more than 100 papers on postal history, historic images, photos and resources, tracking the development of the postal system over 230 years.
US 2/16/09—
New address standards for commercial flat-size mail are effective on March 29, 2009. Additional standards relate to address characteristics and apply to all commercial flat-size pieces, including First-Class Mail®.
US 2/13/09—
APWU President William Burrus has denounced the new postage increase declaring, “The planned rate structure would continue the failed strategies that have brought the Postal Service to the brink of disaster.”
US 2/12/09—
NAPS members have been urging their House lawmakers to cosponsor HR 22, which provides eight years of pre-funding relief to the Postal Service® between now and 2016.
US 2/11/09—
The USPS® announced Feb. 10 that price increases for Standard Mail® Flats—the category affecting most catalogers—would stay below the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
BREAKING POSTAL NEWS!!!
US 2/10/09—
The Governors of the U.S. Postal Service® have approved new prices for mailing services, including a 2-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail® stamp.
The new prices will go into effect Monday, May 11,
2009.
US 2/10/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln
who became a prominent lawyer, politician, and ultimately President of the United States.
US 2/9/09—
The Federal Register has published a revised mailing standards proposal to support the May 2009 Mailing Services price change. Customers can review and comment before March 6, 2009.
US 2/6/09—
Speaking yesterday to the Board of Governors, PMG Jack Potter outlined actions to ensure long-term viability of the US Postal Service® while cautioning there is no stabilization for the institution in the near future.
US 2/5/09—
The Postal Service® ended its first quarter with a net loss of $384 million as the economic recession contributed to a 5.2 billion piece mail volume decline compared to the same period last year.
US 2/4/09—
The US Postal Service® has approved the first two-way postage indicia for mailers using reusable envelopes. EcoEnvelopes, a designer of reusable envelopes, was authorized by the USPS® to make the envelopes.
US 2/2/09—
DHL pulled the plug on its domestic package delivery business
last Friday, leaving its hub at the Wilmington Air Park with only international operations remaining.
US 1/30/09—
With the combined energy needs to operate nearly 1 million post offices and mail processing centers worldwide, plus the fuel for hundreds of thousands of mail delivery vehicles,
energy is a critical issue for postal agencies in every nation.
US 1/28/09—
The Board of Governors of the USPS® will meet Feb. 3 and 4 in Washington, DC.
The public is welcome to observe the Board’s open session, scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.
US 1/27/09—
Postmaster General Jack Potter will appear before a Senate postal oversight panel tomorrow to testify on the deteriorating financial health of the Postal Service® and what can be done to stabilize the ship.
US 1/26/09—
The U.S. Postal Service® is using leading-edge technologies to support energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction.
These initiatives saved more than $2.25 million in cost avoidance last fiscal year.
US 1/23/09—
An advance copy of the Federal Register notice proposing new mailing standards to support the upcoming May 2009 Mailing Services price change is available on Postal Explorer.
US 1/22/09—
U.S. postal organizations petition Congress in support of postal reform. “We believe that Congress must act, and swiftly. We urge an expeditious consideration of it as soon as possible.”
US 1/21/09—
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been updated.
The current calculation uses CPI data through December and mailing services price adjustments in May will likely reflect CPI data through December.
US 1/20/09—
The PRC has determined today a 3.8 percent increase cap on the average postal class after new economic data was released last Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
US 1/19/09—
The following shipping services have been adjusted: Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, M-bags.
US 1/16/09—
Today the Federal Register published new mailing standards requiring detached address labels (DALs) to be automation-compatible. The new standards are effective March 2.
US 1/15/09—
The UPS Store® and Mail Boxes Etc.® network has expanded to 6,000 locations worldwide, making it the world's largest and fastest-growing shipping and business services outlet.
US 1/14/09—
A new service, FedEx Freight A.M, is offering delivery by 10:30 a.m. backed by a money-back guarantee.
The service is easy to use, economical, and provides customers with streamlined pricing.
US 1/13/09—
If you're looking for a job with the Postal Service™, you might find a website that offers a bunch of them, for a price. Save your money and find the same information on the USPS® website for free.
US 1/12/09—
The USPS® is launching a new, smaller Priority Mail Flat Rate Box, giving customers another choice in packaging to ship anywhere in the US for one price, regardless of weight or destination.
US 1/9/09—
The USPS® will adjust prices for the following shipping services on January 18: Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, M-bags.
US 1/8/09—
UPS is now offering domestic express pickup and delivery services inside 16 additional countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
US 1/7/09—
What if you sent a gift card to someone this holiday and it didn’t make it? The Post Office™ says it happened to a number of people and you have 30 days to identify and claim yours before it gets destroyed.
US 1/6/09—
The spirit of Alaska and its colorful past were celebrated this past weekend when
the U.S. Postal Service® issued the 50th Anniversary Alaska Statehood commemorative stamp in Anchorage, AK.
US 1/5/09—
Across metro Detroit and the nation,
the U.S. Postal Service® plans this month and in February to shift thousands of carriers and delivery times as a cost-saving measure.
US 12/31/08—
The Postal Service™ has released additional details on the voluntary early retirement (VER) offer recently authorized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for some USPS® employees.
US 12/30/08—
What do Lassie, The Tonight Show, Abe Lincoln, Gary Cooper, and Wedding Cakes have in common?
They’re some of the 2009 stamp subjects the U.S. Postal Service® is providing a sneak peek at.
US 12/29/08—
The public is being asked to comment on the new mailing standards for letter-size booklets and folded self-mailers by January 28, 2009.
US 12/24/08—
Early bird registration is now open for National Postal Forum, the mailing industry’s premier trade show and event taking place this May. More than 6,000 industry professionals are expected to attend.
US 12/19/08—
All Post Offices™ nationwide will be open Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24, but most will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon.
Regular mail delivery for Dec. 24 will be unaffected by the change.
US 12/18/08—
E-retailers are continuing to experience problems using online shipping tools from the U.S. Postal Service®, which is reporting “intermittent system interruptions” as the cause for the unavailability of services.
US 12/17/08—
U.S. Postal Service® beefs up their RIBBS Web site to create a resource for business mailers by offering addressing solutions from A to Z.
US 12/16/08—
Normally the busiest time of the year, the U.S. Postal Service® says the pace is down.
In addition to citing the economy, volume has also been hurt by Internet shopping and online outlets that ship directly.
US 12/15/08—
Postal veterans introduce legislation to provide much-needed temporary relief to the U.S. Postal Service®. The legislation would stabilize the financial condition of the USPS® during the current recession.
US 12/12/08—
Online services available on usps.com have been restored. Trouble was first reported at 6 a.m. on Monday, disrupting holiday shipping for businesses and consumers.
US 12/11/08—
Postmaster General John Potter has appointed Jean Picker Firstenberg chairman of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), beginning in January 2009.
US 12/9/08—
DM News consults experts in the direct mail field on four ways to tackle the tough economy using direct mail.
The most important message? Don’t stop communicating with your customers.
US 12/8/08—
The government takes a firm stance on postal employees stealing mail with a zero tolerance policy.
Postal employees stealing or throwing out mail is a felony.
US 12/5/08—
An APWU lawsuit against President George W. Bush and Postmaster General John E. Potter has been dismissed.
The lawsuit sought to compel the appointment of a Postal Advisory Council.
US 12/4/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® is taking its closer business focus modeled on the basics of private industry into the international arena. It could save the USPS® up to $50 million.
US 12/3/08—
Newspaper ad revenue fell almost $2 billion in the third quarter for a record 18.1% decline, according to new statistics from the Newspaper Association of America.
US 12/2/08—
The US Postal Service's long-awaited Move Update requirements officially took effect last week; however, mailers will have about six months to become compliant with the new requirements before facing any fines.
US 12/1/08—
FedEx Corp. is offering solutions to help its customers save time and money as they prepare to ship millions of precious holiday packages this holiday season.
US 11/26/08—
As people across the country celebrated the 11th annual America Recycles Day on Nov. 15,
Earth911.com and the U.S. Postal Service® partnered to share an important message: Don’t take a holiday from recycling.
US 11/25/08—
Businesses, unions, and industry associations asking Congress to grant the U.S. Postal Service® relief from government-mandated retiree health-insurance payments, to help the agency weather the global financial crisis.
US 11/24/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® is vying to fill the void left by the exit of DHL from the U.S. overnight-delivery market, by running ads in major newspapers. Officials want to capture about $300 million of the market.
US 11/21/08—
The APWU has asked Congress to help the agency during the current nationwide financial difficulties by giving legislative relief to its retiree health-insurance liability.
US 11/20/08—
Postmaster Potter announces celebrated entertainer Bob Hope will be immortalized on a First-Class™ commemorative stamp next spring.
The stamp image preview will be on Nov. 24 in New York City.
US 11/19/08—
FedEx Corp. said it will increase standard list rates for FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery by an average of 5.9% starting Jan. 5, not the 6.9% announced in September.
US 11/18/08—
New standards for letter-size catalogs, aka “slim-jims,” could be released by the end of the year, says U.S. Postal Service® spokesperson David Partenheimer.
US 11/17/08—
Postal officials are hinting of another delay in implementing the Intelligent Mail® Barcode, just three months after insisting the key initiative was on schedule.
US 11/14/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® concluded the 2008 fiscal year with a net loss of $2.8 billion, as the national economic slowdown lowered mail volume and the Postal Service bore additional costs.
US 11/13/08—
A news story currently in wide circulation is reporting that the Postal Service® will soon layoff 40,000 employees. This story is not accurate and the Postal Service is not laying off employees.
US 11/12/08—
FedEx welcomes the opportunity to provide services to DHL customers, as DHL exits the U.S. Ground and Express service markets.
US 11/11/08—
UPS today announced an order of 12 electric vehicles from Modec, the manufacturer of the world's first purpose-built zero-emission van. Six vehicles will be introduced into UPS's UK fleet in February 2009.
US 11/10/08—
Deutsche Post AG is poised to announce thousands of job cuts at its DHL Express operations in the United States, as early as today.
The cutbacks could affect between 12,000 and 13,000 jobs.
US 11/7/08—
The UPS Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share on all outstanding Class A and Class B shares.
The dividend is payable Dec. 3, 2008.
US 11/6/08—
The DMM Advisory has made the following updates for the month of November: First-Class Mail® Parcel Definition; Optional Container Preparation for First-Class Mail; Express Mail® Manifesting; and more.
US 11/5/08—
The American DMA is linking up with the China DMA to promote global business development using direct mail.
They will share information, statistics, and trend forecasts on direct mail.
US 11/4/08—
Moving the mail service to a five-day week instead of a six-day week and closing small post offices would yield billions of dollars worth of savings for the U.S. Postal Service®. So why won’t we do it?
US 11/3/08—
The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service® will meet in Washington, DC, at Postal Service Headquarters on Nov. 12-13, 2008. The open session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
US 10/31/08—
U.S. Postal Service® delivers on Consumer Reports next-day mail challenge, beating out competitors FedEx and UPS by offering cheaper next-day mail rates.
US 10/29/08—
"Read, Respond, Recycle” is the banner under which the Postal Service® will reach out to postal customers
with a convenient, environmentally responsible alternative to bringing home or discarding their mail.
US 10/28/08—
To increase the commercial availability and use of alternative fuel vehicles,
UPS has purchased the hydraulic hybrid vehicle—promising dramatic fuel savings and environmental benefits.
US 10/27/08—
Amid declining mail volumes and a slow economy,
the US Postal Service® is eliminating between 220 and 250 jobs at its headquarters.
US 10/24/08—
UPS says their third-quarter profit fell 9.9 percent
and “significant slowing'' in the economy will keep 2008 earnings at the low end of its forecast.
US 10/23/08—
A cutback in postal employees’ hours is impacting mail flow to local business owners. Higher gas prices have been blamed as the biggest factor for the delay in mail deliveries.
US 10/22/08—
Express Mail® packages can be held at Post Offices™ for pickup, giving customers both the peace of mind of secure delivery and the convenience of picking up their packages when it best fits their schedules.
US 10/20/08—
UPS today released new list rates for 2009, including an average increase of 5.9 percent for UPS Ground packages and an average net increase of 4.9 percent on all air express and U.S. origin International shipments.
US 10/17/08—
FedEx is ranked as a top 50 company in the Corporate Social Responsibility Index.
The study is based on a survey of consumer opinions from more than 200 companies.
US 10/16/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® said yesterday it wants to keep providing universal Postal Service™ and to hold onto its monopoly on mail delivery. The PRC must submit a report in December.
US 10/15/08—
The UPS Foundation has announced five grants totaling more than $1 million to support a variety of environmental programs and organizations worldwide.
US 10/14/08—
FedEx Freight has significantly improved its service by offering next-business-day coverage between key Canadian gateway cities and several regions across the U.S.
US 10/13/08—
Will there be layoffs at the U.S. Postal Service®? That’s the buzz among the agency’s 670,000 workers as signs grow that the agency is sliding further into financial trouble.
US 10/10/08—
DMM Advisory has updated their mailing standards with the following changes: Intelligent Mail® tray labels and container placards; Priority Mail® commercial base pricing; Express Mail®
corporate accounts; Parcel Select® markings labeling lists.
US 10/9/08—
US postal workers are being encouraged to give the US Postal Services® marketing department new leads to business in a cooperative effort to try and boost postal revenues.
US 10/8/08—
UPS today announced its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders program. UPS is the first shipping company to join the program.
US 10/7/08—
For anyone with an interest in mail,
“Informing the Dialogue: Facts About Mail and the Environment” is structured around commonly asked questions about the mail and its impact on the environment.
US 10/6/08—
America’s love affair with fast and flashy automobiles takes center stage on U.S. postage stamps
with the issuance of the America on the Move: 50s Fins and Chrome stamps.
US 10/3/08—
Never before has the U.S. Postal Service® laid off workers.
However, with postage increases not able to cover the massive USPS® deficit of 2008, it’s the next step for a solution.
US 10/2/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® has released Vision 2013, its new five-year strategic plan that balances near-term priorities with long-term needs to adapt to changing customer needs.
US 10/1/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® “unplugs,” as Postmaster Potter kicks off a year-long conservation campaign within the USPS® intended to increase awareness and create results for energy conservation.
US 9/30/08—
Filling in the Gaps: What the FSO Didn’t Tell Us.
Alan Robinson follows up on public information that was left behind at the conclusion of the Board of Governor’s meeting last week.
US 9/29/08—
FedEx is raising express shipping rates, effective January 5, 2009.
Also, effective March 2 of next year, FedEx First Overnight service will be available from Hawaii and Alaska.
US 9/25/08—
The USPS® Board of Governors reports in its press release that it expects to end the current fiscal year with a volume decline of nine billion pieces. The end-of-year financial results will be released in November.
US 9/24/08—
The USPS® will announce a $2.5 billion dollar yearly loss tomorrow, ABCNews.com has learned. However, no further increase in the cost of First Class® stamps will be considered until May 2009.
US 9/23/08—
PMG Potter tells employee organizations that the USPS® financial condition is poor and action by Congress needed. Specific plans were not discussed at the meeting.
US 9/22/08—
With more than 31 million ballots expected to be mailed this fall,
the U.S. Postal Service® is encouraging voters to “mail early” this election season.
US 9/19/08—
New marking requirements for Parcel Select® packages will begin on Oct. 9. An advanced copy of appropriate shipping marking requirements are available at the Federal Register now.
US 9/18/08—
Postmaster General John E. Potter has challenged the mailing industry, cautioning mailers about the severity of the current economic climate and urging them to create new growth opportunities.
US 9/17/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® reported a net loss of about $960 million in August.
That brings the year to date deficit to $2.3 billion with one month left in the fiscal year.
US 9/16/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® has redesigned its Web site to make it simpler and easier to navigate.
The new site, designed to improve customers' ease of use, was launched today.
US 9/15/08—
Postmaster General Jack Potter has announced the appointment of Jim Cochrane as Vice President of Ground Shipping and Mitzi Betman as Vice President of Corporate Communications.
US 9/12/08—
FedEx has been named as a finalist for a Corporate Citizenship Award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center, in the category of International Community Service.
US 9/11/08—
UPS says its plan to take over U.S. air shipments for Plantation-based DHL Express will preserve competition and 40,000 U.S. jobs. UPS is trying to blunt criticism from Ohio lawmakers and labor-union leaders.
US 9/10/08—
The DMA will be hosting a virtual seminar on the November 23 Move Update and Standard Mail® tomorrow, Sept. 11 at 2pm EST. Register today for a briefing on these standards and the opportunity to ask questions.
US 9/9/08—
Two animated characters are now ready to head back to school with postal employees
to help teachers spread the word that injuries and death can result when children get too close to delivery vehicles.
US 9/8/08—
New proposed changes to the US Postal Service's Move Update program would require businesses to update their bulk-mailing lists every 95 days, instead of the current 185 days.
US 9/5/08—
UPS decides to boost customer demand by loaning money to small businesses. Cargo Finance will be unveiled on Sept. 9, aimed at helping small business customers that need funds to keep their product orders flowing.
US 9/4/08—
Check out the new Flats Sequencing Strategy Web page. You’ll find all the presentations, resources, and FAQs related to the flats vision and the new Flats Sequencing System (FSS).
US 9/3/08—
Effective September 11,
postage payment for all BPM mailings — carrier route, presorted, and non-presorted (single-piece) flats and parcels, regardless of volume — will be limited to permit imprint.
US 9/2/08—
The Postal Service™ offer of "Free ACS" to users of Full Service IMB has the potential to be the most important initiative in the long standing USPS®
efforts to reduce the UAA volumes in the system.
US 8/29/08—
OPM approves early outs for letter carriers! NALC President William H. Young said details of an early retirement agreement are being worked out and will be released once finalized.
US 8/28/08—
The U.S. Department of Transportation has rejected Ohio's request that the department block DHL's plan to hire United Parcel Service
to handle DHL's domestic air cargo sorting and flying.
US 8/27/08—
Today the Federal Register published their proposal for detached address labels (DALs) accompanying saturation mailings of Periodicals or Standard Mail® flats.
Comments welcome before September 26.
US 8/26/08—
The PRC has proposed reworking the way the U.S. Postal Service® reports financial information to Congress. The Commission will accept comments on these proposals until Oct. 16 and reply comments until Nov. 15.
US 8/25/08—
A Q&A interview with USPS® Sustainability VP Sam Pulcrano, on the challenge of sustainable postal operations.
US 8/22/08—
The USPS® has published its final rules for Implementation of New Standards for Intelligent Mail® barcodes in the Federal Register.
The final rule is effective May 11, 2009.
US 8/21/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® loses $216 million for the month of July. As a result, effective immediately, all field non-bargaining position postings are frozen.
US 8/20/08—
Airline travelers might consider shipping extra luggage via the USPS® instead of paying high prices now being charged by the airlines for checked bags. Ship items using Click-N-Ship at usps.com.
US 8/19/08—
The Federal Register has published new standards, effective Oct. 1, making Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit a new method of payment for Express Mail® Corporate Account customers.
US 8/18/08—
The US Postal Service® has published an advanced copy of its new mailing standards for Intelligent Mail® barcodes (IMBs) in the Federal Register.
US 8/15/08—
The planned $10 billion outsourcing deal between UPS and DHL Worldwide Express Inc. will face congressional scrutiny at a hearing on Sept. 16.
Two U.S. senators asked federal regulators to examine the proposed agreement.
US 8/14/08—
FedEx Ground recognized three small business owners Saturday with the “Ground Entrepreneur of the Year,” the company's highest honors for independent contractors, established in 2007.
US 8/13/08—
The Direct Marketing Association has announced its 2008 Hall of Fame inductees.
They will be inducted during the DMA08 show in Las Vegas at an October 14 luncheon.
US 8/11/08—
In response to concerns from the mailing community,
the U.S. Postal Service® will support an additional price incentive for mailers who adopt the full service Intelligent Mail® barcode option.
US 8/8/08—
The U.S. Postal Service®
will be ready for mail bearing Intelligent Mail® barcodes next May as planned. There are no pricing decisions at this time.
US 8/7/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® ended its third fiscal year quarter with a greater-than-expected net loss of $1.1 billion. The fiscal 2008 year-to-date net loss totals $1.13 billion.
US 8/6/08—
The July/August MailPro is available in HTML and PDF. You’ll find informative articles on election mail, greening the mail, the new Flats Sequencing System, Move Update, and National PCC Day.
US 8/5/08—
The House of Representatives has passed legislation enabling
Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employees to credit their unused sick leave towards retirement.
US 8/4/08—
Cost-cutting efforts cannot happen fast enough to counter the decline in revenue for the USPS®, after third quarter results predict bleak outlook for the organization.
US 7/31/08—
The USPS® wants to exempt its competitive products from the universal service obligation. Doing so would allow it to cut back on offerings in sparsely populated areas where business is thin.
US 7/30/08—
The PRC may rule in August on the dispute between Capital One Services Inc. and the U.S. Postal Service®, regarding the issuance of a contract between the USPS®
and the mailer.
US 7/29/08—
A Q&A with newly appointed PRC Commissioner, Nanci Langley. Langley discusses her challenges and goals for the upcoming year.
US 7/28/08—
PostCom reports the U.S. Postal Service® intends to delay the mandatory implementation of its IMB until Nov. 2009. This is six months later than originally intended.
US 7/25/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® explores options for a ‘Green’ delivery fleet. Fuel costs for 2007 were $1.7 billion and are expected to increase this year by $600 million.
US 7/24/08—
U.S. Postal Service® delivers a record-breaking performance for the delivery of First-Class Mail® during the third quarter of fiscal year 2008.
US 7/23/08—
UPS, the world's largest package-delivery company, said second-quarter profit fell 21%, as fuel costs rose and the cooling economy slowed domestic shipments.
US 7/22/08—
The Postal Service® and the District of Columbia will hold a hearing on July 24, entitled, “The Three R’s of the Postal Network Plan: Realignment, Right-Sizing, and Responsiveness.”
US 7/21/08—
Postmaster Potter names Pritha Mehra vice president of Business Mail Entry and Payment Technologies, and Maura Robinson vice president of Pricing. Both women are veteran Postal Service®
executives.
US 7/18/08—
USPS®
releases details of voluntary early retirement offer. Employees in clerk, mail handler, supervisor of distribution operations, and supervisor of customer services positions, are all eligible.
US 7/17/08—
The USPS® has selected NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) as the exclusive provider of retail point-of-service (POS) hardware
for thousands of postal counters across the United States.
US 7/16/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® issues the Vintage Black Cinema stamps today. The stamps highlight various facets of the African-American cultural experience as represented in early films.
US 7/14/08—
After years of managing volume, the U.S. Postal Service® wants to instead manage mail quality. The outcome may be a smaller amount of relevant delivered mail.
US 7/11/08—
The Federal Register announces the July DMM revisions and displays an advance copy of the "waiver of signature" proposal. Updates can be viewed on the Postal Explorer Web site.
US 7/10/08—
APWU meets with the USPS® to discuss USPS’s plans to offer early-retirement opportunities to 40,000 employees. Federal agencies must receive approval from OPM to offer VER opportunities to their employees.
US 7/9/08—
Photo messaging has risen 60% in the U.S. over the last year, as
the camera phone for many vacationers replaces the postcard once sent to friends and family.
US 7/8/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® has requested the authority to offer early retirement to 40,000 postal employees from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Specifics will be available after full discussions.
US 7/3/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® announces major organizational changes designed to make the agency more competitive and responsive to its customers' needs.
US 7/2/08—
Robert F. Bernstock has been named the president of a newly integrated product-focused Postal Service division, Shipping and Mailing Services.
7/1/08—
A must-read for all mailers! More breaking news and information from industry pros at MFSA on the impending new NCOALink® standards effective this November and the Intelligent Mail® barcode already in use. These articles have been added to our existing
White Papers.
US 7/1/08—
In a dramatic realignment of several of its core functions,
the Postal Service® is set to capitalize on new competitive opportunities and significantly enhance the vision of its customer outreach.
US 6/30/08—
Steven Hatfill accepts a settlement offer of $5.82 million upon his claim that the Justice Department and the FBI invaded his privacy and ruined his career. The former Army scientist was the prime suspect in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings.
US 6/27/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® has submitted to Congress its Network Plan
which describes planned changes to the mail processing, transportation, and retail network.
US 6/26/08—
FedEx Trade Networks Inc. opens New West Coast Gateways to support ocean-ground distribution service.
The alternative shipping method enables customers to move cargo from Asia to multiple U.S. destinations in one seamless process.
US 6/25/08—
The Postal Service® issues a 30-second PSA cartoon to warn young children to stay away from postal delivery vehicles. The safety campaign targets pre-kindergarten through second-grade school children.
US 6/24/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® has submitted its network plan, which outlines the agency's initiatives to produce better and more efficient operations and customer service.
US 6/23/08—
USPS® has launched new, legal-sized Express Mail® and Priority Mail® envelopes, available to customers free of charge. Attorneys, financial professionals, real estate agents and other mailers will be benefiting.
US 6/20/08—
The USPS®
submits a network plan to Congress. Key points include continuation of AMC closures, more plant consolidations, outsourcing BMC network, alternative retail options.
US 6/19/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® is the title sponsor of eBay Live! 2008.
Through a series of workshops, labs and presentations, attendees discover new strategies, share business solutions, and network with other online sellers.
US 6/18/08—
The USPS® will issue the Olympic Games commemorative stamp on June 19 during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Gymnastics. The stamp is being issued to coincide with the games of the XXIX Olympiad.
US 6/17/08—
Nanci Langley is sworn in as commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today. She will serve the remainder of a six-year term, which will expire on November 22, 2012.
US 6/16/08—
Do-it-yourself Post Office™ proves popular in Fishers, Indiana. The self-service facility is the first of its kind in the state, and one of a few in the United States.
US 6/13/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® has published revised mailing standards in the Federal Register, requiring mailers to place presort bundles on pallets with the addresses facing up. The revised standards go into effect on September 11.
US 6/12/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® will mark the annual observance of Flag Day tomorrow, with the launch of a three-year multi-stamp series honoring the state’s standards called “Flags of Our Nation.”
US 6/11/08—
The Approved Shipper Program enables the U.S. Postal Service® to compete in the retail package market, while providing customers with alternate access to postal products and services.
US 6/10/08—
The Environmental Protection Agency is planning the next frontier, by putting energy reduction efforts all together under one umbrella, to create a greenhouse gas management strategy.
US 6/9/08—
DHL deals with the fallout of it’s proposed plan to no longer use air carriers ABX and ASTAR. The two air carriers stand to lose as many as 8,200 jobs, angering the APWU and other lawmakers.
US 6/6/08—
The U.S. Postal Service’s international mail facility in Chicago has earned its second consecutive Certificate of Excellence award from an international organization dedicated to improving global postal services.
US 6/5/08—
UPS has expanded their On-Time Performance Reliability Guarantee at no additional cost, to shipments moving in both directions across the Canada-U.S. border.
US 6/4/08—
FedEx Corp., the largest air-cargo shipper, will record a cost of $696 million to rename the Kinko's unit as FedEx Office to win more large business customers.
US 6/3/08—
The PRC has recommended approval of a proposal allowing Life Line Screening service providers to earn discounts for Standard Mail® letter volumes that exceed specific volume thresholds.
US 6/2/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® is offering greener choices, and an easy, online resource for consumers to make environmentally friendly decisions about their mail.
US 5/30/08—
UPS will work with DHL Express U.S. to provide transportation in its air network for all of DHL's express, deferred, and international package volume within the United States.
US 5/29/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® announces international delivery company DHL will provide exclusive delivery services to the Postal Service™ for “last-mile” in certain locations.
US 5/28/08—
DHL U.S. Express will redesign their network to better match capacity with customer requirements and partner with UPS for airlift capacity on domestic and international Express products in North America.
US 5/27/08—
Heart to Heart International and FedEx Express join forces to deliver relief supplies to Sichuan Province, hit by a major earthquake on May 12.
US 5/23/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® plans to redesign its direct mail Web site to make it more relevant to small business owners. The site will be organized to help small businesses with their direct mail campaigns.
US 5/22/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® reinforces their commitment to a greener future by naming the first vice president of sustainability, at National Postal Forum.
US 5/20/08—
Postmaster General John Potter told more than 3,000 people attending the National Postal Forum today, to
look beyond the current economic downturn and continue to transition mail into the 21st Century.
US 5/19/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® celebrated the 150th birthday of Minnesota’s statehood on May 17, with the issuance of the Minnesota Statehood Stamp.
US 5/16/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® will release three new love and wedding-themed stamps on June 10. The stamps will be available in denominations of 42 and 59 cents.
US 5/15/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® launches National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 18-24.
Dog owners are being asked to keep their dogs inside rooms of their house, when accepting mail from their letter carriers at their door.
US 5/13/08—
UPS® freight accelerates shipping for customers in 11 states.
The latest enhancements follow the 8,000+ lanes that were improved nationwide by the company in 2007.
US 5/12/08—
As postage rates rise to 42 cents today, bulk mailers enjoy an increase in business, as more and more companies pay to have their mail prepared for them.
US 5/7/08—
Despite cost-cutting measures,
the U.S. Postal Service® ended the second quarter with a net loss of $707 million, driven by a continued decline in mail volume, resulting from the current national economic climate.
US 5/6/08—
The UPS is selected to ship priceless artifacts from Shanghai to California. The artifacts will tour museums in cities across the US over the next two years.
US 5/5/08—
Beginning May 12,
the U.S. Postal Service®
will launch new prices for its expedited mail products: Express Mail and Priority Mail. Customers will save an average of 3.25 percent in shipping costs.
US 5/2/08—
Five U.S. Postal Service® environmental initiatives win White House environmental awards. The awards will be presented at a White House ceremony this summer.
US 5/1/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® salutes the world’s oldest military decoration by re-issuing the Purple Heart stamp. This is the fourth re-issuance, which has received overwhelming public support.
US 4/30/08—
The 2008 National Postal Forum uses “extreme performance,” as the theme for this year’s workshops. Four in-depth symposiums will be held May 18-21 at the Anaheim, CA, Convention Center.
US 4/28/08—
Demand for Forever Stamps have increased at a rate of about 30 million per day, bringing the amount sold to more than 6 billion since their April 2007 debut.
US 4/25/08—
USPS® releases final rule for Addressing Flats and Proposal for IM barcodes .
US 4/24/08—
The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service®
will meet in Washington, DC, on May 6-7, 2008. The Board’s open to the public session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on May 7.
US 4/23/08—
Falling shipments at United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. show the economy is in a recession and unlikely to rebound this year. The companies deliver 80 percent of packages in the U.S.
US 4/22/08—
The PRC invites public comment on universal Postal Service™ and the postal monopoly in the United States. All comments will be available for review on the Commission’s website.
US 4/18/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Flags 24/7 stamps today at 42 cents. The four first-class stamps feature a painting of an American flag flying at sunrise, noon, sunset, and night.
US 4/16/08—
The DMA announces Charles A. Prescott will stand for re-election to a four-year term as chairman of the Consultative Committee of the Universal Postal Union. Prescott joined the DMA in 1999 as international vice president.
International 4/15/08—
New Zealand Post launches “Mail Hold,” a new online service for household customers who want their mail held while they’re away from home for an extended period.
US 4/15/08—
Talks between Deutsche Post and FedEx on a strategic partnership in the U.S. express market have collapsed. The German mail services company was hoping to boost its sales in the U.S. through the partnership.
International 4/11/08—
TNT Post offers a structural wage increase of 3 percent to trade unions, after a one year contract negotiation. The trade unions have nonetheless rejected the offer and have announced actions.
US 4/10/08—
United Airlines and FedEx fund an aircraft to deliver sight-saving expertise, blindness prevention, and treatment to developing nations for years to come. The $2 million donation is being funded equally by United and FedEx.
US 4/9/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® grants scholarship awards for postal history undertakings. The awards are intended for scholarship on any topic on the history of the U.S. postal system, from the colonial period, to the present.
US 4/7/08—
The premier privacy trust study in America has
named the U.S. Postal Service® the “Most Trusted Government Agency” for the fourth year in a row. The survey polled 9,000 Americans selected at random.
US 4/2/08—
The Postal Board of Governors have approved funding to purchase technology to postmark and sort letters faster. The new machines will replace existing sorters operating on 1980’s technology.
US 3/28/08—
UPS announces the deployment of 167 Compressed Natural Gas delivery vehicles in Texas, Georgia, and California.
The CNG vehicles are part of UPS’s global alternative fleet.
US 3/27/08—
A recent report warns the use of direct mail may diminish as a result of rising postage costs and declining response rates, unless the medium is made more efficient.
US 3/26/08—
The USPS® moves to improve address quality for the mailing industry. A new data file will identify “vacant” addresses when used in combination with address matching software.
US 3/25/08—
PRC has recorded serious questions regarding the Postal Service’s methods of collecting data. The data is used as a basis for determining workshare discounts.
US 3/21/08—
The USPS® donates postal equipment to Liberia, scheduled to arrive March 25. The donation is to help the nation rebuild after its devastating civil war.
US 3/20/08—
The USPS® urges customers to take advantage of Express Mail® the only shipping service that delivers seven days a week. Easter gifts sent on Saturday, March 22, will arrive on Easter day.
US 3/17/08—
The USPS® uses St. Patrick’s Day to debut their “Mail Back” program, asking consumers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them for free.
US 3/14/08—
Through March 31, the USPS® is offering free cards to customers—postage included—to mail to a friend for free. The publicity stunt is to encourage letter writing.
US 3/13/08—
UPS has agreed to acquire Romanian Trans Courier Service SRL, and will take 100% ownership of the company. The transaction is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2008.
US 3/12/08—
Beginning May 12,
shippers using Express Mail®, Priority Mail® and certain parcel services through the USPS® will be able to get discounts for large and medium volume contracts.
US 3/11/08—
The USPS® will announce major shipping news today, at 2pm EST. The live broadcast will share new pricing strategies to compete in the shipping business.
US 3/10/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® hosts “USPS.com Week” through March 14. The products and service highlighted will show customers that anything done in the Post Office™ can also be done online.
US 3/4/08—
USPS® feels the impact of the economic recession as mail volume declines by 3%, resulting in $523 million less in revenue than anticipated. Operating costs will be trimmed by $1 billion to address the issue.
US 3/3/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® announced it will delay the date of implementation for the Intelligent Mail® barcode from January 2008 to May 2009.
US 2/29/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® will host an awareness event on ID theft on Monday, March 3 in Washington D.C. The event kicks off National Consumer Protection Week.
US 2/27/08—
Ross Philo has been named executive vice president and chief information officer of the U. S. Postal Service®. Philo is an international leader recognized for enabling business transformation through innovative IT solutions.
US 2/26/08—
The U.S. Postal Service®
undercharged such countries as China, India and Canada by millions of dollars, due to errors in processing mail at John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport in New York.
2/25/08—
UPS accelerates ground shipments for customers in eight states,
with deliveries guaranteed in two business days instead of four.
US 2/22/08—
The Postal Service® now offers customers three different boxes for larger shipments, all with a flat-rate price of $12.95 to any U.S. address beginning March 3.
US 2/21/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® approves the first reusable envelope, created by ecoEnvelopes. Reusable envelopes could save energy, water and forest resources, as well as cut carbon emissions.
US 2/20/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® collaborates with HBO to promote letter writing in a last ditch effort to stem the decline in First-Class Mail®.
The advertising campaign is receiving mixed reviews from experts.
US 2/19/08—
Every household in America will receive a letter in the mail this week from the U.S. Postal Service® advising on how to prevent identity theft, one of America’s fastest growing crimes.
US 2/18/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® will have five billion “Forever” stamps in stock to meet increased demand before the May 12 price change.
The Forever Stamp™ was created in April 2007 to lock in the price of a First-Class™ stamp.
US 2/15/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® is offering discounts to the National Postal Forum in Anaheim, CA, this May. Early birds who register before Feb. 29 will save $900.
US 2/14/08—
The U.S. Postal Service® held two public seminars
on identity theft, after an increase in phony money orders
and fake checks. Plenty of reading material and tips
on how to prevent identity theft were available.
2/13/08—
The DMA will host a virtual seminar on February 29 from 1-2:30pm (EST), to brief its members on the effects of the May 2008 postal increases.
Late Breaking News! 2/11/08-
The U.S. Postal Service® has announced that it will implement new rates effective May 12, as was anticipated in last week’s issue of Postal Points.
Read the full article for price increase details.
US 2/8/08-
U.S. Postal Service® offers a new, flat-rate box at a discounted price for military members serving abroad. The offer will go into effect on March 3, but customers can start placing orders as early as Feb 20th.
2/7/08-
Valentine’s Day is one week from today! For those who wait until the last minute to mail gifts—you’re in luck! Express Mail® service provided by the USPS® is the only overnight delivery with no hidden surcharges.
International 2/6/08-
Royal Mail loses its appeal against the £9.62 million financial penalty imposed by Postcomm. The Court of Appeal upheld the August 24, 2006 ruling on Royal Mail for failing to adequately protect the mail in its care.
US 2/6/08-
The U.S. Postal Service® achieves positive net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2008, despite a total volume drop of 3 percent.
Economic downturn is the main factor being blamed for the volume decline.
2/5/08-
DHL signs a 5-year, $80 million agreement with Avendra, the
hospitality industry’s leading procurement services company.
The agreement will provide reliable, cost effective shipping
solutions for Avendra’s customers.2/4/08-
Maryland proposes a statewide consumer protection bill against free papers. The proposed House Bill 357 comes after publishers failed to comply with consumer complaints to stop receiving deliveries.
International 2/1/08-
The European Parliament adopts the new Postal Directive, giving its final political approval to EU postal reform. This opens the EU postal markets to full competition.
US 2/1/08-
Philadelphia attorney Alan Kessler is elected chairman of the Postal Service® Board of Governors and
Charles W. Chesnutt is immortalized as part of the Black Heritage commemorative stamp series.
1/31/08-
The U.S. Postal Service® announces mail volume down 3.0 percent for the first quarter of fiscal 2008. Declining mail volume is attributed to “disturbing trends” in the overall U.S. economy.
1/30/08-
Korea’s state-run post office will invest 175.4 billion won (US $185.5 million) in 2008 to improve its mailing system. The majority of the money will go toward system maintenance.
1/29/08-
The Postal Service®
announces Premium Forwarding Service (PFS) is now a permanent offering. For residents constantly on the move, mail is reshipped to them once a week for a fee.
1/28/08-
The U.S. Postal Service® reports a $5.1 billion loss for the fiscal year of 2007.
The loss is largely attributed to the impact of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006.
1/25/08-
2007 was the fastest growing year of China’s postal industry, with revenue up 16 percent. China hopes to have every village in the country with access to postal services by the end of 2008.
1/24/08-
Swiss Post International (SPI) has acquired the Swedish letters processing company IMS Europe AB. The takeover positions SPI as a key provider in the Swedish postal market, as they continue to expand.
1/23/08-
PostNet partners with the Canada Post by offering a complete selection of shipping services in their stores. No other business center in the country offers the new all-in-one service.
1/21/08-
The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service® will meet in Washington, DC, Jan.29-30, to discuss a variety of items. The meeting is open to the public.
1/18/08-
The USPS® announces two new shipping initiatives to grow its shipping business and revenue.
This is the first postal action taken under the new pricing regulations.
1/17/08-
The FTC reveals that legal constraints put the USPS® at a economic disadvantage, according to a report mandated by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.
1/16/08-
Effective January 14, the USPS® now charges the First-Class Mail® International rate to recover the cost of handling undeliverable-as-addressed items posted from abroad with a US return address.
1/10/08-
UPS plans to borrow $10 billion dollars to buy back stock to help fund expansion. The Atlanta-based company is currently $3 billion dollars in debt.
1/9/08-
Based on feedback from customers,
the DMA has updated its online DMAChoice service. Taking effect immediately, changes include elimination of the $1 verification fee and opting out of mailing lists by brand.
1/8/08-
In observance of the Chinese New Year, the U.S. Postal Service® will debut a new stamp series for the 12 different animals in the Chinese calendar.
The series will continue through 2019.
1/7/08-
The DMA is now accepting nominations for its 2009 board of directors. The deadline for nominations is February 22.
1/03/08-
PRC seeks feedback on USPS® annual compliance report for the fiscal year 2007. Comments are due by January 30, while reply comments are due on February 13.
1/02/08-
DMA updates its Mailing Preference Service (MPS) to better help consumers choose how and when they receive direct mail. The MPS revision is the DMA’s first step in 2008 to fight against the do-not-mail legislation.
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