Talk:United States Postal Service

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Proposing Delivering for America subsection[edit]

Hello! I'm back on this Talk page to propose an all-new Delivering for America subsection. There's currently nothing in the article about DFA, a 10-year reform plan launched in March 2021. It includes a $40 billion capital investment and rather significant changes to USPS's operations, so I thought it might be worth covering at some length. I've put together a draft for this section and uploaded it to my user page. Link here.

Obviously, editors should closely review the text and the references, but just to give people a sense of what's included, I'll briefly summarize what the draft covers:

  • Launch of program and USPS's stated intentions
  • $40 billion capital investment
  • New expedited parcel delivery services
  • Expansion of USPS parcel-sorting capacity under DFA plan
  • Planned construction of 60 large regional processing and distribution centers
  • Budget deficit reduction through postage rate increases, operational reforms, and passage of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022
  • Measures USPS has taken to reduce employee turnover and stabilize its career workforce

I think this subsection would fit well at the bottom of the Operation and budget section, below the Coronavirus pandemic and voting by mail subsection. I've done my best to use solid sourcing and organize the information coherently, but as ever, I'm open to independent editor feedback. Happy to refine a passage, track down better sourcing, clarify language, etc. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 18:12, 6 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Jonathan. It's a bit large and seems to include some unnecessary info that might not be considered WP:DUE....
"In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency. The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities.
As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service introduced the USPS Connect offering in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023. Together, these offerings have expanded expedited parcel shipping options for the agency's customers. Between Delivering for America's inception and September 2023, USPS installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities. As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day, up from 53 million in 2021, and 60 million in 2022.
USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities. The first of these new facilities is a million-square foot building in Atlanta that, as of March 2023, is under construction.
In May 2023, the Postal Service announced that its Delivering for America initiatives had cut the agency's projected losses through 2031 from $160 billion to $70 billion. Losses are projected to go down due to postage rate increases, improved operational efficiency from the consolidation of its delivery network, and the passage Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which lifted financial burdens placed on the Postal Service by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.
Under the Delivering for America plan, USPS has focused on reducing employee turnover. The Postal Service has also sought to reduce its reliance on seasonal employees by stabilizing the size of its career workforce. Between October 2020 and September 2023, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees."
I would suggest a shorter version, removing the parts in bold and restructuring a bit, in order to gather more support for this change. I would also use some attributions to avoid violating WP:VOICE. Cheers. DN (talk) 22:03, 6 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I would add that when there is a request to add text to an article, that text needs to be posted verbatim on the article's talk page. COI edit requests should exist on the talk page as a permanent record of what has been requested to be added or deleted. Placing the requested text in a draft page that the COI editor ultimately controls does not satisfy this guideline. The only permanent record we have of the above request is a portion of the proposed text added by the reviewing editor as part of their review. Other than that, it is anybody's guess what is being proposed here, should the COI editor decide (however unlikely that may be) to delete their draft — an action which, because they control that draftspace — is something that remains in the realm of possibility.[a] Concerns about the length of the the additions and heading formatting are easily handled with {{collapse}} and {{fake heading}} templates.

Notes

  1. ^ Editors have control over pages they create, and may request that their pages be deleted. Deleting the page would remove (for non-admins) any diff records of the text that was placed there.
Regards,  Spintendo  19:00, 11 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Hey, DN! Thanks so much for the helpful feedback. I've taken your suggestions into account and reworked the section. Per another editor's feedback above, I'll put both my initial and the revised versions of the section draft here:
Delivering for America (initial version)

In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency.[1][2] The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities.[3]

As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service introduced the USPS Connect offering in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023.[4][5] Together, these offerings have expanded expedited parcel shipping options for the agency's customers.[5][6] Between Delivering for America's inception and September 2023, USPS installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities.[3] As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day,[3] up from 53 million in 2021,[7] and 60 million in 2022.[8]

USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities.[9][10] The first of these new facilities is a million-square foot building in Atlanta that, as of March 2023, is under construction.[11]

In May 2023, the Postal Service announced that its Delivering for America initiatives had cut the agency's projected losses through 2031 from $160 billion to $70 billion.[8] Losses are projected to go down due to postage rate increases,[8] improved operational efficiency from the consolidation of its delivery network,[12][13] and the passage Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which lifted financial burdens placed on the Postal Service by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.[11][14]

Under the Delivering for America plan, USPS has focused on reducing employee turnover.[15] The Postal Service has also sought to reduce its reliance on seasonal employees by stabilizing the size of its career workforce. Between October 2020 and September 2023, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees.[3][16]

References

  1. ^ Coleman, Kali (January 18, 2023). "USPS Is Making Even More Changes to Your Mail, as of Sunday". Yahoo. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  2. ^ Wilkerson, Rachel (March 24, 2021). "United States Postal Service to implement changes". WPMI. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Baker, Elizabeth (September 20, 2023). "USPS to hire 10,000 seasonal employees to prepare for the holidays". Parcel & Postal Technology International. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Jones, Erica (April 12, 2022). "U.S. Postal Service rolls out USPS Connect in Georgia". Dawson County News. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Baker, Elizabeth (July 19, 2023). "USPS launches Ground Advantage shipping offering". Parcel And Postal Technology International. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Baker, Elizabeth (April 14, 2022). "USPS issues progress report on 10-year plan". Parcel & Postal Technology International. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Frantz, Gary (November 1, 2022). "Shippers back in the driver's seat as parcel market growth softens". DC Velocity. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Shepardson, David (April 27, 2023). "U.S. Postal Service shrinks forecast losses as it raises prices". Reuters. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Katz, Eric (July 5, 2022). "This Is Where USPS Is Building Out Its First Mega-Centers This Year". Government Executive. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  10. ^ Katz, Eric (August 1, 2023). "USPS faces bipartisan pushback as it ramps up consolidation efforts". Government Executive. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Cortelessa, Eric (March 16, 2023). "Louis DeJoy's Surprising Second Act". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Heckman, Jory (April 27, 2023). "USPS vows no layoffs in its ongoing network consolidation effort". Federal News Network. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  13. ^ Bogage, Jacob (November 25, 2022). "Biden's zero-emission government fleet starts with USPS". Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  14. ^ Maloney, Carolyn B. (2022-02-10). "H.R.3076 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Postal Service Reform Act of 2022". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  15. ^ Heckman, Jory (September 13, 2023). "USPS trying to keep 'job-hopping' new hires to stay for longer term". Federal News Network. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  16. ^ Heckman, Jory (September 19, 2023). "USPS ends peak holiday surcharge as it cuts year-end demand for temporary hires". Federal News Network. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
Delivering for America (revised version)

In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency.[1][2] The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities.[3]

In April 2022, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 was signed into law.[4] The bill was described by the Washington Post as a "key component of DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the Postal Service to avert a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade".[5] It lifted financial burdens placed on the USPS by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.[6]

As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service has introduced two new parcel shipping offerings: USPS Connect in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023.[7][8] It has also installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities.[3] As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day,[3] up from 53 million in 2021,[9] and 60 million in 2022.[10]

The USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities.[11] In an effort to stabilize its workforce, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees between October 2020 and September 2023.[3][12]

References

  1. ^ Coleman, Kali (January 18, 2023). "USPS Is Making Even More Changes to Your Mail, as of Sunday". Yahoo. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  2. ^ Wilkerson, Rachel (March 24, 2021). "United States Postal Service to implement changes". WPMI. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Baker, Elizabeth (September 20, 2023). "USPS to hire 10,000 seasonal employees to prepare for the holidays". Parcel & Postal Technology International. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Cortelessa, Eric (March 16, 2023). "Louis DeJoy's Surprising Second Act". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  5. ^ Bogage, Jacob (April 8, 2022). "DeJoy is poised to remake a resurgent USPS. Now comes the hard part". Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2023. The bill is a key component of DeJoy's 10-year plan for the Postal Service to avert a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade.
  6. ^ Lee, Ella (April 6, 2022). "USPS gets a financial overhaul: Here's what we know about the Postal Service Reform Act". USA Today. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Jones, Erica (April 12, 2022). "U.S. Postal Service rolls out USPS Connect in Georgia". Dawson County News. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Baker, Elizabeth (July 19, 2023). "USPS launches Ground Advantage shipping offering". Parcel And Postal Technology International. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Frantz, Gary (November 1, 2022). "Shippers back in the driver's seat as parcel market growth softens". DC Velocity. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  10. ^ Shepardson, David (April 27, 2023). "U.S. Postal Service shrinks forecast losses as it raises prices". Reuters. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Katz, Eric (July 5, 2022). "This Is Where USPS Is Building Out Its First Mega-Centers This Year". Government Executive. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Heckman, Jory (September 19, 2023). "USPS ends peak holiday surcharge as it cuts year-end demand for temporary hires". Federal News Network. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
As you can see, I cut most of what you suggested. I see your point about the initial version being a little bit gratuitous. Two notes on specific changes:
  • Per your attribution suggestion, I added a quote from a Washington Post article describing the Postal Service Reform Act as an important part of the DFA plan
  • I condensed the passage on the Postal Service stabilizing its workforce. I realize my first crack at describing it was too long, but 150,000 part-time workers being moved into full-time positions feels significant enough to include. USPS employs about half a million people, so 150k is a large percentage of its workforce. I'll defer to you, since you're the indepedent editor, but I'm just asking that you reconsider the inclusion of that fact.
I'll now step aside and let DN, or any other independent editors, judge the revised draft. I hope what I've put together now fits the site's content guidelines, but if further changes need to be discussed, I'm available. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 19:56, 12 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Without discussion of the negative aspects and criticism of DFA by postal unions, members of Congress, etc., this is irredeemably biased. --James (talk/contribs) 20:19, 12 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
If you want to discuss negative aspects and criticisms, or add them, you are free to do so, but I think you may be expecting too much from a COI editor, to do it for you. Cheers. DN (talk) 21:45, 12 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Complying with basic, fundamental precepts such as NPOV is not "expecting too much". It is expecting the bare minimum.--James (talk/contribs) 01:05, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
How is this violating NPOV? DN (talk) 02:33, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Are you familiar with WP:COINOTBIAS? DN (talk) 02:41, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting that you would go to that. I never said anything about conflict of interest. In fact, I would respond in the exact same way to an editor without a declared conflict of interest: Without discussion of the negative aspects, failures, and criticism of DFA by postal advocates, unions, commercial mailers, members of Congress, etc, such as the plan's inaccurate revenue forecasts, rate increases, lower mail volume, lack of profit, layoffs, lower QoL for postal employees, and postal facility closures, the proposed text is irredeemably biased. And if we're going to play the acronym game: WP:UNDUE, WP:NOTPROMO, WP:SYNTH, WP:COVERT, WP:PAYTALK, WP:COIRESPONSE, WP:COIPOLITICAL, see also WP:BOOSTER, WP:PAIDATTRIBUTE, WP:CPP.--James (talk/contribs) 13:24, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not here to "play a game". I simply asked you some genuine and fair questions without insinuation. Please do not assume I am just here to troll. The article seems to already mention those things, so if you would kindly explain how adding any of those proposed details would be a NPOV violation, I am all ears. DN (talk) 17:38, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Let's try to stay cordial and productive and try to avoid turning this into a BATTLE. DN (talk) 17:39, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Just to clarify, are you still looking at the (initial version) or (revised version)? They seemed to have made some significant improvements in the revised version, IMO. What do you think would make it more acceptable without rehashing the criticisms that are already in the article, or, would you prefer to copy edit those details and put them with the proposed addition? DN (talk) 18:02, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
"Rehashing" is an incorrect descriptor. Like Jonathan said, There's currently nothing in the article about DFA. Therefore, there is also currently nothing in the article about responses to DFA. Adding a new section describing a controversial political plan (written in PR-speak, to boot) without integrating response and criticism of the plan is not neutral. And yes, I am looking at the revised version. It is extremely telling, in my opinion, that the proposed text does not ever actually say what the plan is! (It is, among other things, raising rates, lowering service standards, layoffs, and closures.) Leaving aside the tactical omissions, here are some specific phrases and terms that are not neutral and/or insidiously promotional: "intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency" (How? Be specific), "$40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities" (Improve how? Be specific. How does this number compare to past spending? Where is the funding coming from? Without context, this is just saying Big Number Good), associating PSRA with DFA (this is disputed), "installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities" (Over what time period? What, if anything, was removed and/or replaced in order to make way for these machines? Be specific. Without explaining the reasoning and context of these decisions, this is just Big New Shiny Thing Good), "smaller, redundant facilities" (self-evident), "in an effort to stabilize its workforce" (What does that even mean? Why no mention of the fact that most of these conversions came about due to union negotiations, not some mysterious "plan"?). Further reading: WP:NIF, WP:NOCRIT, WP:CONTROVERSY, WP:WTW. --James (talk/contribs) 19:24, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I appreciate this explanation and now understand your argument much better than before. I'm unaware of sources referring to the DFA as a "controversial political plan" or that it "raises rates, lowers service standards, layoffs, and closures" etc... So I would request citations for that, as well as any other criticisms that you are suggesting. More attributions should help to resolve at least some of these concerns. I hope we didn't get off on the wrong foot, but for now I will just ping Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service and suggest that AGF be observed in working towards a consensus to include an acceptable version of the proposed addition. Cheers. DN (talk) 20:37, 13 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I found a few sources that include some analysis and criticisms we can all perhaps agree on...
Cheers... DN (talk) 01:05, 14 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you to both editors for weighing in on this request. I will take a step back and consider all the information presented in the discussion. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 20:28, 19 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Okay, I've now had time to think about how this section can be furter revised. Following DN's lead, I've used three of the four sources they suggested above, and done a little research of my own, to produce a section that's more balanced, and covers some of the drawbacks/criticisms of the Delivering for America plan. Please click the dropdown in order to view my revised section draft:
Delivering for America (futher revised version)

In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency.[1][2] The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities.[3]

In April 2022, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 was signed into law.[4] The bill was described by the Washington Post as a "key component of DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the Postal Service to avert a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade".[5] It lifted financial burdens placed on the USPS by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.[6]

As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service has introduced two new parcel shipping offerings: USPS Connect in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023.[7][8] It has also installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities.[3] As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day,[3] up from 53 million in 2021,[9] and 60 million in 2022.[10]

The USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities.[11] One of the first of these facilities, a 700,000-square-foot building in Gastonia, North Carolina, opened in November 2023.[12]

In an effort to stabilize its workforce, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees between October 2020 and September 2023.[3][13]

Delivering for America has attempted to stabilize the Postal Service's finances by adjusting service times for mail and package delivery.[14] In 2020, the Postal Regulatory Commission gave the Postal Service increased authority to raise postage rates in order to cover its operating costs.[15] Between 2021 and 2023, USPS has raised the postage rate four times.[16] In May 2023, USPS reported a $2.5 billion loss over the year's first quarter, with approximately $500 million of that figure related to costs within the agency's control.[17] It also reported that its projected ten-year losses had been reduced from $160 billion to $70 billion.[18]

References

  1. ^ Coleman, Kali (January 18, 2023). "USPS Is Making Even More Changes to Your Mail, as of Sunday". Yahoo. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  2. ^ Wilkerson, Rachel (March 24, 2021). "United States Postal Service to implement changes". WPMI. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Baker, Elizabeth (September 20, 2023). "USPS to hire 10,000 seasonal employees to prepare for the holidays". Parcel & Postal Technology International. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Cortelessa, Eric (March 16, 2023). "Louis DeJoy's Surprising Second Act". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  5. ^ Bogage, Jacob (April 8, 2022). "DeJoy is poised to remake a resurgent USPS. Now comes the hard part". Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2023. The bill is a key component of DeJoy's 10-year plan for the Postal Service to avert a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade.
  6. ^ Lee, Ella (April 6, 2022). "USPS gets a financial overhaul: Here's what we know about the Postal Service Reform Act". USA Today. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Jones, Erica (April 12, 2022). "U.S. Postal Service rolls out USPS Connect in Georgia". Dawson County News. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Baker, Elizabeth (July 19, 2023). "USPS launches Ground Advantage shipping offering". Parcel And Postal Technology International. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Frantz, Gary (November 1, 2022). "Shippers back in the driver's seat as parcel market growth softens". DC Velocity. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  10. ^ Shepardson, David (April 27, 2023). "U.S. Postal Service shrinks forecast losses as it raises prices". Reuters. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Katz, Eric (July 5, 2022). "This Is Where USPS Is Building Out Its First Mega-Centers This Year". Government Executive. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Muccigrosso, Catherine; Nikouyeh, Khadejeh (November 14, 2023). "USPS opens one of the first mega-regional distribution centers near Charlotte". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  13. ^ Heckman, Jory (September 19, 2023). "USPS ends peak holiday surcharge as it cuts year-end demand for temporary hires". Federal News Network. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  14. ^ Chappell, Bill (April 21, 2022). "Why your USPS mail package delivery is about to get slower". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  15. ^ Katz, Eric (November 30, 2020). "Regulator Finalizes Plan to Enable Larger USPS Rate Hikes". GovExec. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  16. ^ Picchi, Aimee (October 9, 2023). "USPS proposes 5th postage hike since 2021 — a move critics call "unprecedented"". CBS News. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Katz, Eric (May 10, 2023). "DeJoy Promises His USPS Plan Will Still Deliver, Despite Disappointing Numbers So Far". GovExec. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  18. ^ Heckman, Jory (May 25, 2023). "DeJoy rebuffs USPS regulator considering more 'proactive' role in postal oversight". Federal News Network. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
I hope this addresses the concerns voiced by editors above. If anyone has additional feedback, please reach out and I'll do my best to address it. Thank you! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 16:05, 15 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I have pinged James to see if they have any more input. I've been rather busy but I will try to give some feedback soon. DN (talk) 21:28, 6 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I appreciate it, DN! I'll be here if you, James, or any other independent editor has thoughts. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:27, 12 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
This discussion has been dormant for a few months, so I thought I'd ping the thread. Reaching out to DN because they've demonstrated the most consistent interest but other editors are welcome to jump in as well. Happy to offer clarification on anything above for anybody who's new to the discussion. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 20:00, 4 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Just noting that I've added the Edit COI template to this request, to give it a wider reach. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:48, 15 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Proposing Fleet subsection updates[edit]

Hello again! Jonathan from the Postal Service here to propose some updates to the Fleet subsection, which I noticed doesn't have much information about the ongoing electrification of the USPS fleet. I've added well-reported details about that effort to the section and done some slight reorganizing. You can see all the changes I'm suggesting in the comparison below.

Fleet revisions
−
The USPS operates one of the largest civilian [[vehicle fleet]]s in the world, with over 200,000 vehicles, the majority of which are the distinctive and unique [[Chevrolet]]/[[Grumman LLV]] (long-life vehicle), and the similar, newer [[Ford-Utilimaster FFV]] ([[flexible-fuel vehicle]]), originally also referred to as the CRV (carrier route vehicle). The LLVs were built from 1987 to 1994 and lack air conditioning, airbags, anti-lock brakes, and space for the large modern volume of e-commerce packages, the Grumman fleet ended its expected 24-year lifespan in fiscal year 2017. The LLV replacement process began in 2015, and after numerous delays, a $6 billion contract was awarded in February 2021 to [[Oshkosh Corporation|Oshkosh Defense]] to finalize design and produce 165,000 vehicles over 10 years. The [[Next Generation Delivery Vehicle]] (NGDV), will have both gasoline and battery electric versions. Half of the initial 50,000 vehicles will be electric, as will all vehicles purchased after 2026.

The number of gallons of fuel used in 2009 was 444 million, at a cost of <span style="white-space: nowrap">US$1.1 billion</span>. For every penny increase in the national average price of gasoline, the USPS spends an extra <span style="white-space: nowrap">US$8</span> million per year to fuel its fleet. Starting in 2026, all delivery truck purchases are scheduled to be [[electric vehicles]], partly in response to criticism from the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] and an environmental lawsuit.

The fleet is notable in that many of its vehicles are [[Left- and right-hand traffic|right-hand drive]], an arrangement intended to give drivers the easiest access to roadside mailboxes. Some [[rural letter carrier]]s use personal vehicles. All contractors use personal vehicles. Standard postal-owned vehicles do not have [[license plate]]s. These vehicles are identified by a seven-digit number displayed on the front and rear.
+
The USPS operates one of the largest civilian [[vehicle fleet]]s in the world, with over 235,000 vehicles as of 2024, the majority of which are the distinctive and unique [[Chevrolet]]/[[Grumman LLV]] (long-life vehicle), and the similar, newer [[Ford-Utilimaster FFV]] ([[flexible-fuel vehicle]]), originally also referred to as the CRV (carrier route vehicle). The LLVs were built from 1987 to 1994 and lack air conditioning, airbags, anti-lock brakes, and space for the large modern volume of e-commerce packages, the Grumman fleet ended its expected 24-year lifespan in fiscal year 2017. The LLV replacement process began in 2015, and after numerous delays, a $6 billion contract was awarded in February 2021 to [[Oshkosh Corporation|Oshkosh Defense]] to finalize design and produce 165,000 vehicles over 10 years. The [[Next Generation Delivery Vehicle]] (NGDV), will have both gasoline and battery electric versions. Half of the initial 50,000 vehicles will be electric, as will all vehicles purchased after 2026.

The number of gallons of fuel used in 2009 was 444 million, at a cost of <span style="white-space: nowrap">US$1.1 billion</span>. For every penny increase in the national average price of gasoline, the USPS spends an extra <span style="white-space: nowrap">US$8</span> million per year to fuel its fleet. The fleet is notable in that many of its vehicles are [[Left- and right-hand traffic|right-hand drive]], an arrangement intended to give drivers the easiest access to roadside mailboxes. Some [[rural letter carrier]]s use personal vehicles. All contractors use personal vehicles. Standard postal-owned vehicles do not have [[license plate]]s. These vehicles are identified by a seven-digit number displayed on the front and rear.

====Electrifying the USPS fleet==== Starting in 2026, all delivery truck purchases are scheduled to be [[electric vehicles]], partly in response to criticism from the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] and an environmental lawsuit, and also due to availability of new funding provided by the 2022 [[Inflation Reduction Act]]. The Act included $3 billion for electric USPS vehicles, supporting the initiative by Postmaster General DeJoy and the Biden Administration to add 66,000 electric vehicles to the fleet by 2028. The electric fleet will be composed of 9,250 EVs manufactured by [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]; 11,750 [[Commercial off-the-shelf|commercial off-the-shelf]] EVs; and 45,000 [[Oshkosh NGDV|Oshkosh Next Generation Delivery Vehicles]]. In February 2023, the Postal Service announced its purchase of the Ford EVs as well as 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations. The fleet electrification plan is part of the Postal Service's initiative to reduce carbon emissions from fuel and electricity 40 percent and emissions from contracted services 20 percent by 2030.

References

  1. ^ "Size and scope". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "Postal Service Delays Production Contract for New Mail Truck". May 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Postal Service Awards Contract to Launch Multi-Billion-Dollar Modernization of Postal Delivery Vehicle Fleet". USPS. United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Daly, Matthew (2022-12-20). "Postal Service pledges move to all-electric delivery fleet". AP News. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  5. ^ "Postal Facts 2010" (PDF). U.S. Postal Service. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  6. ^ Johnson, Erica (June 20, 2008). "Gas Prices Affecting Mail". Keloland Television. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "The Postal Service pledges to move to an all-electric delivery fleet". Associated Press. 2022-12-20. Archived from the original on 2023-04-18 – via NPR.
  8. ^ States sue the U.S. Postal Service over its decision to buy gas-powered trucks
  9. ^ USPS. "Rural Carrier – Right-Hand Drive Instructions" (PDF). USPS. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  10. ^ Hartzell, Dan (June 22, 2009). "Mail trucks deliver without license". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  11. ^ "Size and scope". About USPS. United States Postal Service. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  12. ^ "Postal Service Delays Production Contract for New Mail Truck". May 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Daly, Matthew (2022-12-20). "Postal Service pledges move to all-electric delivery fleet". AP News. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  14. ^ "Postal Facts 2010" (PDF). U.S. Postal Service. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  15. ^ Johnson, Erica (June 20, 2008). "Gas Prices Affecting Mail". Keloland Television. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  16. ^ USPS. "Rural Carrier – Right-Hand Drive Instructions" (PDF). USPS. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  17. ^ Hartzell, Dan (June 22, 2009). "Mail trucks deliver without license". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  18. ^ States sue the U.S. Postal Service over its decision to buy gas-powered trucks
  19. ^ a b Bogage, Jacob (December 20, 2022). "Postal Service will electrify trucks by 2026 in climate win for Biden". Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Fuchs, Hailey (August 13, 2023). "Louis DeJoy: From Trump villain to Biden's clean energy buddy". Politico. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  21. ^ Garrison, Joey (20 December 2022). "Postal Service to electrify fleet by 2026 as part of President Biden's climate push". USA Today. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  22. ^ a b Cohen, Li (March 1, 2023). "U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs and thousands of charging stations". CBS News. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  23. ^ Calma, Justine (January 22, 2024). "The US Postal Service's new EV chargers are here". The Verge. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  24. ^ Budryk, Zach (March 1, 2023). "USPS to purchase 9,000 electric vehicles, install 14,000 charging stations". The Hill. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  25. ^ Heckman, Jory (February 6, 2024). "USPS outlines plan to 'aggressively' reduce carbon footprint by 2030". Federal News Network. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  26. ^ King, Hazel (February 8, 2024). "USPS announces 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets". Parcel and Postal Technology International. Retrieved February 12, 2024.

The subsection would look like this, if all my proposed edits were made:

The USPS operates one of the largest civilian vehicle fleets in the world, with over 235,000 vehicles as of 2024,[1] the majority of which are the distinctive and unique Chevrolet/Grumman LLV (long-life vehicle), and the similar, newer Ford-Utilimaster FFV (flexible-fuel vehicle), originally also referred to as the CRV (carrier route vehicle). The LLVs were built from 1987 to 1994 and lack air conditioning, airbags, anti-lock brakes, and space for the large modern volume of e-commerce packages, the Grumman fleet ended its expected 24-year lifespan in fiscal year 2017. The LLV replacement process began in 2015, and after numerous delays,[2] a $6 billion contract was awarded in February 2021 to Oshkosh Defense to finalize design and produce 165,000 vehicles over 10 years.[3] The Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), will have both gasoline and battery electric versions. Half of the initial 50,000 vehicles will be electric, as will all vehicles purchased after 2026.[4]

The number of gallons of fuel used in 2009 was 444 million, at a cost of US$1.1 billion.[5] For every penny increase in the national average price of gasoline, the USPS spends an extra US$8 million per year to fuel its fleet.[6]

The fleet is notable in that many of its vehicles are right-hand drive, an arrangement intended to give drivers the easiest access to roadside mailboxes. Some rural letter carriers use personal vehicles.[7] All contractors use personal vehicles. Standard postal-owned vehicles do not have license plates. These vehicles are identified by a seven-digit number displayed on the front and rear.[8]

Electrifying the USPS fleet

Starting in 2026, all delivery truck purchases are scheduled to be electric vehicles,[9] partly in response to criticism from the Environmental Protection Agency and an environmental lawsuit,[10] and also due to availability of new funding provided by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.[11][12] The Act included $3 billion for electric USPS vehicles,[13][11] supporting the initiative by Postmaster General DeJoy and the Biden Administration to add 66,000 electric vehicles to the fleet by 2028.[12] The electric fleet will be composed of 9,250 EVs manufactured by Ford; 11,750 commercial off-the-shelf EVs; and 45,000 Oshkosh Next Generation Delivery Vehicles.[14][15] In February 2023, the Postal Service announced its purchase of the Ford EVs as well as 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations.[14][16] The fleet electrification plan is part of the Postal Service's initiative to reduce carbon emissions from fuel and electricity 40 percent and emissions from contracted services 20 percent by 2030.[17][18]

References

References

  1. ^ "Size and scope". About USPS. United States Postal Service. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "Postal Service Delays Production Contract for New Mail Truck". May 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "U.S. Postal Service Awards Contract to Launch Multi-Billion-Dollar Modernization of Postal Delivery Vehicle Fleet". USPS. United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Daly, Matthew (2022-12-20). "Postal Service pledges move to all-electric delivery fleet". AP News. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  5. ^ "Postal Facts 2010" (PDF). U.S. Postal Service. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  6. ^ Johnson, Erica (June 20, 2008). "Gas Prices Affecting Mail". Keloland Television. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  7. ^ USPS. "Rural Carrier – Right-Hand Drive Instructions" (PDF). USPS. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  8. ^ Hartzell, Dan (June 22, 2009). "Mail trucks deliver without license". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  9. ^ "The Postal Service pledges to move to an all-electric delivery fleet". Associated Press. 2022-12-20. Archived from the original on 2023-04-18 – via NPR.
  10. ^ States sue the U.S. Postal Service over its decision to buy gas-powered trucks
  11. ^ a b Bogage, Jacob (December 20, 2022). "Postal Service will electrify trucks by 2026 in climate win for Biden". Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Fuchs, Hailey (August 13, 2023). "Louis DeJoy: From Trump villain to Biden's clean energy buddy". Politico. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  13. ^ Garrison, Joey (20 December 2022). "Postal Service to electrify fleet by 2026 as part of President Biden's climate push". USA Today. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  14. ^ a b Cohen, Li (March 1, 2023). "U.S. Postal Service starts nationwide electric vehicle fleet, buying 9,250 EVs and thousands of charging stations". CBS News. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  15. ^ Calma, Justine (January 22, 2024). "The US Postal Service's new EV chargers are here". The Verge. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  16. ^ Budryk, Zach (March 1, 2023). "USPS to purchase 9,000 electric vehicles, install 14,000 charging stations". The Hill. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Heckman, Jory (February 6, 2024). "USPS outlines plan to 'aggressively' reduce carbon footprint by 2030". Federal News Network. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  18. ^ King, Hazel (February 8, 2024). "USPS announces 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets". Parcel and Postal Technology International. Retrieved February 12, 2024.

I'll now step aside and let editors without a COI review and discuss. Happy to hop in and provide clarification or revision as needed. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 15:33, 16 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Go ahead: I have reviewed these proposed changes and suggest that you go ahead and make the proposed changes to the page. Zippybonzo | talk | contribs (they/them) 20:22, 25 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, User:Zippybonzo! I've now updated the page. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:54, 27 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Alerting editors to scam LiteBlue links[edit]

Hi there, this is Jonathan from the Postal Service. I want to alert editors to the fact that several anonymous IP editors have persistently tried to add scam LiteBlue links to the article over the past couple months. I'll cite a few examples, with diff links: ex 1, ex 2, and ex 3.

LiteBlue is the portal that USPS workers use to monitor and manage their career and benefits. It contains, among other things, sensitive payroll information, and probably doesn't belong on the USPS page at all.

The link to the real site is here: https://liteblue.usps.gov/wps/portal. The links in the edits cited above, all of which have since been reverted, have slightly different URLs and take the user to a fake LiteBlue landing page that tries to scam them out of their login credentials. In other words, it's a phishing scheme.

The American Postal Workers' Union put out a bulletin in early January alerting its members of this scheme. Apparently it has since grown to include Wikipedia. I'm not suggesting that this article be put under protection. I just want to flag the issue and advise editors to double-check any edits that include LiteBlue links, because there's a good chance they're fraudulent.

Tagging in a few editors whom I've noticed tend to keep a close eye on the USPS article: DN, User:Ww2censor, and User:Coolcaesar.

Thanks for your help! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 21:58, 4 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

POV issue: "Criticism of the universal service requirement and the postal monopoly"[edit]

This section is properly written to conform to neutral POV standards, but it's glaring in its omission of any contrary views. Is anyone with knowledge on the subject able to add some balance? WP Ludicer (talk) 16:54, 13 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I shortened one of the arguments in the section, which appeared too long and prominent for WP:DUEWEIGHT. Llll5032 (talk) 18:00, 13 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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