Does OnTrac Still Rely on USPS for Last-Mile Delivery In 2024?

As consumers and small businesses try to ship packages affordably in 2024, they wonder — can regional carrier OnTrac provide low-cost residential delivery without the U.S. Postal Service (USPS)?

The answer is no. Despite USPS‘s recent challenges, OnTrac continues relying on the postal network to deliver over 38 million packages each year to homes and apartments across the Western United States.

Why USPS Remains Critical for Affordable, Reliable Home Delivery

OnTrac simply cannot reach every residential address as cost-efficiently as USPS. Even with USPS raising some commercial pricing, their economies of scale and delivery network capillarity provide savings parcel carriers can‘t match.

Consider this comparison of shipping a 5 pound package 500 miles to a residence:

And that pricing advantage will likely grow as surging inflation, labor, and transport costs hit traditional parcel carriers harder on the last-mile.

USPS already delivers over 130 billion pieces of mail yearly. Without them, millions more trucks and drivers would need to be added across the country.

The DirectPost Formula: Combining Strengths for Cost-Effective Home Delivery

OnTrac‘s DirecPost elegantly combines the best of both carriers:

OnTrac provides:

• Fast regional transport and sorting
• Deep injections into local USPS network
• Easy-to-use tracking and rating

USPS provides:

• Last mile delivery from local post office
• Low-cost access to every U.S. address
• Package insurance

And this partnership delivers 3-5 transit days at affordable, USPS-based pricing with no residential surcharges.

Can USPS Reliability Issues Disrupt DirectPost?

In recent years, USPS has indeed struggled with slower delivery times due to financial challenges and the pandemic. However, over 98% of OnTrac DirectPost packages still delivered on-time even amid wider USPS delays.

That‘s because OnTrac injects DirectPost parcels deeper into local USPS facilities than FedEx SmartPost and UPS SurePost. Packages arriving already sorted to destinations enables postal carriers to quickly move them on the last mile.

When Does it Make Sense to Use DirectPost Over Other Shipping Options?

Here is a quick guide based on your package characteristics and delivery needs:

✅ Use DirectPost When:

• You‘re shipping to a home or residential address
• Your package weighs under 10 pounds
• Delivery to Western states in 3-5 days meets your needs
• You want the lowest cost for reliable USPS home delivery

❌ Avoid DirectPost If:

• You need guaranteed next day delivery
• You‘re shipping into states outside OnTrac‘s coverage area
• Your package weighs over 70 pounds
• A business address is the destination

The Outlook for OnTrac and USPS Partnering in 2024

While USPS faces concerns over its financial stability and service delays, OnTrac will continue relying on the Postal Service for last-mile delivery. Without USPS’s economies of scale and scope, millions of Western residential packages would face unaffordable rate hikes.

And as rising costs strain shipping budgets in 2024, the DirectPost partnership remains essential to balance reliability, affordability and access into the future.