Who Delivers USPS Packages In 2024? (All You Need To Know)

With the United States Postal Service losing nearly $10 billion in 2021 amid ongoing mail volume declines, some may wonder – who exactly is delivering USPS packages these days? Rest assured that USPS continues handling all its own package deliveries start to finish, without outsourcing to UPS, FedEx or other carriers.

USPS By the Numbers

To serve every address in the US, USPS maintains an enormous delivery operation:

• $165 billion in annual revenue
• Over 600,000 employees
• Over 200,000 delivery vehicles
• 5,000 distribution facilities

This expansive transportation and logistics network allows USPS to deliver over 480 million packages per week all on its own.

Behind the Scenes of USPS Package Delivery

When you drop off a package at a local post office or schedule a USPS pickup, it enters the USPS system to begin its journey. Here are some of the key steps:

• Entry scan – The package barcode is scanned to register its entry and start tracking
• Processing – Packages are routed to the nearest processing & distribution center
• Sorting – Special machines sort packages by destination zip codes
• Transportation – USPS planes, trucks, and boats transport packages between facilities
• Final sort – Packages get sorted by carrier route based on delivery address
• Out for delivery – Local carriers load trucks and scan packages as they begin deliveries

Throughout this process packages are scanned at each step, so you can follow along with the tracking updates.

How USPS Delivery Compares to Other Carriers

USPS differs from its biggest competitors in a few key ways when it comes to deliveries:

As a government agency, USPS delivers to every address, even remote ones, at standard shipping prices. UPS and FedEx rely more heavily on outsourcing rural or residential deliveries to USPS.

Should USPS Outsource Delivery?

USPS choosing to maintain control of its own delivery network has both advantages and drawbacks:

Advantages

• Better oversight of the entire process
• More flexibility to implement operational changes
• All carrier identities unified under one brand
• Consistent tracking and delivery experience

Drawbacks

• Higher fixed assets and labor costs
• Limited ability to leverage economies of scale
• Requires extensive facilities and logistics infrastructure

Overall, handling its own deliveries aligns with USPS‘s universal service mission to serve all Americans equally. But it also comes with financial challenges that competitors like FedEx don‘t face.

USPS Delivery Reliability

Despite ongoing budget tightening and lower mail volume, USPS continues delivering over 480 million packages per week thanks to dedicated USPS employees and its robust logistics infrastructure.

The next time you have an important package to ship, you can count on your neighborhood mail carrier to deliver it safely and securely right to your door. USPS has the workforce, facilities, vehicles, and expertise to handle all your shipping needs end-to-end.