At least 12 mail sorting machines have been removed from Southeastern PA processing plants. Staffing remains unsustainably low. And while the Postmaster General pulled back on additional changes, the main policy causing delays remains in effect. https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/usps-mail-delays-philadelphia-louis-dejoy-trump-20200829.html

Staffing shortages remain one of the most critical issues. The USPS failed to hire before COVID. A lenient leave policy coupled with pandemic shortages & low retention has left offices severely understaffed. It’s trying to hire, but is likely “months away from being efficient.”

When it comes to DeJoy, his enforcement of trucks and carriers leaving on time, whether they have all their mail or not, remains the most crucial new change. It has resulted in mail getting left behind, and once it piles up, it’s hard to catch back up.

In the past, if sorting was running behind schedule, USPS would allow trucks to wait, or dispatch additional drivers. The Office of the Inspector General said this is generally because managers “prioritized high-quality service above the financial health of the Postal Service.”