Starting October 1, the USPS will introduce new service standards for its first-class mail and parcels, extending delivery time by about 30% of its volume. This means that letters, parcels and magazine subscriptions that cover greater distances could take up to five days to arrive, longer than the usual two or three days.
The changes are part of a 10-year plan called Delivering for America, to overhaul the agency and restructure its $160 billion debt, which would also reduce postal service hours and raise prices for customers, including higher price increases over the holiday season.
Individuals and businesses will have to accept longer delivery times for outgoing and incoming mail, which must be transported by mail trucks over longer distances. Changes will affect those who ship letters or packages from coast to coast – as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and other US territories that rely on air travel.
Delays in first-class mail could also have an uneven impact on customers, depending on the ZIP code, with western states and parts of Texas and Florida disproportionately affected.
For more information, view the original story from Cnet
