US Postal Service

Amazon struggling to hit 2-day delivery commitments, consultant says

Amazon.com. Inc. is struggling to handle some of its own two-day deliveries and has turned over about 1 million parcels a day to UPS Inc. and the U.S. Postal Service to meet its delivery commitments, according to a leading consultant.

Satish Jindel, founder and president of ShipMatrix, said Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has shifted more middle-mile shipments to UPS’ two-day delivery service and more last-mile shipments to the Postal Service’s final-mile service, Parcel Select. UPS (NYSE: UPS) and the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/amazon-struggling-to-hit-2-day-delivery-commitments-consultant-says

Parcel carriers post strong early holiday delivery performance, consultancy says

The major parcel-delivery carriers reported high on-time performance rates through November, which included Black Friday and Cyber Monday when holiday shopping spikes, consultancy ShipMatrix said Thursday.

In its survey, ShipMatrix said the three major carriers — FedEx Corp., (NYSE: FDX), UPS Inc. (NYSE: UPS) and the U.S. Postal Service — performed better this early holiday period than in 2021, when online demand was higher, capacity was tighter and FedEx’s ground delivery unit, FedEx Ground,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/parcel-carriers-post-strong-early-holiday-delivery-performance-consultancy-says

UPS hikes 2023 SurePost rates by 6.9%

UPS Inc. has raised its 2023 rates by 6.9% on its SurePost product, a last-mile delivery program it manages in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service.

The increase, which takes effect Dec. 27, matches the 6.9% across-the-board general rate increase that UPS (NYSE: UPS) announced last month. It also matches the 6.9% increase that rival FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) imposed on its Ground Economy product., which targets the same customer base as SurePost. That increase takes effect Jan. 2.

The FedEx...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ups-hikes-2023-surepost-rates-by-69

Auctane reaches deal with Postal Service on shipping rates

USPS van

A key player in the e-commerce shipping market has reached an important agreement with the U.S. Postal Service, ensuring its customers continue to receive the best shipping rates available.

Auctane, which counts among its brands ShipStation, Stamps.com, ShippingEasy, ShipEngine, ShipWorks, Metapack and Endicia, announced Wednesday that it had reached an enterprise-wide agreement with the Postal Service covering all its brands.

“This direct agreement between Auctane and the United States Postal...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/auctane-reaches-deal-with-postal-service-on-shipping-rates

Introducing Veeqo, Amazon’s free shipping software

Veeqo Amazon free shipping software

Another month, another new supply chain service unveiled by Amazon.

Earlier this month it was Amazon Warehousing and Distribution. In August it was same-day retail delivery. In June and July it was drone delivery, and in April it was the game-changing fulfillment service Buy With Prime. But why stop there?

At its annual seller conference on Thursday, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced the U.S. launch of Veeqo, a free shipping software for sellers that finds discounted rates with the largest carriers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/introducing-veeqo-amazons-free-shipping-software

Consumers want, but don’t expect, Sunday parcel deliveries, survey finds

Parcel deliveries to residences on Sundays is not a mainstream offering. But that doesn’t mean folks don’t want it.

About 41% of 2,200 respondents to a Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) survey said that Sunday home deliveries are important to them. About 53% of respondents said it wasn’t important, while 6% said they didn’t know or had no opinion. The survey was conducted at the end of July.

Unsurprisingly, the results varied by age and geography. About 56% of millennials and 53% of urban dwellers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/consumers-want-but-dont-expect-sunday-parcel-deliveries-survey-finds

Postal Service proposes increases in peak-season parcel-delivery rates

USPS vehicle

The U.S. Postal Service proposed on Wednesday a series of rate hikes on peak-season parcel-delivery services within the U.S.

The increases, which are planned to start Oct. 3 and run until Jan. 23, will fluctuate depending on parcel weight and distance traveled. For example, for the agency’s First Class Package Service, Retail Ground and Parcel Select Ground services, retail rates will increase by $5.85 per package for deliveries of parcels weighing between 26 to 70 pounds and moving more than...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/postal-service-proposes-increases-in-peak-season-parcel-delivery-rates

Postal Service bumps up EV mix in delivery fleet order

The U.S. Postal Service said Wednesday it will order 25,000 electric vehicles as part of its initial 50,000-unit purchase of new delivery trucks, a move that more than doubles the number of EVs it had planned to order.

The Postal Service also said that it will supplement the 50,000-unit order by acquiring 34,000 commercial off-the-shelf vehicles. The Postal Service did not specify in its announcement the suppliers of the vehicles being purchased off-the-shelf. About 40% of the combined 84,000...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/postal-service-bumps-up-ev-mix-in-delivery-fleet-order

Postal Service proposes to unify ground-delivery products

The U.S. Postal Service formally proposed on Wednesday to combine three of its ground parcel delivery products into a single offering that it said will simplify the delivery experience for shippers.

The proposed offering will incorporate the Postal Service’s Retail Ground and Parcel Select Ground products, in which parcels weighing up to 70 pounds are shipped with two- to five-day transit times, with its First Class Package Service (FCPS), which covers shipments weighing up to 1 pound and has a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/postal-service-proposes-to-unify-ground-delivery-products

Postal Service adjusts delivery times for 2 ground-parcel products

The U.S. Postal Service said Thursday it will adjust the delivery times for two of its ground-parcel products despite a lukewarm endorsement from the agency overseeing some of its operations.

Starting Aug. 1, parcels moving under the Postal Service’s “Parcel Select Ground” and “Retail Ground” products within the lower 48 states will be delivered between two and five days instead of the current two- to eight-day window, the Postal Service said. Pricing will remain unchanged, the Postal Service...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/postal-service-adjusts-delivery-times-for-2-ground-parcel-products

+ More