USPS

USPS’ holiday surcharges may be lump of coal for merchants

The first rate increase of the Louis DeJoy era as postmaster general could end up hitting millions of merchants right between the eyes during the busiest time of the year. However, the increases could be stocking stuffers for the agency’s largest parcel users. 

With no fanfare — and subsumed by the extraordinary election-year chaos swirling around the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) — the agency on Friday afternoon announced a series of proposed peak holiday season surcharges on its biggest parcel...

https://www.freightwaves.com/usps-holiday-surcharges-may-be-lump-of-coal-for-merchants

The Daily Dash: How the largest truckload freight markets performed this week

Tractor-trailer heading down highway with dark storm cloud ahead.

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening today in the state of freight.

11 of the 15 major freight markets post weekly gains yet again

11 of the 15 major truckload freight markets posted weekly gains yet again this week. Most truckload freight markets have been consistently posting gains recently and this week was no exception. Outbound tender volumes gained steam week-over-week in Laredo (20.10%), Cleveland (16.32%) and Elizabeth, New Jersey (7.39%). The markets with the largest...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/the-daily-dash-how-the-largest-truckload-freight-markets-performed-this-week

Amazon posts self-delivery record in July, consultancy says

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) self-delivered two-thirds of its U.S. parcels in July, nearly 12 full percentage points ahead of 2019 levels and an all-time monthly record for the e-tailing, shipping and logistics giant, according to data from consultancy ShipMatrix.

Amazon also surged past former partner FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) in total July volumes, according to ShipMatrix. Amazon handled 415 million shipments last month, while FedEx handled 311 million, ShipMatrix said. The U.S. Postal Service...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/amazon-posts-self-delivery-record-in-july-consultancy-says

The Force is with the USPS

Warehouse workers unload metal containers filled with small mail envelopes and parcels that arrived by air. Cargo Force does sort and prep work for the USPS.

A key intermediary that connects the U.S. Postal Service with air transport provided by FedEx Express (NYSE: FDX) is opening new locations to move Priority Mail.

In the past three weeks, Cargo Force has launched new processing centers in Milwaukee; Tampa, Fla.; and Pittsburgh. A new facility in Boston is scheduled to begin operations Oct. 1.

Companies providing terminal handling services behind the scenes for the Postal Service vary by city. Cargo Force, based in Coral Gables, Fla., recently won...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/the-force-is-with-the-usps

The Daily Dash: Trucking’s payroll tax problem, Nikola’s surprise order and trucker sentenced

Truckings payroll tax concerns

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, trucking ponders its next move following President Donald Trump’s payroll tax deferment order. Plus, Nikola receives a huge order from an unexpected source; Cummins and Navistar ink a new deal; and a truck driver is sentenced for a crash that killed five.

When is a tax break not really a tax break?

Will truck drivers and trucking companies see any additional money from Trump’s payroll tax deferment...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/the-daily-dash-truckings-payroll-tax-problem-nikolas-surprise-order-and-trucker-sentenced

USPS online tracking restored after outage

A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) delivery van in a parking lot. The USPS online tracking service was restored after an outage hit customers.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has restored access to its online tracking system after an outage on  Sunday left customers unable to check the status of deliveries on the agency’s website. 

“All issues have been resolved,” USPS spokesperson Roy Betts told FreightWaves in an email on Monday.

Betts said the outage occurred after USPS “deployed new servers and functionality to support our enhanced Redelivery Service.”

The USPS online tracking system appeared to have gone offline on Sunday. Customers...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/usps-online-tracking-restored-after-outage

Three charged in USPS truck driver’s killing

A photo of Troy Morris, a Mississippi Highway Patrol, who was killed while driving a truck for USPS.

Lt. Troy Morris served 27 years as a state trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. But on Sunday three suspects were in custody, charged with murdering Morris, who was killed while working his second job as a truck driver for the U.S. Postal Service.

Morris was killed early Friday while driving a USPS truck on U.S. Route 61 in Jefferson County, the Mississippi Highway Patrol said in a statement. Officers found Morris in the cab of the truck around 4:30 a.m.

Morris had notified the Jefferson...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/three-charged-in-usps-truck-drivers-killing

Breaking News: Outage hits USPS online tracking system

A breaking news photo illustration accompanying a story about an outage hitting the USPS online tracking system.

The U.S. Postal Service’s online tracking system appears to have gone offline on Sunday.

@USPSHelp Your tracking has been down all day. How do I find my missing package that was supposed to be delivered yesterday? #USPS pic.twitter.com/Cs0FCJR5qB

— EMILY MILLER (@emilymiller) August 9, 2020

Numerous users on Twitter reported being unable to access the USPS tracking tool on its website. An alert on the postal service’s website stated: “Some of our applications are currently experiencing...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/breaking-news-outage-hits-usps-online-tracking-system

Commentary: Higher US postal rates are here and e-commerce shippers need to adapt

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. 

Retailers, direct-to-consumer brands, marketplaces and marketplace sellers riding the lockdown-induced boom in cross-border e-commerce sales are going to get a massive wake-up call Wednesday as global postal rates into the U.S. start to soar as much as 150%, or more.

The Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) decision to allow the U.S. to set its own inbound postage rates...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/commentary-higher-us-postal-rates-are-here-and-e-commerce-shippers-need-to-adapt

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