WASHINGTON — Think snail mail is too slow? Imagine if it got slower.
The U.S. Postal Service could save about $1.5 billion annually if it relaxed its “guarantees” of an average one to three days for first-class and priority mail deliveries and extended delivery times by a day, according to a new study.
Postal executives are considering the idea and are expected to announce plans about delivery schedules after Labor Day, according to agency officials.
Currently the Postal Service says that first-class mail deliveries will arrive within one to three days, on average. Priority mail shipments are to arrive within two to three days.
But relaxing the expectation by a day would cut about $336 million in premium pay for employees working overnight and Sundays to meet delivery schedules, according to the study. Adding one day to the schedule would put less emphasis on speed and allow the Postal Service to save at least an additional $1.1 billion by delivering some long-haul priority mail shipments by ground instead of air, consolidating mail processing facilities and employing fewer workers, the study said.
The Postal Service’s inspector general commissioned the study, which was authored by the economic analysis firm Christensen Associates.
The study’s authors said the Postal Service maintains a reputation for reliable service, no matter the speed.
