USPS Office of Inspector General

The U.S. Postal Service considers mail to be delayed when it is not processed in time to meet the established delivery day. Delayed mail can adversely affect Postal Service customers and harm the organization's brand. 

Since October 1, 2017, delayed mail at the Denver Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) increased by about 48 percent compared to the prior year. 

The Postal Service’s Five-Year Strategic Plan - Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 to 2021 outlines an initiative to evaluate, right-size, and equip the mail-processing infrastructure and transportation networks to increase operating efficiency, reduce costs, and improve reliability against standards. One component of the mail-processing infrastructure is building and plant equipment maintenance.

The Postal Service uses a Postal Vehicle Services (PVS) fleet of over 3,000 seven-ton to eleven-ton cargo vans and tractors to move mail between processing facilities, inner-city delivery offices, local firms, and mailers.

The Postal Service uses supplier-operated Highway Contract Route (HCR) routes to transport mail and equipment between plants, post offices, or other designated points. In FY 2017, the Postal Service spent about $4 billion for about 13,500 HCRs routes.

Highway transportation is the surface transportation of mail by means other than bus, rail or water. Service may be between two or more designated points (over the road) or in a local metropolitan area (shuttle service).