USPS Office of Inspector General

The Postal Service hires non-career employees and temporary employees to supplement its regular workforce to help reduce staffing costs. The non-career employees earn lower wages than full time staff. The turnover rate of non-career employees is higher than the Postal Service wants.

The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to support and protect the Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail. 

The Postal Service uses mail transport equipment (MTE) -- containers, sacks, trays, flat tubs, sleeves, and pallets -- during processing or to transport mail between USPS facilities, customers, or contractors.

Using the Uniform Allowance Program enables the Postal Service to simplify the purchasing process for its 300,000 plus employees. Eligible postal employees receive a Uniform Allowance Purchase Card to purchase authorized uniforms items from a licensed Postal Service uniform vendor, costing the Postal Service about $70 million annually.

The Postal Service has one of the largest transportation and logistics networks in the world, transporting mail and equipment between processing and distribution centers (P&DCs), post offices, or other designated points that receive or dispatch mail. The Postal Service is also one of the largest consumers of fuel in the United States.