USPS Office of Inspector General

Highway contract routes (HCR) are the largest single group of contracts in the U.S. Postal Service, with about $3.5 billion spent in fiscal year (FY) 2018. HCR drivers move mail between post offices and other designated stops.

One small upside to losing 26 percent of mail volume and relaxing delivery service standards over the past decade is that the U.S. Postal Service should experience a significant decline in its costs as well. Except that hasn’t happened for transportation costs.

Regular readers of “Pushing the Envelope” know this OIG is a firm believer in the power of data. We use data analytics to identify the root causes of problems or inefficiencies, and then develop solutions that get to the heart of the issue.