Do you know you can’t spell “essential services” without “Postal Service?” Okay, actually you can, but we are kicking off this blog series by looking at the important role the Postal Service has played providing essential services to our nation.
For many rural residents, mail is a lifeline, providing connections with government, commerce, and each other. The local post office offers a community a sense of identity as well as a retail hub that serves a central role, even as rural populations continue to decline. It’s not just an American thing: post offices function similarly in rural communities around the globe.
For many international posts, rural networks may lose money. How they’ve dealt with that can provide lessons for the U.S. Postal Service.
The health and safety of U.S. Postal Service employees and customers is a priority. Over the past few years, our office has done a series of audits to determine if USPS management is adhering to building safety, maintenance, and security standards at its facilities.
As we release our Fall Semiannual Report to Congress (SARC) highlighting our work from April 1 through September 30 of this year, the country still finds itself amid a global health crisis that has impacted just about all aspects of American life, including the bedrock of any democracy — the...
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Many of you likely use Global Position System (GPS) on a regular basis, driving to someplace new or maybe using a GPS-driven app to avoid traffic. But did you know the Postal Service uses GPS to manage its highway transportation contracts?
In 2016, the Postal Service implemented a new...
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While many of you may have experienced going to your local post office and picking up some free packaging — a box, envelope, or tube, maybe — you may not know that you can order the same supplies and have them delivered to your front door.
Through its Expedited Packaging Supplies (EPS)...
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The Postal Service uses contracted Go Anywhere Highway Contract Route (HCRs) services to transport mail and other products between plants and other designated stops. This contractual arrangement allows HCR suppliers to travel anywhere within the continental U.S based on the mail transportation...
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The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is responsible for ensuring Postal Service employees’ safety and the security of the mail. During the pandemic, there have been some indications of increased levels of mail theft and mail fraud as reported by the OIG's Hotline and the Postal Inspection Service...
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Highway Contract Route (HCR) suppliers provide contracted transportation service based on established scheduled hours for the drivers to complete the trip. The times for the trip are manually entered in the system. Incorrect entries may result in inaccurate payment, increasing transportation...
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