Category Archive

The UPU’s Extraordinary Congress: Much Ado about Terminal Dues

SteveSeptember 11, 2018Slideshow, Story

A Presidential Memo turns attention to international mail

USPS parcel growth slows as Amazon self-delivers more

SteveAugust 19, 2018Slideshow, Story

“The years of double-digit growth are going to be difficult to get back to, given the level of competition.” — Joe Corbett, USPS CFO

Postal Service updates the status of post offices under emergency suspension

SteveAugust 9, 2018Slideshow, Story

At the start of FY 2017, 662 post offices were stuck in the limbo of suspension. Since then, more than half have been formally discontinued. A few have reopened. 253 remain under suspension.

D.C. Circuit Court rejects UPS request for a rehearing on USPS costing case

SteveAugust 8, 2018Story

In May a three-member panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied an appeal by the United Parcel Service challenging a ruling by the Postal Regulatory Commission concerning how the Postal Service determines the costs of its products.  On July 6, UPS requested a rehearing en banc, meaning that it asked the full D.C. Circuit, which currently has eleven active judges, to … Read More

The Postal Task Force Cometh: What to Expect

SteveAugust 7, 2018Slideshow, Story

On Friday of this week, the President’s Task Force on the Postal Service is expected to release its report.  Not much has been written about what it might say, but there are plenty of indications.

Deutsche Bank “Breaks Through the Noise” on Amazon and the Post Office

SteveAugust 5, 2018Content type, Slideshow, Story

Part 2 of “An Amazon Puzzle” takes another look at volumes, shipping costs, and the potential impacts of a rate hike on parcels.

An Amazon puzzle: How many parcels does it ship, how much does it cost, and who delivers what share?

SteveJuly 29, 2018Slideshow, Story

Many people at Amazon, the Postal Service, and the private carriers know the answers to these questions.  But they’ve all done an excellent job keeping the information to themselves.

Postal Service decides not to pursue sale of historic post office in Richmond, Calif.

SteveJuly 17, 2018Story

After careful analysis of changing marketing conditions, the USPS has determined it will not pursue the potential disposal of this Property at this time.

UPS goes back to court on USPS costing methodology

SteveJuly 16, 2018Slideshow, Story

UPS says the Postal Service should be required to raise its parcel prices now so that it doesn’t turn into a parcel monopoly that can raise its prices later.

PRC approves new USPS internal service performance measurement system

SteveJuly 6, 2018Slideshow, Story

After over three years of study, the Commission has determined that the new system is capable of reporting “accurate, reliable, and representative” data.

How to Privatize the Post Office: Piece by piece, step by step

SteveJune 24, 2018Slideshow, Story

Think it would take an act of Congress to privatize the postal system?  They’ve been privatizing the post office for four decades, piece by piece, step by step.  It’s called “piecemeal privatization,” and it works like this.

Postal bills in the current session of Congress: Is anything going anywhere?

SteveJune 21, 2018Slideshow, Story

For the past ten years, Congress has been unable to act on postal reform.  Today that goal looks further away than ever.

Court turns back UPS bid to drive up USPS parcel prices

SteveMay 29, 2018Slideshow, Story

The winners are the small businesses that won’t pay higher shipping rates and consumers who shop online.

What’s Amazon worth to the Post Office? It could be a cool billion

SteveMay 21, 2018Slideshow, Story

As the following back-of-the-envelope analysis will suggest, the Postal Service could be making as much as a billion dollars a year off the Amazon deal.

City of Berkeley wins lawsuit with the Postal Service over zoning law involving historic post office

SteveMay 14, 2018Story

The City of Berkeley has won its lawsuit with the Postal Service over the rezoning of the downtown area where the historic post office is located. The Postal Service filed this action in federal court back in August 2016.  The Postal Service complained that the zoning ordinance enacted by the City of Berkeley in September 2014 had interfered with its efforts to … Read More

Asking the wrong questions: Reflections on Amazon, the Post Office, and the Greater Good

SteveMay 13, 2018Slideshow, Story

“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.” — Thomas Pynchon