USPS Closures on Hold During Elections

The U.S. Postal Service will suspend closures of some processing facilities and post offices to address concerns from state officials that the absentee and mail-in voting process could be disrupted during the November elections. The Postal Service announced last month that it would begin the process of shuttering or consolidating more than 223 processing centers to cut down on costs. The USPS is suspending some of the closures during the election season in response to concerns from officials in several states including Arizona, California, Ohio and Oregon, who complained that the move could confuse voters trying to mail ballots close to deadlines. The first round of closings and consolidations will begin May 15 and be completed by the end of August. USPS will meet with states holding primaries during the closures “to address the questions and concerns of election boards, political candidates and mailers,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement this month. The next round of closings will wait until 2013.

Source: Washington Post

FedEx Express Set to be First to Deploy Electric Truck

FedEx Express will be the first company in the world to deploy a new kind of electric-powered step van now being built in the United States. Manufacturer Smith Electric Vehicles Corporation unveiled the production version of its all-electric Smith Newton van recently at a truck show in Indianapolis, as it launched full production. The first Newton Step Vans are expected to be deployed in select US markets throughout the remainder of 2012. Smith Electric said it could not reveal how many vehicles the Memphis-based shipping giant will be taking on, and FedEx was keeping quiet about the number this afternoon. The vehicle is described as “ideal” for thousands of delivery routes in urban environments and can be fully charged overnight. Offering a driving range of about 100 miles on a single charge, the vans come in vehicle weights from 14,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds. FedEx Express said using the Smith Newton van was an opportunity to support the company’s efforts to optimize its fleet in an “economically and environmentally sustainable manner”.

Source: Post & Parcel

USPS Focus Groups Coming Back to Life

The USPS is working to revitalize the Area Focus Group format and process. This new generation of Area Focus Groups is open to First Class, Periodical, and Standard mailers in all seven geographical Areas of the USPS. Click here for more information on meeting locations.

Congress Must Act to Save USPS

The Postal Service is facing such a cash crunch that it has a $12.1 billion loan outstanding from Treasury. But taxpayers will be paid back, especially after Congress acts to help save the Postal Service, according to most experts. While progress on a measure has been slow-going in Congress, both House and Senate legislation would dramatically reduce or eliminate debt by tapping overpayments made in retirement accounts. The plans would also cut costs at the agency by closing plants and post offices, ending Saturday service, and delaying first-class mail, all of which would help put the agency back on the road to profitability. "We're deeply concerned about the restoration of the Postal Service to solvency," said Ali Ahmad, spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican who has sponsored a postal bill in the House. The Postal Service had no debt in 2005. But a recession, declining first-class mail volume and a congressional mandate to prefund retirement health care benefits have put the service in a hold, according to Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer. The service reported a $5.1 billion loss for the year ended Sept. 30.

Source: CNN Money