Postal customers have had to learn how to adapt over the last few years. Since the start of the COVID pandemic, they've experienced an increase in delivery delays and mail theft. Then in 2021, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) kickstarted a 10-year transformation that has already brought about several changes—from price hikes to slower delivery standards. And the agency is hardly letting up anytime soon, as the summer is set to bring about even more adjustments. Read on to discover the changes the USPS is planning to make to your mail in the coming months.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Asking for These Changes to Your Mailbox.
The USPS is warning about a major delivery problem.
ShutterstockWhile the Postal Service wants to get your mail to you, it also wants to make sure carriers stay safe while delivering it. But aggressive animals often put postal workers in harm's way on the job. In a June 1 press release, the agency revealed that more that more than 5,300 USPS employees were attacked by dogs while delivering mail in 2022.
“When letter carriers deliver mail in our communities, dogs that are not secured or leashed can become a nemesis and unpredictable and attack," Leeann Theriault, the Postal Service's employee safety and health awareness manager, said in a statement.
The USPS is asking pet owners to "help support safe mail delivery" by keeping dogs secure while their local carrier is making deliveries. But in order to further ensure the safety of its employees, the agency is also planning to make changes to some customers' mail.
Some customers will see new labels on their mailbox.
ShutterstockCustomers in certain areas may start noticing new labels on their mailboxes in the coming months, as the USPS works to eliminate animals threats for its employees. The agency recently revealed plans to place paw print stickers on the mailboxes of houses with dogs in the city of Lakewood, Ohio, ABC-affiliate News 5 Cleveland reported on May 31.
"The carriers at your local post office are working to reduce the risk of dog bites and attacks that occur while delivering mail. They have developed a system to communicate areas where dogs reside," the Postal Service wrote in a notice to customers in the area. "Carriers will soon be placing a paw sticker on mailboxes to indicate that a dog or dogs live in the area—yellow indicates dog nearby/orange indicates dog at residence. The sticker will act as a reminder to the carrier that they should proceed with caution, especially when delivering packages to the door."
This will serve as an expansion of the agency's PAWS Program, which first launched in Philadelphia in 2020. The USPS also added these new preventative labels to mailboxes in the Twin Cities in Sept. 2021. Alongside Lakewood, various local news outlets report that the program is rolling out to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Rapid City, South Dakota this year, as well.
Other upcoming changes will affect all postal customers.
iStockThere are other changes on the way that will affect all postal customers in the coming months.
In April, the USPS announced that it had filed notice with the PRC to raise First-Class Mail prices by approximately 5.4 percent. If favorably reviewed, you'll have to start paying more for your mail services on July 9. These higher rates will include a three-cent increase in the price of a First Class Mail Forever stamp from 63 cents to 66 cents.
"As operating expenses fueled by inflation continue to rise and the effects of a previously defective pricing model are still being felt, these price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan," the agency explained.
The Postal Service is also planning to simplify its shipping options the same day. Starting July 9, customers will no longer be able to choose from several different shipping methods. Instead the USPS is set to roll out its new USPS Ground Advantage shipping service, which will incorporate three former ground shipping options: USPS Retail Ground, Parcel Select Ground, and First-Class Package Service.
"At launch, USPS Ground Advantage would provide a simple, reliable and more affordable way to ship packages up to 70 pounds in two-to-five business days," the agency said.
New stamps are set to start rolling out in September.
The Toidi / ShutterstockThe Postal Service also just finalized its 2023 stamp program, according to a May 31 press release. The agency announced the first-day-of-issue dates and locations for several new stamps that will become available to customers through the end of the year. This includes a Piñatas design set releasing on Sept. 8 and a Snow Globes stamp coming out on Sept. 19.
And on Sept. 22, the USPS will rollout a new design to honor NASA's OSIRIS REx mission, and a stamp to honor the late Supreme Court Jusice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Oct. 2. The last finalized collection for this year's program will be a Winter Woodland Animals series that drops on Oct. 10. Of course, dates "may be subject to change," the agency noted in its release.
