I just don't understand ....

[egnald]

I guess I just don't understand how things work at the USPS. I ordered some parts from Rancho Cucamonga, CA last Saturday, 11-22-2025. The package traveled to LA on Saturday and it left on Sunday. It arrived in Kansas and then moved on to Omaha, NE on Monday, 11-24-2025. Omaha is only about 85 miles from Columbus, but I am not scheduled to receive it until Saturday, 11-29-2025. I get it, I get it Thursday is a holiday so everything stops, but I'm confused at how it only takes 2 days to get clear across the country but it takes 5 days to go last 85 miles. This is not the first time this scenario has played out. I just have trouble with the math. - Dave

(PS Sorry for the Gripe!, but I would have really loved to have had my package before Thanksgiving so I could have made gifts for some of our guests).

 

[Woodchipper]

Ever wonder why it's called snail mail.
Years ago, our main post office had two slots in the lobby- local and out of town. Now if I mail a birthday card to my neighbor who is about 25 yards away, the card goes 35 miles to Chattanooga, TN, sorted and travels back to my neighbor. Easier to just hand it to him and save the postage.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Years ago I had a similar experience. I live just outside of Dallas but still in Dallas County. I shipped pens to Ohio,Houston and Porto Rico. Houston is the closest and in the same state but was the last one to receive their package. So who knows. Ha ha.

 

[its_virgil]

Local and out of town slots here also...once. noe mail goes to Dallas, 130 miles south then back here. Don't understand at all.

 

[Scotty]

And you can't even speak to anyone to complain. I went to our local post office to buy a roll of stamps. The clerk told me they didn't have any and didn't know when they would get any. He recommended that I go to Krogers.

 

[JohnU]

Yep, I can order a package from Exoticblanks and have it in 2 days (Wisconsin to Illinois) but if I mail them something it takes 5-7 days and travels south of me to St Louis before it goes north of me to WI.

 

[bsshog40]

That's why the usps keeps raising their rates. Fuel costs! Lol

 

[randyrls]

The Postmaster General of USPS owns the majority of his stock in UPS and FedEx.

The PO pulled out many millions of dollars in equipment to implement a strict hierarchy organization rather than the previous mesh network. The millions of dollars of equipment was sold to scrap dealers at pennies on the dollar.

A hierarchy depends on every node working correctly. IF every node is working correctly and at peak efficiency, the Hierarchy is more efficient. If any node is overloaded or stops, it impacts every node under it and above it.
A mesh network works both vertically and horizontally. If any node is overloaded or not working the mesh goes around the problem area. The Internet is a mesh. Aside from single node failures, ever wonder why you hear of major outages on the internet, but you just notice that it is a little slower than usual? The mesh at work.

PS The internet was started by the military who needed a solution to a problem. How do we stay in communication with forces in a nuclear war when our communications are routed through cities destroyed by atom bombs?

 

[rixstix]

The PO pulled out many millions of dollars in equipment to implement a strict hierarchy organization rather than the previous mesh network.

Yep. That's why a letter to our County Assessor 12 miles away now goes from here to Sioux Falls to Omaha back to Sioux Falls to Salem, SD instead of to Sioux Falls to Salem.

Sometimes packages route from St Louis to Sioux Falls to St Louis to Sioux Falls then here so that the original scheduled delivery date is maintained by the extra 2 days round trip instead of delivering 2 days early.

 

[Danny Linguini]

I love tracking packages to see all the places they go between there and here. I've seen them get to the nearest distribution center and then go to another state before eventually making it back to my mailbox. I've seen them head several states in the opposite direction from their origin before heading back this way, when I know there are hubs much closer. All it takes is getting thrown into a wrong pile anywhere along the way for them to take the scenic route. That's automation for ya!