Network Restructuring and First Class Presort Mail

The Postal Service's network restructuring will add an extra day to most First Class Mail delivery standards.   While it is theoretically possible for bulk First Class mailers to avoid that delay by drop shipping, the viability of drop shipping depends on the Postal Service having clerks and mail handlers working in the evening to accept the mail and route the mail to the appropriate machine for the correct destination sort.

Early discussions with the Postal Service suggests that they want bulk First Class mailers to tender their mail before noon.  This would allow bulk mail to be sorted or dispatched to the facility doing destination sortation during the daytime shift.  This would suggest that the Postal Service plans to have critical dispatch times at or just after rush hour.   With these dispatch times, receiving facilities will have skeletal staffs in the evening to handle mail transported to the facility and not much else.  These entry times and dispatch times would appear to force bulk mailers to accept service that is a day slower than it is now and preclude drop shipping of First Class bulk mail even if they could convince the Postal Service to offer a drop ship discount.