I ship 30,000 packages a year. I'd say 70% go through in fairly normal time frames. Both First Class and Priority. But 20-30% take days or sometimes WEEKS longer. Distance has nothing to do with it. Most shocking thing is many "angry" phone calls I get the people act like COVID shouldn't have affected THEIR shipment.

Some highlights of the last 4 months...

- One shipment took 30 days to go Priority Mail from MI to OH. Another shipment in MI going about 90 miles took 2 weeks.
- USPS is NOT updating tracking regularly. First Class many times are only showing tracking once the package is out for delivery or delivered.
- On my website I put notices everywhere that I STRONGLY recommend using UPS or UPS Surepost. I know Surepost isn't great but I've had ZERO issues (other than it being slow) and it has real tracking.
- When I speak to people on the phone I tell them its a 30% gamble a USPS shipment WILL be late and suggest UPS. Slower but reliable. I negotiated new rates that are very similar to Priority Mail.
- Ordered a bed cover for my truck from the manufacturer 40 miles away here in MI. It too 3 WEEKS by FedEx.
- Ordered a small car part from WA. Shipping to MI took 43 days.
- Have many customers ask if I had a "direct phone line" to the post office to find their needle in a haystack. You cant make this stuff up.
- The USPS was screwed up for years. Its only gotten worse with COVID. Every Xmas season is a nightmare. Packages get jammed in storage trailers until the deluge subsides then they are dug out. I've seen it first hand.
- USPS should fail already. It is THAT bad.
- Nope. Insurance doesn't work. All the shippers self insure and will run you ragged before you collect. I cant spend $100/hr of my time collecting on an $30 package. THEY know that.
- Lastly, and I get this EVERY TIME a package is stuck in the system, the customers say "I got a fruitcake/socks/card delivered from my grammy in record time" or "every other package (what, all 3?) have arrived in a timely fashion". TRY SHIPPING 30,000 then tell me how lucky you are. Whats your secret? You could make a fortune with that info.