I was talking with some friends tonight (one of whom is a rural carrier) about the decree to the carriers to leave on time, and leave behind anything they didn't have time to sort. That pile will build up until they have a light day and have time to sort it, and still get out on time.

So it's entirely possible that some packages will go through in normal time, while one on the bottom of the pile from a week+ ago when they had a lot more, may take a lot longer to finally get delivered.

Ordered some ammo online a moth or 2 ago.
Showed delivered at 10-30 pm. I ckd several times that nite and the next day. asked around my neighbors and nothing.

Contacted sender and they started a claim with UPS.
Last I ckd 2 or 3 weeks ago, they were still looking for it

I got my money back and found some local

That's really odd , I have a package coming from Illinois that's been hung in a post office somewhere in Illinois since the 16th?????

yes. Last week we received tuesday wednesday and thursday papers (usps delivery in our rural area) on thursday and friday and saturday together.
Also awaiting a package due last thursday, not sure where it's located, vendor may be sending a replacement by tuesday.
Sister in law claimsher first class mail that until recently takes two days as taking 4 to 5 days. Checking postmarks we noticed a 3 pieces of first class (we don't get much) mail took 5 days, one piece mailed 7 miles from our home. Lastly it's been over 2 months that we have received an amazon package in their previous regular 2 day delivery window. Most now is taking 7 to 10 days, most is delivered by usps.
Checked update package left Ill on the 15th, received and left Bakersfield on the 18th, no sign of it since.

Ordered a couple things on E-bay two weeks ago. They were supposed to arrive by Friday the 14th. They still haven't shown up. Ordered a couple other things a week later and they arrived on time.

The post office is closed today here as the storm was coming but not a raindrop in the sky. I thought I was rain sleet or snow

I've been ordering stuff from ebay lately, it usually ships USPS and surprisingly (hearing experience of others) things usually get here on time, if not sooner. I am signed up for USPS notification delivery and some ebay shipments show up on that too. I did get one item shipped with Fedex ground, and it's "on time" just seems really slow compared to how fast usps stuff gets here.

Good to hear the PO isn't taking too much of a beating here. lol. When I moved from California to my small town in Oklahoma, The one thing I underestimated here was the job market. Not a lot of jobs for a 23 year veteran of the film lighting business.
So, I took part time job at the post office. I really like it but its pretty brutal at times. And when DeJoy took over and made all the trucks leave before they were full, things went further down hill. Its is screwing up everything at our office.
Also, I sold a driveshaft to a guy a week and a half ago and the tracking is still showing its an hour from me. Has been for 9 days. Hasn't moved an inch. Luckily the guy who bought it is nice.
Sorry to hear that some of you are having trouble. Sadly, I think its gonna take a while to be fixed.

My brother mailed me an envelope last Tuesday - he's in PA, I'm in MI. As of today, still has not arrived. Normally this would take 2 days without fail. I can ship mufflers to a customer in PA. with FedEx Ground on a Monday. He'll get delivery on Tuesday.

THIS happened about 2 years ago .....

A big box full of vhs tapes sent via media mail from Anchorage... to Paradise!

3 days !

Throughout all this nonsense, it seems one parcel of mine has been lost: Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends" album on 8-track tape. It was the last one I needed to complete the set and the cartridge matched all my other ones. Not really a big deal, just a minor piss-off. I've still got a ton of stuff waiting for me across the line at my P.O. box.

Update: part arrived yesterday 13 days after ordering, emergency brake cable for the Dually, still in the NOS packaging, part travelled from La Salle Illinois to here, North Central TX.

Can you expand on this?
I'm curious if it's the employees, the processes, bad managgement, etc.
I wonder if it will become better with huge injections of cash, or simply December, or 2021.
To me logistics had improved with barcodes and tracking. Occasionally something I ordered ended up across the country and was soon at my doorstep. Now it seems they do not know, it's tracking can't be found.
I regularly check post mark dates on first class because my wife collects stamps. I've noticed only recently lengthy delays. We also still mail a handful of bill payments with a check every month. We have been getting many past due notifications EVEN though we regularly send payments within a couple days of receipt, and well before due date. It's often resulted in us sending payment again, or paying by phone or one time on line (don't trust security as we've been burned thrice by compromised databases) and we end up with a credit against future bills. It's a real pita to keep straight, excel helps.

The reason for the recent drop off in "postal efficiency" is COVID. All 3 major shippers I deal with (and I'm not talking about the drivers) coming right from the managers is they are handling HISTORIC volumes, "like Xmas" but with fewer employees. Usually the shipping companies staff up for the holiday but they actually have fewer people than non holiday times.

The USPS has been a mess for a while. They lose a LOT of packages we ship. From Nov till Feb shipments have been chronically late for years. For the past few years they have cost me many thousands of dollars in late/lost packages. I'm told when they start getting an influx of holiday shipments they jam the packages in semi trailers and hope after the holidays they can catch up. They all do this; USPS, UPS and FedEx. I've seen it first hand at all 3 depots.

At the USPS things HAVE to change. Get rid of mailboxes. Smart move. Thats so 1950's. I mean the mailman goes to every house. Why would be need mailboxes. Letters should cost $5 to send. I pay all my bills online. I havent sent a letter in 10 years. If its important it goes UPS or FedEx. Grandma birfday, she gets a phone call or we stop by. In fact house to house letter and junkmail delivery is CRAZY. If i were in charge I'd change to a giant "po box" kind of system. They only thing that should be delivered are packages. Things that cant be sent electronically.

Heck even the devil, Amazon, is a 7-10 days (my daughter tells me). Not 2 days. Whats his excuse?

I think people looking for a reason to cry will always find a reason, like turning a gentle rain it a thunderstorm.

Its easy to cherry pick certain situations to fit ones needs.

Maybe some of the issues are just bad management at the local level.

No one has 100% perfect track record, weather UPS, Fed EX, DHL or the USPS.

No one seems to be mentioning the slight service issues each time the post office has made internal changes, Ive noticed them each time and then things get ironed out.

SRT, not picking on you but I also mail my 4 bills in by check, why not just send a few days early? My 4 main bills are all here by the 25th, I send them all out on the 26th, the earliest one is due on the 5th and like clockwork I know what company holds checks, which runs them when they get them. If you can check your bank online you shouldnt need any outside program.

Not everyone has great mail service, just like cell service, internet service, health services,ect.... but the boogie man I dont think is in the mix.

Usually a "smart" question requires one to wait before offering a conclusion. There are 300million plus in the US, one person does not establish a pattern.
First and best answer for need for Blue mail boxes, they have much higher security then mailing a check in a unsecured box on the street in front of your house with a red indicator sticking up waiting for the mailman to arrive.

My personal experience, my 92 year old Mom's town she has lived in for over 40 years, removed the drive up Blue mail box recently at the main PO, for reasons unknown, now she has to park her car, walk in, rain or shine, to simply mail a letter/check/document. The PO is supposed to be from day 1 a constitutional service for all, its not a profit center, it's a long time well liked socialist program, like many others. Can it be improved, absolutely, but smartly

I spent $120 to overnight 2 boxes of cookies to a friend in Florida. They were delivered per the tracking number on the porch as promised. About a week later USPS warehouse called me and said no person with that name at the address. I asked her to verify the address and she lived there since 2018. Told the warehouse guy she was on her way to pick them up. Well, yesterday they showed up at our house. Going today to get my money back. Cookies are stale and we are both ticked off.