UPS and US Postal Service package delivery change: What it will mean for PO Box users

UPS has terminated a contract with the U.S. Postal Service, and the termination means changes for some people with PO Boxes.

Under the change, UPS Sure Post packages are now only delivered by UPS drivers, a spokesperson for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters told Supply Chain Dive. In the past, the final leg of these deliveries was made by the U.S. Postal Service; now they will be processed by UPS after the contract expires on January 1st.

“Millions of packages left SurePost and the United States Postal Service and returned to UPS package cars this month, now sorted and delivered by hard-working UPS Teamsters,” the Teamsters said in a post on Facebook. “Increased volume provides more delivery opportunities and overtime access for rank-and-file UPS Teamsters.”

Although the Teamsters tout the changes, it creates problems with some deliveries. The Postal Service is the only carrier authorized to deliver to post office boxes, military posts and Navy fleets, MyNBC5 reported. The end of the agreement means that UPS customers will now have to ship their packages directly to a U.S. location or to their address.

UPS told the station that if someone does not have a valid mailing address, the best option is to have their packages sent to a UPS store. Now any package addressed to a PO Box or military address shipped via UPS will be refused and returned to the sender.

You can find out more here.