UPS and USPS Package Delivery Changes: Here’s What You Need to Know

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees will no longer deliver UPS SurePost packages after the government agency’s contract with the package service expires this year.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union representing UPS delivery drivers, confirmed the expiration of the negotiated service contract in a Facebook post last week.

“Millions of packages left SurePost and the United States Postal Service and returned to UPS rail cars this month, now being sorted and delivered by hard-working UPS Teamsters.” » reads the social media post.

In a statement to USA TODAY, UPS spokesperson Jim Mayer said: “SurePost is a reliable, cost-effective service for less urgent packages offered by UPS to business shippers… UPS now handles SurePost door-to-door packages to door entirely within our own network, with the reliability we are known for.

USA TODAY contacted the USPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Thursday but did not receive a response.

Here’s what you need to know about contract termination and what it means for UPS drivers and future SurePost deliveries.

Will this change how I receive my package?

With the end of the UPS and USPS contract, individuals and businesses in the United States will receive their SurePost packages perhaps a day earlier, as transit time drops from two to seven days to two to six days, depending on the service of packages.

SurePost will no longer be available to those living in U.S. territories, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico, according to Supply Chain Dive, which cited the previous UPS SurePost preview. Additionally, the SurePost service will not be available for PO Box and military APO/FPO deliveries, the outlet added.

Other UPS delivery services, such as Ground, Second Day Air and Next Day Air, will continue to be available to people living in the U.S. territories, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

“There is no impact or change to UPS’s core delivery services, including UPS Ground, UPS Second Day Air and UPS Next Day Air,” according to the UPS statement.

Consumers who have SurePost packages in transit that should be delivered to a PO box can have them redirected to a mailing address by signing up for UPS MyChoice, Mayer said.

What does the contract mean for UPS drivers?

With the end of the contract, drivers will experience an increase in volume, which will “provide more delivery opportunities and overtime access to rank-and-file UPS Teamsters,” according to the Facebook post.

“Improved guardrails around SurePost, which allowed small packages to be routed from UPS railcars for delivery by USPS, were a key win for the UPS Teamsters during record contract negotiations in 2023,” can -we read on Facebook. “Contract improvements have helped ensure that UPS Teamsters delivers more packages.”

With “millions” of SurePost packages returned on UPS trucks, thousands of new regular package driver jobs can be created, the Teamsters Facebook post says.

What is UPS SurePost?

According to UPS, SurePost is “a cost-effective service for your less urgent, lower value shipments.”

SurePost deliveries can be shipped to 48 U.S. states and have an estimated transit time of two to six days. UPS said the ideal SurePost package weight is less than 10 pounds.

Before the contract expired, SurePost packages could be delivered by UPS or USPS to all 48 U.S. states, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories, PO Boxes and military APO/FPO destinations, reported Supply Chain Dive. Transit time for these deliveries was estimated to be between two and seven days within the United States, and longer for other destinations.

What did USPS say about contract expiration?

In a statement obtained by Supply Chain Drive, a USPS spokesperson said, “Some companies have negotiated new agreements with us, and others have not. »

“Prior agreements did not reflect operational and financial realities, the evolution of the postal network or improvements to our portfolio of product offerings,” the spokesperson added.

USPS had a contract with FedEx for domestic air transportation services, but that expired on September 29, 2024. The government agency then chose UPS for its new air cargo contract.

“FedEx and the United States Postal Service have enjoyed a long and productive relationship for more than 20 years,” FedEx said in a statement in March. “Over time, our respective strategies have changed as we transform our networks and operations for the future.”