Postal service to UPS/FedEx???

[CommanderHoek]

Read somewhere that UPS wants/is going to buy the USPS? What impact will this have on hiring at both Brown and Purple? Will FedEx not try and buy the USPS?

Just food for thought as this would be significant, for furloughees and any and all new hires at either place!

 

[HalinTexas]

It would have to get the approval of Congress. What do you think the chances of that are?

 

[waka]

Read somewhere that UPS wants/is going to buy the USPS? What impact will this have on hiring at both Brown and Purple? Will FedEx not try and buy the USPS?

Just food for thought as this would be significant, for furloughees and any and all new hires at either place!

Where did you read that? Link?

 

[shooter]

Buy the USPS? :laugh:

Let me know what realtor will be listing the White House.

 

[paulsalem]

I'd love the see the USPS monopoly go away. Yet another government monopoly drowning in red ink.

 

[BoilerUP]

I'd love the see the USPS monopoly go away. Yet another government monopoly drowning in red ink.

Monopoly?

The top of this thread lists two quite viable private industry alternatives to the USPS for sending correspondence or packages...

 

[paulsalem]

Monopoly?

The top of this thread lists two quite viable private industry alternatives to the USPS for sending correspondence or packages...

Basically competition for letters has been outlawed unless you agree to the USPS pricing system. (sounds like price fixing to me.)

The Private Express Statutes (PES) are a group of federal civil and criminal laws that, for the most part, make it unlawful for any entity other than the U.S. Postal Service® to send or carry letters over post routes for compensation unless appropriate postage is paid in an amount equaling what would have been paid had the letters been sent through the Postal Service™.

source: http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub542.pdf

 

[shooter]

I'd love the see the USPS monopoly go away. Yet another government monopoly drowning in red ink.

Be careful of what you wish for. If allowed to break apart the Postal monopoly, higher profit areas would only get service. Just based on business alone and not taking into account of the development of our nation, it would not be allowed to happen. Or, if it is allowed to happen, to ensure our nation does not become separated between areas of private service and "dead zones", taxes would sky rocket to ensure all markets are served.

 

[BoilerUP]

You can still send a "letter" via UPS or FedEx...you just have to put it in a document envelope and pay the appropriate fees which are an order of magnitude higher than USPS postage.

Even without that regulation, no competitor (even UPS/FedEx) could come into the marketplace and deliver letters for lower cost than what USPS charges - competitors wouldn't have Uncle Sam subsidizing the cost of the service they provide.

 

[paulsalem]

I just want competition in the market.

The USPS must exist per the constitution, servicing everyone. It doesn't however, ban competition.

 

[BoilerUP]

But there *is* competition in the market.

While true that you cannot put a stamp on an envelope and mail it from CLT to Bismark, ND using a provider other than USPS, you can put the same envelope in a document envelope and send it to Bismark via UPS or FedEx. As such, there are alternatives to USPS and they do not have an implied or actual monopoly on the carriage of correspondence in this country.

 

[shooter]

I just want competition in the market.

The USPS must exist per the constitution, servicing everyone. It doesn't however, ban competition.

That was the whole point of my post. The only competition would come in the high profit areas, that currently help supplement the high cost rural and remote areas where there would be no competition. Taxes would increase to supplement the law that every American gets service. Without it, our nation would be gutted from the inside.

 

[shooter]

But there *is* competition in the market.

While true that you cannot put a stamp on an envelope and mail it from CLT to Bismark, ND using a provider other than USPS, you can put the same envelope in a document envelope and send it to Bismark via UPS or FedEx. As such, there are alternatives to USPS and they do not have an implied or actual monopoly on the carriage of correspondence in this country.

That is fact. But those are parcels and not letters, where the monopoly exists.

 

[paulsalem]

That was the whole point of my post. The only competition would come in the high profit areas, that currently help supplement the high cost rural and remote areas where there would be no competition. Taxes would increase to supplement the law that every American gets service. Without it, our nation would be gutted from the inside.

You are probably right that taxes would increase (or deficits).

However it's not taxes that should increase it is the postage rates that should increase to remote areas. The post office doesn't exist to make money, and therefore prices shouldn't be governed by supply and demand. The price to mail a letter should equal the cost to deliver it.

That's my opinion at least.

Boiler,

A letter may be carried out of the mails when the amount paid for the private carriage of the letter is at least six times the rate then currently charged for a 1-ounce single-piece First-Class Mail letter.

I do not consider that free competition.

 

[shooter]

You are probably right that taxes would increase (or deficits). However it's not taxes that should increase it is the postage rates that should increase to remote areas.


Boiler,



I do not consider that free competition.

They should do that now, IMO. And reduce delivery days. Only a business would need mail every day of the week.

EDIT: On second thought, different rates would probably only lead to more operating costs. Just work on the delivery days right now and keep the standard rates.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Wow, if only there was a way to send mail electronically...
Like an "E-mail" to send information.

(people still use snail mail?)

It's all a non issue. Profitable areas will get once a day service and non profitable areas will get once a week.

I think I can survive getting my junk mail once a month.

 

[Redmeat]

Reading this thread got me to thinking about what a I dislike most about my job...being trapped in the cockpit while the professional pilot next to me pontificates and gives their "expert" opinion about everything under the sun instead of flying the airplane.

It amazes me the wealth of knowledge that the pilots license automatically brings with it...it must be that, because most aviators either have no college degree or an online degree from the **ahem** "university" of Phoenix.

I wonder if the powers that be are aware of this phenomenon. If they were, they would certainly employ an airline pilot in every known position in government given their expert knowledge of all things.

I also wonder why these flying geniuses chose to fly airplanes and be furloughed/change companies on average four times, be estranged from their kids, go thru a divorce or two, etc. instead of pursuing much more lucrative careers in other fields where they would certainly be gazillion-airs given the knowledge they posess...

Things that make you go Hmmmm...

 

[shooter]

Reading this thread got me to thinking about what a I dislike most about my job...being trapped in the cockpit while the professional pilot next to me pontificates and gives their "expert" opinion about everything under the sun instead of flying the airplane.

It amazes me the wealth of knowledge that the pilots license automatically brings with it...it must be that, because most aviators either have no college degree or an online degree from the **ahem** "university" of Phoenix.

I wonder if the powers that be are aware of this phenomenon. If they were, they would certainly employ an airline pilot in every known position in government given their expert knowledge of all things.

I also wonder why these flying geniuses chose to fly airplanes and be furloughed/change companies on average four times, be estranged from their kids, go thru a divorce or two, etc. instead of pursuing much more lucrative careers in other fields where they would certainly be gazillion-airs given the knowledge they posess...

Things that make you go Hmmmm...

Wow, sounds like you are real joy to fly with. Let me guess, you like vanilla ice cream and who are you argue with it's success.

BTW, was that little ditty your "expert" opinion? Hmmmm

EDIT: And while I have your attention, where the hell are the flaps on this website, captain? What a dolt.

 

[Redmeat]

EDIT: And while I have your attention, where the hell are the flaps on this website, captain? What a dolt.

On YOUR side of the aircraft.

 

[FearlessFreep]

The USPS is a non profit operation. Use it extensively, why pay a premium when you don't have to. Was instituted in the U.S. Constitution, service area is EVERYWHERE, without exception. Performance far exceeds ANYTHING that UPS or Fedex can do when you consider the sheer volume. Dropping one 44 cent envelope into an unbelievably large pile and it gets delivered in 1 - 3 days. That's pretty incredible to me.

I do on occasion have to use UPS and Fedex. They can barely perform to the standards of their premium services. One day service usually takes 2 - 3 and I have yet to have see an AM delivery show up before 1500

The USPS is not perfect, I use it more and have had a lot less problems with them than I have had with Fedex and UPS.