During a behind-the-scenes look at its West Jacksonville Regional Processing and Distribution Center, the U.S. Postal Service expressed confidence it can deliver on time during the holiday rush thanks to improvements in processes since March 2023.
Helping ensure packages arrive on time are enhancements that include modernized technology. These updates are made possible by the Postal Serice Delivering for America Plan, a 10-year, $40 billion investment announced in March 2021.
According to USPS.com, “Our Delivering for America plan, published on March 23, 2021, is guiding the transformation of the United States Postal Service from an organization in financial and operational crisis to one that is self-sustaining and high-performing.”
“It’s a transformation of our organization,” Postal Service Regional Plant Manager Mike Willard said Dec. 10.
The regional facility at 7415 Commonwealth Ave. is 660,000 square feet and never closes. Construction was completed in 1974 and it opened the following year. Much of the original equipment is still being used and incrementally being replaced, Willard said.
All mail is scanned at the processing center before being distributed to post offices. Willard said the center processed 531,000 packages Dec. 9. On a typical day, it processes 330,000.
The center is updating technology and equipment and working to streamline its fleet and reduce redundancies. Willard said as more robotics are integrated at the processing center, there are no plans to reduce the workforce.
“All of our additional technology and robotics are to increase our capacity and the amount of mail we can process in a day. We have not, nor do we plan to shed any employees. We have the same amount of employees in this operation as we usually have. In fact, we have more.”
The plant employs 1,068 people, according to Willard.
He said as work continues to update the plant, there will also be a focus on brightening the facility to increase employee morale.
“The postmaster doesn’t like dark and dingy,” he said.
According to its website, the USPS is “an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community. It delivers letters and packages to 169 million addresses six and, occasionally, seven days a week.”
“With all of the added technology and added machinery and firepower, we’ll be able to improve our services exponentially,” Willard said.
He has been with the Postal Service since 1985, starting as a mail carrier.
To help ensure cards, letters, or packages arrive by Dec. 25, the Postal Service recommends mailing them by Dec. 18 for deliveries in the lower 48 states for USPS Ground Advantage and first-class mail. Priority Mail has a Dec. 19 deadline. Priority Mail Express has a Dec. 21 deadline.
The deadline for addresses in Alaska and Hawaii is Dec. 16 for Ground Advantage, First class is due Dec. 18. Priority Mail must be sent by Dec. 19, and Priority Mail Express can be sent as late as Dec. 20.
