ROANOKE, Va. – Starting Friday, Oct.1, new USPS changes will lead to some mail delays, especially in our rural areas.
But a mail carrier of 45 years is still giving the plan a thumbs up.
About 30% of first-class mail will now take about five days to be delivered.
Ronnie Stutts, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, said the changes will mean more ground transportation will be used.
With the holidays approaching and staffing shortages, it will put more pressure on workers.
He said most elderly people in rural areas rely on the mail service for food and medications, especially during the pandemic.
“A lot of those people don’t have the opportunity or the transportation to get in and go to a Rite Aid, a CVS, a Walgreens or a Walmart to even get their prescription. I know we are going to be targeting those types of mail to make sure they get delivered.”
However, Stutts said he is confident the changes will help regain the billions of dollars lost and help boost efficiency for postal workers in the long run.