FIRST-CLASS BLUES
First-Class letters had another weak week if I may use a synonym here. Less than 84% delivered on time, with average delivery days nearly a half day slower than the YTD average. First-Class flats continued in their mediocre range at about 75% on time.
Just in case you were wondering, for the same week last year, First-Class letters and flats were delivered on time 92.5% and 94.1% of the time, respectively. Ouch! And that was right after Hurricane Ian. There is no doubt that First-Class performance levels have been dropping significantly for two years and appear to be continuing their decline.
On the plus side, Marketing Mail continues to chug along with remarkable consistency. This might lead one to believe that the delivery issues with First-Class mail are primarily generated in origin processing and transportation. And, yes, there are delivery issues with First-Class Mail.
