When it comes to shopping, whether you’re trying to avoid going out in the cold or trying to avoid indoor spaces in the wake of Omicron’s expansion, you’re almost certainly relying on the internet more than ever before.
USPS is responsible for shipping and delivering packages on behalf of a variety of retailers. Despite several recent winter storms on the East Coast, the agency claims that it has maintained an average delivery time of 2.7 days.
Although mail delivery can be particularly difficult during the winter months, it is critical that you take all necessary precautions to ensure that your packages arrive in good condition on their intended recipient’s doorstep. Continue reading for an important new warning from the United States Postal Service.
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This winter, the United States Postal Service is requesting that customers clear snow and ice from paths for mail carriers.
Because of the severe winter weather that is currently affecting many parts of the United States, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is advising customers to keep their mail areas free of snow and ice so that carriers can deliver their mail to them.
NBC affiliate WFMJ in Youngstown, Ohio reports that the Postal Service has told them that it does not receive any funding from the federal government for operating expenses such as clearing paths.
“Many difficult weather conditions are encountered by postal employees, and they make every reasonable effort to deliver mail. It is possible to keep our letter carriers, your neighbors, and your property safe if you work with us,” the United States Postal Service said in a statement to the news outlet.
In order to accomplish this, Mark Inglett, a spokesman for the United States Postal Service, told ABC-affiliate KMIZ in Columbia, Missouri, that you should “keep a path clear to your mailbox, whether it’s on your porch or a curbside mailbox, as well [as] shovel around that so [carriers] can get the trucks up to it.”
If you do not follow these instructions, your mail may not be delivered.
While creating a clear path to your mail receptacles is important for the safety of USPS carriers, it is also necessary if you want your mail to be delivered to your home or business. If a carrier cannot gain access to your mailbox because of inadequate access, the Postal Service reserves the right to skip your house.
“As a condition of delivery, customers are required to ensure that proper access to mail receptacles is provided,” the United States Postal Service (USPS) warns on its website.
“Proper access includes the removal of large accumulations of snow from the area around curb line receptacles as well as from sidewalks leading to doors or other house-mounted receptacles,” says the Department of Transportation.
If you are unable to remove the snow or ice from your driveway, there are other options for you to receive your mail.
While the United States Postal Service (USPS) has the authority to delay or suspend mail delivery service whenever it deems it necessary to protect carriers, the agency claims that it does so only as a last resort after careful consideration.
If this occurs to you and you are unable to remove accumulated snow or ice from your mailbox in order for the carrier to reach your box, the postal service provides a number of alternative methods for you to receive your mail.
As stated by the United States Postal Service, you can either make arrangements with a neighbor to receive your mail, set up a suitable temporary mailbox, meet the carrier at your mailbox, or pick up your mail at your local Post Office location.
“Your postmaster will be pleased to discuss these options with you so that you can choose the one that is most convenient for you,” the United States Postal Service explains online.
It is possible to make it safer for mail carriers to deliver your mail during the winter months in addition to the above measures.
Clearing snow and ice from your delivery routes is not the only way to ensure that your deliveries are made in safer conditions during the winter months.
According to Inglett, the USPS also advises customers to keep pets indoors for the time being, particularly during more dangerous weather conditions that could be hazardous for both carriers and animals.
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In addition, there are fewer daylight hours in the United States during the winter, which can make deliveries more difficult for Postal Service employees who may be on the job even when it is dark outside.
In order to combat this, the United States Postal Service recommends that outside lights, such as those on the porch, be left on during the winter months.
“The safety of our employees and the communities we serve is a top priority for the United States Postal Service,” District Manager Richard Moreton told ABC affiliate WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan. This information can also assist you and your family in avoiding injuries that can ruin an otherwise pleasant day.
