Weeks before a Republican donor and top White House ally becomes postmaster general, the U.S. Postal Service has quietly begun a review of its package delivery contracts and lost its second-highest executive, leaving its board of governors without any officials who predate President Trump.
The moves, confirmed by six people with knowledge of the Postal Service’s inner workings but not authorized to speak publicly, underscore how Trump is moving closer to reshaping an independent agency he has dubbed “a joke.”
The Postal Service in recent weeks has sought bids from consulting firms to reassess what the agency charges companies such as Amazon, UPS and FedEx to deliver products on their behalf — often in the “last mile” between a post office and a customer’s home. Higher package rates would cost shippers and online retailers billions of dollars, potentially spurring them to invest in their own distribution networks instead of relying on the Postal Service. Continue reading.