Has your mail carrier always come at the same time?
Some areas of the country have lots of consistency when it comes to their mail carrier and the times mail is delivered.
Other areas do not see this much consistency, and the mail can be delivered anytime from very early in the morning to very late at night.
If you have been waiting for a package and wondering if it will get there today, it is helpful to know the regular hours of the USPS drivers.
How Late Does USPS Deliver?
The USPS delivers until 6:00 pm.
At this point in the day, all drivers are supposed to have completed their deliveries for the day.
However, this is not always the case.
Sometimes problems or issues will come up during the course of the day, and the mail still needs to be delivered.
This is why you could end up seeing a mail truck on the road after 6:00 pm at times.
Some mail drivers have their route down, and they move through their day rather quickly.
They will try and finish by 4:00 pm or even earlier.
Why Is the Mail Late Sometimes?
There are lots of variables when it comes to the United States mail system.
Here are a few reasons your mail could be late.
1. After a Holiday
If there was a mail holiday, chances are the driver has some catch-up work to do.
When they get back to the regular routine, there will probably be lots of extra work to catch up on.
If each house has more mail or increased packages because of a holiday, that driver will likely move a bit more slowly throughout their day.
2. Bad Weather
When the weather is poor, the mail always seems to appear later in the day.
This mostly has to do with the driver having to deal with difficult conditions on the road.
It also means they are having to take extra precautions to make sure the mail does not get damaged or destroyed in the rain.
3. Employee Issues
Just like any other career, mail carriers need to take vacation time.
They also get sick and have family emergencies.
When there is a mail carrier out for the day, there will be issues with making sure you get your mail on time.
When a replacement driver has to fill in, chances are they will be a little slower as it is not their regular route.
4. Truck Issues/Mail Delivered Late
There are also general logistic issues when it comes to the mail being delivered late.
Sometimes a truck will break down, and other times, the mail coming into the local post office will be delayed.
If a driver gets a later start on their day, chances are the mail will arrive late to your house.
Most of the time, as long as the mail eventually makes it there, people are generally happy.
What Does USPS Mean by “End of Day”?
If you are tracking a shipment you have on the way, and the USPS says, “End of Day,” it usually means you will get your package that day.
When the USPS says the package will get there by the end of the day, it is usually loaded on the mail truck at that point.
If you don’t get that package for some reason, then there probably was an issue with that mail carrier that day.
The other issue could be that the package was accidentally loaded on the wrong truck.
Either way, you will usually get your package the next day if it didn’t make it to you on time.
What Happens if USPS Doesn’t Deliver on Time?
If the USPS does not deliver a package on time, there is really nothing that can be done.
If this was a priority express package, then you can request a refund of the money you paid for shipping.
If you were simply waiting for a package that said it would be there by the end of the day and it didn’t make it, chances are nothing will be done to reimburse you for the shipping.
This is the same with UPS and FedEx as well.
Unless you are paying for a guaranteed shipping time, you can’t expect the carrier to get the package to you at an exact time.
Conclusion
The next time you get frustrated about a package being delivered a little later than you wanted, it may be worth considering the USPS’s scale and size.
There are many moving parts, and the job of getting every American their mail six days a week is certainly an important one.
If your mail gets delivered past 6:00 pm, just know there is likely an excellent reason.
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