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The Berkshire Company Blog

Certified Email: An Opportunity for the USPS

Posted by Mark Fallon on Apr 18, 2023 4:00:00 AM


The US Postal Service (USPS) is in financial trouble. The decline in mail volumes has accelerated in the last year. At the same time, the USPS is losing market share in the package shipping market. Aging facilities and vehicles hamper efficiencies. Congress appropriated billions for electric vehicles and charging stations, but that will only cover a small percentage of the investment needed. 

The response from the USPS is to raise rates – aggressively. The current plan is to raise rates twice a year, in January and July. The January rate increase will be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) and the July increase will be CPI-U plus factors for mail density and retirement payments. This tactic is driving down mail volumes at the fastest rate since the Great Recession. 

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Mail Security / United States Postal Service / Technology / USPS / Digital / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Postmaster General

Bats, Geese, and the US Postal Service

Posted by Mark Fallon on Jan 10, 2023 4:30:00 AM


In several of his last public briefings, Postmaster General (PMG) DeJoy has shown two slides – one with a cauldron of bats filling the screen in what appears to be a jumble of flying figures, followed by one showing a flock of geese flying in typical “V” formation. PMG DeJoy uses the analogy to demonstrate the chaos at the US Postal Service (USPS) when he arrived (the bats), and the order he intends to implement (the geese).

The analogy of bats and geese is appropriate, but PMG DeJoy has taken the wrong lesson. The USPS is more like bats, while their competitors are often more like the geese. Yes, bats and geese both fly, but that’s where the similarities end.

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United States Postal Service / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Postage Rates / Vote by mail / Postmaster General

Comprehensive Postal Reform – Part Three: Imagining a New Future

Posted by Mark Fallon on Sep 1, 2022 4:00:00 AM



US Code Title 39 §101(a): The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people.

The first post in this series proposed a new reporting structure of the US Postal Service (USPS) and the Postmaster General (PMG). The second post reviewed the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and provide a minimum standards for a new USO..

This post will reimagine what services the US Postal Service may provide in the future – within and beyond the limits of what the current laws allow.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation

Comprehensive Postal Reform – Part Two

Posted by Mark Fallon on May 1, 2022 5:09:39 AM



The last blog post proposed a new reporting structure of the US Postal Service (USPS) and the Postmaster General (PMG). This post will review the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and provide a draft USO for your consideration.

The USO is the vaguely defined responsibility of the USPS to provide consistent service at affordable rates to all citizens irrespective of geography. The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) calculates the costs of the USO and publishes a report on those costs.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Vote by mail / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation / The Berkshire Company

Comprehensive Postal Reform – Part One

Posted by Mark Fallon on Apr 3, 2022 10:42:39 AM


In last month’s post, we reviewed the lack of real reform in the “Postal Service Reform Act of 2022”. While the bill does address some financial issues, it falls short of introducing meaningful change to the US Postal Service (USPS).

A common reply to the post has been, “What would you consider ‘real’ reform?”

That’s a good question, and one that will be answered in three parts. Part One will cover governance and accountability, and Part Two will address universal service and the final part will discuss future services the USPS may provide.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation

The Underwhelming Postal Reform Act of 2022

Posted by Mark Fallon on Mar 8, 2022 6:28:37 PM


On March 8, 2022, the Senate Passed HR 3076 – “The Postal Reform Act of 2022”. This is an important law that will address several issues affecting the US Postal Service (USPS). However, no matter how this law is promoted, it isn’t comprehensive reform, and it doesn’t overhaul the USPS.

What’s included? In summary:

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United States Postal Service / USPS / Postal Reform / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation

A Ship Adrift – The US Postal Service

Posted by Mark Fallon on Feb 1, 2021 4:00:00 AM



The last year has brought one challenge after another. The pandemic. Civil rights protests. A divisive election. Violent rioters in our nation’s capital.

The impact to the US Postal Service (USPS) was augmented by additional factors.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Postage Rates / Postal Regulatory Commission / Postmaster General

The Postal Service Isn't Broke; They Need a Bailout Anyway

Posted by Mark Fallon on Sep 7, 2020 4:00:48 PM


In my decades of working in the mailing industry, there’s never been as much public interest in the US Postal Service (USPS) as there is right now. I remember the headlines of 1970, but that’s because my father was a postal worker. I was just a kid and didn’t appreciate the situation.

50 years later, the situation is different. My business – and the businesses of my customers – are tied to the fate of the USPS. The pandemic has hit the mailing industry hard, with massive declines in volumes. News websites and social media are awash with stories about mounting losses and substantial delivery delays. The importance of vote-by-mail in the upcoming election has further politicized the situation.

The financial situation of the USPS is bad.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Vote by mail / Postmaster General

BREAKING: Congress and the Press Discover that the Postal Service is in Trouble!

Posted by Mark Fallon on Apr 20, 2020 5:00:00 AM


“All legislation, all government, all society is founded upon the principle of mutual concession, politeness, comity, courtesy; upon these everything is based...” – Henry Clay, American Statesman (1777-1852)

In late March, two members of Congress released a statement that unless immediate actions were taken, the US Postal Service (USPS) would run out of cash in June 2020. Their goal was to garner support for adding $25 billion in funding for the USPS as part of the CARES act.

When the stimulus bill was passed, it included provision to allow the USPS to borrow an additional $10 billion due to the COVID-19 crisis. Interestingly, the additional debt can only be used for operating expenses and not capital investments - like new delivery vehicles.

Since that vote, there’s been an explosion of articles and television interviews about the financial struggles of the USPS. It seems that every politician has suddenly developed a sincere concern for the future of the USPS and its ability to serve our country. Similarly, reporters, columnists and pundits are writing articles and delivering commentaries about the financial insolvency of the USPS.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform

What’s a Letter?

Posted by Mark Fallon on Apr 6, 2020 9:00:00 PM


On February 7, 2020, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) issued Order Number 5422 – “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Consider Regulations to Carry Out the Statutory Requirements of 39 U.S.C. 601”. It’s a brief document – only 10 pages – that opens up significant issues around the definition of “a letter”, the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) monopoly to deliver letters, and the universal service obligation (USO).

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United States Postal Service / USPS / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission