USPS

With a focus on expanding access to its last mile delivery network, the United States Postal Service (USPS) said this week that shippers of all sizes will now be able to access more than 18,000 USPS delivery destination units (DDU) across the country.

With the existing contract between global e-commerce retailer Amazon and the United States Postal Service set to expire in October 2026, media reports published yesterday indicated that there could be some shifts coming in that relationship.

2025 delivered a near repeat of 2024's volatility, with tariffs, uneven demand, political uncertainty, and shifting trade dynamics leaving logistics managers stuck in a constant state of reaction. Across every mode—trucking, intermodal, rail, ocean, parcel, and shipper operations—experts point to the same themes: excess capacity, fragile confidence, tariff-driven distortion, and a growing reliance on technology as the industry waits for clarity that never quite arrives.

Operating revenue, at $80.5 billion, saw a 1.2% annual gain over fiscal year 2024, which USPS said was largely paced by its USPS Ground Advantage offering, as well as what it called strategic price increases in its mail and shipping groups. And its net loss under generally accepted accounting principles, at $9.0 billion, trailed the $9.5 fiscal 2024 net loss.

Quarterly consolidated revenue, at $21.4 billion, fell 3.7% annually, and basic earnings per share, at $1.74 (topped Wall Street estimates of $1.29), fell $0.24, or 13.4%, annually. Total operating profit, at $1.8 billion, was off 9.1% annually. 

The firm said that based on its estimates it expects that 2.3 million packages will be delivered over this year’s peak, representing a 5% annual gain, attributing the expected increase to one more shopping day than there was in 2024.

USPS said that the objective of temporary price adjustment, “is to help cover extra handling costs to ensure a successful peak season.”

Third quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings issued this week by the United States Postal Service (USPS) saw a steeper net loss, at $3.1 billion, than the $2.5 billion reported a year ago, for the quarter.

Mugsy, which operates primarily in direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, struggled with inventory inaccuracies and parcel shipping delays, impacting its growth. After switching to Ryder and its acquired 3PL, Whiplash, Mugsy saw immediate improvements in operational accuracy, shipping cost management, and customer satisfaction.

Seattle-based global e-commerce bellwether Amazon recently announced it has it will be expanding its Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery services, with a rural focus, for tens of millions of United States-based customers located in more than 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities by the end of 2025.

Executives from San Diego-based parcel consultancy Shipware offered up some observations on this development, with Amazon and FedEx renewing business ties, following a June 2019 breakup, in which FedEx announced it made a “strategic decision” not to renew the FedEx Express U.S. contract with Amazon, as it focused on serving the broader e-commerce market.

A report stated that Amazon has tapped FedEx to be a partner for the delivery of select large packages to homes, citing an Amazon spokesman, saying the company, “has reached an agreement with FedEx to serve as one of several third-party partners to deliver packages to our customers.”

Steiner will replace Louis DeJoy, whom resigned from the position in March, as well as current Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino, whom USPS said will resume his role as Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Human Resources Officer. USPS added that Steiner is expected to come on board in July, pending the outcome of necessary background and ethics checks.

As carriers grapple with stagnant demand and shifting economic conditions, parcel shippers must stay agile to maintain negotiating power in a market still defined by rising rates and strategic recalibration. Three top parcel industry experts weigh in on the most consumer-facing sector of freight logistics.

A report recently issued by ShipMatrix, a subsidiary of Warrendale, Pa.-based SJ Consulting, points to an increasing shift in the parcel marketplace that is having an impact on the parcel duopoly of FedEx and UPS.