[KarlInOhio]

Where is the actual biggest cost for the Post Office? Is it in initial sorting, long distance hauling, last mile door-to-door delivery, all of the real estate for their buildings, old costs for retirees or something else? Does Amazon getting a good deal on delivery fees cost the post office or is it profitable because Amazon only used the last mile by delivering boxes to the local post office? Does junk mail pay for itself because it comes in perfectly sorted and ready to send cross country or is it a loss because the rates are too low?

I've never seen a full analysis. Twenty years ago I received and sent a lot more first class mail but got fewer packages. Are the packages killing the PO? I know most of the big shippers have zero loyalty to the shippers. A small store might use USPS or FedEx for everything, but the big ones like Amazon will have their computers figure out for each package which shipper is cheaper and faster or for Amazon just deliver it themselves.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Where is the actual biggest cost for the Post Office?”

Once I think I heard that it’s the extravagant pension program. Not sure, though.