During the first quarter of 2023, the U.S. Postal Service spent a record $569 million outsourcing mail transportation through brokerage firms. A recent investigative report by the Wall Street Journal indicates “unscrupulous tractor-trailer drivers” have backdoor access to lucrative contracts.
The report points out that the Postal Service retooled its outsourcing practices in 2021. New policies minimized some of the most stringent safety measures in favor of lower costs and more flexible drivers. One of the truckers cited in the report was reportedly involved in four collisions within six weeks. Another had a rap sheet with crimes including drug distribution, domestic abuse, and a lengthy list of driving transgressions, according to police reports and court records.
“Safety has been and will continue to be a priority for the U.S. Postal Service,” U.S. Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer reportedly said. “USPS doesn’t tolerate this behavior.”
Prior to the 2021 third-party driver policy changes, the Postal Service spent approximately $40 to $50 million per quarter on its top outsourcing partners. But in 2021, the expense skyrocketed from $49 million in the first quarter to a whopping $275 million in the fourth quarter.
What makes these profit ahead of safety allegations even more troubling is the Postal Service is also tasked with protecting mail privacy and conducting high-level scrutiny of people who possess, control, and deliver letters and packages. The trucker who was reportedly involved in four crashes in six weeks left one unsuspecting motorist with a spinal injury in 2021. According to the Wall Street Journal, a first-hand account and insurance documents indicate Hugo Vieira was rear-ended by a third-party trucker hauling mail.
“I would expect it from a big company, but the Postal Service is government,” Vieira reportedly said. “There should be no cutting corners.”
Some point to the use of freight brokers as the reason why unsafe drivers are able to slide into these positions. The logistics operations field orders and link available CDL holders to sometimes last-minute loads. Many of the brokers agreed to give the Postal Service substantial discounts for bulk contracts. That type of system typically leads to lower trucker pay, which attracts drivers with spotty records who struggle to get hired.
According to the news report, the Postal Service did not track crashes by third-party drivers. However, at least 79 people were involved in fatal crashes from 2020 through 2022.
Leave a Comment