The New Report Highlights Lack of Attention to Detail, Poor Synchronization Between Processing Machines & Delivery Trucks, Workforce Shortages, Inadequate Communication at USPS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger and a bipartisan group of Virginia congressional lawmakers today released a statement in response to the new audit report from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston, Virginia. The USPS OIG audited the RPDC, because the center is one of the first consolidated processing centers in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing.

“It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center,” said Spanberger and her colleagues.

They continued, “Going forward, USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps. We look forward to working with USPS to ensure that happens, the recommendations in the IG report are implemented, and mail delivery is timely for Virginians.”

The report highlighted various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia — including an egregious lack of attention to detail, pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost, poor synchronization between machines processing mail at the facility and the schedules of trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, and broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the cost savings and efficiency improvements this model has promised. Workforce shortages — including reducing the number of contracted drivers to operate delivery trucks when the in-house workforce was insufficient — have further strained USPS staff and increased overtime costs. Meanwhile, internal communication among headquarters, regional, and on-site local staff has been inadequate. Additionally, the report made 10 distinct recommendations for USPS to address service delays.

In addition to Spanberger, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Representatives Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Bob Good (R-VA-05), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02).

Click here for the full audit report.

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