USPS, UPS SurePost delivery deal is over. Will this impact how you get mail?

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) workers will no longer deliver UPS SurePost packages after the government agency’s deal with the parcel service expired this year.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union representing UPS delivery drivers, confirmed the negotiated service agreement’s expiration in a Facebook post last week.

“Millions of packages moved away from SurePost and the United States Postal Service and returned to UPS package cars this month, now being sorted and delivered by hardworking UPS Teamsters.” the social media post reads.

USA TODAY contacted UPS, USPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Thursday but has not received a response.

Here is what to recognize about the deal ending and what it means for UPS drivers and upcoming SurePost deliveries.

Will this transformation how I get my mail?

With UPS and USPS’s deal ending, people in the U.S. will receive their SurePost packages possibly a day earlier as the transit period decreases from two to seven days to two to six days, according to the parcel service.

SurePost will no longer be available for those who are living in U.S. Territories, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico, according to Supply Chain Dive, which cited the previous overview of UPS SurePost. Also, the SurePost service will not be available for PO Box and Military APO/FPO deliveries, the outlet added.

What does the deal cruel for UPS drivers?

With the deal ending, drivers will view an boost in volume which “provides more delivery opportunities and access to overtime for rank-and-file UPS Teamsters,” according to the Facebook post.

“Improved guardrails around SurePost, which saw smaller packages routed off UPS package cars to be delivered by the USPS, were a critical boost for UPS Teamsters during record deal negotiations in 2023,” the Facebook post reads. “deal enhancements helped ensure UPS Teamsters were delivering more packages.”

With “millions” of SurePost packages going back on UPS trucks, thousands of recent regular package car driver jobs can be created, Teamsters’ Facebook post says.

What is UPS SurePost?

According to UPS, SurePost is “an economy service for your less urgent, lower worth shipments.”

SurePost deliveries can be shipped to 48 U.S. states and have an estimated transit period of two to six days. UPS said the ideal weight for SurePost packages is less than 10 pounds.

Before the deal expiration, SurePost packages could be delivered by UPS or USPS to the 48 US states, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, all U.S. Territories, PO Boxes and Military APO/FPO Destinations, Supply Chain Dive reported. The transit period for these deliveries was an estimated two to seven days within the U.S., and longer for other destinations.

What did USPS declare about the deal’s expiration?

In a statement obtained by Supply Chain Drive, a USPS spokesperson said, “Some businesses negotiated recent agreements with us, and some have not.”

“Prior agreements failed to reflect operational and monetary realities, the evolving postal network, or the enhancements to our financing collection of product offerings,” the spokesperson added.

USPS had a deal with FedEx for domestic air transportation services, but it expired on Sept. 29, 2024. The government agency later chose UPS for its recent air cargo deal.

“FedEx and the United States Postal Service have had a long and productive connection for more than 20 years,” FedEx said in a statement in March. “Over period, our respective strategies have shifted as we transform our networks and operations for the upcoming.”