Not getting mail delivered? Staffing levels, volumes of packages and large delivery routes to blame

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The U.S. Post Office in South Lake Tahoe has had many challenges in getting the mail out for the last month - few postal carriers meeting increasing demand with more home delivery customers and an ever-growing number of online package delivery. Oh, and toss in an epic storm with heavy snowfall and two-wheel-drive postal vehicles, and you get the idea.

South Lake Tahoe had a retiring postmaster and manager, but the district supervisor in Sacramento called them and convinced them to unretire, according to a staff member. There had been no upper management in place for over a month in South Lake Tahoe after their departure.

If the manager and postmaster stay, or replacements will be sought, is not clear.

In speaking to staff, contractors, and customers, an immediate overhaul of the local system is needed.

The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe has no home delivery, and all customers have to use one of the three post offices at the lake - Stateline, Round Hill, and Glenbrook - to retrieve their mail and packages from their rented boxes.

That was once the case on the California side, but when home delivery became an option, many jumped at the chance to have mail delivered at home, and for free.

Many local residents say they haven't received mail in weeks at their homes. While mailboxes buried in snow could be the cause for a few, the majority have boxes cleared out but not enough staff to service them.

Rural mail delivery carriers with normal routes are contract laborers and do not get paid for overtime hours, even if working six-12 hour shifts a week. Instead, they are paid a price the post office determines is right. Many of these carriers are delivering to 700 homes a day, a much higher number than in the past, and with a higher volume of packages. When paid on the amount of time it should take to deliver mail based on needs from four years ago, things will quickly not add up.

Routes are supposed to be evaluated annually, but South Lake Tahoe hasn't had a route count in four years, before COVID and before the influx of new residents and home delivery customers.

In talking to staff (all promised anonymity), they all said the same thing about the current situation - reorganization is needed. They say more staff is needed from carriers to lobby staff.

Rural carriers once used their own vehicles, but now most use the one provided by the post office - two-wheel drive boxed cars that aren't meant for snow. When the post-office-provided vehicles break down they are towed to Reno for repair as they don't have a mechanics shop at Lake Tahoe.

If there were enough carriers to fill all the cars, mail may have a better chance of delivery but currently, there are many routes not staffed. Interested in a job? It isn't always easy to find open jobs on the USPS website, making it difficult to attract new employees.

Whatever was once working is now logistically not possible, especially in the snow. Residents who aren't getting their mail spent over an hour at the main post office on Al Tahoe Boulevard to pick up their mail, if it can be found. The post office only keeps letters and packages ten days before returning them.

Some of those that have been hired are quitting due to the high-stress levels, staff says. When they spend hours a week working "for free" as they say, new opportunities elsewhere will be found.

There is also no staff to sort the large number of packages waiting for delivery, and limited front-line staff to help the long lines of people waiting to pick up their mail.

Post office employees know holidays will be busy, it's part of the expectations, but when the backlog starts long before and lasts long after, the current infrastructure needs to be revamped to accommodate the needs of 2023. Amazon plays a big part in the current backlog.

Even during COVID, some staff says they were able to handle the increased volume brought about by at-home shoppers, but adapting to the number of new residents that came during the pandemic has put a stressor on the situation.

Oldtimers who worked at the post office said it was more normal to deliver 75 packages a week. That number is now closer to 300 a day.

Add the increased numbers of customers with mailboxes not properly dug out in the winter, or replaced with temporary ones that can be moved about, increases the hours a day the carriers have to spend in the field.

Getting no mail? Go to the main office and wait in line. Customers can also put a hold on their mail so pickup is only at the post office and there is no need to try and figure out if it's on a vehicle being delivered.

One current carrier said he'd love to see more transparency by the post office, and for them to be open about their struggles, maybe even starting social media posts to update the public.

The District Office might be sending up some temporary workers to help clear out the backlog of mail and packages, once the weather clears up. With several storms on the horizon, when that happens is unknown.

For those wishing to file a complaint with USPS, visit https://www.prc.gov/contact/. The Postal Regulatory Commission welcomes anyone experiencing issues to file with them.