WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Postal Service announced it will strengthen requirements for its contracted trucking providers by phasing out the use of certain non-domiciled commercial drivers as part of broader efforts to improve roadway safety.
Under the policy, USPS will work with its contracted trucking companies to eliminate the use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License holders who have not been thoroughly vetted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The move aligns with recent Department of Transportation actions aimed at strengthening oversight of non-domiciled CDLs.
The Postal Service said the changes are consistent with the administration’s goals outlined in the DOT’s interim final rule titled “Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL).”
“The safety of our employees, our customers, and the American public is of the utmost concern to the Postal Service,” said Amber McReynolds, chairwoman of the Postal Service Board of Governors. “In order to maintain the highest possible safety standards, we have decided to phase out any use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License operators who have not been thoroughly vetted by the Postal Inspection Service.”
USPS officials said tightening the use of non-domiciled CDL drivers by third-party providers is intended to improve transportation safety and accountability while adding an additional layer of protection for the public.
“USPS just completed an extremely safe and efficient peak season delivering the nation’s holiday mail and packages,” said Postmaster General and CEO David Steiner. “We believe this additional requirement will strengthen the safety, efficiency and reliability of our services into the future.”
The Postal Service moves about 55,000 truckloads each day, totaling nearly 2 billion miles annually, as it delivers mail and packages to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Officials said ongoing improvements to operations are closely tied to efforts to enhance safety across the network.
USPS said it continues to promote a culture of safety by monitoring industry trends and government data related to its contractors and by working to minimize accidents involving employee and contract drivers.
