“As Needed” Highway Contract Routes

The Postal Service uses contracted, supplier-operated routes to transport mail and equipment between plants, post offices, and other designated points. These routes include “as needed” services that allow suppliers to travel anywhere within the continental U.S. “As needed” routes are on-demand services that operate infrequently, are generally more expensive than dedicated scheduled services, and involve multiple cost segments. Our objective was to assess the Postal Service’s use of the “as needed” transportation on Highway Contract Routes.