Late and Extra Trips at the Richmond, VA, Processing and Distribution Center

Late trips occur when various conditions cause a delay in the arrival or departure of transportation beyond the scheduled times. When mail processing operations do not process mail timely or mail volume is above normal or expected levels, managers may have to call extra trips to transport this mail. Late and extra trips to delivery units can cause disruptions and increase the number of carriers returning after 6 p.m. When carriers return after 6 p.m., customer service can suffer and mail collected by the carriers may be late to the Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). In addition, late returning carriers can cause increased overtime and penalty overtime costs. We conducted this audit of late and extra trips at the Richmond P&DC in Sandston, VA, to provide Postal Service management with timely information on operational risks.