Postal Reorganization Act of 1970

Signed August 12, 1970, months after a national postal strike, the Act created USPS, which began operating July 1, 1971 under a Board of Governors and a Postmaster General. It required the Postal Service to be largely self-financing, set up an independent Postal Rate Commission to review rate changes, and gave postal workers collective bargaining rights. It kept the Private Express Statutes and the mailbox restriction, which bar private carriers from delivering letters or placing items in mailboxes.

The Act made USPS a self-funded business, which explains why it competes for parcels and adjusts prices like a carrier. Its universal network reaches every address six days a week, which makes it a core last-mile option for lightweight e-commerce parcels. For example, a fulfillment center shipping 8-ounce apparel orders often uses USPS Ground Advantage because the Postal Service already visits every residence daily. The mailbox restriction the Act preserved also means private carriers cannot leave parcels in mailboxes.

• USPS Ground AdvantageUSPS ground parcel service up to 70 lb
• Last MileFinal leg of delivery to the door
• Priority MailUSPS 1 to 3 day parcel service

• Parcel Post1913 · The US Post Office starts carrying heavier packages
• USPS Delivering for America Plan2021 · A 10-year USPS plan rebuilt around packages

• Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act2006 · Split USPS products into market-dominant and competitive
• Postal Service Reform Act of 20222022 · 2022 USPS reform that ended retiree health prefunding
• Air Mail Act of 1925 (Kelly Act)1925 · Let the Post Office contract airmail to private airlines

1. The United States Postal Service: An American History, USPS Publication 100 about.usps.com
2. Postal Reorganization Act, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org