USPS blames staffing shortage for mail delays affecting residents in Kentucky, Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Officials with the United States Post Office say a shortage of mail carriers is causing disruptions in mail service in the Louisville area.

For months residents in Kentucky and Indiana have been complaining about receiving mail very late or not at all. Some say they've gone weeks without getting any mail. Now they're tired of waiting for things to get better.

A woman in Shively who wants to remain anonymous, said she has gone for days on end without receiving mail. So she has taken matters into her own hands by getting a P.O. Box to help keep track of her mail.

"This, for me, is the best solution, to have that P.O. Box. Because if not, hell I wouldn't know. I would be super worried. I wouldn't know where my mail was going."

She said she can't remember the last time she had the same mail carrier routinely running her route.

"The last regular mail person that we had delivering mail in my neighborhood, well hell, I know that's been over a year."

And she's not the only one who has had difficulties in the past year.

Map of delayed mail coverage in Louisville — Pictured: a graphical representation of areas in Louisville, Ky., that have had late mail deliveries or no delivery at all.

WDRB has received reports regarding mail service issues from viewers all over Louisville and some parts of southern Indiana. Some people say they've gone without mail for weeks, or report that mailing it short distances has taken months.

Residents say they are also mailing in bill payments that never make it to the destination, but they don't have a lot of answers.

"What are you going to do you know? The companies, or wherever you owe money to, they're not going to care that the mail system is messed up. They just want their money," said a Shively resident.

USPS Sorting Facility — Pictured: The United States Postal Service facility on Gardiner Lane on July 14, 2022.

USPS officials we spoke with said they are working to hire more workers. At the end of June, the company posted to Facebook saying it needed to hire an additional 25 career mail carriers for the Louisville Post Office.

By July 6th, another post said the need for the Louisville Post Office was now over 50 career mail carriers.

This week, a spokesperson told WDRB News in a statement that an additional 50 part-time flexible letter carriers are also needed.

The statement also read:

"For all locations, hiring is an ongoing process. This is especially true as we are already hiring in anticipation of the upcoming holiday mailing season."

Some people have told us they've tried showing up in person to get their mail, with no luck. A spokesperson said that's not a good idea:

"We do not recommend customers come to an office to pick up mail intended for delivery to a street address. The mail goes out for delivery with the carrier and would not ordinarily be available for pick up in the office."

Anyone still having issues with mail delivery is encouraged to call the USPS customer care line at 800-275-8777.

If you'd like to apply for a mail carrier position in Louisville, click here.

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