Does Media Mail Travel By Air?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Parcel Select and Media Mail, which receive special discounted rates,

will generally ship by surface transportation

. How does the USPS ship mailpieces by air? Rather than maintaining an expensive fleet of postal planes, your mail will generally “hitch a ride” on the airplane of a private carrier.

Does USPS transport mail by air?


Yes, most mail in the US is shipped via airplane

, often on contracts with Fedex and/or UPS (ie, USPS pays Fedex to carry mail on their airplanes). Mail is also shipped using trucks, (very rarely nowadays) rail, ship and to one town in Arizona, by mule train.

Does most mail go by air?

USPS is well recognized for its cars and vans that go out and deliver mail. However, cars and trucks are not the most efficient form of transporting a lot of mail. But, as stated, the USPS does not have its own aircraft. Nevertheless,

transporting mail by air is actually a rich part of USPS history

.

How long does it take for Media Mail to be delivered?

Media Mail is an affordable shipping method offered by USPS that is ideal for shipping books, CDs, DVDs, videotapes and similar types of educational media items. Media Mail shipments typically arrive

between 2 – 8 days, with an average of 4 days

, depending on the size of the consignment and the delivery location.

How does USPS mail travel?

The carrier loads trays of mail, including the letter, into a motor vehicle. Once the vehicle is loaded, the carrier drives to the street where the letter is to be delivered and loads his or her satchel with the mail to be carried to each house or business.

Do packages go on planes?

When a package reaches its destination, an employee loads it onto one of UPS's 38 thousand shipping containers. This may be the only time in the entire process that a person handles the package.

The shipping containers go onto a plane

, and the package jets off to its ultimate destination.

Does USPS have cargo planes?

The agency boasts that it reaches every address in the nation, including 160 million residences, businesses, and Post Office Boxes (PO Boxes). However, for one of the world's largest delivery services, there is something surprising about the agency:

it doesn't operate any aircraft

.

Does USPS use rail?


Yes,USPS is a very large shipper and even Amtrak waits on a USPS trailer train

. The reason is simple.. USPS wants their trailers including their contract trailers on time. There's been several articles and columns in Trains Magazine covering USPS and the railroaders.

Is there still air mail?

Although the transportation service known as Airmail is gone (it's been replaced with services like International Priority AirmailTM),

the United States Postal Service trademarked the name Air Mail in In June 2006

. This classic Airmail style of stationary is now sold for decorative use rather than practical use.

Does USPS First-Class mail travel by air?

First-Class Package Service-Commercial parcels are transported more predominantly by ground transportation with more pieces receiving a three-day service standard.

Priority Mail® parcels for zones 4-8 are transported more predominantly by air

, therefore more pieces receive a two-day service standard.

What is airmail service?

Airmail (or air mail) is

a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air

. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send.

Does USPS have ground shipping?

USPS Retail Ground® service is a ground shipping solution for packages, thick envelopes, and tubes (with a maximum weight of 70 pounds) that are not required to be mailed at First-Class Mail® service. USPS Tracking® is included at no additional charge.

Does USPS check Media Mail?

2,

Media Mail Packages are subject to inspection by the Postal Service

TM. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the Media Mail rate may be assessed at the proper rate and sent to the recipient due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage (DMM 604.8. 1).

Does Media Mail come with tracking?

Simply navigate to the “Packages” tab and select “Media Mail” in the drop-down menu for mail class. You will notice

Tracking is included for FREE

. With USPS Tracking now included for free, USPS Media Mail still remains the lowest cost option for qualifying items like books, CDs, DVDs etc.

Are DVDs Media Mail?


You can send books, videotapes, DVDs, CDs, printed music and other sound recordings through Media Mail as long as they weigh less than 70 pounds

. Although you won't pay as much to send these items via Media Mail, they can take longer to get to their destination.

Why is it taking so long for my mail to be delivered?

The simple answer:

Your mail may slow down because the Postal Service lengthened its “service standards,” or the amount of time it says it should take for a piece of mail to get delivered

. And how much slower it will get depends on where you live.

What airline does USPS use?


FedEx

is the largest provider of air transportation capacity to the Postal Service. The Postal Service and FedEx have had a longstanding business relationship since 2001.

Why is my 2021 mail taking so long?

The U.S. Post Office recently announced delivery of some first class mail will take longer as

the postal service tries to cut costs and improve efficiency

.

What products are transported by air?

  • Aerospace equipment and parts.
  • Automotive equipment and parts.
  • Energy development.
  • Pharmaceuticals.
  • Fashion/garments/ textiles.
  • Consumer electronics.

How does air cargo shipping work?

How does air shipping work? From pickup to delivery, the process is straightforward. Your logistics provider will coordinate with a local carrier to pick up at your warehouse or holding facility. Once the freight is loaded, the carrier will tender the shipment to the airport, where it will be put onto a plane.

Does USPS use American Airlines?

The U.S. Postal Service has stopped using American Airlines and US Airways to deliver domestic mail because the carriers failed to meet performance goals, including on-time delivery.

Does Amazon ship with airplanes?

Since 2015,

Amazon Air has amassed a fleet of 75 cargo planes

, giving it the fifth largest dedicated cargo fleet in the world according to the Planespotters database.

Is mail still sorted on trains?

To this day, however,

mail continues to be carried in sealed train carriages

, with no postal staff on board, just as it had when the first mail train ran. From horse-drawn coaches to airmail, explore stories from our collections about methods used to transport the mail.

Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.