Tag: USPS barcode

News Alert: Mail Delays in Kansas City and Louisville Due to Winter Storm

News Alert

Winter storms across the Midwest have created hazardous road conditions that are now affecting USPS operations. In a new industry alert, the USPS announced unload delays at major processing facilities in Kansas City, MO and Louisville, KY, which may impact mail movement through December 5.

What the USPS Shared in Its Alert

According to the USPS, recent snow events caused extended road closures earlier this week, resulting in a buildup of inbound trailers at both affected facilities. With higher-than-normal volume arriving in a short window, these locations are now experiencing delays unloading incoming mail trucks.

The USPS advised that drop ship customers may see longer wait times and should continue reporting significant issues through the FAST Helpdesk. They also noted active efforts to reduce congestion, including staffing adjustments, scheduled offloads, and alternative drop-site arrangements.

(Reference: USPS Industry Alert — https://postalpro.usps.com/node/14698)

Alternate Entry Locations Recommended by USPS

To keep mail moving, the USPS suggested that customers entering mail at origin consider temporarily using alternate locations.

Kansas City, MO Alternate Sites

  • Oklahoma City, OK Processing & Distribution Center — NASS 730
  • Des Moines, IA Network Distribution Center — NASS 50Z

Louisville, KY Alternate Sites

  • Springdale, OH Annex — NASS 452AX
  • Memphis, TN Processing & Distribution Center — NASS 380

These sites may help relieve pressure on the two impacted facilities until weather-related backlogs improve.

How This Affects LetterStream Customers

If you use LetterStream to print and send mail online, your mailing workflow remains uninterrupted. Our systems continue to process and route mail quickly, accurately, and reliably. However, USPS transport conditions may still affect nationwide transit times, especially during winter months.

For more background on USPS operational changes, you may find these helpful:

If you need a refresher on mailing options, explore: https://www.letterstream.com/

Helpful Tips During Weather-Related USPS Delays

Winter conditions can shift quickly, so this is a good time to review your mailing strategy.

Consider:

  • Mailing earlier when deadlines matter
  • Monitoring USPS service alerts
  • Using tracking services like Certified Mail or FedEx 2Day for visibility
  • Adjusting internal timelines to accommodate possible slowdowns

Staying Updated Through December

The USPS noted that it is actively monitoring weather impacts and making ongoing adjustments to maintain operational flow. As new updates become available, we’ll continue to provide timely summaries to help you stay ahead of potential disruptions.

To learn more about LetterStream or to sign up for a free account, click here.

LetterStream offers bulk printing and mailing services allowing companies to send physical mail online. Whether it’s online Certified Mail, First-Class Mail, FedEx 2Day, or postcards, we give both small businesses and large corporations that time and freedom back to work on tasks that better serve the company. If you’re interested in creating a free account, you can do so here.

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This Letter Is Fine. Why Did It Come Back To Me?

Letter Man with Question MarkThis question is similar to ones that we’ve answered in our blog posts over the years, but with a slight twist. Sometimes a perfectly addressed letter gets returned to us without a yellow sticker, without handwriting on the outside saying something like “no longer at this address“, and seemingly without any clue as to why the mail piece came back.

Well, there are always clues. For starters, re-read the recipient’s address, one line at a time. Is the address really accurate as written on the envelope?

If every indication is that the information is correct, simply ask the USPS mail carrier for some insight as to why the piece was delivered to you instead of the person it was addressed to. Chances are they can tell you; but if not, simply hand the letter to them and ask if they could re-mail the piece for you. Quite often they will politely take the letter and get it back into the mail stream for you.

There are times when the USPS barcode (printed on the lower portion of the face of your envelope) is incorrectly coded to send the letter to your own address. If there is a barcode at the bottom, see if there is a zip code spelled out beside the barcode. If the zip code printed there is your own zip code, the mail piece may get rerouted to your own address again due to the automated equipment the Postal Service uses to sort mail. In this case, use a sharpie or black pen or marker to block out the barcode on the bottom. This will force the postal sorting machines to look at the destination address one more time to figure out where the piece is going. Chances are, this will allow the piece to arrive at the right destination, assuming your address is valid (click here to read about address correction).

Still not sure what is happening to your mail piece? Take a picture of the envelope and email it to us. Make sure you capture the entire face (front side) of the envelope. We will be checking the ‘to’ and ‘from’ addresses, postal barcode, permit/postage area, and anything else on the face of the envelope that can give us clues. Please make sure your image is in focus. It can be rather difficult searching for clues in an out-of-focus image.

We will do our best to unravel the returned mail mystery and let you know what we find.