Hi guys,

I'm curious ... Just recently I've been receiving books in what seems to be an incredibly fast amount of time ... like yesterday, I received a box with 5 books (Media Mail) that arrived in only 4 business days! I have also received a bunch of individual book packages within 3-5 days of mailing. Also, the books that I mail out seem to be arriving much faster than they did before.

It seems to me when I first joined (at the beginning of this year) that it was taking closer to 2-3 weeks to recieve most of my ordered books.

Anyone else experiencing this? Is mail just faster in the summer?

I'm in CA, and it was always fast within CA, but now it seems to be faster to/from anywhere.

Today was a very good day for me.  Four shipments, the furthest from California and the closest Indiana.  The one from California took a bit over a week for Media Mail - which was very speedy since I'm in MIchigan.  The others took two days!  I can't send a letter to Florida in that amount of time.

Ha-- Media mail seems slower than usual for me... (located in Southern California)

That's so weird! When I took my shelf off of vacation hold in early May and sent out several books, I noticed that they were delivered within 2-3 days. And I've been receiving books fairly quickly as well. Hope the good luck keeps on rolling for me and you and anyone else who has had good mail times.

Jenny, I hope your luck turns around! :)

Yep I think mine have been getting her fast too.

My guess is the season has something to do with it.  In fall and winter you have Ice, snow, closed roads, closed airports as well has higher volume of mail because of the Holidays and people online ordering to avoid going out in the weather.  But in Spring in summer the weather is nicer and you don't have those Christmas packages to compete with for space on the media mail truck.  Obviously they can still be held up if there's a hurrican or tornadoes somewhere-but in general the weather is better.

I sub for a carrier.  The mail volume's been pretty low.  I imagine that that has the most to do with it.  There's just not as much mail to handle as there has been in the past.

I've noticed that most of the books I mail are being marked received within three or four days, sometimes less. Same time frame with the ones being shipped to me. Today I received a book that was mailed yesterday. That's as fast or faster than priority.

Pam

The number of catalogs being sent seems to really affect the speed of media mail.  More 2nd class mail, then slower media mail.

Yes, mail in general is getting there faster.

Unfortunately for the post office volume has dropped substantially. Our guys are carrying their routes in a lot less time than they use to.  If the clerks get the bulk mail worked it goes out the same day it comes in and lately they have no problem doing that.

I got five packages on May 26 - the day after Memorial Day.   ALL of them had been mailed media mail, from different locations around the US on May 23.   They really flew during the holiday!  lol

On the other hand I have books that now show these details:  LOL

• 5/19/2009 5:00 AM - Electronic Shipping Info Received - LOWELL,WI
• 5/23/2009 12:41 PM - Enroute - FOREST PARK,IL
• 5/27/2009 10:17 PM - Enroute - BELL,CA
• 6/3/2009 1:13 AM - Enroute - SAINT PAUL,MN
• 6/3/2009 9:03 AM - Enroute - SAINT PAUL,MN

I just recieved a book in CO that had been sent on Wednesday by Media Mail from FL, and today is Friday!!  Maybe it got mixed in with the priority packages because 2 days is ridiculous...meaning awesome.

• 5/23/2009 12:41 PM - Enroute - FOREST PARK,IL
• 5/27/2009 10:17 PM - Enroute - BELL,CA
• 6/3/2009 1:13 AM - Enroute - SAINT PAUL,MN

That's interesting - I had a package that was going to CA go from here (La) to Memphis to Bell, CA, to Jersey City, NJ, about this same time frame, and it sat for several days in NJ, then back to Bell, CA, before being delivered in CA. I now have a theory that someone in Bell, CA, redirected a bag of media mail somehow!!

I'll agree, Media Mail seems to be arriving fairly quickly these days :-)

I received 4 media mail books today and all came so fast I can't believe it!  I rarely get First Class Mail this fast!

Request Date: 6/2/2009 7:17 AM ET
Date Accepted: 6/2/2009 12:27 PM ET
Wrapper Printing(s):

• 6/2/2009 12:27 PM ET

Date Mailed: 6/2/2009 12:28 PM ET
Date Received: 6/6/2009 8:32 PM ET

Ruth

A lot of it has to do with how close to a National Distribution Center a specific USPS branch is. Think of it like a big fat water pipe going east/west, north/south. Huge things moving tons of stuff fast. Then there are the little branches off of that, and those tend to move slower. That is where things usually end up getting lost or slowed down or misplaced :-)

I am aware of this because an anime company I order from semi-frequently is in the same town as a NDC and I get my stuff wicked fast through media mail and I wrote to them once congratulating them and they wrote back telling the above. Interesting how things work, eh?

It just seems crazy fast lately.

Yesterday, I got a 4 book package from North Carolina (across the country from me), and they had mailed it on the 8th (had UPS postage meter on it) ... that's 2 days for Media Mail across the country.  I was astonished at how fast that one came!