U.S. Postal Service Is Strengthening Requirements For Contracted Trucking Providers

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Jan 05, 2026, 16:30 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of longstanding policies to safeguard the American public from trucking-related safety incidents, and in line with recent Department of Transportation (DOT) policies to make American roadways safer, the U.S. Postal Service will begin working with its contracted trucking providers to phase out any use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver's License (CDL) operators who have not been thoroughly vetted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. These actions are consistent with the Administration's goals as expressed in the DOT's recent interim final rule titled "Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL)".

"The safety of our employees, our customers, and the American public is of the utmost concern to the Postal Service," said Amber McReynolds, chairwoman of the Postal Service Board of Governors. "In order to maintain the highest possible safety standards, we have decided to phase out any use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver's License operators who have not been thoroughly vetted by the Postal Inspection Service."

By tightening the use of non-domiciled CDL drivers by our third-party (contracted) providers, USPS seeks to improve transportation safety and accountability and add yet another layer of protection and safety.

"USPS just completed an extremely safe and efficient peak season delivering the nation's holiday mail and packages," said Postmaster General and CEO David Steiner. "We believe this additional requirement will strengthen the safety, efficiency and reliability of our services into the future."

The Postal Service moves 55,000 loads by truck every day – nearly 2 billion miles per year – and making improvements in our operations goes hand-in-hand with improvements in safety so that we can safely deliver to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week.

USPS strives to promote a culture of safety to minimize accidents among employee and contract drivers. This includes monitoring industry and government data relating to our contractors.

Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is celebrating its 250th year of service to customers amidst a network modernization plan aimed at restoring long-term financial sustainability, improving service, and maintaining the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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