Today, the United States Postal Service offered a first look at its new Sorting & Delivery Center (S&DC) in Pasco.

S&DCs are comprised of repurposed facilities and provide faster and more reliable mail and package delivery within a greater geographic area. The more than 100,000 square foot Pasco facility is one of the first 31 S&DCs to be opened in the nation. The Postal Service expects to open 400 S&DCs throughout the country in the coming years.

“As we invest $40 billion into the nation’s aging postal network, we’ve ramped up our local investment – focusing on delivering for residents and small businesses here in the Tri-Cities area,” said Washington district manager, Trent McNeal. “This new S&DC will allow us to better serve our customers by moving mail and packages faster and more reliably around the region.”

S&DCs are critical hubs in the modernized postal network as laid out in the Postal Service’s Delivering for America 10-year strategic plan. The larger, centrally located facilities will be the last stop for mail and packages before they are delivered by letter carriers. In conjunction with 60 Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs) strategically located around the country, S&DCs will optimize delivery in the busiest markets and remove many of the impediments that currently slow down postal operations.

MAILING AND SHIPPING IS EVEN EASIER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

The new facility includes features to make it easier for residential and small business customers to mail and ship packages throughout the region. The data optimized location of the facility allows small businesses to quickly reach 200,000 local customers with 99.7% on-time performance from one entry point. Additionally, the Pasco S&DC offers:

• Easier drop off and pick-up with smart lockers and mobile app self-service kiosks (SSKs)
• Mail/ship on your own schedule with extended lobby hours access
• Expanded same-day/next-day shipping across the region from one location
• Convenient returns, back in one day 
• New product offerings: USPS Connect Local and Ground Advantage  
• Improved service reliability due to a fully optimized surface and air transportation network

READY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES; BETTER AMENITIES FOR EMPLOYEES

The Pasco S&DC includes electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to prepare for the deployment of EV and the Postal Service's Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) fleet. The new EVs are expected to be deployed on routes later this year, but there is no confirmed timeline. Replacing the current postal vehicles, some of which are more than 30 years old, will allow the organization to significantly reduce carbon emissions, increase safety and reliability, and provide more comfortable delivery vehicles to letter carriers.

New package sorting equipment has been installed which enables customer service and local commerce the opportunity for same day or next day delivery. Workspaces, bathrooms, and breakrooms have also been modernized for an improved environment for postal employees.

LOCAL POST OFFICE OPERATIONS MAINTAINS SERVICE

The new S&DC does not impact local Post Office retail operations. No Post Offices have been closed, and PO Box delivery remains unchanged.

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