How mail is delivered in Oregon will begin changing this month as a deal made between the United States Postal Service and the Trump administration aims to cut back on federal spending and increase efficiency. President Donald Trump's federal cost-cutting efforts, led by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, saw a plan go into effect for USPS earlier this month. The changes hitting USPS, an agency that otherwise operates and funds itself independently, took effect April 1 and are part of a 10-year plan dubbed “Delivering for America.” Despite growing protests from postal workers and supporters opposed to service reductions, USPS says the plan will help save the organization $36 billion over a decade and includes cutting jobs and replacing existing trucks in danger of breaking down with electric trucks. Here's what to know about the USPS changes and how they may affect Oregonians. The United States Postal Service, older than the U.S. itself, delivers to 165 million addresses six times a week. Although the postal service is technically an independent agency, Congress maintains close control. But some critics who have long wanted to see the agency overhauled have pointed to the significant challenges the USPS has faced as Americans send fewer letters, Christmas cards and wedding invitations. Last year, the service handled more than 116 billion pieces of mail, with most of that being presorted mailers, solicitations, or other items that many people would consider 'junk' mail. Last year, the postal service lost $9.5 billion as private companies like FedEx and UPS outcompete it for some parcel deliveries. The changes that went into effect this month will affect millions of customers across the country. While the moves are designed to improve efficiency and cut costs, some people may notice slower delivery. According to the USPS, service standards will be 'refined' for: First-class mail. Periodicals. Marketing mail. Package services (bound printed matter, media mail and library mail). USPS Ground Advantage. Priority mail. Priority mail express. Delivery of first-class mail is expected to take no more than five days, while the 2-5 day range for USPS Ground Advantage will also stay the same, the postal service said. Certain postage like marketing materials, periodicals and other packages may even be delivered faster, according to the USPS news release. The majority of first-class mail, 75%, should notice no change to their first-class mail delivery services, the postal service said. However, 14% will be upgraded to a faster standard, while another 11% of first-class mail will be delivered slower, though still within the 1-5 day deliver window. For more precise expectations, the USPS is now using 5-Digit ZIP code pairs, rather than current standards that are based on 3-Digit ZIP code pairs. USPS already has a map online that will let customers see how long it will take to deliver mail from one ZIP code to another. The next changes are set to take effect July 1. More information will be released closer to that date. Trump, who has long been critical of the USPS and its declining deliveries, has in the past floated the idea that it be merged into the Commerce Department. Such a move would bring the now-independent postal service under Trump's authority. ‘It’ll remain the Postal Service, and I think it'll operate a lot better than it has been over the years,’ Trump said on Feb. 24. ‘It's been just a tremendous loser for this country.’ Musk has also suggested privatizing the agency, as many other countries have done. Such a move would likely require congressional approval. Rural communities could be unequally impacted. Unlike the postal service, private companies do not have the same service obligations requiring delivery to rural or sparsely-populated areas – even at a loss. Companies like FedEx and UPS can charge higher prices for harder deliveries in such area, or simply not deliver to them at all. In contrast, the postal service is required to deliver to virtually every address in the country, regardless of how much it costs. Some mail carriers even still use mules or horses to deliver to Supai, Arizona, a remote Havasupai tribal village in the Grand Canyon of Arizona, or float planes to serve fishing villages off the Alaskan coast. Under a privatized system, mail outgoing and incoming to rural regions would likely be delayed. Service could become much more expensive or be cut off entirely. News that Musk's DOGE team would be scouring the service for savings sparked recent protests across the U.S. Thousands of unionized postal workers and their supporters rallied across the nation in late March to protest proposals to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service. Union workers have argued that mail delivery is a vital public service that shouldn't necessarily turn a profit.

Here's how USPS changes spurred by DOGE will impact mail for Oregonians

The United States Postal Service (USPS) implemented changes aimed at reducing costs and improving efficiency as part of the 'Delivering for America' initiative. The changes, effective April 1, 2025, include refining service standards for various mail types and transitioning to a 5-Digit ZIP code delivery system. Critics argue these changes could impact service quality, especially in rural areas.