Staffing issues and lack of proper reporting are among several issues that have lead to severe mail delays for at least three branches and the main distribution center in the Louisville metro area, according to reports released by the Office of the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General June 5.
During the audit conducted at the Louisville Processing & Distribution Center and individual branches in Middletown, Iroquois Station and Pleasure Ridge Park from March through June 2025, inspectors found thousands of pieces of undelivered mail and dozens of packages, some of which originally arrived at the facilities in January.
U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, who represents Louisville, said June 6 that he has pushed USPS to provide answers about mail delays for months.
McGarvey previously said his office had received an influx of messages from community members saying they had been unable to access essential deliveries, like a man who was unable to receive or locate his wife’s heart medication through the mail system and a woman who had late fees skyrocketed due to her payment methods not being received in a timely fashion.
“It’s not trivial and I think that’s what stuck with me,” he said. “We were hearing these heartbreaking story time and time again of people not getting important financial documents, not getting bills, not getting medication. Really, really important things.”
More: USPS Inspector General conducting audits at Louisville locations following mail delays
What did the audit of Louisville mail facilities find?
Findings from the audits at all branches revealed areas of improvement related to delayed mail, property conditions, absenteeism and the use of arrow keys, which are used by postal workers to access locked mailboxes and collection boxes.
Officials at the Louisville Processing & Distribution Center said many of the issues were due to increased outgoing volumes of mail from becoming an originating transfer hub for packages serving not only the Louisville area, but also Lexington and Evansville, Indiana, in February. Because the facility underestimated staffing needs to handle an additional 20,000-30,000 mail pieces per day, along with between 20-30 people calling out per shift, severe delays occurred.
The other three branches all showed similar issues, including carriers and management not reporting when mail went undelivered, improperly scanning packages and failing to report missing arrow keys. Many branches reported the delivery delays were due to carrier and clerk staffing, but some office managers also told investigators they were unaware of in-office policy changes or did not have access to certain reporting systems for other issues.
Since the findings and improvement recommendations were given to the individual facilities, many have already begun implementing corrective measures, officials said. The Processing & Distribution Center has also been approved to hire more than 100 new employees to address staffing shortages.
McGarvey said he would continue working to make sure conditions improve.
“This audit is a good first step that provides more insight into staffing and management problems, but I still have questions about working conditions and equipment,” he said. “I’ll keep fighting to make sure our mail carriers and sorters have the resources they need to do their jobs and effectively serve our community.”
The audits into four of the Louisville area’s branches followed lengthy mail delays in recent months and several complaints from community members. Revenue losses have also impacted the agency, which lost $9.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to lose $6.9 billion in 2025, according to a report from Government Executive.
Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville mail delays: Audit finds staffing, reporting deficiencies