The USPS says a new machine that sorts small packages is exceeding expectations. Two of the Small Parcel Sorting Systems (SPSS) in operation at a Queens, New York center recently processed more than 1 million packages in a single week, a new record.
The SPSS represents a major investment for the Postal Service, which is focused on growing package deliveries. The new equipment, which debuted in Queens earlier this year, is designed to sort packages that weigh 20 pounds or less – the kind of packages many retailers use to fulfill orders from online shoppers.
In September, the USPS Los Angeles International Service Center achieved a breakthrough performance with single machine.
More than 20 machines that can sort 6,000 parcels an hour are being deployed to USPS facilities across the nation. The Queens P&DC is the only plant in Northeast Area with two SPSS machines.
The USPS approved the purchase of its first five SPSS machines in March 2014 to evaluate them in Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Texas. In January, it approved the purchase of an additional 26 SPSS machines, according to a US OIG report.
