Do Americans Get a Lot of Mail?

For years, naysayers have predicted the end of the United States Postal Service, and yet, like clockwork, the mail gets delivered, mostly on time and for a reasonable cost. In fact, the USPS delivers 47 percent of the world’s mail, amounting to 563 million pieces each delivery day, according to 2010 estimates.

The US Postal Service has continued on its appointed rounds for more than 200 years, even in the face of e-mail. It employs more than half a million people and uses state-of-the-art mail sorting equipment, including OCR technology that can decipher even the sloppiest handwriting. If the USPS were a company, The Atlantic magazine has pointed out, it would be among the largest companies on the Fortune 500.

You've still got mail:

• The US Postal Service boasts America’s largest retail network -- larger than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart, combined.
• The US Postal Service uses more than 200,000 vehicles, one of the largest fleets in the world.
• The US Postal Service does not receive any tax dollars for its operating expenses. It survives on the sale of postage, shipping products, and delivery services.