The U.S. Postal Service gave Texarkana an inside look at its new sorting and delivery center this week, inviting local media, business partners, and community leaders to watch a demonstration of its new high-speed package sorting machine and get an up-close look at the newest additions to the USPS delivery fleet.
The new machine can process 4,300 pieces an hour, part of an upgrade that postal leaders say will strengthen last-mile delivery and make the Texarkana operation faster and more efficient. The center serves 31,649 customers across four ZIP codes, including 77 centralized routes.
The Texarkana facility is one of more than 150 sorting and delivery centers the Postal Service has launched across the country since 2021. The buildout is part of nearly $23 billion USPS has invested in modernizing its network over the past five years, a push the agency credits for recent gains in service performance. Over the holiday season, USPS reported delivering 16 billion pieces of mail and packages in an average of 2.5 days, with better on-time delivery and higher customer satisfaction scores.
“For customers and businesses here in Texarkana, this new sorting and delivery center will dramatically improve service for our community, strengthen delivery performance and help our team work more safely and efficiently,” said Texarkana Postmaster Tyson Garza. “Investments like these represent more than a physical upgrade; they reflect a commitment to our employees, our customers, and the future of the Postal Service.”
Statewide, the Postal Service employs more than 46,000 people in Texas and serves roughly 26.5 million addresses.
A modern delivery model
The Postal Service describes its sorting and delivery centers as a core piece of its ongoing modernization. The agency says the model improves how mail and packages move through new sorting machines, expands local and regional market reach with faster delivery times that are often same-day or next-day, improves working conditions for employees, and cuts down on costly, inefficient delivery trips.
“State-of-the-art facilities and new, larger delivery vehicles like these help us run a more integrated and streamlined operation that is logical, standardized and better positioned to compete in today’s market,” said Tom Billington, district manager for the Texas 1 District. “The transformation initiatives we continue to implement are designed to optimize operational efficiency, reduce costs and position the Postal Service to be on the right path, while also delivering a safer, modern workplace for our employees and an enhanced experience for all our customers here in Texas and coast to coast.”
The tour comes as USPS marks its 250th anniversary, a milestone the agency is pairing with new national partnerships, including its role as the official shipping sponsor of the NHL.