The postman comes by bike, the courier with his truck. People in this country have become accustomed to this image. But that could come to an end in the future.
Bad news for postmen! An enormous change is in the offing for them. As research by “WELT am Sonntag” revealed, Deutsche Post is planning to change its delivery system. In this context, the buzzword “interconnected delivery” is at stake. TECHBOOK reveals what this means for the classic postman and also for all recipients.
Combined delivery is already running and will be strengthened
Combined delivery means the delivery of parcels and letters by the same delivery person. According to “Welt am Sonntag”, this model has already been introduced in part since 2018 and at least half of the 120,000 parcel deliverers are said to already be delivering both. However, the principle is not used in large cities, as one might think, but has proven itself above all on the outskirts.
According to an internal document called “Planning Guide for the Future Delivery Network”, which “WELT am Sonntag” refers to, the proportion of joint deliveries is expected to increase further by 2025. A total of 75 percent of all letters and parcels should then be delivered together.
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Discontinued letter provides change
“Welt am Sonntag” cites the change in the letter-parcel ratio as the reason for the increase in network delivery. Accordingly, parcel shipping is increasing sharply, while fewer and fewer letters are being sent. The following figures make this particularly clear. In 2010, 20 letters were sent for every package sent. According to a forecast for 2030, there should be one letter per parcel.
The reasons are self-explanatory. On the one hand, the mail order business is booming. This makes for a variety of packages. The rise of Amazon is emblematic here. On the other hand, many companies save themselves the classic correspondence, especially for advertising, and prefer to use cheaper e-mails.
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Many postmen could lose their jobs
At least that’s what the communications union DPV expects. Compared to “Welt am Sonntag” one speaks of an increase in personnel. This has already resulted in job cuts in the past. The Post itself defends itself against this and announced that it does not want to cut any jobs because of the combined delivery. And customers shouldn’t have any disadvantages either. The deliverers themselves also fear increased physical strain.