The Values we strive for
Cost Control
Over our 40 years in the business, the constant need to control cost has caused is to employ industry best practices throughout all aspects of spending within our operation. All aspects require their own special review to be sure we are not exceeding amounts negotiated in our rates. The discipline of renewal and bidding keep up attuned to market conditions and our involvement in trade associations help us identify best purchases in the industry and help us to stay cost competitive.
Throughout the years, we have always tried to react to needed changes quickly and efficiently. A review of our contract base will show evidence of many service changes, with both increases and decreases. to the service requirements. In all these instances, we have negotiated on good faith, seeking a quick resolution.
We have various reconciliation processes in place that review our monthly budget spending against actual spending, and we manage and react to any variance accordingly. We review and respond in a timely manner to all 5429 payments, if any discrepancy of miles or time exist, we address them immediately. Two of our contracts are as needed service and are paid entirely via 5429. So, we have years of experience with these types of contracts and the need to accurately track and submit information.
In addition to our 24/7 live dispatch office, we have a program of assigning driver managers, to ensure that specific segments, by geography and service type, get the attention required to maintain on-time performance at a high level. They can quickly react at the on-the-road level to make reassignments and call in additional resources, as required by the situation. We believe we have a record of on-time performance that can rival any other contract carrier’s performance.
Regarding the administrative aspects of our operation, we have in place a dedicated business manager who oversees the technical, as well as postal form and process management. Our late slips are consolidated, summarized, and submitted on a consistent basis, as per Postal Service requirements. We promptly communicate with the Transportation Contract personnel regarding discrepancies between extra service provided and payment for the extra service. We regularly reconcile 5429 Extra Trip payment requests with our internally maintained file of 5397 forms we receive from our drivers.
Timeliness
Photo courtesy of The Star Carrier Nov 2021 issue
Business Relationships
W&L Mail Service, Inc. strives for the highest level of integrity and ethical business practices from our management and our employees when they are dealing with our customer, the Postal Service. We maintain that same level of integrity and ethical business practices in our relations with out own employees and suppliers.
As evidenced by our receipt of the Eagle Spirit award in 2009, the Postal Service recognizes our level of cooperation in supporting their business goals. As the Postal Service has evolved it’s bidding, and contracting requirements, W&L Mail Service has embraced these changes as we feel these changes directly align with our core mission of providing accurate, reliable, compliant, transportation services to our customers in an ethical and cost effective manner. We feel that W&L Mail Service’s reputation of accommodating our customer’s needs in good faith, proves the value our services provide to this and future solicitations.
Our personnel, we believe, are some of the best in the business. One driver who temporarily replaced some drivers that have had long service on a particular route commented that the Post Masters he dealt with were concerned that the long-term drivers would eventually be returning. In short, the feedback we receive is that our drivers are well respected in the plants and offices. We instruct our drivers to treat all postal employees as customers and try to accommodate in any way possible their needs.