Truck drivers report waiting more than 15 hours at post office

CLEVELAND — Dozens of trucks lined the streets outside the United States Postal Service facility on Orange Avenue and Broadway Avenue over the weekend. Truck drivers attempted to drop off and pick up shipments to USPS all weekend. Miz Azamkloe had been waiting in his truck for 15 hours when he spoke to News 5 Sunday.

“I came yesterday at like 7 o’clock,” Azamkloe said. “6 or 7 o’clock I was here. I sit here and nobody is answering.” Azamkloe works for a Pennsylvania-based company and said he lost out on a significant amount of pay while waiting.

“I need money. I need jobs. I’m not working here,” Azamkloe said. “He gives me like £10 for an hour.”

Fronrue Tarpeh said the delays have been building up for months. “With trucking, you’re on a time schedule and most of the truck drivers are going to have to stay here and wait until tomorrow,” Tarpeh said. “They’re not going to get them on time. All we can do is just deliver it.

They’ve got to go and do their part.” In a written statement, a spokesperson for the United States Postal Service said there are a handful of reasons for the backups:

This has been an extraordinary year of unprecedented challenges. The Postal Service is experiencing significant volume increases, while at the same time employee availability has been reduced due to the impacts of COVID-19.

We are flexing our resources to process and deliver the mail as quickly as possible.

We are committed to making sure gifts and cards are delivered on time to celebrate the holidays.

Customers needing assistance are encouraged to contact the USPS Customer Care Center at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).