> Bob Werre wrote: > .the contract driver, who had a pickup truck with a homemade covered
> topper, would have to leave much of it behind because of space. Much the same thing happens even today only with airplanes and big semi trucks that move the mail. In many cases, the first class mail is loaded into a pre-contracted-for space on an airplane or with a trucking company. If all the first class mail fits, then the second class is loaded, if all the second class fits, then the third class...and so forth. The problems start when the contracted space is all filled up with first class mail. None of the second or third class will be loaded until the next airplane or truck comes in for pickup - frequently the next day. The same process starts all over the next day - first class gets loaded first, second class next, etc. It makes no difference if the second class has been waiting around for some time, the first class stuff always goes first. If the available space is filled up with 75% of the first class mail, then 25% of first class gets held over to the next day. And so forth. Which explains why the actual transit time from your city to my mailbox can vary by two or three days even though our cities are consistently the same distance apart. Now you know...Ed L. www.sscale.org
