Louisville, Ky. — A recent audit conducted by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General has uncovered widespread mail delays and operational inefficiencies at Louisville’s Gardiner Lane distribution center.
The audit, released Thursday, was one of four separate inspections launched in April, targeting the Gardiner Lane facility and three local branches: Pleasure Ridge Park, Middletown, and Iroquois Station. Louisville became the only city in the country with four simultaneous USPS audits at the time.
The Gardiner Lane audit focused on evaluating the efficiency of the distribution center’s operations and identified critical issues in five key areas: clearance times, delayed mail, late or canceled outbound trips, scan compliance, and facility safety and security.
One of the most alarming findings was the volume of delayed mail. On April 1 and April 2 alone, the center had over 112,000 pieces of delayed mail. Some of these items had reportedly been held at the facility since as early as January 30. The audit also found 177 packages in the Priority Mail Express section that were either not dispatched on time or not properly recorded as delayed within the USPS tracking system.
These findings come in the wake of complaints from Louisville residents who have reported waiting weeks or even months for mail and packages. Earlier video footage obtained by WDRB Investigates showed bins full of undelivered mail at the Gardiner Lane location, contradicting USPS claims that weather was the primary cause of delays.
The audit highlights ongoing challenges faced by the USPS in Louisville and raises concerns about the reliability and efficiency of mail delivery in the region. The USPS Office of Inspector General did not immediately provide a timeline for corrective actions or responses to the audit findings.
