When the news broke that the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors tapped a former garbage mogul to run the mail, more than a few eyebrows shot up. It’s a weird mental image, right? Going from managing literal trash to overseeing the delivery of billions of birthday cards and Social Security checks. But here we are. David Steiner, the former CEO of Waste Management, is now the 76th Postmaster General, and honestly, the transition says a lot about where the USPS is headed in 2026.
He stepped into the role in July 2025, succeeding Louis DeJoy after a brief stint by acting PMG Doug Tulino. If you’ve been following the postal drama over the last few years, you know the stakes. The agency has been hemorrhaging cash—billions every quarter—and the service standards have been, well, let's just say "inconsistent."
Who exactly is the new USPS David Steiner Postmaster General?
Steiner isn't your typical career postal worker. He didn't start by carrying a bag in the rain or sorting flats in a windowless plant. He’s a lawyer by training with a degree from UCLA Law, but he made his name in the corporate world.
For 12 years, he ran Waste Management. That’s a $20 billion company with about 50,000 employees. He’s credited with turning that ship around by focusing on recycling and massive operational shifts. Basically, he’s a logistics guy. He knows how to move things from point A to point B without losing too much money in the process.
But there’s a catch. Before he took the USPS job, he was the lead independent director at FedEx.
"His selection has elicited reactions from stakeholders across the postal ecosystem... his ties to the private sector—particularly to FedEx—have raised concerns about the long-term direction of the Postal Service." – Postal Realty Trust
That’s a bit of an understatement. To some, hiring a FedEx board member to run the Post Office feels a little like hiring the coach of the Dallas Cowboys to run the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s competitive. It’s messy. And it makes the unions very, very nervous.
The Trump Connection and the Board's Choice
The process of picking a Postmaster General is always political, even if it's not supposed to be. Unlike a Cabinet secretary, the PMG isn't appointed by the President and doesn't need Senate confirmation. Instead, the Board of Governors makes the call.
In early 2025, the search narrowed down to three guys: Steiner, Jim Cochrane, and William Zollars. Reportedly, President Trump made it clear he liked Steiner. On May 9, 2025, the Board made it official.
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Why Steiner? Amber McReynolds, the Board Chair, basically said they needed a "visionary leader" with private-sector chops. They wanted someone who could handle the massive restructuring already underway while keeping the lights on.
What Steiner Inherited: The Delivering for America Hangover
Steiner didn't walk into a "business as usual" situation. He walked into the middle of a 10-year reorganization plan called Delivering for America.
If you've noticed your local post office changing or your mail taking a day longer, that's likely the plan at work. It’s a massive effort to cut costs and modernize, but it’s been controversial. Steiner has a delicate balancing act to perform.
- The Financials: The USPS lost $3.3 billion in just the second quarter of 2025.
- The Service: Delivery performance has been shaky, even as postage rates keep climbing.
- The Politics: A bipartisan Congressional group is already pushing back against facility closures that Steiner is supposed to oversee.
Steiner’s vibe so far? He’s trying to be the "stabilizer." While DeJoy was often seen as a bull in a china shop, Steiner is using a more collaborative tone. He’s been talking to the unions—the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and others—trying to convince them he’s not there to privatize the whole thing.
He’s been pretty explicit about rejecting full privatization. He calls the USPS a "unique hybrid institution." It's a business, but it's also a public service. You can't just cut off delivery to a rural town in Montana because it's not "profitable." That’s the rule.
Why the FedEx Background Matters (and Why It Doesn't)
People love to point at the FedEx connection as proof of a secret plan to dismantle the USPS. Honestly, it’s probably simpler than that. The USPS is increasingly a package delivery company that also happens to carry letters.
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Letter volume is dying. It’s been falling for decades. Packages are where the growth is. If you want to compete with Amazon and UPS, you hire someone who understands the private sector's logistics.
Steiner did resign from the FedEx board before starting at the USPS to avoid a conflict of interest. But he still brings that "pricing model" mindset. Expect to see more aggressive changes in how shipping services are priced.
What This Means for Your Mailbox
So, what does the USPS David Steiner Postmaster General era actually look like for you?
Don't expect your stamps to get cheaper. They won't. In fact, we’ve already seen recommendations for more price increases. Steiner has signaled that he’s doubling down on operational efficiency.
This means more "facility consolidation." In plain English: they are going to close older, smaller processing centers and move everything to bigger, high-tech hubs. The goal is to make the network more "logical." The risk is that if one of those big hubs has a hiccup, the mail for half a state gets backed up.
Actionable Takeaways for Businesses and Consumers
If you rely on the mail for your business or just want to know how to navigate the Steiner era, here’s the reality:
- Anticipate Rate Hikes: Factor in 5-10% increases in your shipping and mailing budgets annually. The "Delivering for America" plan baked these in, and Steiner hasn't shown signs of stopping them.
- Monitor Local Changes: Watch for news about your local "Processing and Distribution Center." If yours is slated for consolidation, expect a 3-6 month period of service "adjustments" (read: delays) while they move equipment.
- Diversify Your Shipping: If you're a small business, don't put all your eggs in the USPS basket. Steiner’s focus is on making the USPS a "competitive" player, which might mean better package tracking but also more rigid corporate-style rules.
Steiner has a lot of work to do. He’s trying to fix a 250-year-old institution that’s stuck between being a government agency and a modern shipping giant. Whether a guy who built his career in the waste industry can turn the "junk mail" business into a profitable powerhouse is the multi-billion dollar question.
We’re about a year into his tenure now, and while the "tone" has shifted, the pressure hasn't. The mail still has to go out. The bills still have to be paid. And everyone—from the White House to the person waiting for a check in the mail—is watching to see if he can actually deliver.
Your next steps for staying updated on postal changes:
- Check the USPS Newsroom monthly for updates on service standard refinements.
- Follow the "Protect Postal Performance Act" in Congress if you are concerned about local office closures.
- Review your current shipping contracts to see how USPS "Ground Advantage" rates compare to Steiner's new pricing models.